Laurentides
Sector
The Laurentian shield north of Montreal, where rounded gneiss domes collect a deep, wind-packed snowpack from December into April. Trailheads sit between 300 m and 500 m, so the base here usually runs 20-40 cm deeper than the St. Lawrence valley floor. Mixed hardwood below 600 m, black spruce and balsam fir above.
Mont-Tremblant Massif
The high ground of the range: two summits over 850 m, long ridge lines, and the only genuinely alpine-feeling terrain in the region. Upslope winds load the north-east bowls hard after a system.
Val-David Forest Roads
A grid of old logging spurs and the abandoned rail corridor that once served the Laurentian villages. Low angle, forgiving navigation, and the first place in the region to be skiable after a warm spell.
Deepest base recorded in this sector: 96 cm. Sector centre %.