Skiers Head for the Hills in Quebec

Never mind wondering which ski wax to use on your boards before hitting the slopes in this lovely village at the gateway to the Laurentian Mountains. A much surer bet against a bone-bashing spill would be a stop at the Church of St. Francis of the Birds to have your Rossignols, Heads or K-2s blessed by the rector.

For many years, St. Sauveur’s pretty little log chapel has been the “skiers’ church” for thousands who gather every season in the Laurentians, home to the largest collection of downhill and cross-country skiing resorts in North America. Skiers are drawn here by neighborly prices, short lift lines and Quebec’s French-Canadian cuisine that is unmatched in Canada.

The Laurentian hills are alive in winter with the whirring sound of ski lifts, some 95 in 25 ski areas along both sides of Route 15 from Montreal north into Mont Tremblant Provincial Park, little more than an hour’s drive away.

Each town and village has its virtues, but St. Sauveur is considered the most colorful and best prepared to keep the beginner, intermediate and advanced skier happy, from sunup until the lights go on for after-dark skiing.

St. Sauveur has 26 downhill runs (23 lighted at night), plus many cross-country trails in the region’s 930-mile Maple Leaf Trail network.

Getting here: Fly Air Canada or American to Montreal. Half a dozen buses daily make the run up Route 15, but a rental car gives you the mobility to ski several resorts or take a spin through gorgeous Mont Tremblant Provincial Park. An advance-purchase, round-trip air ticket costs between $314 and $393.

How long, how much? Three days should do it for summer months, or for the magnificent foliage of autumn. Skiers might want to stay longer and take advantage of the attractively priced, multi-day packages offered by many hotels, inns and ski schools. We found lodging prices very moderate, dining the same, based on the hefty tabs you’d pick up at stateside and European resorts.

A few fast facts: Canada’s dollar recently cost a little more than 85 cents, making ours buy $1.17 worth of lodging, dining and recreation. Come from late spring through early October for beautiful scenery and foliage. Skiing begins about mid-December and runs through April, although we had early snow on a visit in late October.

Getting settled: L’Eau a la Bouche (Route 117, St. Adele; $81 U.S. double until mid-December, $81-$98 during ski season and the summer of ‘91) is a relatively new member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group of hotels, just a step off the main Route 15 and a five-minute drive from St. Sauveur. Made of local stone and timbers, the hotel has been given a modern treatment of traditional Laurentian decor and every possible amenity.

Bedrooms (some with fireplaces) are large, most comfortable and many have views of the mountains, golf course and Chanticler Ski Center just across the road. A separate dining room (the original building) is one of Quebec’s finest.

Auberge Sous l’Edredon (777 Rue Principale, St. Sauveur; $60 B&B; double, low season, $65 high) fits its name ( under the comforter ) perfectly, a little charmer owned and run by two delightful ladies bent on keeping their guests happy.

Just across from the Mont Habitant ski area, the Auberge has frilly summer straw hats laden with flowers on each bedroom door, a giant chess table in front of the fireplace, classical music to soothe the soul and breakfasts to fortify the faintest skier. Most of the seven rooms have views of the slopes, and there’s also a small pool for summer.

Auberge des Ameriques (101 Rue Principale; $72 B&B; double, year-round) has large, neat bedrooms in pleasant pastels, pool, whirlpool and sauna, convivial bar and handsome dining room.

This one is right on the main street, with skiing just five minutes away by bus or car. Des Ameriques also offers a half-pension plan for two at $115.

Regional food and drink: St. Sauveur, a little town, very pretty and cosmopolitan, has an array of excellent French, Italian, Greek, Chinese and other ethnic restaurants. You’ll find fantastic wild mushrooms in your breakfast omelet, on meats, in stews and garnishing other dishes such as seasonal game.

A breakfast staple is Quebecois pancakes, more like paper-thin crepes swimming in wonderful maple syrup.

And we were much taken with the local Oka cheese, a semi-soft delight perfect for breakfast toast or after dinner. Wine is rather pricey, Canadian beer excellent.

Good local dining: Papa Luigi (155 Rue Principale) is a 150-year-old house with great stacks of birch and maple wood on the front porch, a rustic and cozy interior done in white pine, fireplace downstairs and a clunky antique stove upstairs that you’d like to smuggle home with you.

Papa presents you with 22 pastas, most about $7.50, nine seafoods, a dozen veal dishes at about $11, plus steaks, chops and a daily three-course menu for about $14, depending upon main course.

Maison Szechwan (Rue St. Denis, near the skiers’ church) is bright, modern, a pleasant place with lots of plants and flowers and a huge deck for sunny days. Take your choice of 14 spicy Sichuan dishes (about $10), or a four-course table d’hote menu for two at $21. The restaurant serves wondrous dry-garlic spareribs, guaranteed to make you reach for a cold beer.

The dining room at Auberge des Ameriques is a formal study in federal blue, with crisp linens to match. It ranks very high with locals, particularly for the Sunday brunch.

On the regular menu, try the veal scaloppine with grapefruit and capers, fillet of lamb with Roquefort sauce, or venison with hazel nuts and black cherries, each for about $15.

Going first-class: La Sapiniere (Val David; $196-$212 double, full pension, depending upon season and day of week) is another member of the Relais & Chateau group and is right on Lake La Sapiniere.

Sit in front of a stone fireplace wafting the sweet odor of maple and birch wood, have a summertime dip in the pool or head for winter’s nearby ski slopes, then return to a dining room noted for its deft touch with Quebecois dishes. Try the superb breast of pheasant with pistachios, raisins and wild rice. The wine cellar has 30,000 bottles in 325 varieties.

The dining room of l’Eau a la Bouche (the name means mouthwatering ) is blessed with the talented hand of owner Anne Desjardins, who has studied with and earned the acclaim of Europe’s finest chefs. Along with husband Pierre Audette, she has made the hotel and its restaurant a haven for food lovers across eastern Canada.

Anne’s wild mushrooms in a puff pastry followed by noisettes of venison in an ethereal wine sauce were the culinary high point of our trip through Quebec.

On your own: With all the wintertime skiing, summer boating on its lakes and rivers and the myriad other year-round cultural and recreational activities in the Laurentians, your best bet is to call the Quebec Government Office, Tourist Information, at (213) 477-2217, or write 11755 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2200, Los Angeles 90025 for the Quebec ski guide booklet, the Laurentian guide and the summer guide. These list ski areas and facilities, accommodations and packages, all with prices. Just ask for the Laurentian package.

Note: An item in the Jan. 20 Footloose (“Sand Fans Bewitched by Easy Puerto Vallarta”) incorrectly listed the name of a hotel as Molina de Agua. In fact, the hotel’s name is Molino de Agua.