Another Ski Season Come and Gone…Or Has It?

Spring is finally starting to bloom (sort of) in Boston, meaning another ski season has come to an end. And what a season it was. My days on the mountain in the 2018-2019 ski season got off to a slow start but I more than made up for it in the new year. With 3 international trips and the most consecutive days of skiing out West to date, my 2019 skiing line up is going to be tough to beat next year.

Le Massif De Charlevoix, Québec

The Northeast had an epic start to the winter with powder for days in November and early December. However, due to some family commitments and the holidays, I wasn’t able to finagle a trip to the mountains until I headed to Québec City in Canada over New Year’s Eve weekend. I took a trip with the Boston Ski & Sports Club to Le Massif de Charlevoix, about an hour outside of Québec City. So I was able to sneak in one day on the slopes on December 31st before the ball dropped at midnight.

There are a few unique features of Le Massif de Charlevoix which make it unlike any other mountain I have skied before. First, the set-up of the resort is such that the main parking area and lodge are at the summit of the mountain, instead of the base. Once you park and grab your lift ticket, you can just ski right down the mountain and then hop on the gondola for a ride back up. Second, the St. Lawrence River runs right along the bottom edge of Le Massif, so you get gorgeous views of the ice-capped river as you ski down the mountain.

Mont Tremblant, Québec

Coincidentally, I headed back up to Canada for another ski trip a scant 2 weeks later. The NYE Québec City trip came together at the last minute, but I had actually made plans months before to go to Mont Tremblant with a group of girlfriends. Last year, we went to Montreal for a long weekend and took a day trip to Mont Tremblant. We decided that one day in sub-zero temps (seriously, the temp was -15°F) was just not enough. So, this year we decided to spend the weekend in the picture-perfect, brilliantly colored village. Ok, maybe the real reason for the extended stay was so that we didn’t have to leave the raucous après ski party at Le P’tit Caribou!

Stowe, Vermont

The weekend following Tremblant, I made the trek up to Stowe, Vermont over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend. Stowe is one of my favorite mountains on the East Coast. Even though it is on the Epic Pass (I have the Ikon Pass), I try to get up there at least once a season. We totally lucked out with a massive Nor’easter storm that brought in about 18” of fresh powder over the long weekend. We did not luck out with the temps though as the high was -1°F!

While in Stowe, I checked out a few of my favorite haunts, like The Bench and The Rusty Nail. I had been wanting to try Idletyme Brewing Company for a while and I finally made it on this trip. I was expecting it to be sort of a big, bare taproom. But it is actually a really chic restaurant inside and the food was mouth-wateringly good. I’ll definitely be going back next time I’m in Stowe!

Loon, New Hampshire

Next up on the skiing agenda was a girls’ trip to New Hampshire with my Mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. The others don’t ski but I snuck off early Saturday morning to make it in time for first chair at Loon Mountain. Even though the temperatures in Canada and Stowe were more frigid, I actually felt the bitter cold the most at Loon. I seriously thought I had frostbite on my toes. It took about 30 minutes sitting close to the fire for me to actually start to feel my feet again. I called it quits on the early side that day and met up with the fam for a late lunch!

Grandvalira, Andorra

Two weeks later I set off on my most anticipated trip of the season – skiing in Andorra! I know what you’re thinking – where the heck is Andorra?! Well, it is a tiny micro-nation in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe, tucked between Spain and France. I had heard of Andorra before but once I found out that you could ski there, it shot to the top of my bucket list!

This trip was filled with blue skies, sunshine, beautiful views, and champagne. Lots of champagne. Oh, and there was also some skiing mixed in there as well. =) Seriously, this trip ranks up there with one of the best I’ve taken to date. I’m now on a mission to spread the word about this beautiful country that hardly anyone outside of Europe has heard of. On second thought, maybe I should keep this secret to myself. But if you’re curious to know more, check out the detailed recaps I wrote about skiing at Grandvalira and spa-ing (is that a word?) in the capital city of Andorra la Vella.

Park City, Utah

Somehow I was lucky enough to squeeze in another big ski trip this winter – this time out West in Utah! Park City and the surrounding mountains have come to feel a bit like a second home to me. I think this was my 5^th or 6^th time there. Every time I fall more and more in love with the Salt Lake Valley and the Wasatch Mountain range.

Arriving at the SLC airport is a scene like no other. It is overtaken in equal measure by ski bums lugging their equipment and Mormons gathered to welcome their loved ones home from a mission! It is quite the dichotomy. My first trip to Utah in 2008 was my longest. I was there for 10 days, skied 8 of them, but took a 1-day break in the middle. This recent trip was only 8 days long but I skied 7 consecutive days of fresh powder, at 5 different mountains!

You can really make the most of the Ikon pass in Utah since there are 5 nearby mountains on the pass. These include Alta and Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, as well as Brighton and Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon. These 4 mountains are about 45 minutes from Park City. The 5^th mountain on the Ikon Pass is Deer Valley Resort, which is right in the heart of Park City. I skied 4 of the 5 mountains on this trip (I didn’t make it to Solitude). I also forked over some cash for a day pass to Park City Mountain Resort (aka The Canyons) to ski one day with some friends who have the Epic Pass. My legs definitely needed a break by the 7th day of skiing in a row!

Snowbird

Alta

Brighton

Deer Valley

The Canyons

Sunday River, Maine

To finish off the season, some friends and I headed up to Sunday River in Maine. They throw a Spring Fest/Parrothead Festival the first weekend in April every year. The conditions were definitely on the slushy side, but that didn’t matter too much since we were eager to partake in the festivities. The resort sets up an outdoor stage with musicians performing throughout the afternoon. And there’s a Tiki Bar serving up classic Painkillers (à la Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke in the BVIs), nutmeg and all. To top it off, some of the girls I met on my trip to Andorra happened to be there, as well as a friend I met on my NYE trip to Le Massif in Québec! Things really came full circle this season.

So, that’s the round-up of my 2019 ski season adventures! I’ve already bought my Ikon Pass for next year and am daydreaming of a trip to Aspen, Taos, or Big Sky. And a repeat trip to Utah, of course. Although, I heard that Squaw Valley is open until July 7^th this season. So I might just have to take a trip to Tahoe in May or June to squeeze in one more ski-venture!

What’s your favorite memory from this ski season?

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