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Welcome QR's newest advertiser, Motos Thibault. Those who ride Yamaha may already be familiar with them. They are located in Trois-Riviere ( and not associated with the one in Sherbrooke). I'm fairly sure every member here on QR has at least one story of a dealer going beyond your wildest expectations to keep you up and running and on the trail...this is a perfect example of one of those dealers. Pierre and his staff will do everything possible, to do just that, keep you riding. Many members here are long time customers of Motos Thibault, and no doubt will chime in with their own experiences. Thanks go to Playhard for getting them on board...

Sorry, not relevant to your question about boondocking, but... If you hand the menus back to the chef and tell him he has your full confidence, he'll go "off the trail" with some amazing sh#t!

Welcome QR's newest advertiser, Hotel Matagami. There probably aren't many people that travel the Baie James area that aren't familiar with Hotel Matagami. It's located at the base of the road to the James Bay. By snowmobile, it's at the peak of the 396 loop north of TQ93, due north of Val D'or and due west of Chibougamau. The shortest way by trail is about 80 miles off of TQ93, with nothing but a relay on the way, so when you do this loop, you've likely planned to stay at the Hotel for the night. The Hotel, and the town, have everything you need and would expect for your snowmobile stop-over. This is a favorite of many of our members, so feel free to share your experiences and welcome them to the site. Thanks go to Iceman for getting them on board...

Word on the street is they put on a good show Thursday night...

Does anyone know if this is still the place to be on Thursday nights?

How would you know that?

Ha! Too funny! And the cards she stuffed into my saddlebag reminded me that that particular night was Feb 14th! (Thread hijacking done, sorry!)

Great place. Good food. Clean rooms. Stephane runs a good operation there.

FYI For $10 you can put your sled in the heated garage at the gas station across the street. Pretty handy considering the average nightly low temp up there. IMO the west side of 396 is way nicer than the east side.

Above & beyond is every day stuff for them. Seriously committed to doing the family business proud. Too many stories to tell, but could be coaxed after a couple/few JD's. These guys pull magic tricks with solutions, before you even know you need it. Icing on the cake for the whole quebec sledding experience, way past things "mechanical/technical". Just keep their number handy, and call them if you get in a pickle, you'll see.

Interesting update. I went into my ski doo dealer today, I told them my second shield was defective and wanted a replacement. The service manager told me he just got an update, BRP has come out with a new improved shield that should be free of moisture leaks. They will be available in good quantities on February 25th. I am going to holding out till then.

Thanks for taking the point Fuse6! Pas du problem advancing the surfacers! Sorry if this is obvious, but: That sector sure can change with blowy snow, just like across the way in MSP/etc. "It all looks flat on the map!" It's been 5 years (yikes) but I don't remember us hurting from the "Sept-iles to hopefully Forestville" ride. It did seem to click better with the horses facing the barn.

reminds me ...years ago ...guy who take care of the streets in ste marguerite...1x stuck with the snowblower (1954 ) and another time ...in the ditch with plow truck !!! thx for sharing !!! jean-guy

In arriving to Matane we stopped off @ the local ski doo dealer - Andre Halle & Fils - here in Matane QC. WOW ! Great inventory . Obviously only recently opened. Jean-guy Hallé I think you posted photos of the grand opening some months back. The service writer David Rioux couldn’t be nicer. He represents the Ski-Doo product well. Because of D. Rioux’ professionalisms our machines are getting their first service in accordance to the current mileage recommended in the service manual. Customer service @ it’s best. Highly recommended .

Yes, the wages are much higher in Quebec for similar jobs in the US. I always have a problem tipping on a bill for a stay that is inclusive because I really never know how or if it is distributed to the workers fairly. I much rather tip people in person when the service is delivered, good personal service by a waitress is how and why we tip in the US and we can tip them based on their effort, those who work hard make the most, promotes good service too. And yes, I generally tip the guy pumping my gas out in the cold at 20 below, I doubt he is getting rich pumping gas at Repo, not a great job, and 2 dollars and a smile and thank you goes a long way, just my 2 cents worth.

Our party of seven stayed there for the first time one night several weeks ago. The welcome was warm and inviting, and the rooms were clean, and very comfortable. Little amenities like Keurig coffee makers in the room (with actual ceramic mugs and utensils) and complimentary water and soft drinks in the room bar fridge make all the difference. The nearby gas station/dépanneur doubles as a liquor outlet, and the restaurant, with a very good meal selection, is about a ten minute walk down the road. Our cost was just under $100 each, including supper and breakfast at the restaurant, but not including room or meal service tips. You can't go wrong with this establishment, and it we'll definitely be back.

Aside from Wednesday the 13th’s snow storm that prohibited us from departing the Signature due to giant wind drifts, riding Thursday & Friday to the Delta & then onto the Casino we found the trail conditions wonderful. Saturday on the other hand from the casino to the Signature was anything but wonderful but nonetheless we made the best of it. Currently at Hotel Universal - Riviere du loop where they allowed us to check in early where we enjoyed the outdoor amenities as we did @ the Fairmont. Tomorrow we will head east and see what awaits us. Was speaking to a rider earlier today - Sunday the 17th who warned us to stay off 597 as it was horrific / blown in. Unless the map dictates different or someone from here chimes in with personal knowledge we will likely heed his advice. Safe riding all.

Hey MR Gutz; Thanks for the review of the Oxygen helmet. My friend and I both bought them this year and were excited to get them. Here are our observations; 1) They fit tight but pulling the straps to spread the helmet so to speak aids in donning this beast. 2) Ear cups for noise abatement are down right painful. There is no way else to describe it. After two days of fiddling and adjusting we both gave up and removed them- Alas freedom! the next years version should have different sized earcups as options. 3) The peripheral vision is terrific and much appreciated when crossing road ways. The shield seems optically correct. When in the up position be careful when moving around as you can bump in to things and other folks with Oxygen helmets! My friend and I had dueling shields more than once! 4) The neck warmer is too short . It needs to be at least two inches longer all the way around. Lots of wind goes down our backs and makes us feel cold . To fix this you need a very thin balaclava with Gore Windstopper material around the neck. . Zip up jacket and leave helmet neck warmer outside . This seals all wind. 5) At high speeds the helmet shakes and makes vision somewhat harder. I believe it to be the odd sculpted helmet shape and the wings on the lower sides. 6) Light on back of helmet is a great safety feature and is operated by the machine electrical system and not a battery. 7) Magnetic proximity sensor heated shield cord is a nice feature. We disconnect at the helmet when we get off the machine. Its easier than disconnecting at the machine. 8 The drop down fighter pilot sun visor is optically correct is very easy on the eyes but hits your nose when looking to either side. It should have minor down ward stop adjustments . 9) The heated shield cord has memory and will remember settings when machine is shut off. The highest setting keeps the inside way warmer but glasses still fog up under certain conditions. 10) If you remove the breath deflector you can eat and drink with the helmet on. 11) Ventilation thumbwheel works well and there is sufficent air that comes thru. 12) I lay bets that version 2 will have these issues addressed.

Spare fuel s always a no brainer. Miss a turn and go 20+ miles and have to backtrack is 50 right there. Heavy dumping of snow and breaking trail in 12" of powder you'll be burning twice as much fuel. One less thing to worry about, to each there own

I would have one gas buddy between the two of you.Likely won't need but it sure takes the pressure off when you have spare gas. Would be fair if you carry your fuel caddy your Sidewinder buddy would mule some oil for you😁. Here's my poor mans oil storage. Plastic ammo box I bought at Canadian Tire. Bolted to the running board . Fits 2 one litre BRP containers perfectly. In there real snug. Not in my way riding at all.

We came across this snowblower in the “rhubarb” outside of Rimouski. We watched the plow truck come to the rescue. They placed a chain to both front ends and the snowblower easily popped out of the ditch.