EastMark

Love your reports Jack ! Sounds like the traffic has really picked up for sure since Wed/Thur Jack. Hit some of the same rough stuff up toward Onatchiway Wednesday. Thursday we started out again but went 93E east then north east on club trails and back down all the way to a club (something Rouge) just past Sacre-Coeur and came back from that club down a trail with a little logging to 93W and hit mostly great trails. Exception...Unless it was groomed since that top upper loop was rough. We should have skipped the top loop and tipped back down closer to 93 knowing it was early season grooming. I know better. Overall there was very little traffic and better grooming the further east nearer 93 from what we saw Thursday. Again we started off there at Passion so it was a bit different. The in/near town Sag just didn't look ready to me yet. A bumpy day of sledding is still better than a good day at work especially the first day of the season. Feels good to get the rust off Im sure. Groomers must be out tonite full tilt now. Glad you two got out there and love the reports ! Good luck with the new ride. That is a great sled.

Enjoy the trails ! Always enjoy your reports. 🙂

Did a 221 mile eastern loop today most of the way to the St Lawrence via the most northern loop past Lac Trembley. Id skip the upper larger northern loop til it is groomed...mostly awesome bit hit about 10-15 miles of straight crap at the northernmost part of the loop up near the 2 lakes...but mostly great with many just perfect on either end of the loop. There was also some noise in the inside corners on 93 for 10-15 miles closest to Passion going out and back but groomers were out. We passed only about 8 sleds Wed and about 30 yesterday....quiet....but this parking lot was full when we got back to the Sag tonite about midnite. My speed sensor fell off my chain case so I was doing 261 mph even when parked Wednesday and on the trails...with a side effect of no reverse. Didn't hurt the ride. Just needed to be put back with a dab of adhesive. Fixed that Thursday AM with the guys next to Passion helping me with a T25 torx bit and dab of ultra bond I was lacking. Real nice guys. So we were ready now...only to have Lisa’s sled not start. Messed with that...fuel relay...easy enough...and off we went. We rode with the same couple we met at Vincents Wed AM again. Great fun to ride with. As crazy about riding as we are so it worked out great. So really great trip. Impressed with the beauty of the mountains and the trails. Signage was terrible in many spots but there may be more to be set with it being early season. Many trails had 1 or none signs stating the trail #. Had a few bottles of eine with our riding freinds at the Ski lodge to celebrate some great riding when we got back. We will definitely be back to this area ! We loved it. Very light snow now...drive back will be a drag...but so glad we came. You guys will have a ball this weekend ! ps. 475 trail I said stay off of shows groomed now ! This area wi

Almost forgot......

More trails.... pretty day.

Many spots around the Valin area.you'ld swear it was mid season.... occasionally theres spots with a few scattered whip its or a couple small rocks....but other than 475 trail on the way back from Relay Onatchiway trails were mainly flat and fast. Until its groomed...stay off 475. 93, 32, most all of 267,477....fast. Thin but covered in a few spots...but mostly just great fun. Great advice given to us to drive out to Valin rather than ride out. Much different out there..Vince is cool. Woulda paid stupid $ to not have to drive back to the hotel in Sag...and he was solid with me. Looking at the groom map in the morning and loop somewhere tomorrow. So good to be out there ! 😁😀

Forgot my boots at the hotel...40 min from the liftoff site. Everybodys freind Vincent sold me a pair of returned Sorel boots for $60 Canadian. Saved my ass. Good guy. Met a super nice couple from Ontario who were heading the same way and rode with them. Great day. Detail to follow shortly. All in all. . Nice !

This is why I love this site. Sag dining room closed at 7. Got there at 615 but she didnt tell us or we would have eaten right off. 🙃 Every place closed early with Christmas Eve....except....after giving up hope and buying a few gas station sandwiches ...heading back to the room...is it lights and cars?....it was Boefish....which was amazing. Lucky find ! Great Filet. Great staff. Good start. 👍L Look forward to tomorrow.

Lots of snow half way from Quebec City to Sag. Less here in town. Better outside town Im sure. Staying at the Sag. The desk said the trail out the back lot is closed due to not enough snow. She said everyone is trailering to Mt Valin. Im all about skipping the in town experience if its thin and suspect it is. Any tip on the drop spot at Mt Valin ?

Sounds good. It will feel good to get out there....especially on Christmas Day !

Great advice here. Not sure at all what to expect from the trails but we are going up in the morning for riding Wed/Thur. Never rode the area. Will report back !

Do any decent hotels in town there have both decent food and a lock up pen ? If we can get a dog sitter....we may drive up tomorrow and do a little early season loop...across the river there. Sure wish we had more snow.

Yup. One 8-12” day and we’re in I think....hope. I have time off next week and need the stars to align somewhere....

Is this weekends snow going to get things opened up for Christmas......Sure would be nice. 🙂

Anyone stayed here in the ice hotel rooms ? Looks very cool. Ha

Id do a few T’s...prefer long sleeve but am flexible.

Had Snowtrackers on the last 4 sleds and very happy. They look crazy yes.... but they work. Had several friends switch with similar results the last few years. I have no experience with Pilots and have never seen the Split Rails so I cant help you there.

Great ground info ! Thanks for this.

That sounds pretty slick. Thanks for that info. We are going to bag there next season for sure.

Interesting. Been curious about riding to Quebec City to stay a couple nights and go into the city to look around and/or chow. Some friends tell the story of riding the Harleys 25 years ago into old QC and being escorted out by QPD. They weren’t too welcoming to bikes. LOL Im sure there is taxi’s and/or Uber ? Are their cab rates similar to US ? How far is it into the belly of the beast from this hotel ? Is this right on a trail or is it a little sidewalk riding into it ? Are the trails leading into the hotel area area decent ? Any recommendations for a nice traditional french QC dinner you guys have tried in this area ? Any QC advice is awesome. As you can tell I haven't been there since I was a kid. Wife saw some foodie show on the city at some point and has been asking if we can sled there. I know we can...but should we is what Im wondering !

Well in that case count me in !!! LOL. No seriously...send me one of those invoices. Im happy to contribute to this site.

Awesome post Gullyrider. You are right on the $325 per....with the exchange its was somewhere around 260 US I think. Do your clubs sometime lack help or members like ours ? Something is drasticly different....

This is brilliant. Makes perfect sense. I admit ignorance on what participation the State of Maine adds to the sport...but it sure brings a lot of trailers into Maine every weekend.

Couldn't agree more on the cost of the Maine trail pass. For a resident I think I pay 45 or 55 per sled for the season....so about $100. Secondarily we support either 6 or 7 clubs by choice....roughly another $200. The majority of sledders here don't generally do that. I know money holds some clubs back in Maine for equipment and even basic fuel sometimes. They need more money in the prime sledding areas in Maine. Quebec surely seems to have it figured out. We have decided after buying the Quebec non resident season pass this year (around 270 a sled I think) and we will continue doing that. It is so worth it for the quality of your trails. Curious...What does a Quebecian resident pay for a sled for the season ? In Maine its about double for a non resident. Sorry to hijack this a bit....the video just shows how much You guys have it together up there.