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First-time visitors to Mont Sutton will find they"ll soon have to make a decision: either spend endless time poring over the trail map or just jump in and enjoy the place. That"s because Sutton"s trails and trees blend together so seamlessly in places that it"s hard to discern where a trail fades into the trees or the woods open onto a slope. You might think that such an arrangement would make it difficult to find terrain suitable to your ability level, but not at Sutton. Just remember this: as you go higher up Sutton"s ridgeline, trails become more difficult. Thus, everything between the lowest base lodge (altitude 400 meters) and the lowest "summit" lodge (altitude 680 meters) is green and blue; everything between the upper base lodge (altitude 520 m) and summit lodge (altitude 840 m) is black or double black, with only a few short exceptions. Fortunately, while it"s possible to stumble onto easier stuff if you take a wrong turn from the very top, you can"t mistakenly wind up on advanced terrain if you take a wrong turn from the lower of the two summit lodges. Thus, more advanced skiers and riders won"t often find themselves sharing terrain with those less proficient, and those of you not ready to handle the steeper stuff needn"t worry about getting in over your head. On the other hand, Sutton is the perfect place to hone your tree-skiing (or riding) skills, offering a progression of difficulty with enough terrain in each ability level to get comfortable without getting bored. Once you"re ready for the tough stuff, you"ll find that it"s just about the perfect length. The vertical drop ranges from about 850 feet to 1050 (overall, Sutton has 1500 feet of vertical) and the pitch holds pretty true all the way down. One thousand vertical feet of bumped-up trees is quite enough for most of us. Mont Sutton offers a full range of services, and the snowsports school will gladly help you sort out your technique before you head down Intrepide or Bou-Bou. The mountain"s increasing popularity over the past 40-plus years has fueled the development of condominiums, chalets, B&Bs, and other lodging, as well as a host of restaurants, boutiques, and other shops. Mont Sutton is located in the Eastern Townships, a little closer to Sherbrooke than Montreal, and not far from the Vermont border.
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Ski Report
Quebec
