Discover outdoor adventure in Eastern Townships By Story by Katharine Fletcher | Photos Eric Fletcher
The Eastern Townships isn’t just that region southeast of Montreal where Conrad Black started his newspaper empire (buying The Eastern Townships Advertiser in 1969). It’s also home to crime novelist Louise Penny, who sets her Inspector Gamache series in the hamlet of Three Pines. It’s an area where forested hills and gentle valleys, honestly quaint villages just like Three Pines (hopefully without the murders), and a variety of outdoor fun awaits. Such as … Well, a happy spectrum from biking and hiking, horseback riding, parachuting, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing at Owl’s Head and Mont Sutton, and more. And let’s not forget le terroir (fresh, local foods) that Quebec is justly famous for. Foodies can drop in anywhere, or try the wine route (La Route des Vins de l’Estrie), the English Tea route, or opt for Bromont’s chocolate festival in late May. But what particularly grabbed our attention last winter was Hok skiing. It happened along Au Diable Vert’s forested trails near Sutton, Que. Owner Jeremy Fontana asked us whether we’d ever done it.
“If you’re just getting back into skiing after your shoulder injury, you’ll find they’re easy to manage. You can climb any hill and then glide down. Sweet!” I had just told him I was recovering after an injury and tendonitis, not quite ready for cross-country skis yet. Eric and I had our snowshoes for Au Diable Vert’s trail network. But why not give the Hoks – a hybrid between skis and snowshoes – a go, Fontana suggested? “At 1.5 metres they’re short, broad, feature a handy universal binding and have skins on their base, so you can easily climb any of our wooded trails. I bet once you try them, you’ll buy a pair. They’re great for breaking trail in our wooded hills because they’re like a hybrid between skis and snowshoes.” The “skin” is a piece of synthetic fur on
their base, allowing skiers to ascend mountains without wax and then glide downhill. We loved them. I want some for Christmas. Fontana’s was right: they’re perfect for action on his 130-hectare property. When the day is done, you can stay overnight in whimsical (have to see them to believe it) cabins in the forest. From some visitors, the attraction is the panorama of ridge upon ridge of forested mountains extending to the horizon. His 14 kilometres of private trails connect to 65 more in the Sutton Environmental Park network and in Sentiers de l’Estrie. Putting on the Hoks is easy, step in and fasten bindings which resemble contemporary snowshoe gear. Then we were off, poling through a meadow’s deep powder drifts. With no one to impress, we stopped often, absorbing the views, then entered the verge of the forest where posted maps explain the trail network. We did the 14 kilometres, crossing several fancifully built bridges – all worth a selfie because they’re so creatively functional. The cabins are equally original. Some are on stilts overlooking a valley; one is igloo-shaped; but our hands-down fave reminded us of that English nursery rhyme about the crooked man who walked a crooked mile and lived in “a little crooked house.” Accommodations are rustic. No electricity or plumbing. Free firewood for the wood stove. Bring sleeping bags, food, and gear as if you were camping. To get to the cabins, many guests haul sleds piled with food, water, and gear. Otherwise, staff bring everything on a 4WD vehicle and light the stove so it’s warm when you arrive. For serenity, for the Hok ski experiment, for the thrill of new trails, Au Diable Vert’s hard to beat. But it doesn’t end there. Picturesque Sutton and vicinity has more. We snowshoed Plein Air Sutton Cooperative’s private trails. Blessed with a postcard-perfect, blue-sky day and deep powder snow, we discovered turns in the trail that
The whimsical “Dreamcatcher” tree cabin at Au
Diable Vert can accommodate eight people.
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