RoadRunner

Steve, they are open , but as you questioned, there is no gas this year.
 
RR

In actuality, I filled up my standard 36 gallon diesel tank in Chicoutimi,  before going to the km 31, traveled solo, and made it back to Jackman without stopping anywhere for fuel and other than a "ditch side" restroom break 😉.  Granted not everyone has the fuel range for that but certainly you can fill up in an outside fuel pump without contact. So it is doable.  Just a matter of whether it necessary or not😃.
It was like 325 miles  from Chicoutimi to km 31, than back to Jackman 
 
Happy Trails
RR
 

In actuality, I filled up my standard 36 gallon diesel tank in Chicoutimi,  before going to the km 31, traveled solo, and made it back to Jackman without stopping anywhere for fuel and other than a "ditch side" restroom break 😉.  Granted not everyone has the fuel range for that but certainly you can fill up in an outside fuel pump without contact. So it is doable.  Just a matter of whether it necessary or not😃.
It was like 325 miles  from Chicoutimi to km 31, than back to Jackman 
 
Happy Trails
RR
 

Our biggest concern was getting caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare, where a "no common sense" individual decides your quarantine process. None of us would have cared about quarantine,  if we could still ride for 14 days😃. But the confinement and verification methods that some have gone thru was not something we wanted to experience.
 
Yes, one could make a break for the border without permission but does that jeopardize future entrance back to Canada?
That definitely was something none us wanted in jeopardy either🤔
Thankfully, we didn't have to find out😃
 
 

I will be in your neighborhood soon Mon Ami! Likely very early in the New Year. 

In actuality, I filled up my standard 36 gallon diesel tank in Chicoutimi,  before going to the km 31, traveled solo, and made it back to Jackman without stopping anywhere for fuel and other than a "ditch side" restroom break 😉.  Granted not everyone has the fuel range for that but certainly you can fill up in an outside fuel pump without contact. So it is doable.  Just a matter of whether it necessary or not😃.
It was like 325 miles  from Chicoutimi to km 31, than back to Jackman 
 
Happy Trails
RR
 

Our biggest concern was getting caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare, where a "no common sense" individual decides your quarantine process. None of us would have cared about quarantine,  if we could still ride for 14 days😃. But the confinement and verification methods that some have gone thru was not something we wanted to experience.
 
Yes, one could make a break for the border without permission but does that jeopardize future entrance back to Canada?
That definitely was something none us wanted in jeopardy either🤔
Thankfully, we didn't have to find out😃
 
 

Our biggest concern was getting caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare, where a "no common sense" individual decides your quarantine process. None of us would have cared about quarantine,  if we could still ride for 14 days😃. But the confinement and verification methods that some have gone thru was not something we wanted to experience.
 
Yes, one could make a break for the border without permission but does that jeopardize future entrance back to Canada?
That definitely was something none us wanted in jeopardy either🤔
Thankfully, we didn't have to find out😃
 
 

locking down...numbers get low then do it again....until it goes away?? hopefully early signs are it's getting milder...and we can get over this yo-yo!!

We had questions about 14 day Q also. Where do you find a place to stay for 14 days. Every place in Saguenay saw booked while we were up there.  Don, got any extra room in the shed to rent for a couple weeks?

Yes, fully furnished too. Even got a ventilator, just in case. 
No cost to QR contributing members. 

The million dollar question that we had when we went was:
Your PCR test was negative before you went but that coukd have been up to 72 hours prior , so  if someone in the group tests positive on this random border test, are you required to quarantine in place for 14 days?
 
 The question we asked was : would we be allowed to travel back to our home in the US if we test positive on the random test, and if you have your own vehicle and would be traveling solo and not contacting anyone in route. 
 
None of us wanted to be quarantined in Canada for 14 days!
 
Two different times the answer from the border patrol was that you could call the local authorities and request permission, and they would most likely will let you drive solo back to your home in the US?
 
No guarantees, but that was an impotent side note for us.
 
 

The million dollar question that we had when we went was:
Your PCR test was negative before you went but that coukd have been up to 72 hours prior , so  if someone in the group tests positive on this random border test, are you required to quarantine in place for 14 days?
 
 The question we asked was : would we be allowed to travel back to our home in the US if we test positive on the random test, and if you have your own vehicle and would be traveling solo and not contacting anyone in route. 
 
None of us wanted to be quarantined in Canada for 14 days!
 
Two different times the answer from the border patrol was that you could call the local authorities and request permission, and they would most likely will let you drive solo back to your home in the US?
 
No guarantees, but that was an impotent side note for us.
 
 

The million dollar question that we had when we went was:
Your PCR test was negative before you went but that coukd have been up to 72 hours prior , so  if someone in the group tests positive on this random border test, are you required to quarantine in place for 14 days?
 
 The question we asked was : would we be allowed to travel back to our home in the US if we test positive on the random test, and if you have your own vehicle and would be traveling solo and not contacting anyone in route. 
 
None of us wanted to be quarantined in Canada for 14 days!
 
Two different times the answer from the border patrol was that you could call the local authorities and request permission, and they would most likely will let you drive solo back to your home in the US?
 
No guarantees, but that was an impotent side note for us.
 
 

We sure were hoping to get back a few more times too Bob, looking very questionable currently!😜

Steve, they are open , but as you questioned, there is no gas this year.
 
RR

Bill is still very active and he is heading to northern Maine again this winter. 

The fearless leader of Quebec has dropped the hammer.
no more than 10 persons for family gatherings 
restaurants and businesses 50% capacity
next will be the curfew stand by
And 
no fans at Canadiens match tonight. Not allowed.

We sure were hoping to get back a few more times too Bob, looking very questionable currently!😜

I may have made a donation to the clubs by buying my trail permit😪

Sure hope Road Runner and gang aren't going to be the only group who rides this winter...BUT THIS DOES NOT SOUND PROMISING !!!

New Owners
https://www.lequotidien.com/2021/12/15/le-relais-de-motoneige-mont-vilain-rouvre-ses-portes-sous-une-nouvelle-appellation-e804a3ae61e617b8c91e1ad9f81e5ab9?fbclid=IwAR2lpXQSi6arDfTsXxMKxRCsZGhJJ6m7KMO8houZV_YwUIlDYxnH4vwVEHU
 
The Mont Vilain snowmobile relay reopens its doors under a new name
 Isabelle Tremblay
 ISABELLE TREMBLAY
 The Daily
 
Closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mont Vilain de Lamarche snowmobile relay will reopen its doors on Wednesday under a new name.
 The Otis Nature Outdoor Center will welcome snowmobilers in places that have been completely revamped in recent months.  A sum of $ 10,000 has been invested to bring the facilities up to date by the new owners of the place, Carl Otis and Suzanne Richard.
 "We touched up the whole aesthetic aspect of the building such as the lighting, the upholstery of the chairs and the paint.  It’s really on the mark, ”says Carl Otis.

 “We are very excited.  We look forward to welcoming the snowmobilers.  It's a whole new adventure that begins for us and it makes us very excited.  The snow is there.  The phone does not stop to ring.  We will have a very good season.  It will be really nice, ”says Ms. Richard.
 On site, a restaurant and bar service will be offered seven days a week.  A brand new menu has been developed for customers, in collaboration with the microbrewery du Lac and executive chef Paulo.

 "For the restaurant and the terrace, we can accommodate 100 people at a time," says Carl Otis.  In terms of accommodation, five cabins that can accommodate four to eight people will be rented.
 When the season is in full swing, the relay is used by nearly 600 snowmobilers every weekend.  “We are truly a must stop on the snowmobile trail.  We are one of the biggest snowmobile relays in Lac-Saint-Jean.  We know how much people enjoyed the place and we can't wait to welcome them again, ”continues Suzanne Richard.

 The two promoters have acquired the facilities of the Mont Vilain outdoor center in recent months with the objective of making it an accessible place of tourist accommodation with universal access (AU), both for people with disabilities  physical than the elderly and young families.  They have made significant investments over the summer to achieve this goal.

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

Steve, By the pics we have been seeing, it sounds like there is snow enough for them to pan some areas, this photo from Martin at Hotel Pelchat is most likely somewhere down near Escoumin , appears to have decent snow cover even there.  We hopefully will find  out shortly the extent of the snow cover and panning, if any? 
RR

Hi all! Its time for the Season to begin, With our first measurable snow here in Maine, its time to think Mt Valin.  Yes, we are keeping our fingers 🤞 crossed on the border access, but if everything goes as planned, we will be there later this week!
The fresh snow here in Maine allowed for a quick , couple mile test ride of the 850 Extreme before loading on the trailer later this week. It passed that quick test😊
Think Snow and open borders!
 
RR