Showing posts with label Chic Chocs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chic Chocs. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

Eastern Unicorns


Eastern Unicorns from Louise Lintilhac on Vimeo.

It has been a few months since Unicorn Picnic Productions released the webisode I have been working on called "Eastern Unicorns." It has been shared around Facebook but I wanted to share it again with the Mammut community because I am so very proud of what we have put together. It was my first experience with film production and was quite humbling. Mammut played a huge role in making this video come to life and I am eternally grateful for all of the support. Mammut is a company that understands the importance of adventure and camaraderie and because of this, I was able to finish a project that I am proud as an eastern female skier to have been a part of. The community of snow shredders here on the East Coast is tight knit and full of energy, and I am proud and honored to be able to ski with such amazing athletes and call Vermont my home. Some winters are good, some winters are bad, but we always have a blast and it is that essence of fun and dedication that I tried to capture in this piece I did for U.P. TV. Thanks again to everyone who was a part of this project and helped make it happen.

Credits for UPTV: Eastern Unicorns

Louise LintilhacPaige Fitzgerald, and Carla von Trapp Hunter go in search of Big Mountain lines and powder on the east coast. They visit locations such as Stowe, Jay Peak, Mt. Washington, and the Chic Choc mountains of Quebec to try and illustrate the beauty and adventure eastern mountains can offer for this adventurous group of women.

Athletes: 
Louise Lintilhac
Paige Fitzgerald
Carla von Trapp Hunter

Cinematographers:
Brent Harrewyn - Hoverfly Photography
Dana Allen - Dana Allen Photo
Meathead Films - Skitheeast.net
Matt Kiedaisch - Outsider Media
Jim Surette - Granite Films

Shot on location at:
Stowe, Vermont
Jay Peak, Vermont
The Chic Choc Mountains, Quebec
Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Editing:
Brent Harrewyn - Hoverfly Photography

Music:
ODESZA - "Koto"
www.odesza.com

Thanks to our "Eastern Unicorn" project sponsors:
Ski Vermont: skivermont.com
Mammut North America: mammut.ch
The Outdoor Gear Exchange: gearx.com


Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Pretty Faces Revolution

 
Welcome to the Pretty Faces revolution. There have been all female ski movies in the past, and many of them have been great films. What happened when Pretty Faces, the new Unicorn Picnic Production film came out was more of a paradigm shift than a shred fest. Pretty Faces has been getting a lot of press over the past few weeks and continues to gain momentum as it travels around the country and internationally. If I were to put a finger on why this film has been so well received, I would have to say that it is because of the great skiing, but it is also because of the relatable story it tells. We have all struggled to make it at some point in life, and Pretty Faces is a testament to the fact that if you stick with it for long enough, good things will come. For many of the women in the movie, this meant being able to ski amazing lines in stunning landscapes around the world. For me it meant showing the world that the east coast is not a barren wasteland of skiing, it is a beautiful peaceful, rugged, powdery, good time that deserves far more respect than it often gets. It is my motivation for waking up in the morning because I am always excited to see what the beautiful Vermont landscape has to offer.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Time to rock Les Chic Choc



 As a Vermonter, Quebec sometimes seems like a bizarre alter ego to the north. We are not sure exactly what goes on up there in the frozen north, but what we do know is that their beer is unbelievably good and they know cheese curd better than anyone else. For these two reasons alone I like to travel in this remote portion of Canada, but I am especially drawn to the Gaspe Peninsula where the mountains rise from the shore of the Saint Lawrence sea way like giant breaching whales. This range, known as the Chic Chocs, is an incongruity in the flat agricultural expanse that makes up the majority of Quebec. They are not spiny peaks, but more rounded like some of their pacific counterparts, the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges. Despite this softer geometry, the Chic Chocs provide some serious descents for the interested skier. All the skiing is backcountry, but most approaches are just a few hours and can be accessed directly from the road that cuts through Park National de la Gaspesie. We had set out to ski a new region in the park that just opened to backcountry skiing this year. What we found atop these coastal mountains was a series of open ridge lines, spacious forests, and around 4+ ft. of new fresh snow to shred at will.

In the distance, Mt. Albert reigned over the park, always in our view. We were blessed with an unprecedented number of bluebird days and squeezed every once of ski potential out of each one. Once we were too tired for another lap, we headed back to our Chalet at the Gite du Mont-Albert. We also toured the local town of St. Anne des Monts where we took in the local sites and tried a few regional dishes.

I was not prepared for the quantity of pig product that I got at L'Express, the most popular breakfast joint in town (even the cops were there eating). Skiing was no easy task after putting down bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, potatoes, beans, crepes with maple syrup (not real syrup sadly), toast, fruit, and a piece of something resembling breakfast pate, although I am not sure exactly what it was and I lost steam before getting to that particular item on my plate. I guess I will have to go back and try it next time.

When we packed up the car after the final tour, I was already planning my next trip and lines that I did not get to ski. This Chic will definitely be in the Chocs again soon!!!!!!
~Louise Lintilhac
a.k.a Steezy Weezie