SkippyDoo

Your right, it's about 20 extra miles or so. It's like 97 on my odometer from LaCabanon to Marineau using the M20.

Thanks for the info !! Glad to hear he still rides. I alway's look for him when I'm up there, but have never ran into him. He doesn't seem to stay in one area. He could be anywhere in the whole province. I hope he is at least riding with somebody and not out there by himself. I get what your saying, but that's what he liked to do. He is going to finish his ride no matter what, plus he had somewhat of a schedule to keep. So he made his decisions based on that. Just not so sure everybody else in the group was looking for the same type of thing. He ran a tight schedule for sure. I enjoyed riding with him though, and went up a few times with him in late march for a couple of years. He had a lot of stories to tell, that's for sure. I learned alot about riding in Quebec from him for sure, like if your sled is not using oil like everybody else's is... You where part of that group that had problems right ?

My cousin, lol. I wasn't related to the guy. Is that what you guy's thought ? I don't know if he still rides. He would be getting up there by now. I did talk to him by phone about 3 years ago. I had some questions about Quebec, he answered all of them, then proceeded to tell me about his last trip to Labrador that he made. I would love to do that one someday. I only met Melissa once at the end of that tour. Hat's off to her though for following that guy up the coast of Labrador. The last day of that trip was unreal. I think you guy's got a lift back to Escoumins because of that storm. The Pelchat trail wasn't even broke yet, let alone groomed. There was absolutely nothing that resembled a trail except for the gap in the trees. There had to be 4 ft of new snow in there.Then the drifts. It was unreal. But off we went. I truly thought he was crazy at that point. After getting stuck numerous times I began to think turning around would be the better option. But we eventually ran into some guy's on wide track yamaha's. They helped us get unstuck, turned around and headed back towards Escoumins with us. I'll never forget that day. Do you still ride with those guy's ?

Well, hook it up POS to POS and NEG to NEG. The batteries used in sleds are 12 V as are cars, so you could use a car battery and not hurt anything. They also sell these small portable jump boxes now that have enough amperage to start a sled. I have seen them start a car. They will also charge a cell phone, GPS etc. And you can carry it in your jacket pocket. All my tool dealers carry them and I have seen them now at places like Amazon.com for much cheaper. However for those to work you still need a battery with some voltage left in them. If it is dead and frozen you are SOL. Thawing battery and hope for the best is your only option. Or replace it. The CCA of a battery goes down with the temp. I've seen guy's heat up there batteries with hair dryers, heat guns etc. It works but requires patience. It's all you have though in the bush. Pull starting with the supplied rope is a pita. I asssume we are talking 2 strokes here. No pull starting a 4 stroke. For those reason's above that's why I prefer the 600 Etec. But that's just me and my opinion. But they will start down to -32. At least that's what I have witnessed so far. On the battery or the cord. Our other sled is an 800 Cat LXR. When it get's down below zero the E-start gives up sometimes, but still pull starts fine. Once it's warmed up, good to go

Can anybody tell me the best way to get across the St Lawerence river ? Like if starting a trip from Vt ? I see there are a few options. Berthierville ? Trois Rivieres ? Levis area ?

I buy 600 etec's specifically for Quebec. They start no matter the temp. And if the battery does go dead, you can pull start it. But people are having good luck with th skidoo 4 strokes I hear.

Chez Marineau is where you would be going in Matawin. It's off the 360 trail after you exit Mastigouche and cross the big bridge over the river. I don't know the mileage after the bridge but it is still a bit of a ride. 15 - 20 min maybe. You will see signs for Chez Marineau. The access trail comes out at a gas station. Chez M is across the street which is Rt 155. Can't really miss it, especially coming from the west. It's a well marked intersection. It's only about 80 miles from LaCabanon to Chez M. But a great ride. You can loop it down the river and back on 23 (likely will be busy around Shawinigan) or do an out and back on 360 and detour it on the M20/21 trails, then back down 345 to 360 again.M20 is worth the extra miles.

Well the best advice I have is an extra layer or 2. Fleece is the best. Plus tall windshields and muffs for the handlebars. These newer sleds seem to offer little to no wind protection.

Snobeeler beat me to it, yes Meekos is very nice. Gas food and lodging and about anything else you might need they will have

Not sure what you are looking to do, but Meekos is on the 319 just a bit west of 53. 53 and 319 run together, then 319 splits off to the west

The pizza at LaCabanon is not bad

It's not just DUI's either. pretty much any felony that required jail time = no entry into Canada. Assault, domestic dispute, etc. I know a guy in the same situation. He goes to Germany on occasion, and no problems into or out of there. But no Canada. I don't really understand it either, or what the issue was that started all this. I can understand if the legal situation is not yet resolved. I don't get the DUI thing. I have yet to hear an explanation for it. Funny thing is, Canada is another country like the US that will bring in thousands of immigrants. I wonder how many of them had legal issues prior to leaving their home country.

Very cool !!

Yeah, we didn't have any of those experiences last year when we inadvertantly rode thru. But they do look at you like ya have 2 heads and I wasn't comfortable there at all

Thanks for all of the reports ! Heading up finally next week on the 28th to LaCabanon

I hear ya, was just wondering if anybody had any experience with the place

Anybody ever stay at the or know anything about Auberge Manawan ? I'ts right in the town of Manawan, the reservation. It looks nice from pics on the net. Last year they diverted the trail 33 to go thru Manawan instead of bypassing so I ended up taking an unexpected tour through the town. Now I learn there is an Auberge there. Maybe they serve food too ?

I knew a guy several years ago that did about 10,000K a year in Quebec and knew it well, also knew Labrador and Ontario fairly well also. I asked him then if this trip was possible, he told me then that you could do it, but had to ride the plowed road up, and bring food and gas, plus be prepared to spend a night in the woods if something went wrong. But if I remember right it was better to leave from Matagami. If you left from Chib it was alot longer of a ride. He said that if I wanted to do something like this, it could be done on the Ontario side from Cochrane to Moosonee. That wouldn't get you to LG2 but would put you on the shores of James Bay. Then maybe possible to get around or across James Bay ?? I do not know if James Bay is safe to cross by sled or not or if you would even have too. My goal though wansn't to get to LG2 but to get to James Bay by sled. This would definitely be a cool once in a lifetime type of trip. A support truck would make it more doable for sure. There is lodging once you get there I believe.

The M20 trail rocks for sure.

I have not done the Gaspe yet, this may be the year :) Any info you can give out as for lodging, etc would be much appreciated, thanks

Tug Hill is why I started going to Quebec in the first place

The Lynx must be extremely active right now. Long cold winter must be driving them to hunt in the day. We saw a mother Lynx and 2 little ones on the 33 west of Manawan. They were not bothered by us at all. One of those once in a life time things to see I think. But do you by chance have those GPS tracks of the off trail stuff you just did ? I figured there had to be an something at the end of M21. I'm alway's looking for that sorta stuff, thanks

I don't know if I would worry too much about the ATV's. They have there own trails for the most part. But they were in the gas stations in St Michele and Mt laurier. I would check on grooming if going to St Zenon area though

LaCabanon is usually where I stay or start out from. They have everything. Plus it's at the intersection of 63 and 23. There are 4 way's out of there. It may be a bit more expensive than LaGlaciere. You can stay in St Michele also. A bunch of places there to. Auberge Lac Toro, Motel Central, Montgard are some choices. The 4 wheelers are coming out now so might be best to head north. According to some that work there grooming is coming to an end real soon. Dennis was not there this weekend so couldn't verify that. They claim this was the last big weekend. But there is ton's of snow the further north you go. And those trails are traditionally low traffic trails with the exception of 33/345 loop to Repos on the weekends.

The Repos Express ? The lake trail ? Yeah, would have been the better option. We did cross Toro though. That was a trip. They must have that drained nearly empty. Not supposed to be going up and down hills on a lake lol. Also forgot to mention the 33 trail goes through Manawan ? The "new" manawan bypass or old 33 is there but not groomed. Couldn't find the trail out. It must go across the lake somewhere ? So went back the way we came in and rode the ungroomed part. No big deal, short section. That caught me by surprise. I have never run that section of 33 before and wasn't aware that it now went through the villiage. It wasn't the scary place that I have been told it was. I would stop there for fuel now. No big deal. Plus it's nice to know there is a police station there if ever needed. That a lynx in Kanawata also ? They were probably having a field day this weekend, the rabbits were everywhere.