Sleepy, dark morning in Edmundston, and the quick weather check outside had us at -24 (-31 Wind Chill). Nicely, not too windy! We arrived at Mont Farlagne, just 10 minutes from the Sheraton, shortly after 9:00 AM. Our visit here has partially been inspired by our friends Jan & Chris from A for Adventure… They posted information regarding the services at this facility online and promote getting outdoors and exploring. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been at a ski hill… I’d guess sometime in high school during a visit to Keppoch. Anyway… off we go!
The folks at the ticket office assisted wonderfully. They had us set up with four fat bikes, that we rented for three hours, and took them to the top of the hill for us. We purchased Day Pass tickets, rented helmets, and headed up on the chair lift. We quickly found the trail and were in and out of snow banks for the best part of two hours winding our way down the hill.
Here’s how it went! I think it took us a little while to get our “legs”, but after some sorting out we all got pointed in the same direction and headed down the groomed fat bike trails. There were a couple of hiccups… Janie’s bike was a bit too big, we took a while getting gears figured out, and we got a little lost at one point (map was not entirely accurate / the guy who helped us crunched it up). These are first-timer issues. A lasting memory was my flight over the handle bars into an accommodating snow drift! Everyone had their opportunity for a spill at some point during the morning. Glad no cameras were in range of that!
Peter’s Fat Biking Video – Cell Phone No Less
Though this all sounds dramatic, it was definitely great fun and exercise. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Fat bikes are awesome in the snow (although we all preferred downhill to uphill sections of the trail). After a quick mug-up and warming, Janie and Monica trotted off to go tubing while I trekked Peter back to the hotel to get dried out.
When I returned we took on our next excursion up the hill, and made tracks towards the snowshoeing trails. We’d purchased snowshoes (the easy to use and look after aluminum model) last year and wanted to break them in a bit. After we located the entry sign, up the trail we went. Logically, as we began on the side of Mont Farlange, the first portions are quite up hill. It was a gorgeous walk through the hardwoods… Nothing but the crunch of snow. We got a solid hour return hike in before packing up.
Basically, we spent six hours at Mont Farlagne… But it would not be difficult to double that if one were skiing as well (there was live music in the lodge too). We noticed, although it seems an expensive hobby, that families of all ages were representing in abundance and surmised that with more hospitable weather there would most likely have been larger crowds. Monica noted that all staff that she encountered were super friendly and helpful in regards to any requests we had made. Thumbs up to Mont Farlagne 👍!
Then homeward to the Sheraton (after a quick gas stop) to recharge for supper downstairs at Frank’s. Janie scooped some reservations and also sourced some snacks, stomach fixer-uppers for Peter, and some suds for the drinking age set. Once again, great supper. This time we sampled the more “pub like” options such as burgers, sandwiches and BBQ chicken. Prompt, courteous service and well portioned / tasty dishes seem to be the norm.
Immediately after supper, we ran to get our coats / mitts / hats and rush to the Cine V. The kids went to see Pitch Perfect, while Janie and I saw the latest Star Wars flic, The Last Jedi. Kitschy little theatre, with what seemed like only one young lady holding down the whole operation (beyond the popcorn sales). Always old school fun getting into the theatre and was well worth the cost to relax and watch a show! Then home to a cold drink and Canada vs Denmark in the World Juniors.