themainer

Yeah that Chibougamau loop even with the ungroomed section is nice cruising! And yes 26' box truck would fit 4 sleds, but unfortunately the last guy couldn't make it that was supposed to go. I don't think we could have gotten 3 in a 20' box nearly as easily, would have been very tight. Hopefully you had some good trails in Monson, when I'm gone away sometimes the schedule for grooming doesn't get filled in like id prefer

Honestly if you ride Jackman Rockwood Pittston Farm and NE Carry you should be fine. They're all grooming I believe and we saw hardly any dirt spots and most stuff was froze smooth

We talked to Jean Marc the shuttle driver yesterday and he was telling us about your trip, amazing run solo!

Days 5 and 6. Left Roberval yesterday after most of the rain had fallen, but still had a few hours of showers on the way down 355 to 73. Trash bag underwear (and one Klim "Hefty" addition mono suit) and we all stayed dry all day. Trails were actually mostly in very good shape with some thin spots nearing and after St Raymond. Took the new shuttle by Jean Marc in St Augustine, he's hoping to have a covered trailer next year which will be nice, $100 Canadian. South side of the river was also nicer than expected besides a few thin spots in the fields, stayed in St Victor after a 278 mile day. Today left St Victor and made our way down 55 to 75 to Jackman and back to the house, trails were a block of ice but thankfully had 1 to 3 inches of snow on top overnight so with studs had good riding all the way to the garage in Maine, 167 miles for a 1,775 mile trip total in 6 days. Really couldn't have asked for better conditions considering the past 5 poor snow years, COVID, and the logistics of trying to bring all the tools, clothes etc you need driving 1,100 miles out, then riding your sled that far back. Now already starting to plan the next big trip!

Rolled through today, 50 miles ungroomed, the remainder pretty much first tracks on it, groomed beautiful. The 50 in between wasn't bad, ridden much worse in Quebec, tried to widen it out a lane wider to make it easier on the next group. If you're slightly adventurous it's very easy and had plenty of gas using just one fuel caddy.

Day 4, left Lebel sur Quevillon at 6am under the light bars, snow to start at 11am in Chibougamau. Had fresh groomed til Chapais section. Somehow got turned around at their clubhouse and ended up in Ouje Bougoumou and had to backtrack, 26 mile total oopsie but fresh groomed. Ate all dressed chips at the gas station outside Chibougamau at 10am, 180 miles in 4 hours. Left there and had fresh groomed for 31 miles, just like glass and first sleds down it most of the way. Then came to the trail "closure" and it started snowing hard. Tried to widen the path by a sled width since we brought enough gas to break trail in 18 inches of snow through here if we had to in the trip planning, make it easier on anyone else who wants to try it. After 50 miles of that, was fresh groomed all the way into la dore and first tracks on that the whole way, only met 2 sleds from Lebel to La Dore, probably closed trail notice scaring em off. Rolled into Roberval at 4pm, good 365 mile day.

Days 2 and 3 since I was too tired to post last night. Day 2 left Drummond Island around 7:20am after buying Ontario passes and waiting for it to get light enough to see on the lake well. Took the ice bridge to the "phone booth" to call customs in Canada. Went through St Joseph Island and headed over to Bruce Mines with Thessalon down the lake as a goal to avoid a trail closure. Well, after 10 miles we all stopped and determined the lake seemed awesome with perfect conditions, so let's run it as far as we feel comfortable with the ice conditions. Ended up being 135 miles of Lake Huron total down to Little Current then across to the trail east of there. Ice was perfect with 4 inches of snow on top for lube. Trails were much less desirable with 8 million corners and zero corner signs on big straight aways with 90 degree corners at the end. Ended up rolling into Sturgeon Falls around 7pm and tired after a 302 mile day. Day 3 woke up and got on the trail at 6am with light bars working great, had mostly great trails our 70 miles in Ontario over to Temiscaming, then it was really game on. Just absolutely phenomenal conditions from there up to Val d'Or, Senneterre, and up to Lebel sur Quevillon. 309 was an unexpectedly nice trail thanks to the app underselling the condition. Rolled into the hotel with 375 miles in less than 12 hours, a day that you live for as a snowmobiler. Could have probably rode another 100 easy. Tomorrow heading for Chibougamau and Roberval and it looks like the just reopened 93 today (we were going to run it closed) so hopefully another great day in store! Lake Huron as far as the eye can see Looking into Quebec

Good information thank you! We did decide on the southern route, trails looked nice driving through on 17 on our way to Michigan so going to roll the dice. Good to know, and yeah that isn't too surprising, probably not a lot of cross border traffic usually with trail pass costs

Day 1, left Munising, Michigan at 8am after getting the uhaul returned and getting a marginal hotel free breakfast. First 17 miles were perfect, next 13 made me question why i bother snowmobiling it was so rough, haven't seen a trail that bad in at least 7 years. After that it was 90% amazing conditions, large forest roads and railbeds that you could go as fast as your sled wanted most of the way. Went to the north shore to crisp point, paradise, the Soo, then down to Drummond Island, Michigan for the night in a very nice little hotel for $89 per room. 282 miles total, enjoyed dinner at the local bar in town. Today we strike out across the ice and will run down to at least Thessalon before getting on the trail to avoid the Bruce Mines trail closure and try to get past Sudbury on the trail ideally before staying somewhere. IMG_20250302_213148_copy_1428x1071.heic

We've done the loop across by Windigo, Senneterre, up to Chibougamau and back, never west of there. I think based on the rain south snow north Wednesday we're going to head north to Chibougamau instead of our original southern plan at the moment, we'll see, one thing about snowmobiling my old Frenchman pal used to say "always on schedule"! Just landing in Munising Michigan tonight and got the last two rooms in town, tomorrow we start pointing it east for 1,700 miles. With the rain forecast we are planning to head north for Chibougamau instead of staying south unfortunately, will have to hit that area another trip. Have you ever ridden the south route from Thessalon over towards Sudbury and then swing it north towards Quebec? That's what we're leaning towards now to do the Drummond Island Crossing instead of the shuttle at the SOO, feels a bit more authentic I guess, haha.

Glad to hear! Good to know! Yes please keep me posted, we've never ridden down there and figured it saves us a day of riding to stay south and I've always heard it's a nice area too.

How's the snow holding up down your way? Conditions still good? We bumped up leaving tomorrow and driving past Montreal so we can land on MI Saturday night and start the ride Sunday now, so if we go south will try to be across the river at Trois Rivieres by Wednesday night ideally.

Yes will for sure, probably will post here even though Michigan and Ontario aren't. Quebec, might be helpful for others planning a future trip (that's how I found out a lot of my info)

This Sunday the 2nd of March we land in the upper peninsula of Michigan and start our trek back east to Maine on snowmobiles, a trip that has continually gotten delayed by COVID and more recently lack of snow. We've done the Chibougamau loop in the past via 83 and 93, so we wanted to try to head a more southern route as we cross Quebec if you all think it would be decent riding after the current warmups (and projected rain for next week) Plan would be to enter at Temiscaming and take 43,308, 13 to Mont Laurier area, 63 to 23, back to 63 to cross at Trois Rivieres, then work the 65 and 25 areas back to Armstrong and the Maine border. Backup plan would be swing north in Ontario to Timmins, then Chibougamau, Roberval, 355, cross at Quebec City and back. I didn't want to post in 5 different regional forums, so wanted to get the group consensus. We have until Wednesday morning next week to decide after we cross into Ontario from Michigan. Thank you in advance for any advice or on potential stops/places to stay along the way. Thursday is gonna be rainy and Friday is going to be ice, but we all have picks and scratchers and promise you we have ridden absolutely atrocious conditions for hundreds of miles before, so we know what we're getting into weather and sled abuse wise.

I like them fine, in loose snow they work good, on fresh frozen groomed id prefer a pilot 6.9 as these tend to find the groomer wear bar marks and try to lock in. The lynx was a good compromise as it has the feel/handling more of a 2 stroke with the reliability of a 4 stroke. For a 250 plus mile day I'd prefer a renegade XRS, but where I can't have both this is a lot more fun sled to ride around our local trails.