Mont Ste-Marie is the only real mountain skiing in the Ottawa area. It has almost twice the vertical as the next highest area resort but it's only half an hour beyond Edelweiss and Vorlage.

Lift lines are modest or non-existent. Both Mont Ste-Marie's mountains have detachable quads and snowmaking.

Black runs on the Vanier side (Carol Ann, Exhibition, Tornade) are reasonably challenging, but the real challenges are to be found on the Cheval Blanc side. Vanier, however, has a couple of blue runs (Serenade and Bellevue) that low intermediate skiers will really enjoy. Grooming is both regular and pretty good. Quite frankly, I love the place.

(Though I just wish it was easier to get to the Cheval Blanc side from the main lodge. The little bus is a pain.)

The lodge has individual padded chairs upstairs (!), a great view of the hill, a small cafeteria with very good prices and a bar with frequent live music evenings. Staff are great and always helpful.

Mont Ste-Marie has a very flexible season's pass structure that caters to just about every skier. For example, you could get a 2013/2014 weekday pass for $149 - if you bought it in March 2013.

Thumbs up for this great resort!