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Drama in Lac-Saint-Jean: the guide would have tried to save the front of the peloton
The three survivors said that the guide asked them to turn back before leaving to catch up with the rest of the group
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Drama in Lac-Saint-Jean: the guide would have tried to save the front of the peloton
PHOTO AGENCE QMI, ROGER GAGNON
Logo of journalist Pierre Paul Biron from the Journal de Quebec, Friday March 29, 2019. STEVENS LEBLANC / JOURNAL DE QUEBEC / AGENCE QMI)    
PIERRE-PAUL BIRON 
Thursday, January 23, 2020 4:10 p.m.
UPDATE Thursday, January 23, 2020 4:10 p.m.
SAINT-HENRI-DE-TAILLON | The expedition guide who turned to drama Tuesday evening would have voluntarily returned to the open waters of Lac Saint-Jean in an attempt to catch up with the front of the peloton, which was heading straight for death. He will finally have left his skin too.  
• Also read: [VIDEO] The son of a missing snowmobiler climbs the podium at the Biathlon World Cup 

• Also read: Drama in Lac-Saint-Jean: the identity of the five missing tourists revealed 

• Also read: [IN PICTURES] Resumption of research on Lac Saint-Jean to find missing snowmobilers 
According to Charles Tremblay, owner of the convenience store where the three survivors took refuge, guide Benoit Lesperance returned to the center of Lac Saint-Jean after making sure that the latter were safe and sound.  
"From what they told us, the guide came back to them after realizing that they were no longer following, that they had fallen into the water," says Mr. Tremblay. “He told them to come back here, to the convenience store, that they were going to catch up with the others and join them. He never came back. ” 
This testimony therefore suggests that the guide, probably understanding the danger of letting the five snowmobilers out in front, chose to risk his life to join them.  
"If he hadn't returned, he would have made it with the other three. But a guide will not let his world go. He surely put the gas on the bottom of the water to try to pass and join them, "believes Charles Tremblay.  
A local resident, Dany Gaudreault, also told the Journal on Wednesday that the police had seen "traces of snowmobiles turning around the islands and returning to the water", which could correspond to the whereabouts of the guide for find his group. 
Towards death 
This missing portion of the story would also explain why the three surviving snowmobilers did not panic when they arrived at the convenience store. For them, the rest of the group had only continued on their way. A path that will probably have led them to death. 

"When it's dark like that, you don't know what you're falling into." You don't know if it's a big hole or not, ”says the owner. 
According to his reading of the thread of events, the three French would never have really understood what had happened to their comrades. 
"They seemed to believe that they had taken the wrong path. They thought that the others had the right path to cross and that they had just continued. That's why they just said that they had lost their group and that they were trying to call them, ”says Tremblay, still shocked by the extent of the drama. 
"It's absolutely terrible."

Great spot for sure.  We were glad we missed the storm the prior week.   Even in Southern NH the wind howled for 3 days.    We did the peninsula on our motorcycle with a group about 5 years ago.  Retiring soon, want to get up into the Charlevoix and Saguenay areas in the summer too.
 

Great group of friends to travel with.   Two left early so our group of 6 became 4.   Always fun.  Planned next year’s trip on the drive home.   

Last day and it was a 10+.   Amazing what grooming will do.   Ran the 595 north on our way back to Matane.   Two days ago it was bumped up from La Cache and the last 30 miles were bad.   Today perfect.   There are areas with drifting but it is due to the wind and soft snow.   Cold and barren up top. Had a close encounter with a moose by the river.   Waited for a while on the trail and when it turned back we moved to the woods to let it pass!   And, to top off the day saw a car that drive down the trail for a mile or so by the Grand Nature du Chic Chocs.   Not sure what they were thinking...  Fantastic trip.   1119 miles in 6 days.   

Gramps,
Thanks for the great report and pics. 
The 3rd picture of the sunset is awesome.  The rest are great, but that one is really something, some times you just hit it right.  For years I have been waiting to add the pic of the belvedere in Mont St. Pierre, here's what I saw last March.  What a bummer.
 
 

Awesome pictures, another clown driving on the trail with a vehicle🤤 Looks like the Moose is slightly spooked walking by with the hair up on his back. But he's got somewhere to go and he'd rather not walk through deep snow LOL
Great report, thanks! 👍

Waited while it passed.  
5AB821C6-3655-422E-A3C3-779731C981F1.MOV

Tons of snow up here, more than we have ever seen in our 8 trips.   The clubs have done a great job grooming and keeping the trails open after the snow and wind last week with two exceptions.   Started at the Riotel in Matane Sunday.   The weather was clear, a sunny blue sky day.   The coastal views were great as always.    Stayed at Grand Vallee.   Great food and friendly people.   Trails were a 10.   Day two started with a flatbed to the dealer-fouled plugs caused the sled to run through 4x the normal gas and oil.    The 5 of us took the TQ5 to meet him.   Had our 3rd “never again” experience in that section.  The first 30 miles were perfect then the grooming stopped.   The next 30 were bad.   A few sections were heavily wind blown.   Ended the day with a great run on the orange cut through to the 597 to chandler.   The trails were in great shape even with the new snow in top. The 597 is a favorite for sure.   

Early, mid March, no better time to do a quick loop through the Gaspesie. Four of us left Nova Scotia Tuesday morning at 6am, drove the 4 hours to Pointe a la Croix getting there at 9am. (Gained an hour with the time zone change)  We took off and headed East toward New Richmond.  Trails were fair to good, they were ready for the groomer. Lots of deer on the trails, we had to slow down several times.  From New Richmond we traveled the 595 to La Cache, also fair to good trail conditions. The trail from La Cache to Murdochville was better then what we rode so far but that was more because of soft snow. We didn't see much traffic all day till we pulled into The Copper, apparently everyone was there. 225 miles

The next morning we pulled out to sunshine and freshly groomed trails...awesome!!! Up to the TQ5 and turned westward, first track from last nights grooming. Stopped at the hang glider lookout above Mont Saint Pierre, then on to Riviere Claude.

 
Trail still perfect, hard, and fast. Stopped at La Martre for gas, there is a new gas stop there, an unattended gas pump.  Just like buying something from a vending machine, a great idea! We travelled along smiling and landed at St Paulin just after lunch too early to go for Matane. We turned down the 595 to La Cache for a late lunch, spectacular scenery. A little food and beverage an back up the 595 to St Paulin and on to Matane in about 20 minutes after dark. 300 miles.
Day three another beautiful sunny day, freshly groomed again...gotta love it!!  Took the 591 south through Sayabec to the 587 then up to the Mummy trees before Redemption, could see forever!

Trails from there led us to Albertville and Groomers clubhouse. We were eating and hydrating and low and behold in comes Linda, Groomer, and their group out on a sled tour. We chatted for a bit and headed out on the 587 south, Groomer and Linda were heading in the same direction soon after us. Part way through we took a local trail to a very cool look out at L' Ascension de Patapedia.


We got back on the 587 again went a short ways and caught up Groomer and company again.  We waved and sailed on only to have them catch up to us again we we were going off trail to get around a log truck parked in the middle of the trail.  From there on to the truck and headed to Nova with about 725 miles for the trip
 

The moose was definitely upset.   A few younger guys in another group chased it for a bit.    After we all stopped and turned the machines off he started swinging his head around and looked threatened.    Finally he turned back towards us and trotted down the trail.    We were behind trees for his passage and our safety.   
 
 

Last day and it was a 10+.   Amazing what grooming will do.   Ran the 595 north on our way back to Matane.   Two days ago it was bumped up from La Cache and the last 30 miles were bad.   Today perfect.   There are areas with drifting but it is due to the wind and soft snow.   Cold and barren up top. Had a close encounter with a moose by the river.   Waited for a while on the trail and when it turned back we moved to the woods to let it pass!   And, to top off the day saw a car that drive down the trail for a mile or so by the Grand Nature du Chic Chocs.   Not sure what they were thinking...  Fantastic trip.   1119 miles in 6 days.   

Trails were great yesterday. All groomed as we left New Richmond.  Nice views over the bay in Point a la Croix.   Temps dropped and we had a few snow squalls in the afternoon.  Amqui last night.  Headed back to the Francis on the 587, never done it before.   They groomed the 595 yesterday so that’s back in the plan for Friday.  

Big banks

Day 3 started out great.  The 597 to Murdochville was perfect.   There was about 4” of new snow on it but no bumps.   Saw lots of traffic.   Gas and lunch at the Copper.    Took a look at the rooms and they have been updated-they are nice.   The Chic Choc Trail was fantastic-new snow and freshly groomed.  It looked like a plowed road the banks are so high.   Passed the groomer about 20 miles from the 595 and the traffic and snow showed on the trails.   The drift at the end was a monster.   Decided to fuel at La Cache.  The trail has been rerouted and it is about 10 miles to gas you run the road for a while.   The place looks great.   Heard they had renovated but didn’t realize how nice it was.   A definite stop.   The run down to New Richmond was not groomed.   Even with very little traffic it was bumped, especially the last 30 miles.  Tough finish to a beautiful day.   

Tons of snow up here, more than we have ever seen in our 8 trips.   The clubs have done a great job grooming and keeping the trails open after the snow and wind last week with two exceptions.   Started at the Riotel in Matane Sunday.   The weather was clear, a sunny blue sky day.   The coastal views were great as always.    Stayed at Grand Vallee.   Great food and friendly people.   Trails were a 10.   Day two started with a flatbed to the dealer-fouled plugs caused the sled to run through 4x the normal gas and oil.    The 5 of us took the TQ5 to meet him.   Had our 3rd “never again” experience in that section.  The first 30 miles were perfect then the grooming stopped.   The next 30 were bad.   A few sections were heavily wind blown.   Ended the day with a great run on the orange cut through to the 597 to chandler.   The trails were in great shape even with the new snow in top. The 597 is a favorite for sure.   

Waited while it passed.  
5AB821C6-3655-422E-A3C3-779731C981F1.MOV

Great group of friends to travel with.   Two left early so our group of 6 became 4.   Always fun.  Planned next year’s trip on the drive home.   

Last day and it was a 10+.   Amazing what grooming will do.   Ran the 595 north on our way back to Matane.   Two days ago it was bumped up from La Cache and the last 30 miles were bad.   Today perfect.   There are areas with drifting but it is due to the wind and soft snow.   Cold and barren up top. Had a close encounter with a moose by the river.   Waited for a while on the trail and when it turned back we moved to the woods to let it pass!   And, to top off the day saw a car that drive down the trail for a mile or so by the Grand Nature du Chic Chocs.   Not sure what they were thinking...  Fantastic trip.   1119 miles in 6 days.   

Waited while it passed.  
5AB821C6-3655-422E-A3C3-779731C981F1.MOV

Look forward to your adventure posts every year.   They take us to a place we’d never go.   Glad all are safe.   Thanks for sharing.  

Last day and it was a 10+.   Amazing what grooming will do.   Ran the 595 north on our way back to Matane.   Two days ago it was bumped up from La Cache and the last 30 miles were bad.   Today perfect.   There are areas with drifting but it is due to the wind and soft snow.   Cold and barren up top. Had a close encounter with a moose by the river.   Waited for a while on the trail and when it turned back we moved to the woods to let it pass!   And, to top off the day saw a car that drive down the trail for a mile or so by the Grand Nature du Chic Chocs.   Not sure what they were thinking...  Fantastic trip.   1119 miles in 6 days.   

Waited while it passed.  
5AB821C6-3655-422E-A3C3-779731C981F1.MOV