snowmaster2112

19 .....21....it's all the same in my head....LOL..

Don’t know about nowadays with the new owner but Relais 22 used to have BRP oil

That’s going to be a GREAT ride and your staying at all the best places. IMO and I know the area well, there will be no need for extra gas on ANY of that trip. There is gas in several places that are not showing up on your map screen shot. Wemotaci, Relais 22 and Parent are just a few of them. This is assuming your sleds will comfortably be able to go 100 miles before you even start to worry and that still leaves plenty of wiggle room.

Have fun up there and stay safe. when you talk about “has to be a record snowfall up here”........not even close. I was up there in the 1999 (I believe) Saturday snow storm. There was already 3+ ft on the ground and it started to snow real hard around mid-day. We made it back to where we were staying and started drinking and playing cards. It was still snowing so hard you couldn’t see out the windows at midnight. When we got up the next morning you could not even tell where the sleds were out in the parking lot. No windshields sticking out no handlebars no nothing. My buddy said “someone stole the sleds” ....LOL In fact you could just barely make out there was multiple full size pickups and trailers in the lot. Turns out the “hill” came within a couple inches that day for setting a world record snowfall in an 24 hr period. I think if my memory serves me correctly it was 92 or 96inches. Guys were stranded in camps up there for days and it was a really bad scene. Took us till 6pm that following day to get our shit and get out of there and the guys place we were staying at had loaders and big plow trucks. You could walk right up the banks of snow on the sides of the road and step right on TOP of the telephone poles I kid you not.

Ditto what he said. i did my small part last week at the Repos. After gassing up we were leaving down the long driveway and about to cross the road when I see this triangle shaped windshield bag laying in the trail. Stopped and opened it up and it was a French guy. Had his phone, credit cards and other stuff. Back to the front desk with it.

I should probably just shut my pie hole but wanted to make clear a few things. Ray, your absolutely right about volunteers and the work that goes unappreciated up on that hill. I know first hand as I witnessed it when I used to ride up there years ago. That along with all the infighting amongst the various clubs. I use to stay for quite a few years at an unofficial place called the Freeman Hotel which was really a private residence. Billy Osmun from NJ owned it and many of his buddies from Jersey stayed as well. I met a lot of cool people there and even went out to Yellowstone twice with them in 97 & 99. I belonged to and supported Southern Tug Hill Sno Riders long after I stopped going there. Your right the “hill” does get a bad wrap a lot of the time. IMO...it’s a “no win” situation for the area. They get the most snow anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains, have a great (but limited) riding area and a PLETHORA of snowmobilers (of all kinds from family to Mohawk stand up guy) that come from MULTITUDES of states and it literally gets out of control especially on the weekends. Riding during the week goes without saying but with peoples varied schedules and vacations nowadays it’s nothing like mid week from 20 years ago when you literally saw no one. I think what was the nail in the coffin for me was about 7-8 yrs ago I was up there with a couple buddies and if I’m not mistaken it was a Friday. We went down this trail that had just been recently groomed and had very little tracks on it. 4 hrs later we came back down the same trail and there were 3 ft moguls on it. That and all the stories I hear from people I know that still go and have camps there. Since I found Quebec I have very little need or desire to ride there anymore even if it is close for me. It’s like do I go to the town circus or go to Disney World. And I’ll add one last thing that I have ALWAYS said and thought about “ the hill”. They should band all those clubs together under one entity and form something like the FCMQ did. And they SHOULD CHARGE to ride there. Just like Old Forge does, just like Vermont does and just like all the Canadian provinces do. And there should be STRICT penalties like in Quebec if your caught without a pass. IMO this would weed out a lot of the “ jack wagons” that seem to flock there.

What he said and more. I live 2.5 hrs from the area and haven’t been there in years. Most likely won’t ever be again either. riding up there 20 + years ago was bad enough. At least there is some snow in other NY areas and that will lift a small amount of pressure off the hill. When your done riding up there tell us how many stand up, Mohawk, Blair Morgan wannabes you encountered. And how many out of control people obviously riding faster than what their capabilities truly are. Stay farther right than you ever have my friend.

Drive safe and have a GREAT ride. Be very careful on that I81 stretch. I curse that mother hucker every time I drive through there, even in the summer. Sounds like you might not have time but consider going the extra distance (about 55 miles) past BC to Godbout and taking the ferry. That section of trail is something every snowmobiler should experience at least once. You won’t believe it if you take it and make sure you DONT have a full stomach if you do.

Should be . Dominic tolled us a week ago today(eating lunch there) that they were shooting for this past weekend or a little after. He said the second the bridge was done the groomer was heading in. do me a favor and lay a little “smack down” on that west end of 83 when you get there please.

SPECTACULAR, BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, UNBELIEVABLE, FANTASTIC, AWESOME, MAJESTIC, and that’s all I have to say about that

Beautiful and I just missed you In St Jean de Matha by a day. We left there (right near Gero) on Friday afternoon.

Great pics Jack !! What’s up with that snowball.....the bag has some kind of wind vortex built in ? that is unreal what happened to that Yamaha. It must have dumped a bunch of raw fuel into the exhaust somehow. WOW!

Back when I was young and crazy I crossed there several times. Nowadays I’m calling the transport.

End of M19, been going there for almost 20 yrs now. There is an old small airstrip there. The groomer has historically just came to the airstrip and turned around and went out. This is the first year he kept going and circled the lake thus creating a 6 mile mini Formula 1 race track. We didn’t even know this until we went there last Saturday. I ran it several times that night and like 5 times the next day. The record (and recorded) best lap time is 7:23 sec. around the 6 miles by yours truly. 😏

JUST SPECTACULAR!!!!! Alain, I have always enjoyed your trails reports and photos but you have taken it to a new level mon ami . Just incredible. I wish our trails crossed each other’s last week but I’m positive they will again. Godspeed to you!!!!!!

Finished the trip up yesterday in St Jean de Matha 130 mile ride from my buddies camp up at the end of the M19 trail on Lac Chapeau de Paille. It’s pretty much in between Matawin and the Repos. 1200 beautiful miles this past week with two great friends. No troubles and GREAT ridng. Got home at 11 pm last night and already want to go back. Here is a pick from the camp yesterday morning before we left. We decided to name the trip “The Cabin 1200 Tour” as the first two nights and the last were in the above cabin. The middle 3 nights were in a cabin in Parent, The Gouin and 100 Lacs. So a “cabin” all 6 nights. thanks for following along the trip & here’s wishing everyone “Happy Trails” !!!!!

I mostly agree but the dogs look like their fed relatively well nowadays. I did however get f’ed over by one when we were there outside the supermarket/gas pumps. We had decided to eat there real quick instead of the restaurant. I talked one of my buddies into splitting a whole rotisserie chicken and we had it outside sitting on top of the sled seat. We were just picking at it like Neanderthals and a couple dogs came over real nice and sat there and begged. Well over the course i through a couple 4-5 chunks to each one as a token gesture. Good thing it was just about done and when my buddy and I turned our heads to talk to our 3rd guy who was 30ft away the one dog grabs the chicken off my seat and starts running down the street with it. We laughed our asses off as did two Indians pumping gas. Ive been through Manawan a crap load over the years. Yes you get some strange looks sometimes and yes the kids and dogs are always around but I have NEVER heard of any trouble or problems there. EVER. Just go in and get your gas and groceries and be on your way. And if you want to stay in a real nice new modern hotel try the Auberge out. Right at the top of the hill next to the trail and police station.

Dealer put a new one on and also had them shim the shaft on the secondary to bring into perfect alignment. No trb whatsoever this past week and 1200 miles.

Another beautiful day here at 100 Lacs. 2 inches of fresh pow pow and we are just finishing up a GREAT breakfast. we have about 240 clicks to get to the cabin so we should all be good. It’s like 30 degrees F here this a.m. so in the last 5 days we have seen a 60 degree swing in temp.....UNREAL!!! thanks for following along

The local Manawan kids.......what a trip !!

this is the old place on Lac Chateauvert

Arrived at 100 Lacs about an hour ago. Got a SWEET 3 bedroom cabin ( Congress it’s called) which is so befitting to us 2 Americans and 1 Canadian in our group. The cabin even has a bathroom in each bedroom. Sitting in the dining room now and wondering if the day could have been any better. I guess if it was all blue sky that would have topped it off. We had overcast skies but thankfully hardly any snow which was welcome as they have PLENTY. Saw less than 10 sleds all day and every trail was as flat as a pancake with 4” of loose on top. Every corner was FUN,FUN, FUN. Had a fantastic club sandwich at Kanawata for lunch, took a quick break at the old Lac Chateauvert place (the roof is caved in now). Sad, I had some great memories of the big guy (old retired boxer) that ran the place like 15 years ago. I even paid him to let me take a shower in there once as my buddy and I were at his cabin for like 3 days and I was ripe...LOL Gased up and hung around the grocery store in Manawan for awhile. I’ve been blessed with having many a fine snowmobile day in my life and I can’t think of one that was any better than today. Going to enjoy a nice meal and tomorrow we are heading back to our buddies cabin for the last night of the trip. Enjoy the pics and get out and RIDE !!!!! PEACE

And a live pic from just a minute ago...... off to the races soon