Winter Sports

Awoke before dawn and after rising from our toasty warm sleeping bags, we started to feel the humid 28 degree temperature. Decided to run out to the car and warm up. This proved to be one of my less intelligent decisions ever made. The temperature was some 40 degrees lower outside than inside. And the car took a while to warm up, even after I slipped it into gear and carefully negotiated the snow-covered parking lot trying to force the engine to work harder. The car's heater took a heckuva long time to work. After what seemed like hours, lukewarm air began flowing. In hindsight, I should have started the car and waited with MSO in the Ice Hotel!

Had a filling buffet breakfast in the dining room. We didn't worry about calories as we loaded our plates - We were off for a three hour snowmobile trek when breakfast was finished and knew that calories mean body warmth!

Our snowmobiles were brand new Skidoo 500's - One for each of us. We weren't joining a tour but in true CmdrMark & MSO fashion, we were striking out on our own to explore Quebec. The staff of Portneuf, from whom we'd rented the machines, made certain we were appropriately dressed for our excursion. Our thermometer told us it hit -19 the night before and the boots, suits and gloves Portneuf provided would have kept us warm had we chosen to scale Mount Everest! We were provided maps of the area but momentary confusion reigned until I realized that the Provincial highway numbers weren't roads; They were snowmobile trails. Quebec is criss-crossed with designated snowmobile highways. There's even a trans-Canada snowmobile highway! After traveling 30 klicks, we found ourselves at the Sugar Shack. This is an oasis for snowmobilers featuring warmth, hot beverages and adult libations.

As I climbed off my machine back at Portneuf, the odometer told me that we'd traveled 63 kilometers along some of the most beautiful snowscape imaginable.
 

The Villa

Checked in to what was advertised as a villa. I expected some advertising puffing when I read SEPAQ's description of villa #11, Le Heure. What a surprise awaited us. Located on the western shore of Lac Joseph, this was a four bedroom building with large kitchen, living room and spacious dining room. An efficient wood-burning stove kept the living room toasty warm. MSO prepared dinner in the well stocked kitchen. The roast was frozen solid having been in the car but the under MSO's direction, the microwave defrosted it nicely. We ate well as the outside temperature plunged - 22 degrees below zero sometime during the night. We awoke to a light snow falling. This was the kind of place where I could hole up all winter. Quietly peaceful with but one exception. A ski plane, taking off from the well frozen lake, had MSO and I running to the window to see the cause of the racket. We dawdled over multiple cups of tea and coffee. We were due back in Quebec City that afternoon but in such surroundings, we weren't in any rush to rejoin civilization!