Le Massif: our home base

I can’t imagine anyplace more ideal: a mountain, a river and epic snow depths (as I write this, the mountain has just received 60 centimetres of snowfall in the last 48 hours). It’s an endless playground equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. In recent years, Le Massif de Charlevoix has truly become our favorite place to unwind and enjoy some family fun.

We recently took possession of our "refuge", located at the top of Camp Boule. Real estate is now beginning to hit its stride at Le Massif, with numerous projects taking shape across the region. The true beauty of our little chalet, apart from its perfect size, is the families of ski enthusiasts who, like us, enjoy being first down the mountain when Mother Nature treats us to a generous dump of snow.

The best part? Seeing the “neighbourhood” children pass by the chalet in the morning on the way to meet their friends from the ski club, or simply to make first tracks after one of the season’s many storms. Saturday night dinner with our neighbours has now become a much-anticipated event. A home at the summit of a mountain must be an asset that only Le Massif offers. Very few mountains, if any, can make such a claim in North America. We are spoiled.

Near the slopes and our peaceful little retreat lie several kilometres of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or walks in the woods. For those with a need for speed, the luge is also close by, offering about seven kilometres of track where sliding fans can descend towards the river at full tilt.

In short, it’s a base camp that allows us to enjoy winter’s finest features, in an environment that only Charlevoix can offer. And that’s pretty hard to beat.