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Mike and SM, The trailer is unpacked, gear put away, its great to have these focused forums on and about the Quebec riding area that we all so enjoy. Yes we are riding back country a lot, but also use the trail network many times in the season and to get to our Back country drop off points on these trips. So to be able to share our adventure on here with other seasoned riders is fun! As Bob had mentioned, the Expedition extreme is a versatile snowmobile with tons of capability. After 2,000 miles on this early trip, I can now confirm what Bob has been saying all along. It’s a really fun sled!😊 Our biggest concern with this whole trip was the border crossing in relationships to Covid. That has proved to be very manageable and less of a concern than earlier feared. The 30% that got random tested, their process went cleanly. It’s questionable whether the process is worth it for a short weekend ride, but if you can plan for 5/7 days or more in Quebec, definitely do the process and make the run North. as we all know, the riding in Quebec can’t be beat! Happy trails RR

The final day,...... we kept it for our long elusive ride around the Pipmuacan reservoir. This ride had been studied for years, today the conditions where right, the planning was right, so we went for it, a 325 mile ride today, many miles of deep powder. A great wrap to our " Mt. Valin Early Ride" I suspect Marks Vt and Doorightwill be back next year to join in on the fun! Two very capable riders, nice to find birds of a feather! Here's.to a good Quebec Rider Season HappyTrails RR

RR, You have taken us along on a mighty fine adventure. Thank you for the pictures and postings.

Bob, hopefully it won't be long and the QR boards will be full of trips and updates on trails and riding conditions! Keep our fingers crossed for snow below the river! Have a great season!

Awesome that you took the time to share your pictures daily showing your adventures. Thanks so much.

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada 10 days before your trip book your Covid test, (or as soon as you can book it for 72 hours in advance). In VT you can only book 7 days in advance of when you want the test and the slots fill quick. Canada says Rapid tests not allowed. Book it for 6-12 hours before your departure time LESS the 72 hours. We booked 2 tests in case one was late or got lost and sure enough 1 got contaminated. Might be worth doing a dry run before your trip to check the process. Accepted tests: · PCR - Polymerase chain reaction, Nucleic acid test (NAT) or Nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs), Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), These tests use methods such as a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, nose swab, or saliva sample. Under the 72 hours before departure, take your test, close as you dare to make sure you get the results back in time or you’ll start the whole process over again. When within the 72 hours of your border crossing download and fill out the ArriveCAN app on your phone, (You can put up to 8 people on the one ArriveCAN APP). If you don't get to the completion page with the QR code, you did not complete it and are NOT ready to cross the border! https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html#a3 You need to check the box of where you will quarantine if you are given the random Canadian Covid test and it comes back positive. Put in your first night’s hotel address and contact information. You will also be allowed to go home if you don’t have positive symptoms. If you are given a random test at the border it comes in a box with instructions. When you get to your hotel you call and do an online deal with a Canada nurse who facetime watches you take your sample. You then leave your sample with the hotel and they pick it up. Currently they are saying that .14% of the folks crossing by land that are vaccinated are yielding positive results from the random test. This means you got Covid in the 72 hours since you got your test at home. This is 1 out of every 714 tests conducted. This is a lot of work looking for a very small problem IMHO, and cost a lot of $$$$ to do. To cross the border, bring your passport, and printed copies of your negative test results that are under 72 hours old, a vaccine card, (you need it to enter restaurants and any indoor setting), and a printout of the QR code from the completed ArriveCan app, (On your phone is fine too if you are more happy paperless). We wore our Masks and asked the agent if he wanted them on or off, he asked we take them off. As always best to not have your dark sunglasses on either. Example: · You want to cross the border at 1:00PM on Friday December 10. · On November 30th, book your Covid test for between 5:00PM-8:00PM December 7th · December 7th take your test(s) keeping in mind the 72 hours. · Sometime after 1:00PM on December 7th download and fill out the AP, (You can put up to 8 people on the one ArriveCAN APP). · December 10th cross the border with a printout of your negative Covid test and a printout of your ArriveCAN QR code you get once completed along with your passport and vaccine card. On your phone is fine too. Very simple process once you do it once.

Cabanon Friday night 10 December

A nice 235 today down to Escoumin for lunch, got to find some virgin snow along the way! Hooked up with Team VT today, we had a great ride with Markus and Dooright, more fun today, a backcountry and trailride to Forestville for lunch at the Danube restaurant. Happy Trails RR

First pass. https://fb.watch/9N-7Iw360T/

The Cabanon dozers (club du Royaume) have started grooming today. From what the lady say in the facebook video, they start creating a trail loop in the Mastigouche reserve (trail#23) that will pass near koubec to give a total 150km loop. From what I Know they don't have tons of snow but the last drop end up with pretty compact stuff excellent for trail base. facebook video here https://fb.watch/9LI43_LRbr/

Thanks Gutz, I have room any time you are in Vermont.👍

Looks like you need a friend who needs to finish some projects.... indoors .....and does not have a garage..... You are in luck! I can help with that! Looks great! GutZ

Just finished the spring project.

The only thing that could be better than these posts is if I was there, I can almost feel it from my desk and cannot wait to get there, I was one of the very last people to leave 2 years ago late March and you the first to return, many thanks, you have gotten all of us prepared for the home coming, have a great winter, Bob.

Sounds like an awesome trip. Thank you for sharing. Looking at sled pics never gets old to me. Feel free to post some more and/or trials and tribulations of the backcountry trips.

For sure 🙂 , We enjoyed our 3 days of adventures in the snow with a awesome group of like minded riders ! Until the next time ... Cheers !

Did the free test at Walgreens Friday at 12:15 and had the results in 45 minutes. They said 24 hours, but we all know what that means. Doing it 72 hours before leaving on a monday could be trickey, with the weekend in the mix, but went thru great and on the app with no problems. Now lets hope the weather holds up for next week.

Thanks for all the info, very helpful. Just made an appointment for a covid test for this Friday as a test run to see when I get the results. Will be going to Quebec on a Monday in February. May adjust dates if the test results become an issue on the weekend.

Way to get it done! Great pictures and thanks for sharing with everyone, I'm sure it will help a few get through the holidays. Super fun riding up there with everyone. In 10 days of riding you guys are putting on the typical mileage of a person for 2-3 SEASONS! I read somewhere where one of the outfitters posted they have received as much snow so far this year as almost all of last year. If the warm and rain can hold off it is a very good start.

We came back on Friday and really underestimated the number of Canadians crossing into the USA. Really happy to see everyone crossing again but we were in line for 50 minutes I would say. Once we got up for our turn it was business as usual.

On the phone is fine, but to avoid passing 2,3,4 phones back and forth printed is way easier. Hand the agent a passport with a folded copy of the test results and the ArriveCAN app QR code last page inside and all is good. Make their job easy, answer the questions, be prepared and move on. We were there under 2 minutes. I get the feeling they don't want to be the COVID police unless you make them 😉 They even let one guy cross who did not fill out the ArriveCAN APP, but his present was a random Covid test 😉 Roadrunner will have to confirm but out of 12-14 guys I think there were 2-3 random Covid tests.

I can't confirm for all the papers but for the covid negative test results it was fine for me to have it just on my phone(not paper) when I came back to Canada 2 weeks ago (by air). Just be wise and have it on more than one phone and also available in your email box, just in case!

Mark, do you think just having it on your phone will be good enough? We are heading up Monday, and dont want any problems if we can avoid them.

Excellent information as always from you, I greatly appreciate it 👍

you bet, nothing like being the first one at 7am on -20 white concrete, like formula one racing!!

bonsoir !!! went for a sapin de noel ....snowing like crazy went i left home around 1 pm......a bit of freezing rain at the 16 miles....and snowing on my way back ... windy mollo...........-4c !!! jean-guy

Another visit to one of our favorite loops, the nic named the Pipmuacan Expressway😊. A fun several hours picking thru some tactical riding to make this loop complete. A big looped planned today to loop the Pipmuacan, with multiple sleighs in tow today. Happy trails😊

St-Zenon snowmobile club( know as Cabanon / club du Royaume) have begin to groom Tuesday and St-Michel des Saints snowmobile club have start grooming Wednesday. There are not tons of snow there but enought to start grooming, facebook reports I seen are good. The next week end will be warm with some of snow and rain on the forecast, nothing destructive. I expect this to improve the actual trail base but I probably won't ride this weekend. If mother nature don't ruin what is already there, Yes there will be good sledding to do there for sure during Christmas holidays I share this taken on facebook from today by Martin (Hotel Central) in St-Michel https://www.facebook.com/martin.benoit.31521/videos/202304172062036

A great run to today to Forestville today, 250 in for this tun, lots of powder! Lots of Gas and oil burned! A great lunch at the Danube. More fun today! Happy Trails

So the couple we were meeting in Mt Valin had a setback on his rehab for a shoulder injury they expected to be behind them by now. Rehab shut him down so we will switch back to “maybe” mode for Christmas week there. We will ride the county here if possible…or may still run to Mt Valin area or another area.

Yet another one just like them will be elected. New York, just like California will always be blue it will take a miracle to change it. Pennsylvania is not far from it, we have Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the major universities of course are all liberal. Everybody else sees the light but sadly the big cities have the power and that’s where the corruption and numbers come from. I wish you luck

Life long New Yorker ashamed of our government leadership. The last 3 governors kicked out in humiliation (Spitzer, Paterson, Cuomo). This one shuts down hospitals for surgeries with few covid cases in hospital beds. Maybe she can bankrupt more hospitals and health care providers (workers).

Well….still here in my thinking….although I envision very light traffic in Quebec with many less crossing…..and have a bit of fear of missing out on great trails with nobody on them. Im not gonna lie.