December 23, 2006 (Montreal, QC) – While some cross-country ski centres in the north east are open, the snow drought is affecting Quebec and other locations. Mont Sainte Anne, just east of Quebec City, escaped the freezing rain that fell over most of Quebec on Friday, according to Pierre Vezina, head of x-c ski operations there. Vezina said that eight trails, representing about 30 kms of the 212-km trail network, were open Saturday and that the centre hoped to have about 50 kms open Sunday. “We’ve been open all week,” added Vezina.

Meanwhile SEPAQ, the organization that manages Quebec’s provincial parks, reported plenty of snow in the Gaspé Peninsula’s Chic Choc Mountains – 55 cms on the ground – where l’Auberge de montagne opens for the season on December 26.

Foret Montmorency, another Quebec City x-c centre, advertises on its website the 10 kms of trails were open today. At nearby Camp Mercier a recorded message indicated that the centre hopes to groom the trails soon and that access to trails there is free.

At Mont Grand Fonds x-c centre in the Charlevoix region, another recorded message inicates the centre will be open as of 9 a.m. Sunday. It was unclear how many of the 160 kms of trails there would be open.

SkiTrax has learned that x-c skiing-and especially skate skiing has been possible over the past week in the Laurentians, north of Montreal, on Morin-Height’s Aerobic Corridor trail. Driving conditions to get up there, however, have been rendered treacherous by freezing rain.