...still frozen

We are skiing on the West (Ouest) Mountain. The race run for the U16 provincials is Le Point du mier

It seems as though it is impossible for us Eastern skiers to dodge the cold. Our group headed out today in Val St Come, QC in what was another frigid -25 with windchills of -35. After yesterdays pouring rain you would think that the conditions would be absolutely bulletproof - Mother nature proved otherwise. We got on the race track this morning to find a top layer of what the rapid increase in wind speed completely dried out. This crust broke quite easily and we discovered a firmer base underneath. Our first session was very indicative of those who are willing to push themselves when weather and snow conditions are not ideal. The athletes battled mother natures frozen tendancies for 2 hours with no breaks and 2 full skin suit runs. After lunch we free-skied superG. The mountain is fairly large and quite deserted during the week - giving the athletes an opportunity to tuck and ski high speed turns top to bottom without interruption. The ground remained firm as long as a designated track was not setup.

A beautiful evening shot of the Auberge VSC

The Val St Come auberge will host the Outaouais delegation for their U16 provincial championships. We really felt strongly about exposing our Quebec athletes to the race environment they will encounter later in the season. The Auberge has been very accommodating with a great tuning setup, slopeside exit & entrance as well as delicious food and spacious rooms. The Auberge is situated immediately at the bottom of the Ouest mountain.

We will head back out tomorrow into what the athletes refer to as 'the frozen abyss' with the same schedule planned. We are on track for a a later return on Thursday night as we have adjusted out plan to ski the full day Thursday.