86
MLBLUE
WINTER2017
Killer trails at Mont-Sainte-Anne include black 24, which climbs and
climbs a subalpine hillside and, from one of the centre’s half-dozen
propane-heated backcountry cabins, offers views of the icy St. Lawrence.
Swooshing down, I understand why Vezina emphasized the centre’s
accessibility—the angles are steep and the turns tight, but with perfect
control, the biggest challenge during the descents is the wind inmy face.
The next morning I pop into the chalet to say hello to Vezina and I learn
that one of the trails is closed today: one of the resident moose has been
spotted in the area and she’s about to calf. “What can we do?” he shrugs.
“It’s their home too.” The race is underway, but as Vezina had promised,
despite the couple hundred people at the heart of the trail network, once
you ski two kilometres away it feels like you have the forest to yourself.
A light snow drifts down from fluffy clouds playing hide and seek with the
sun. Then a snow squall blows in, with winds and powdery accumulation
that slowmy progress. And then just as quickly as it arrived, the snow
stops and the winds die down, and the vistas once again are dominated
by blue sky and green pine.
Eight hours and 60-odd kilometres later, sunburnt and heavy-legged, I
head back to the ChâteauMont-Sainte-Anne at the base of the alpine
slopes for a soak in the outdoor hot tub. Then I drive down to Sainte-
Anne-de-Beaupré and park near the basilica. My destination this evening,
in a sense, is a sacred place: Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés. The brew
pub has 15 house-made beers on tap, including a light and hoppy pale
ale named after the Mestachibo Trail, which ascends a waterfall-rich
canyon with help from a pair of suspension bridges. Perhaps a summer
pilgrimage, and a pint on the patio overlooking the St. Lawrence, is in
order too.
Cabane à sucre. COURTESYMONT-SAINTE-ANNE
