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I stayed there in years past and it is pretty deluxe for the average snowmobiler. Plus, Lac Etchimen is quite a ways further in the truck when you are headed north through Maine. That is why I am hoping to find something in St Georges. Sounds like it is back to Comfort Inn and truck up to 55 and 75 clubhouse in Beauceville... Mike - great to hear you are out and about - but another Cat?????

I still miss the Benedict Arnold. Does anyone know if there is another hotel in the area that is safe and serves breakfast? I always sleep with my fingers crossed at the Comfort Inn...plus it is not really on the trail if you are headed north. Thx. GW

FWIW - I have used the Spot devices all over Quebec for 6 years and they work in all temps and conditions. Very reliable. I use two (the new Spot 2 and the original). The reason is that my father likes to track me back home (he's 85) and the Spot devices only send a location every 10 minutes. If it misses one, that makes 20 minutes. The trail on the map is much smoother with spots every 5. I have asked them and they say the device can't be re-programmed. That said, I am considering the new Spot or a Sat phone for next year.

Just a warning that Trail 3 has changed mid-season (or at least after they printed the maps!). If you leave from QC or St Foy (Quebec Inn) and head north, you cannot go straight north around the airport to Rt 3 and expect to turn left on the power line to go Rt3west. That trail is now VTT only. Rt 3 has been changed to actually route way south down to the hotels and you need to head west before heading north if you leave the hotels. The signs are correct, but all maps I found are wrong. There is also a wonderful new trail from Lac Eduoard to LeTape that branches off of 355north. All new! Beaucoup Neige!!

Website today says all trails are good to go. Is there a specific place that I can check to see if the river has re-froze? Thanks. GW

about 200 from 55 and 75 to RDL. 20 or so to St Georges. 30 to Jackman? Nice days ride if the trails are good... GW

Just returned last night from Beauceville to RDL to St Ann de Mont to Matane to Montmagny to Beauceville. You should have no trouble if you start from Lac Ethemin - HOWEVER - there is a lot of dirt and gravel at road crossings and in towns. Also running out of snow fast in lower elevations. The 549, 547, 545 and 551 trails were holding up well and the 15 mile stretch that we did on 35 was smooth (but we heard not all of 35 is that way). Also, if you get to St Pamphile on 55, take the 557 up to 35. It was excellent last Monday and it gets little traffic. Season looks to end soon... GW

Bill - great to hear you are coming over to the four stroke camp! You will love it!! Never made it up to Lac St Jean this year - my brother and I are headed to Gaspe tomorrow. Should be fun watching the hockey game in Canada!! See you next year!! GW

Same question here - heading to St Georges tomorrow to leave Monday for RDL. Then hoping to poke around up to Rimouski, Matane, maybe down south toward Point de Croix. Any reports would be appreciated. The Chaudiere site says trails are good except north of Beauceville. Thanks! GW

FYI - there is an airport with commercial service right up the trail in St Foy (Quebec Inn). My buddy has looked into flights there from HTFD. Good luck!

I broke out my shorts today and took my first outdoor shower of the season. But I would like one more trip north if there is any riding left (preferably less than a 10 hour trip from Boston...). Any ideas?? GW

Hey, Chris... I would suggest not taking 368 if you are trying to make time. It is very smooth, but very winding and twisty. Less than 10 miles further to stay on 23 to 383. Plus better clubhouses... Gas top off 20 miles from HI if you need it... they also sell Doo oil! GW

I have used mine for over a year and it is great for having family and friends follow your route. I also ride alone some and the 911 feature is a bit of piece of mind. It also worked in Peru and Equador!!! GW

Guys - just wondering if anyone is planning to attend the show. I know that some of the Braap guys are going and we are hoping to possibly meet up for dinner and a couple of frostys. GW

I would suggest you ride from Quebec City to the HI. I just returned today from there and there is tons of snow all the way, and the trail up through the Park (and LeTape) is fantastic. Here are a couple shots taken yesterday. It is about 240 miles from the Quebec Inn to the HI. I was there in time to check in and make my 3PM massage on Tuesday! Good, safe parking at the Quebec Inn as well. GW

Ha! Someone else must have drank it as there is none here! And to correct my last post, that was Rt 368 that is closed or plowed. I didn`t make it up to 383. GW

But it is lonely here!!! Mine is the only sled in the parking lot and it was locked when I pulled in because no one was here last night! I rode up today from St Foy and experienced all kinds of conditions. From excellent (last 20 miles of Rt 83 coming to the HI) to terrible (the first 10 miles of Rt 83 after turning off Rt23). There is a lot of snow here, but in some cases, it was too much to groom. Rt 23 north of Mount Apica has only been groomed in one direction so it is only about 10 feet wide. Lots of drifting... Rt 383 appeared to be plowed or closed. I suggest that anyone planning to make the trip call ahead to check for grooming. The great trails are still great, but where they haven`t groomed, it is really bad because of all the snow. Mid 30s here now. Warmer tomorrow. Snow is gone between here and the Esso station. But plenty of puddles to lube your slides!

Great questions, Fred... The sled didn't bounce in the rough corners like the ETec, which felt less "planted" than the 4Tec. Now, if you were going to snocross the thing, you would certainly want the Etec. But I have found the additional weight to be a non-issue on the Quebec trail system. When I first rode my Attak in VT, it took very little time to feel the excess weight. The tight corners and narrower (and often thrashed) trails meant more effort to keep the sled on track. This has rarely been an issue in Quebec. And the new Doo is lighter than my Attak by nearly 100 pounds! The 20 HP loss will be offset by that weight difference. I really feel that there is a big difference in "power" between the ETec and 4Tec when you opt for the longer track. You will really feel that difference on the Quebec trails when you squeeze the throttle at 60+ MPH. Both sleds will probably get to very close top speeds, but the 4Tec will get there much quicker. As for VT trails, we were in Woodford, which has lots of straight, wide fire roads which have a Quebec feel to them. We were on the trails early in the AM after the usual overnight grooming. Several locals in the group commented how nice the trails were and they were making plans to ride there again (mid-week). I haven't given up on the VAST trails, but weekend riding is out of the question! GW

I believe it works like a Yamaha Phazer - electro mechanical. There is a servo that activates the mechanical reverse. But I can tell you that the mechanical reverse on the models that I drove worked very easy. Just a flick of the thumb. Much quicker than RER. Even Rotax hasn't figured out how to make a four stroke motor run backwards!! GW

Rob - you can delete this if you feel it is mis-placed, but I thought the guys would like to hear the perspective of a guy who rides decent miles (3,000-4,000 all in Quebec) and has experience with many sleds over the years. First, a little background - I have owned and loved dozens of sleds over the past 40 years. I currently own a 2006 Yamaha Attak which I have thoroughly enjoyed (after customizing almost every element of it to suit my tastes). Prior to that, I was a Doo guy for 10 years, including my 2003 Rev, which I loved but couldn't ride more than 100 miles if I wanted to use my knees the next day. That forced me to look at Yamaha and I swore I could never go back to a 2 stroke after the excellent performance of the Yammy. Anyway, I was invited to ride with the dealers last week in VT on the new Doo's the day before the consumer test ride. This was a much different event as we rode about 70 miles in two groups of about 15 sleds. Included in each group were about 5 of each new model (sadly, all 120" track). There were also current sleds and competitive sleds in the groups for comparison. Trails were largely perfect early in the trip and were much like Quebec trails. The first sled I rode was the 600 Tnt ETec. It rides taller than I remember my Revs, but handling was amazing. Very flat and you could feel the weight difference. The motor was extremely strong and ran excellent. Zero smoke at startup, but there is still some odor. Biggest change is that I finally have somewhere to put my feet! That extra legroom is a big knee-saver!! Before long, I was really enjoying thrashing through the corners and lifting the skis on takeoff. I was also surprised how much the motor pulled at higher speeds when I thought it would flatten out. Seat was too hard for my taste, but the factory Doo guy had already told us that that would be fixed on the production units. After about 10 miles, we stopped and switched sleds. I hopped on a 2008 600 SDI Renegade because I wanted a quick comparison to the longer track (which I prefer for touring). This sled also handled great and pulled nice, but I felt there was a noticeable drop off in "power" and I think this is due to the 600 motor trying to pull that longer (and wider?) track. Not a dog by any means, but you could feel the difference in quickness. Next stop, I got on the 4Tec. First thing you notice is what you don't notice - noise or vibration. This sled is quieter than my Yamaha and certainly quieter than the Etec. Not silent (like the Cat 660) but very quiet. <<Footnote to Skidoo if you are reading this - Please don't "tune" the exhaust noise to find some harmonious sound of a sports car - these sleds don't need any additional, unnecessary decibels thrown in!!>> Engine is very smooth and the clutch came in very low (perhaps 2600?). Power was broad and immediate. In fact, it was jumpy at low speeds because the throttle pull was very easy (which I loved) and the clutching needs a little tweaking. The sled has a heavier (more solid?) feel to it as well as a larger feel due to the wider hood. I enjoyed this larger feel as the trails got a little rougher later in the ride. It felt more like my Attak, except lighter and flatter in the corners. Then it was back to the Etec 600, which was more familiar now that I was used to the XP chassis. It was still a blast to drive, but I was quick to notice the additional noise and vibration which was not there on the 4Tec. Big difference in power (but not top end). This sled would be great for the VAST (Vt) trail system as I know it. Plenty of power, lightweight and fun for short (100-150 mile) days. The more I rode the 4Tec, the more I was convinced that there is no choice. My big concern is gas mileage (actually range) as the Reps are claiming about 18MPG for the 4Tec and 22+ for the ETec. The good news is that the tanks on these sleds are about 1 gallon larger than the new, smaller Yamaha tanks so either sled will have better range than my sled. When we got back from the ride, I noticed that neither group had taken out the two-up luxury cruiser GTX SE Ltd and I asked to take that for a spin. It has the 136 in track and every option known to man including heated seat! I was anxious to try the longer track with the 4tec motor so off I went. The first thing I noticed is that you sit even higher on this sled. Almost too high. There is a gigantic windshield which protects you, but the sensation is almost that you are on top of the sled. But power is not a problem here. The sled pulled hard and strong up to any sane speed but I did not care for the handling compared to the other sleds. Of course that is an unfair comparison. The point is that the 4Tec pulled the additional weight and track with ease. Now the decision is whether to opt for the touring sled (15x137x1.00 with SilentTrak technology) or the Renegade (16x137x1.25) and make it into a touring sled. Tough choice... Sorry for the long post, but I figured some of you might not have the chance to ride before you buy... GKW

And then I couldn't get the truck started!! But after about an hour, I found the missing relays... Thanks again for the ride! GKW

Will be returning from trip to Jonquierre sometime late next week and would like to stay overnight in St Foy on Blvd Hamel before heading home in the AM. Is there a nice hotel on that road that has secure parking? Thanks. GW

Thanks, Mike.... But running out of Oil would be worse!! :D .

A strange combination of ingredients (especially stupidity) found me 2 miles from the Hotel Universal in RDL at 5PM last Saturday and OUT OF GAS! To make matters worse, I was on a one lane trail that only exists in the fine print on maps so there was no telling when the next sled would come by. But the good news was that I was actually underneath Hwy 20 about 30 feet below road grade so I climbed up the bank to see if I could summon help from a passing motorist. The very first car stopped! A woman about 40 with two boys and a car stuffed with hockey gear returning from a day of hockey and a 40 minute trip ahead of her to get home. She not only offered to drive me to gas, she brought me back to my sled just as it was getting totally dark (about 5:30). I slid back down the embankment with my gallon of essence as she sped off. I fumbled around and poured in the gas. Helmet back on, and turned the key - NOTHING!! While I was gone, a sled had come buy and tried to start my sled to move it and I concluded that they had killed to battery so I was back up the embankment to try to get another ride. Now it is officially dark and my prospects for a ride are not good. So I start walking (with luggage and helmet). But after about 5 cars go by, a VW Beetle flips on the flashers and pulls to a stop about 50 yards down the road. I jog down and this time another woman has stopped! She is alone!! I explain the problem and ask if she could drive me down to the Universal where I will see if there is someone there who can give me a jump. No problem - (this done through her broken English and my very spotty French). Just as we pull into the lot, a (rare) lightbulb goes off in my head that, perhaps, whoever tried to start my sled had hit the killswitch (which I never use because I run a finger throttle and it is under the handlebar) when they left and that would expain the problem. So I ask her to bring me back and she says no problem. I keep my fingers crossed when I slide back down to my sled and, sure enough, the switch was pushed and it fired right up. I made some dumb mistakes that day (but I didn't drive by any gas stations for the last 60 miles). But the point of this post is to thank you Canadians (Quebecers?) for all the help you have given to me and countless Americans who enjoy your beautiful country every winter. The Belle Province, indeed... And next winter, I will be riding a sled that will go more than 132 miles on a tank of gas - even if it has an outboard motor on it!! GW

All of those deaths are certainly tragic, but hitting the groomer is a preventable accident which could happen to any of us but for our own good fortune. My otherwise great trip to Jonquierre last week was marred by the realization that I saw 6 groomers on the trail in three days (and the trails are excellent) - BUT THERE WERE NO GROOMER BEACONS! If Collett is providing the beacons, then I suspect that these clubs have either not turned them on, or not replaced them when they purchased new groomers. FCMQ needs to step up and make this a priority - these accidents are preventable! Enough ranting, here is a shot from last week to show the excellent trail work that those groomers do (in silence!)... GW