March Break 2012: Quebec Ski Trip

Team Nelka

Kelly, Silka and Neko on first run of the day - 1st day at Le Massif

Well, we couldn't have had a better trip. No, I take that back. It would have been perfect if we returned without an injury. Alas, Julia's skiing ended on the third day when she blew out her knee at Le Massif. I would have pummeled the ground and cried like a baby but she was extremely stoic. The rest of our ski experience wasn't quite the same without her.

Kelly, Neko and Silka

Injury frustrations aside, we all had a great time in Quebec. We started off in Quebec City arriving late afternoon on Monday. We stayed for two nights in a hotel inside the walls of Old Quebec City. We walked the old city's streets, following the track of the upcoming 'Crashed Ice' race. We had a great dinner at Le Lapin Saute and got off to bed fairly early to be ready for our first day of skiing at Mont Sainte Anne. We had Silka and Rein signed up for ski lessons on the first day so we headed off early. The conditions were a bit icy the first day and I took it easy getting my ski legs back after about a

riding the chair to the top of Le Massif

Tom and Matt in the Gondola ride up

 year and a half away from it. That night we went out for some Moroccan food except for Matt who stayed behind with the kids. they ate pizza in our hotel room and watched Hoot while Matt ate Sushi and drank beer. It snowed overnight which made for some great conditions the next day.

Tom, Silka and Shawnypants 

The next morning, Silka had one more but Rein was skiing with us from then onward. Everyones' confidence kept building with each run. I stuck to the easier runs with Silka and Neko on the South side while the rest spent time the black diamond runs on the North side. Shawn and Julia took Silka and Neko for a couple runs in the afternoon while I joined the rest for some more challenging runs. The glade run through the 'Enchanted Forest' was a highlight.

Kelly and Team Nelka riding ahead into the clouds

After a full day, we packed up and headed off to Petite-Rivière-Saint-François where our rental chalet for the next three nights was located. None of us had skied at Le Massif before so we were all very excited. 

frost crusted chair floating by in the mist

The drive there was incredible - the snow was about a meter deep and hoar frost had settled on the evergreens covering the mountainous hills on either side of us. It didn't take long to get there and we unpacked pretty quickly so we could enjoy our new digs. Matt and Kelly made a great Mexican meal that night. I volunteered to go into the hot tub with the kids which in the end did me in. I fell asleep shortly after putting the kids to bed. The rest stayed up and jammed for a while. We were all at Le Massif early stoked to get acquainted with this beautiful mountain. Matt, Kelly and I took Neko and Silka down the easiest run first and it was magical. We were all enamored by the time we arrived at the Gondola. I stuck to the easier runs with Silka and Neko while the rest went off and explored some more challenging runs. When I arrived back at the upper lodge with Team Nelka that is when I learned of Julia's injury. When Shawn arrived, he helped her back to their car and she headed back to the chalet where she could rest up. 

Team Ruin (Ruby and Rein)

The food at the lodge was excellent and healthy - a french fry or soft drink could not be found anywhere...
When we got back to the chalet, Julia seemed in fairly good spirits. I took on job as sous chef for Shawn that night who made an amazing vegetarian pasta meal. The sauce was divine! 
That night I was ready to party but we all ended up heading off to bed fairly early - Kelly a little worse for wear...
We were off again the next day fairly early and parked at the bottom of Le Massif this time - it was a lot quieter and much easier to access. We woke up to freezing rain that day and it was raining when we got outside and headed up the gondola for our first run. Silka was a different kid on skis this last day barreling down the mountain with a ton of confidence and yelling after Neko to wait up if she wasn't in front of her. We all got pretty soaked in the a.m. and enjoyed a more relaxed lunch (Charlevoix sausage with sauerkraut and a beer for some of us) while our stuff dried out a bit. 

Julia in good spirits back at the chalet despite a blown-out knee...

When we got back out there, it had stopped raining and we had a great afternoon - except for that part when Silka refused to go down a steep part and screamed at me as she slid down on her bum while I skied back and forth beside her with her skis in one hand and my poles in the other. When she saw Kelly and the rest of the junior team that were waiting below appear out of the mist, she immediately perked up, got her skis back on and continued on as if that demon child a few moments before never existed. She apparently thought they had abandoned us. We skied until about 4:30 p.m.and called it a day. We left knowing that we will definitely be back next year.
That night, Tom and I were on dinner and we decided on a french classic - a cheese fondue. There were lots of giggles at the table (especially from Neko's and Rein's end) when one had to kiss the person on their left if they lost their bread, etc. in the pot of cheese. We tried to stay up to celebrate our last night and my 43rd birthday (yikes!) but we were all in bed by 10 p.m. and Tom by 11:30 p.m. 
The next day we packed up and headed home. We stopped in Baie Saint Paul - a quaint, artsy little town 5 minutes East of where we stayed. We toured a bunch of art galleries and Tom bought me a box of locally made chocolates for my birthday. We then headed West with some stops at Montmorency Falls and Trois Riviere for lunch, and then home on Buck Lake where we were greeted by the cacophony of spring peepers. 

March Break begins with making some Maple Syrup!

Mom pouring sap...

Maple Syrup season begins!

Team Olvet pouring sap out...

friends and neighbours come by during first boil up

boiling down sap on Buck Lake

Before heading off on our Quebec ski trip on Monday, we decided to take advantage of the warmer weather and make some maple syrup. Tom and the kids tapped the trees last Tuesday night in anticipation of Wednesday's warmer weather. We had a few nights of late night dinners as they got the operation up and running.
We ended up with about 80 litres of sap by Saturday morning. Tom gathered and chopped wood throughout the day on Saturday so we could get a fire started early Sunday and start boiling.
Sunday morning, I got up at 7 a.m. that was really 6 a.m. (the time 'sprung' forward during the night). I got dressed in my syruping digs and headed out to where Tom set up the cauldron. I stripped some bark off a log of Birch and gathered some kindling. Over the next hour or so, I got a fire going, feeding and fanning when needed, and reading Emma Donoghue's "Room". Rein was the first to join me at around 8:30 a.m. and kept me company.
When Tom arrived with more wood, a good bed of coals was established and some wind had picked up. The fire was roaring - yippee!
I went back into the house to continue working on my first painting since we came back from Australia.
It wasn't long before I heard more voices coming from outside. I went out to investigate and we had curious visitors - our neighbours and friends, Jay and Jana, and Brynna and her daughter, Stella.
What a beautiful day - 10 degrees and a blue bird sky. You can feel that spring is just around the corner...
We will add the last batch of sap around 4 p.m. and boil it down until we've got our first batch of Buck Lake Maple Syrup. Yum!

Rein puts a new spin on going for a bike ride!

Storrington Stingers win the Novice A Championship

Storrington Stingers: Rein playing defense (black & white jersey)

 Well, it was a nail biter - they tied 2-2 and they won in the second 5 minute overtime!
I don't have much of a voice left. It has been rather shocking - I never knew I had a hockey mom hidden inside me. As I yelled" Go, Rein, hustle! Hustle!" and saw Tom laughing next to me, I knew I had been sucked in.

the Championship win! (Rein front left)

Rein has really taken to the sport since he got back from Australia and has even requested to play in Spring Hockey.
What is a mother to do?? Get a really good bum warmer and some throat lozenges, I guess....