NHRider

Day 2 Tuesday 
 
Woke to beautiful cold morning after awesome night at Pouvoirie La Dore. Great stay had great conversation with Owner Stephane super nice guy. Big chalet with four bedrooms nice fun. Terrain here is big i think their territory stretches 20 miles. 18 chalets and big fishing and hunting for bear, moose and caribou. Lake trout and brook trout. 8 miles out trail to TQ93 trail groomed into pouvoirie with small drag but real good. TQ93 has been groomed north he has not returned south. It’s beautiful all the way to local trail to Resto du Chef.  Saw 2 sleds north bound direction Chibougamau. Been very little traffic few here and there but very spread out. 
 
Bingo that is the plan. Good old fashioned trail bingo. Here in the honey hole. I got all day to go nowhere. Destination St Felicien tonight and we will be in the vincinty all day. 
 
And now please stand by for a
Public service announcement. 
 
Everyone please continue to circulate only on the Blue federal trails as you are now. 
We thank you all for you continued cooperation in helping us enjoy the other trails privately without undue, unnecessary, excessive traffic. Thank you for the support. 
 
 
Say it with me or even better sing it out loud.  B I N G O……B I N G O 
 
Up down over back up down over up back around all that. And is awesome. 
One after the other  
Please sir may i have another? Yes you can. 
 
Late lunch Resto du Chef then then another 80 miles into hotel the BINGO way. 
 
Saw Mother Lynx with kitten. On TQ93 west of Lac a Jim. Leisurely strolling together right off side of trail. 
 
We will keep on going. One day at a time. Headed for Otis Nature via 373 and some bonus honey hole action. 
 
Well oiled machine here. Great bunch of riders. 
 
206 miles of
8/10 to 10/10 all damn day (r.i.p. Big) 
 
Corral full and overflowing here at Du Jardin. Hotel full tonight. 
Ordered dinner from Restaurant Mikes. 
 

 
 

Looking at the app this morning showed the groomer had left Murdochville around 3AM and was already 20 miles west by 5:30, perfect timing! So we were off Eastward on 5, great trail all the way to Murdochville. Gassed up.
Then toward La Cache. Trail was very good, not perfect, hard to groom a solid base. Up in the peaks was like another planet, everything covered in white, quite a bit fluffier and no ice.
Was overcast and flurries, so not great for pictures up there.
Through La Cache, parking lot had a ton of sleds, sleds, so we blew past and up 595 again. Awesome rip. Stopped at a couple slopes that had natural snow wheels (big white snow dough its) that rolled themselves down the hills.
Gas at Saint Adelme with 150 miles on the tank, running on the low fuel light for 30 miles. Took 30 liters, so still had a gallon in there.
Then off to Matane, when rolling in to Quality Inn met up with Ice and Mrs Ice who just rolled and in too!  They were loading their sleds at the end of their trip. Will have supper with them later.
 
Not sure where tomorrows destination will be, will start plotting. Want to stay away from TQ5 as much as possible since its icier near the coast and everyone seems to take 5 :<)
 

Skipped breakfast at Baie Bleu to beat the many groups to the trail. 
Off to 595 LaCache.  Great run, beautiful sunny day, smooth and fast. We were the first tracks on fresh groomed trail,for about 50 miles, sweet!
Homemade great turkey soup and a grilled cheese at La Cache. Very nice and dedicated people there, and the place is fixed up much nicer than the old days. Workers there from the reservation speak perfect English, one lady there lived in Nashua NH for a while, one was from New Brunswick, was a nice chat.
Then up 595, again first tracks on fresh groom. Manyntracks headed south, but not north, was strange. To St Paulin relay, which is closed down.  Great scenic rip, love it so much we may do it again tomorrow.  Only problem is the groomers drag in that section has a very deep and wide keel, made one heck of a rut that was hard to stay out of.
From there, 5 East was not bad, but as everyone says,starting around Cap Chat, it gets bumpy, ungroomed for way too long. 
 
Gas at La Martre unattended gas pump with 137 miles on the odo since La Cache gas and still had 2 bars on the 900 Ace gas gauge ;<)
The last 20 or so miles into MSP got better, and the hills in this area are not icy like we expected, so easy going.  The previous 40 miles beat us up badly, we needed that break!
As we rolled into Mr St Pierre around 4:30 the big groomer was just rolling out of town, hopefully heading west since we plan to re-ride that route on our way back westward.
 
We plan to stop at LaCache again tomorrow since we need some bonus miles because Matane is so close, only question is which way is better groomed? 5 West and down+back 595, or maybe we get lucky and Chic Chocs gets groomed tonight.
Will know more in the morning when the map is updated.
 
La Delice motel in MSP is the best, owner/operators Patrick and Julie will do anything for you, and their food is amazing!
They ended up joking that we got the “central NH” snowmobile package. Rooms, Smoked Chicken Wings, Smoked meat, soup. So good I asked and was granted 2 dozen wings and some smoked meat will be frozen and packaged for my saddlebags by morning to bring back home to NH.
 
If you go there, jokingly ask for the Central NH package, they’ll get a laugh out of that!

Hardy, thats half the sandwich, halfway through eating the sandwich I remembered I didn’t get the picture yet 🤣

Awesomeness to go too!
 

Riding out of RDL today with Mark from NH.  
Hotel had no available breakfast reservations, so we were off to Cabano to shop for a new sailboat for Brad, then Degelis for gas and Tim Hortons breakfast. Not a bump in sight.
571 to 35, all amazing flat and fast very few other folks out down this way, just like we like it.
5 to 597, stopped at a couple new windmill overlooks on 597, didn’t bother to ride to the mummies or golfball, been there seen them before.
Amqui for the night. Hot tub is more like a luke warm tub, so we passed.
Only a couple brief slightly bump sections toward the end of the day, definitely some glass smooth ice hiding under a bit of show that surprise you once in a while, otherwise amazingly good trails, especially for a Sunday.
Off to Baie Bleu tomorrow with some orange secondary trails to fill the day.

3 Feb
Mark us safe 
survived polar vortex
-31 is not that cold 
 
eating dinner more after
Including the impromptu QR micro garhering at Relais Buttes. 
 
 

Main course
 

30 January 
9:30 am no rush. No stress. Patience. Bust out the driveway and swing onto TQ3 est. Trails been groomed but did not show on Imotoneige on this morning’s update. This will become a discussion for later tonight. Nice smooth ride through Shawi Sud as we retrace our path from yesterday’s end of the day. We arrive on local trail back near rail yard and no dice this morning, another train blocking the crossing. Oh well back to turtle lac then to the River trail to join with 23. River smooth too. Open to go either way on 23. Marked and still closed going north to Mattawin. 
 
TQ23 through Herouxville then to St Tite. Big improvement in trail since yesterday but none was showing up as groomed on imotoneige but was definitely groomed. All the way to St Joseph de Mekinac 360 is sweet and up to join 355. We have seen a few sleds headed south then just near Train bridge a big group we pass on the road sectiom there 12 sleds easily. Trail is holding up nice and continues to deliver. Local trail to TQ73 right turn and hammer it. 73 is a slotcar track. Join back up with. The 355 headed north to Lac Edouard. Here tge trail is switched up from last year its running the quad trail almost alll the way to near Relais Trapper trail there. We continue 355 its ripping. Trail Down to get on lake is not a groomed trail so you need some patience. But the payoff is there as the lake is a beauty and snow is flat we can run here. Having fond memories of staying at Le Goeland and all the adventures there. Good times. Bypass Le Domaine and go gas at co op. Then up shortcut by post office to join 355. 
 
355 is beautiful and we have seen 4-5 other sleds. Very peaceful today. Beautiful trail up to section where the trail is along logging road. Bit of work needed on this trail through work area. Not the best. After this section its go time ad this trail has a nice flow to it. We get near the gas at Lac Bouchette. As we head up and cross train tracks there is a loader working not far there scraping trail down to ice. Not sure but at least was not very long section torn up. 
 
We gas up and decided to stop at Auberge Eva to see what they had to offer. 
We have never stayed here. I never even stopped before. Always driving on through to Roberval. Or further. 
today we said we are stopping here. 
 
scored sweet cabin great view down to Lac and free heated garage. Homerun and super well received. We will be back. Surely. 

28 January 
Not too many early risers at Chez Ice, this AM. All good no stress, going out for a shakedown run for Snohorse he is taking the Freeride on his Freeride 850 as the Backcountry is at the doo. 
 
We had played with syncing these Sena radios last night but we are all ready to go and we got zero coms. After using radios now I find it to be like riding with my GPS, do i need it? No, once you get used to something that improves your gameplay then it’s hard to go without. Nice to communicate while rolling. 
 
just could not get all 4 together. Finally we went with 2 radios myself and mrs ice. It’s Saturday and we take no chances. . We will straighten this out tonight. 
 
Geared up we bust on out. For Saturday we were expecting a little bit of everything. And exactly what we got. 
3 west near home like a Ukranian Highway after being shelled. We bailed on that after no long at all to hit the local orange trail headed for St Louis de France then on to Cap de Madeline. Not too shabby. Lets keep rolling these local trails so at Junction of 351 alongside autoroute 40 we go back up the local orange trail through St Maurice and join back with TQ3 in St Narcisse. Lots of fluff but smooth run really impressed with trails here. Some traffic but not crazy. TQ3 through St Narcisse here is best some but not terrible either. I seriously consider taking another orange local back through St Luc Vincennes to join up with 351 however we will probably return that way later so onward to the juction with local trail near St Stanislas that runs up to Relais Station in St Prosper. Been alot of traffic here. Real beat up we continue on we cross river in St Stanislas. Rough down here too but onward. Big detour as trail is rerouted to avoid completely the old Rogers Cabin. We ride on and continue down to join 351 and we go east toward St Anne de Perade. Here we pull it in to Ferme du Taurieu Microbrewery for lunch. 
 
Great lunch, my first time here we shall surely return. We bail out and hammer down for home 351 it is. Mrs Ice says she thinks she is tired of following me so i tell her have at it, I will follow you. I know she loves this run and run she does. This is goid trail here and we make time back to Cap de Madeline then on up to homebase. 
80 mile ride.
Got situated at home then the boys and I headed for Shawinigan Sud to eat at Shawinigan Smoked Meat. It did not disappoint. 
 
Back home and we settle in. 
Tomorrow we ride again local Mrs Ice has other commitments and will join us for dinner. 

 

Amazing to still be riding across staked lakes and rivers in April. Trails are still amazing, but soon the sun will take its toll and the brown spots will multiply. The groomers will stop grooming, and that will be that until next season.
After some initial equipment malfunctions where flexibility and a sense of humor got us through, its been an amazing 2 week long season ender with 2 great riding partners.
 
Hope you all enjoyed the ride along with us!
 

An amazing double-header finish, to an amazing double-makeup season, with absolutely amazing cohorts!
I can only hope to bring 1/10 of what NH Moose & Iceman bring to the party, on- & off-trail! Merci buckets!...
https://www.relive.cc/view/vDqgMkj1oVO

20220402_151726.mp4

2 April Saturday  End Game
 
Out to face this last day for this adventure and for this incredible season. Feeling especially thankful this morning for having great friends like these two to spend time with doing things we love together. Teamwork makes the dream work. On and off the trail. 
 
We are on sleds and rolling out around 8:30. Was one other sled in corral. Gentlemen came from St Raymond through Lac Edouard up to St. Felicien. Today he was going over the Lac and to Chicoutimi tonight. Back to St Ray on 23 Sunday. 
 
The plan was, as usual, mutually agreed upon. We leave uo 373 through Relais Buttes. The cold overnight has made it all crunchy. Not icy, but scratchers are deployed. Amazing how a little bit of heavy flurries last night can be emptied outof fields by the wind onto the trails making nice fluffy drifts. We get to 93 and head toward La Dore. Tank em full. We head off on 93 direction Sciere 54. Leaving La Dore near groomer garage. Two guys are there they look like club guys. I pay no real attention other than notice them sitting there. Trail All drifted here has not been touched in a while. We plug on. It gets better then sketcy. Not far up i arrive at right turn and there is no more trail, been opened up by a bulldozer. Game over here. Playhard arrives and says he got flagged down by guys at groomer garage and from what he got from conversation with them was fermer, no go that way. Sounds about right. So like all other times we pivot. There is talk of going around through Resto du Chef and trying to bypass the bulldozed section. However we decide juice aint worth the squeeze. We were going to do 45 miles up and turn back just to check it out. Not today. 
 
Next.....back on 93 to 373 across through Normandin and over to 93 again up to Girardville all mint trails here in our “honey hole” no need to look any further. We initially plotted plan b as riding the 373 passerelle trail east from Girardville opposite what we did the other day. Got some gas in Girardville then up 93 to 373. Passed one two uo and saw 2 other sleds headed west near Normandin. Ripping fast and smooth all the way to Chalet Relais there. We start to head down other side and we were feeling it. Not gonna do it. It’s just not uo to our standards. It was a solid 7-8/10 trail but I knew as did my brothers that back in the “honey hole” were all 10. Back we go down 373 to 93 then its a small part of 93 up to Lac Jim we have not been on yet this run, this is perfect as it will help complete the Pac-Man. After Jim we stick on 93 down the bump out. Up the orange a bit to gas in St Thomas. Then retrace our steps to 93. Getting warm now. Trail has started to turn to mush. Time to get this over with we have ridden the good out of it here. Back to local orange past site touristique chute d’ours and hook up with orange across river back to 373 and down through Relais Buttes. Squshy trail now sun is making things very melty. Soft but good all the way home. 
 
Wrapped uo a fine 2 weeks. 
End of the season 21-22 that started for me in December just after Christmas and finishes today 2 April. 
Nice to have the boys back in country. Just missing one. Next year we fix that. 
 
Thanks all for being along for the ride.
 

Relive outtake #2) It wouldn't be right to include the photo below in the story. Because it's not representative of what we've been riding this week. This is a steep south-facing hill that was already beat down to skinny by thru traffic. So it didn't hold up to the heavy rain 2 days ago, or the brilliant sunshine today! (Plus, for sure, it's a reminder of typical late-season trail conditions)
 
 
 

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28 March Monday 
 
Started the morning off with a car ride to get breakfast from Mc Donald’s. No breakfast at hotel on Mondays. At the same time I decided to scout out a bit of trail. I have used the trail that goes behind Du Jardin to get to the gas station and depanneur right near Mc Donalds. I do not remember it going any further. However I Motoneige is showing it crossing the bridge and winding through the neighborhood and out into the woods joining the other local trai, I am very familiar with. It also shows at the bridge in St Felicien just near Mc Donalds the trail also goes on river and goes back toward St Prime. The gate is closed to enter the river. So no problem but there is plenty of signage and sticks to follow the other trail it crosses on bridge(unplowed) sidewalk. Then left around through neighborhood and back across main road through more neighborhood then off into a field to the woods. Surely much easier with snow on pavement but with wheels was not an issue as we left the hotel this way this morning 3 strong. We will come back for Mrs Ice around noon. Stupid nice trail everywhere. Yes wind has been blowing nonstop so in the ooen areas a bit of drifts but they are soft like pillows. Just like my breakfast “i’m loving it”
I dont think I am the only one as Playhard and NHMoose are smiling big too. We debated over whether to even leave RDL or just stay there another week. We stuck to our original plan and bailed out. No regrets. Did not see one trail like any of these are here. Yes rode groomed trails in Gaspe. But not like here. Snow there is soft and not frozen even after its groomed still soft. Does not take many sleds to make it seem like it was not even groomed. Not the same here. Rock hard base with cream cheese on top. Ripping fast. Just how I like it. Orange trails to Normandin full 10/10 gas in Normandin then onward. Quick run up to 373 then short spin to the “middle orange” as we call it. We rode this trail twice today once up in morning and once back down this afternoon. One of my man Snohorse’s top runs. That was for you Philly. Up to 93 and its all been a stunner. Delicious trails and we are eating it up. To Lac a Jim quick hello and down 93 to orange again this time back to 93 then to 373 and backtrack to Du Jardin through Relais Buttes. All 10+ trails. All of it. Playhard is taking care of things this afternoon with Canadian Tire and NHmoose, Mrs Ice and I head out. No need to complicate things. We ride exactly the same route but backwards now the lefts are rights. We know it’s fantastic. We put Mrs Ice in rocking chair and we are in group chat so all three of us connected on the radio. Very cool. Destination Lac a Jim. We make a slight change by taking what we refer to as the 93 bump out. Makes the run up to Lac a Jim a bit longer but why not. This trail great also but the end is a bit bumpy up some of the big hills. This is easily forgotten and forgiven with the conditions on the other 99% we rode today. Into lac jim we have now seen 5 sleds today all locals for sure. Late lunch at Lac a Jim. Private relais to go with private trails. Mrs Ice’s first time on Sled in LSJ so its all new for her. i Love showing her around. Lac Jim across 93 middle orange it is down to Normandin gas it again. Back down orange to trail, to Relais Buttes. Not showing closed river must be good still, it is good we cross no issues. Even smooth here on river it’s crazy. Back to 373 and back to Hotel just after 5pm. 
Great unbelievable day.