As far as so-called "secret stashes" go, most are few and far between nowadays. You've heard of some rad spot that someone talked about sometime, perhaps even your buddy knows a place he's promised to take you. But, in terms of true, off-the-radar spots, much has been done in some way or another on the majority of zones across the country. I'm with Jeremy Cloutier, Jason Dubois, Antonin Chamberlain and Frank Bourgeois, plus senior SBC photog Oli Croteau and Brothers Factory filmer Will Demers, to open up a relatively unknown area that has some serious potential.

Following Snowboard Jamboree in Quebec City last weekend, we piled into a few cars and drove up Autoroute Jean Lesage, which hugs the St. Lawrence as it widens and melds into salt water, eventually becoming the ocean. Our destination: the Chic Chocs mountain range of the Gaspesie (Gaspe Penninsula).

If you've been riding in Quebec before, that's awesome. Now, forget everything you know about it. It's irrelevant in this place. There are peaks here that are on par with the interior of BC. There are zones here just waiting to be opened up. This place is like the last bastion of Canadian shred adventure, idly standing by and begging to be tapped. Thing is, nobody has done it... until now.

Long known by burly salmon fisherman and bearded granola eaters, the region has numerous massive peaks stretching high enough to make for true alpine terrain. These mountains are surrounded by waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and a myriad of small fishing communities. The true interior is protected by the National Parks act, but open to hike-access lines. In our case, Ski Chic Chocs, the pioneering operator dropping riders into the area, invited us to check out what this place really holds in its cards.

Open a mere three years, Ski Chic Chocs has an impressive tenure that has yet to become fully realized. One look from the top of its peaks leads to dozens of drop points offering up true alpine (yes, real alpine), steep chutes, cliff bands, mixed trees and some of the deepest, driest powder anywhere. Although their business has compounded with each year, they don't yet have the same traffic as a typical cat op out west so some of the zones we were taken to had yet to be shredded this winter. That means face shots, waist deep blower, and absolutely choking on pow all day. It's going to be a good week.

True breakfast of champs; Jeremy Cloutier digging into fine dining at Château Lamontagne. Seguin photo


Morning briefing about possible entry zones and potential features. Croteau photo

Frank Bourgeois, who took third in slopestyle at the Canadian Open, forgets contest riding and opens up in the Chic Chocs backcountry. Croteau photo

Cat ride up with Jeremy, Anto and Frank B. Seguin photo

Jeremy Cloutier getting deep in a place you've never been. Croteau photo