Any Canadian roadtrip that includes 5 guys, a large truck, and winter gear is typically accompanied by beer. Lots of it. Due to our strong cultural ties with Canada we felt it was necessary to abide by this “tradition”. Needless to say the first stop in New Brunswick was the NB Alcool where we filled any remaining space in the truck with beer, gin, and my favourite road trip bubbly, Baby Duck Sparkling Wine; the epitomy of refinement.

Our first night was spent in the Ramada on the North Side of Fredericton. The north side of Fredericton is known primarily for its view of the south side, the “apparent” cooler side of Fredericton, which is also home to the downtown core. We took in the view, remarked on its similarities between Halifax and Charlottetown, and then promptly got acquainted with our new carbonated friends.

The Journey to Crabbe Mountain, New Brunswick

The drive to Crabbe Mountain from Fredericton takes approximately 30 minutes, a whopping 40 minutes less than any GPS will tell you. Either satellites are stupid or we were slightly speeding, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was the latter. It’s been my experience that most ski & snowboard trips are accompanied by nausea inducing hangovers. I’d love to tell you about the drive up to Crabbe Mountain, but being true to tradition, I was more concentrated on not ruining the inside of my friends truck than what was going on outside of it. All I can say is there were trees, and snow.

Breathe it in boys!

We made it to the mountain in one piece and breathed in the cool New Brunswick air. Blue skies surrounded us and the weather was perfect for a day on the slopes. My snowboard gear is still calling Saskatchewan home, so I was forced to rent. Thankfully the folks at Crabbe Mountain kept things moving fast, and I was fully outfitted with board, boots, and bindings in under 5-10 minutes ($30 full day rental). The rest of the guys happily donated extra winter apparel to keep me from freezing “mes fesses” off. For those who weren’t aware, New Brunswick is a bilingual province, so including French out of the blue is kind of the norm, and also fun.

Crabbe Mountain Chairlift

For the next 8 hours, the five of us hosers enjoyed the Crabbe Mountain slopes. The liftees were friendly, the chairlift speed was fast, and we couldn’t have picked a better weekend. There had been a recent snowfall before our arrival which meant we had some great snow and freshly groomed trails greeting as at every bend. During the entire two day ski & snowboard trip I didn’t see a single snow machine at work.

The Terrain Parks

The terrain parks had some technical boxes, tables, and rails along with the death-inducing jumps one would expect to find in a terrain park. Having not been on a snowboard in a couple years, and because I’m one of those “too cool to wear helmet” types, I stuck to simple boxes, wimpy jumps, and the occasional run through the glades. That is whenever I could sneak by without being caught, apparently out east it’s the norm to not let people into the terrain parks without helmets. Regardless, I vowed to myself to make it back in one piece. Thankfully my hangovers kept me from doing anything I would have regretted… and they say alcohol is bad for you? Ha!

Who’s ready for Lunch!?

A friend of mine who’s been living in Fredericton set my hopes up high for lunchtime at Crabbe Mountain. He was going on and on about their poutine and how supposedly incredible it was. A smile grew across my face and shiny cheese curd shaped stars shone in my eyes at the thought of a gravy infused New Brunswick Apres-Ski. He went on to tell me it was a french-canadian poutine so awesome it would melt your face off at the sight of it. Gravy filled every crevice, and fries so perfect people would have plastic fork fights in the lunch area just to get a taste. My mouth oozed in the best possible way. It was scary.

Lunch-time rolled around on Day 1 and my hangover was reaching that “feed me or I’ll punch you out” stage. I’m not one to argue with my hangovers. I kind of let them captain the ship and just roll with whatever they need. As I recalled what I heard about the poutine my heart fluttered. My hangovers tight grip on my intestines eased. I was about to be fed a miracle.

Then I overheard the worst possible convorsation a hungover snowboarder could hear. The customer in front of me asked,

“Does your poutine use cheese curds or grated cheese?”.

A silence spread within the line as clearly this customer and I weren’t the only ones curious.

“Grated cheddar”replied the lady behind the counter.

The line erupted in a sobbing chorus, “Ohwwwwwww…”. Then I saw the fries.I did not want to engage in all out plastic-fork warfare with anybody. They looked like store bought shoestring fries…yawn. My soul died after that. I no longer wanted to eat. I no longer wanted to snowboard. I wanted to cry, and hurt, and rage against the machine, and inflict pain upon my lying friend. I imagined myself yelling at the cook, then my friend…

“CHEDDAR?! Grated cheddar!? Are you out of your mind!? There are strict rules in the poutine recipe, and nowhere does it say grated cheddar!!!! And really…shoestring fries!? Common!!!”

Breathe Corbin, it’s just Poutine

I breathed in deeply, using all of my will to settle down and just be happy with where I was. Good snow, good times, good friends. Then my hangover began punching me. It was time to feed the monster, poutine or not. I ordered a burger. Crushed it. I don’t remember it. The whole time I was eating the “silver prize” I was picturing myself devouring a Miracle Poutine. It was the saddest moment of the trip, but kind of funny none the less. I don’t like insulting people or businesses for no reason, but Crabbe Mountain, if you ever read this…please for the love of Gretzy, fix this poutine faux-pas.

Regardless, I plan on coming back to snowboard again

The skiing and snowboarding continued for hours, and needless to say by the end of Day 2 my body was turning on me. Muscles ached, bruises formed, and being in “Guys Night Out” mode for 3 evenings was beginning to beat the crap out of me. The fresh air was clean. The weather was great. Blue skies greeted us each morning, and the slopes were surprisingly long despite not being in the Rockies. Crabbe Mountain, you are A-OK by me! I would even go so far as using the ‘L’ word if you work on that poutine of yours. All in all, Crabbe Mountain is definitely worth a stop if you’re the snowboarding/skiing type hanging out in Atlantic Canada. Just whatever you do, ask before you order the poutine.

Visit the Crabbe Mountain Website for more information. If you plan on doing any of you’re own skiing be sure to keep an eye out on some of these great cheap ski holidays.

More Photos from Crabbe Mountain

Snowboarding in New Brunswick at Crabbe Mountain is a post from: I Backpack Canada

• The further North you go, the colder it gets. We’re tough as nails, but not crazy…Well not all of us.
• The Trans Canada Highway (7,821 km) – A super long stretch of road that links all 10 provinces. The majority of the population lives in cities either linked to or damn near close to this highway.
• Keep your friends close… Ah you know the old saying.

A little about each province:

British Columbia – Capital: Victoria

Home to Vancouver & The Island (Local term for Vancouver Island). The NHL (National Hockey League) team Vancouver Canucks. Lots of trees, plenty of mountains. Bunch of rivers. The most hostels are found in this province. 40% of Canadas marijuana is grown in this area. 39% of which is smoked. BC is informally known as the stoner province. Other provinces like to cut it down as much as possible…perhaps out of jealousy of all it has to offer. If you’re keen on picking fruit or trying out WWOOFing this is the place to be. Looking for a job in the Rocky mountains. You can find it here. Oh – and lastly, the 2010 Winter Olympics are being held here. So suit up!

Alberta – Capital: Edmonton

Home of the Rocky Mountains and NHLs Edmonton Oilers & Calgary Flames. A province free of PST (Provincial Sales Tax) – Sidenote: Alcohol seems to be particularly cheaper here. In Alberta you’ll see where Mountains meet Prairies. Home of farmers, cows, big city folk and oil. Informally the Dubai of Canada. A few years back Alberta had so much money from it’s oil it was litterally giving it away ($200) to anyone who resides in Alberta. But like any well that you pump non-stop – things are starting to dry up. Alberta’s a great place to learn how to snowboard or ski. Visit Banff & Lake Louise, enjoy thermal hot springs all year round, go white-water rafting, or saddle up and give horseback riding a shot. Also home of the Calgary Stampede (a huge Canadian Rodeo & Great excuse to dressup like a Cowboy and party. …more

Saskatchewan – Capital: Regina

The land of the living skies, as this province likes to boasts. Which isn’t stretching the truth. Its skies are far more pretty than the rest of Canadas. A great place to spot the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) A superb place to find some peace & quiet – by far one of the flatest places found in Canada. Apparently you can watch your dog run away for 2 days. Although according to my Grandpa Elmer it can vary. Over the years Saskatchewan has become the “nerdy kid” amongst the other provinces, and is jokingly made fun of more than others. But once you get to know this “nerd”, it can be one of your greatest friends. With over 100, 000 different lakes. The sunniest province in Canada. Home to Regina (…yes something does rhyme with that) and pot holes. Reginas a great place to “BarStar” it up with people who rarely hear an accent. Check out Dewdney Avenue if you want to hit the strip full of Clubs, Pubs, and Bars. Winter gets “effin” cold…think -40 to 50 degrees (celcius) – Summer gets “effin” hot…think 35 to 40 degrees celcius. All in all, well worth the 10 hour drive from Calgary. …more

Manitoba – Capital: Winnepeg

Another prairie province – but finally not so land locked. Home of the Hudson Bay & the only Canadian Arctic Sea Port. Home of Lake Winnipeg, the tenth-largest fresh-water lake in the world – which is a superb place to check out during the summer. A very cool place to explore, home to a bunch of uninhabited islands along the Eastern shore. Manitoba is also home to Winnipeg and has earned the nicknames “Polar bear capital of the world” & “Baluga capital of the world” – If you’re feeling adventurous head out on a tour in autumn and see Polar Bears in their natural environment. If indoors is more your thing, I’m sure you can find a place to have a drink in one of Winnipegs hundreds of bars & pubs. Due to its size, more music events take place here than its neighbour to the west Saskatchewan. So be sure to keep on eye out on Ticketmaster.ca for any shows in the area. …more

Ontario – Capital: Toronto

According to Lonely Planet, Ontario is the bees knees of Culture, Cuisine and sophistication… although I don’t know how true that is, because one time, I heard a guy from Ontario fart. The most populated province in Canada, and second largest after Quebec. Home to the Nations Capital, Ottawa, and the provincial capital, Toronto (most populated city in Canada). A lot of local Canadians insist Toronto is an American city on the wrong side of the border, but I suggest you reserve those judgments to yourself. Most Torontites/Torontians/Toronteers/ and Torontonians take offense to this. Toronto is located right near the Great Lakes and a great place to hop around from if you plan on visiting the Yankee side of things, including the Big Apple itself (New York City). Ontario is home to the Niagra Falls, warm summers, The Toronto Maple Leafs, approximately 20 tornados per year, and London of coarse, Which is a wild city that mimics the Patron City down to street names and even a Thames River. Ontario is also the birthplace of the majority of famous Canadians, including… Rachel McAdams, John Gosling, Jim Carey, Mike Myers, Tom Green, Wayne Gretzky, Alex Trebek, Avril Lavigne, Rush, Barenaked Ladies, Howie Mandel & yes, even Shania Twain. Ontarios got plenty of places to eat, drink, party & experience the multicultural side of Canada. …more

Quebec – Capital: Quebec City

Birthplace of Poutine, Celine Dion, and possibly the French language (sources unconfirmed) – This province is Frances baby, it shot this knuckle child out way back when North America was considered the “New World”. Quebec is full of culture, cuisine, fine dining, cafe au lait, and yes, French people. This place can rock your socks. For one, its relatively cheap compared to the majority of places in Canada. It is also the home to the Montreal Canadians. A great time can be found on just about any night. What’s great about this place, is if you speak French, you rock that much harder here, and even if you don’t, the majority of Quebecers speak English too. Quebec is packed full of old Rustic buildings, particularly in Montreal & Quebec City. If you’ve digested a little too much culture, perhaps you need to vomit. In which case, what better place to do it than in the wilderness. Quebecs full of trees, mountains, parks, and the eastern coast! Be sure to escape the big cities, it’s the small towns where you’ll truly find your own piece of Canada. …more

Nova Scotia – Capital: Halifax

Latin for New Scotland – and for good reason. It’s strikingly similar to the Scottish highlands. Trees upon trees over hills, rocky coasts, icy seas and friendly locals. If you’ve grown sick of the Canadian Accent – fear not, Nova Scotia is a reprieve from that. Actually most of Eastern Canada is. It’s somewhat, not so American sounding. Maybe you’re craving some delicious sea food – There isn’t a restaurant here that doesn’t serve lobster, fish, scallops and other ocean crustaceans. Even McDonalds serves lobster – see the “McLobster”. Home to Halifax – a very cool party city with great sights, sounds, rustic buildings and a youthful feel to it. Keen on surfing in the Atlantic? Check out Lawrencetown – and on the way – be sure to stop at some of the coastal towns along the way. Always lots to see and do in Nova Scotia. …more

New Brunswick – Capital: Fredericton

One of the three Maritimes provinces, home to both English, and Francophones (primarilary the Acadians). If you’re keen on checking out the Bay of Fundy, home to the Worlds Highest Tides (16m or 50ft for you imperialists), it’s just a short drive. It’s definately worth visiting, especially if your an admirer of all things aquatic. You might find the East of Canada a refreshing change with its shorter distances between sights. It’s rare that you’ll find yourself ever travelling more than a few hours in this province. Like all Eastern Canadian provinces, you’ll find a fare share of rustic buildings, significantly influenced by the French and English. Just a heads up for everyone planning on visiting Saint Johns. It is home to the steepest main street in Canada. King Street can rise 80 feet in the span on two city blocks. So hitting the Stairmaster may not seem so farfetched if you plan on a long stay. If walking amongst humans isn’t your thing, and you fancy yourself a Whale Watcher, you should be happy to hear that New Brunswick has a wide variety of whales and many different whale watching tours. …more

Newfoundland and Labrador – Capital: St. John’s

The most Eastern province in Canada is sure to knock your socks off. Newfoundland and Labrador are the proud owners of its own dialects of English, French, & Irish. Its home to the most pubs per square foot in Canada, humbly located on George Street. Some facts you may like to know: Newfoundland & Labrador are home to the most sexually active people in Canada, also home to the most Attractive people, and are apparently the Funniest people in Canada. Now that I think of it, perhaps they were joking when I found out the first two facts…? You’ll have to go there and find out. But if half of what I write is true, then Newfoundland & Labrador is definitely worth checking out. …more

Prince Edward Island – Capital: Charlottetown

What do you get when you take a tiny island, and call it a province. P.E.I! Prince Edward Island is the birthplace of confederation. It is most commonly remembered as the setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s book, Anne of Green Gables. For over four decades the musical play, Anne of Green Gables, has performed at the Charlottetown Festival (Mid May to Oct). If your ear is itching for music, then P.E.I can definitely help scratch it. The arts in this area alone is worth checking out. Be sure to go for a walk around Charlottetown, you’ll find countless different stores housed in brick buildings, all of which have a way of luring you in. …more

Northwest Territories – Capital: Yellowknife

A piece of advice, practice your J-stroke ahead of time. The amount of rivers and lakes here will seduce you one way or another to find yourself a canoe or kayak and explore some of the wildest terrain found in Canada. During winter the land in this area becomes the frigid winter wonderland you’ve all heard of. If visiting the Arctic Circle is somewhere on your bucket list, you’ll be pleased to hear that it bisects the NWT. Solitude is easy to come by here, the density of population here would give Manhattan a whopping three people. Home to moose, bear, caribou and bison. Northwest Territories displays nature at it’s finest. Hop on the nearest dog-sled and find out.

Nunavut – Capital: Iqualuit

The newest, largest, and least populated Territory in all of Canada. There are approximately 30,000 people spread across the area roughly the size of Western Europe. Nunavut remains the only area in Canada never to be fully conquered by Europeans. Approximately 85% of the population in Nunavut are Inuit. In 1999 they gained Democratic Control of the area. Home to polar bears, dog sledding, Caribou hunting, mountains, cliffs, the arctic circle, and the Northwest Passage. The Arctic pace truly does take effect here. Travelling through this area can be extremely frustrating, but should you have the time and expenses to make it in this rugged territory you’re sure to be pleased.

Yukon – Capital: Whitehorse

The Yukon is synonymous with adventure. This is the place for a unique Canadian road trip. Pack an extra tire or two, because roads around here can be as rough as the terrain. Home to Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada, which sits at 5,959 metres (19,551 ft). Home to Robert Service, One of Canada’s most famous poets who captivated the world with his poems “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Spend a weekend partying in Whitehorse or try the Sour-toe cocktail in Dawson City, which is basically a highball with a twist of human toe. Yep, you heard right. But remember, in order to join the club, you’ve gotta kiss it. Now if toe kissing just isn’t your thing, you can always get more in touch with all this nature that’s around. If hiking’s on the agenda then Tombstone Territorial Park is the place to be, just remember to pack your insect repellent!

Backpack Canada – Information on Canada’s Provinces And Territories is a post from: I Backpack Canada