There are still many ski trails in our Laurentian hills. So many I can’t even guess how many kilometres we still have. Some of our trails are relatively new and some predate even Jack Rabbit.
However, many trails have disappeared. The most common reason that we loose trails is residential or commercial development. Often it’s just a new landowner who brings a city type of attitude of private ownership of property to our forests. Occasionally it’s a landowner who has an axe to grind with some level of government. One great destroyer of trails was simply the winter clearing of roads and the creation of others like the Laurentian autoroute in the 60s.
I have made up a list of some of the trails that have disappeared over the years. Here is my little list-PART one-, which is the upper Laurentian- by general area:
Tremblant Area: Daw’s ridge; Bandurant
Sainte-Agathe: Huber (near the campground)
Val David and Val Morin: Casgrain; Highland; Vanier; Expert; Omaney
Sainte-Marguerite: Diffendorf; Corkscrew; Cochand; Sheppard; Beaton; Oulawan
Sainte-Adele: Alpine; Gascon; Baldy; Viking; Cross Cut; Desjardins; WOC
Well, I know where most of these trails were because the maps from the past show them in a reasonably precise fashion, but if you would like me to tell you where any of them were I would be glad to.
Please send me more names for the list with any info that you might have.
Chriss Cross