hemiboreal forest skiing in New Brunswick Canada

[lilcliffy]

Thank you for your words of kindness and support.
Tough and painful stuff.

[lowangle al]

I'm so sorry to hear about your great loss LC. Mourning is a long journey, I wish you and your family the best.

[martin2007]

Gareth, sorry to learn of your loss. My condolences to you and your family.
Martin

[Cannatonic]

been checking out New Brunswick more...so Fredricton is basically just down the road from Katahdin, 2.5 hours away, same latitude. must be like paradise out tree-skiing those woods! and you get to have a real job & stay in touch with civilization as well.

New Brunswick is underrated in the northeast, I've been lucky to take 2 business trips there, it's beautiful, reminded me of northern Maine without all the people The winters are getting thin around here...I need to starting thinking of finding a new locale for old age.

So you're able to discern the areas of open tree skiing by looking at satellite photos? that's cool, the coastal areas I visited looked like very tight boreal spruce trees.

[lilcliffy]

The provincial government has recently completed a LiDAR scan of New Brunswick- with a whole series of ridiculously accurate LiDAR based map products including: digital elevation model (DEM); hillshade; slope model; canopy height model (CHM) and enhanced forest inventory (EFI).

The DEM gives ridiculously accurate elevations- that are accurate within 10cm!!!
The slope model- combined with the hillshade (also ridiculously accurate) allows me to quickly identify/measure slope and more importantly locate ideal slopes that correspond with significant verticals.

By using provincial- and my own- photo interpretation, I can determine the forest cover type. I know the forests well enough to know which forest cover types have the best potential for open skiing.

Then by using the DEM, hillshade and the slope model I can locate ideal combinations of slope and verticals for sweet downhill skiing!
And then by using the CHM and EFI I can seek ideal forest conditions to ski in- that are located on the ideal terrain!
............
Yeah, the coastal ecoregions can be very exposed and bushy. There is some sweet terrain and forest to ski in in the Fundy Ecoregion, but the snow is can be unreliable that close to the Coast.

Once inland the forests are very similar to northern and upland New England- Northern Hardwood forests on the richer soils; spruce-pine-fir-hemlock on the poor sites; and a plethora of mixedwood forest types on zonal sites.

The Central and Northern hills/uplands and "mountains" in the Northwest offer exceptional, consistent snow pack and constant refresh.
My homestead is just north of the village of Stanley, in the lower elevations of the Central Uplands. The "Stanley-Doaktown-Blackville" area is a serious snow belt. We get all of the continental winter temperatures and weather- typical of western NB and northern ME- plus, we get most of the Atlantic storms, only at our elevation and distance from the coast, these intense winter storms produce snow (rather than rain and ice near the coast).

There is nothing above treeline that is really skiable in NB- you need to go to the Gaspe for that- but, the terrain, forest and snow conditions cannot be beaten!!
I typically get at least 2.5months of consistent cold soft snow- on top of a very deep consolidated base- to ski on- plus decent early winter skiing and excellent spring skiing.

New Brunswick is definitely underrated in general!!

[fisheater]

Someday when I have time to wander, I'm starting in New Hampshire. When I've skied enough of New Hamshire, I'm heading to New Brunswick. On this road trip the only thing that will be playing on the radio will be how to speak French Rosette Stone cd's. I will finish with Quebec skiing. It sure does seem like a good plan to me. I already have all the skis I will need!

[Nitram Tocrut]

Sorry for your loss LC. I have only been around this forum for a few weeks but you, and many others, have been an invaluable source of information and inspiration and you seem to be such a great guy!

On another subject, I suggest you stop bragging about the snow where you live because we will all go to your home to ski But seriously, I have a group of friends that do an annual 3-4 nights hut to hut BC trip. I tried to find this kind of excursion in N-B to no avail so I thought you would know. We went to the Chic-Choc in 2016 which was a 12 hours ride so we don’t mind the distance if the destination is worth it.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you

Martin

[Nitram Tocrut]

Someday when I have time to wander, I'm starting in New Hampshire. When I've skied enough of New Hamshire, I'm heading to New Brunswick. On this road trip the only thing that will be playing on the radio will be how to speak French Rosette Stone cd's. I will finish with Quebec skiing. It sure does seem like a good plan to me. I already have all the skis I will need!

There is some French speaking guys on this Forum so tell us when you come visit and we will check if Rosette Stone French course is any good

Seriously there is great BC ski to do in Québec and we are lucky to have a lot of opportunity for hut to hut multi days excursions. I will soon post pictures of Monts Valin’s in the Saguenay region and you might just want to drive there right away

Martin

[lilcliffy]

Someday when I have time to wander, I'm starting in New Hampshire. When I've skied enough of New Hamshire, I'm heading to New Brunswick. On this road trip the only thing that will be playing on the radio will be how to speak French Rosette Stone cd's. I will finish with Quebec skiing. It sure does seem like a good plan to me. I already have all the skis I will need!

Bob,
I would love to host you and have you come and ski with us in the NB hills someday!!
Perhaps by the time it is possible for you to come and visit I might have a winter work schedule that is a bit more flexible than it is now!

[Woodserson]

Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law Gareth. I know you already have a busy house and a full plate in front of you, good luck and peace to you and yours.