By Iseult Devlin

Special to The Record

Looking for a little joie de vivre? Head north on Interstate 87 for about six hours, turn left before Montreal and travel on about an hour to the beautiful Laurentian Mountains, home of the Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort.

Along the journey, you’ll pass several smaller mountains, a sign you're in ski country.

“This is the cradle of skiing in North America, and it shows because you have so many places as you drive up to Tremblant,” said Yves Juneau, president of the Quebec Ski Areas Association, who added that there are 14 ski areas in the Laurentians.

Once you cross the border, everything is instantly French. But don’t worry, almost everyone speaks English or at least enough to tell a quick joke or two. It’s the closest thing to European skiing this side of the Atlantic.

Earlier this month, I headed to Tremblant and met some media friends for first tracks at 7:30 a.m. We took the telecabine express (gondola) that whisked us up quickly, over the picturesque village and Lac du Tremblant to the top at 2,871 feet. First tracks is a great bonus, and it’s free to Tremblant hotel guests. Just ask for the special pass.

Voted No. 1 resort in the East by Ski Magazine again this year, Tremblant has a lot to offer. The mountain has four sides that provide different experiences. For early morning skiing, we stuck to the north side, where the snow tends to stay a little colder, offering a nice surface even on icier days.

In general, the mountain is known for its great top-to-bottom cruisers, best caught early in the day to enjoy Tremblant’s impeccable grooming. There’s a variety of intermediate and advanced terrain with nice pitches offering continuous fall line skiing, especially the Duncan and Lowell Thomas trails.

Altogether, there are 96 trails on a 2,100-vertical-foot drop served by mostly modern lifts, including eight high speeds and two gondolas. There’s plenty to explore, with 660 acres and 91 acres of glades, including some gently pitched areas with spread out trees like Action in the Edge area.

After a few nonstop runs, we headed to Le Refuge, a cabin hidden away in the woods. Live music and hot drinks were a welcome break from the cold temperatures and the 12,000 vertical we clocked thanks to fast lifts and no lines.

The people of Quebec are serious about their food, and there are many great spots in the village to enjoy for lunch. We made our way down a few short trails on skis to La Diable, famous for its burgers, onion soup and microbrews.

Many find it hard to go back to skiing after a longer sit down lunch and the festive village atmosphere of music, entertainment and sometimes a mini ice-hockey session. There are multiple shops and hotels as you stroll through the compact village, giving you another reason to soak in some culture.

There is a large variety of lodging choices from budget spots like the renovated Holiday Inn Express to the more luxurious Fairmount or Westin hotels. Most have outdoor hot tubs and heated pools where it’s fun to look up at the slopes you just conquered. Free ice skating and tubing are included when staying at Tremblant-owned properties.

Tremblant also offers a great guide service with morning tours and afternoon tours. In the past, I skied with Coco, who has done the tours for 20 years and offers advice and history about the area and finds the best snow.

Spring skiing is around the corner, and Tremblant offers some great deals, including a $119 kids’ ticket for the entire week during school breaks in March. Steep runs with soft moguls like Fuddle Duddle and Windigo are favorites.

Situated in the Mont-Tremblant National Park, the scenery is amazing. In Quebec, there are 74 ski areas from the Eastern Townships to the Gaspee area. Many areas north of Quebec City average 400 inches of natural snow, giving you a good excuse to come back to Canada.

It’s always a fun experience heading north of the border, and with a favorable exchange rate for Americans, prices are 30 percent off, making a visit even more tempting this winter.

iseultdevlin@gmail.com