WINTER2017
MLBLUE
85
Oneof the trails is closed today: oneof the
residentmoosehasbeenspotted in thearea
andshe’sabout to calf. “What canwedo?”
PierreVezinashrugs. “It’s their home too.”
“We’re not just for elite skiers—it’s for everybody,” I’m told by the director
of the ski centre, Pierre Vezina, whomeets me in a main chalet where
nordic skiers of any ability will immediately feel comfortable: wood-
burning fireplace, picnic tables, cafeteria, spacious waxing room, and walls
covered with dozens of photos. Olympians such as hometown heroAlex
Harvey train here, and Vezina skied these trails as a member of Canada’s
national team in the 1970s. He became a volunteer ski patroller in 1976,
as the fledgling network was expanding toward its current mileage, and
has been running the centre for the past 30 years.
Trails are groomed daily, starting at 5am, to ensure they’re are as fresh
as possible when the sun comes up. The crisp tracks and silky corduroy
attract a mixed crowd of more than 40,000 every winter: youth and adult
racing clubs; visitors fromOntario, the Maritimes and northeastern United
States; and locals who’ve been coming for decades, like Vezina’s 80-year-
old father-in-law, who’ll have his morning coffee, talk to friends, knock off
15km, and repeat the routine the next day.
Vezina and I leave the chalet and take green trail 38, a rolling single-track
in the woods. After half an hour, he turns back—the centre is hosting
a race tomorrow and there’s work to do. I pull out my trail map and,
faced with the glorious prospect of three days of solo skiing in perfect
conditions, start planning the largest possible loop.
