Ski (AT) 1:06:05 [1] 4.3 mi (15:22 / mi) +600m 10:43 / mi
Was anyone skiing in the afternoon? Undetermined.
Alex: We were talking about going skiing but it's really nice in the inside place.
Translated Alex: We're going skiing, we just haven't decided when.
The uphill trails up MSA close at 2:30 (although it turns out no one is checking, and you could probably poach them pretty easily, still, for C$9.20, it's not bad). So I dried clothes, ate food, and motored over to the Chalet Alpin to get my AT on. -5 still, sure, but I'd be warm going up and have a backpack full of clothes to put on for the going down. After a minor credit card machine issue, I was off, up the trail, which had a few rocks and roots showing, and was the shortest trail up but the steepest, gaining 600m in about 3k. But skins are amazing.
Lots of people saying bonjour running down (well-packed) with microspikes (I have those, too; if I was chasing 100k I'd probably run up the mountain; maybe next year) but no one else skinning up this late. I got to the top and the piner comments started: mostly impressed (in English, as far as I could tell). I got to the summit, found a bench, and stripped off to a bare chest (confuse-a-Jerry) then put on all the clothes (2x parka and a t-shirt), buff over face and helmet and goggles for a mostly warm ski down. 50 minutes up, 9 minutes down, right in the car at the bottom.
AT skis do fine on alpine terrain; felt like alpine skis I've rented over the years. The powder was pretty buffed out and icy in places. Probably not worth C$35 to ride the lift for an evening.