PHOTO ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

Wednesday March 13, 2013Group: 502

Alessandro Pisaturo

Presented to: Mr. Tunney

Collège de Montréal

English Language Arts

*The photos that don’t have a watermark in the corner are mine.

Mont Alta is one of the many secrets of the Laurentians. Once referred to as “Mont Chevreuil”, Mont Alta is one of the few mountains that has remained independent after MSSI (Mont Saint-Sauveur International) purchased the majority of the surrounding hills and after the construction of auto route 15. Since then, the owners have had much trouble keeping the mountain open due to poor management decisions, lack of snowmaking and, most of all, their timeworn chalet. This year, their effort to do so was insufficient and they had to remain closed for the season.

A Rundown Ski Mountain: Mont Alta

The entrance to the only chairlift remains closed during Mont Alta’s unremunerative 2013 winter season.

Abandoned since last season, the Mont Alta chalet lives on in its timeworn state.

The Lucrative vs. The Dead

Before After

Mont Alta, once being the main attraction of Val-David, is now a forgotten white elephant. Inches of snow cover the entrance to the main chalet, adjacent to the ski boutique.

Loyal Skiers Do Not Give Up!

Before After

Without any proper care, shrubs and trees have made their way through the thick blanket of snow covering the hill. However, this and the absence of chairs on the lift line does not forbid any skier from shredding up the slopes!

Even on a gloomy day, a telemarketing skier has been spotted at the bottom of the mountain.

Loyal Skiers Do Not Give Up!

On the Top of the Mountain...

On the top of the mountain, the chairlift drop-off is still standing after a little more than half a century.

On the Top of the Mountain...

One of the reasons why Mont Alta has been able to stay open during the previous years is because of the two gigantic telephone poles that stand on the top of the mountain. The telephone companies that own these poles pay the owners of Mont Alta rent to keep them there.

Mont Alta used to have a t-bar that would bring skiers to the top of the mountain. The owners eventually had to shut it down and it is now one of the many relics of Alta.

The Abandoned of the Rundown...

A View From the Top

From the top, Mont Alta seems like a very big mountain, but it can hardly be compared to the other local hills in terms of acreage.

An Expert Hill with Many Mysteries

Although Mont Alta used to be a very popular hill, its destiny remains a mystery to the many anxious skiers of Val-David.

Information on ski hill:-http://www.mont-alta.com/ski/indexen.php-OwnersPhotos:-http://www.mont-alta.com/falta2s.jpg- http://madpatski.smugmug.com/Skiing/Mont-Alta-QC-29-janvier-2007/i-KBcd8pr/2/M/200701290001-M.jpg

Sources