800R MXZ X

I hope they open the borders but everything points to no. I’ll sill buy a pass just to help out the club.
we rode thanksgiving weekend last year, going to miss it this year.

I hope they open the borders but everything points to no. I’ll sill buy a pass just to help out the club.
we rode thanksgiving weekend last year, going to miss it this year.

In NH where everyone was throwing up hand signals all day everywhere, law enforcement is taking the Iceman approach...........
https://nhsa.com/nh-fish-game-law-enforcement-encourages-hands-on-handlebars/
my favorite is when your out riding at night and your still getting hand signals.

Agreed, signaling is a false sense of something, but I'm not sure what???  If the last guy signals that he is the last guy in his group, what does that mean?  Now there are no other groups coming???  Never!  You always ride as if someone else is coming, be safe people!  Stay to the right at all times...its simple.

Like I said earlier it is surely a personal choice, to signal or not.. 
I am curious though, for those that do signal and want to see others signal them from the opposite direction. What does it change? Do you see the last one give you the fist and now you can use more of the trail? Do you ride differently after getting the all clear? I just don’t get it. The best offense is defense.. 
anyway 
I say this with peace and love. 
 

No subject is more polarizing for snowmobilers than this one. I really don't get why but there seems to be no middle ground. I personally think signaling how many are in the group is a silly investment in blind faith but I admit when I see a group coming at me on a straight stretch practically falling off their sleds trying to signal me I will give them signal. I think everyone needs to remember that no matter which opinion you of signaling you follow, it is just that....your opinion. As aggravated as you may be that someone does not signal back they may be just as pissed that you are trying to get them to signal

I wouldn't trust any finger, hand signal or light. And if you do you're crazy. The correct way to ride is the pretend there's a groomer over every Crest and around every corner. Keep your hands on the bars!

Ok guys...global warming, world peace, and this topic won’t be solved in this thread. One thing everyone here has in common is safety, so let’s all ride safe, have fun, and accept our differences...

Don’t forget to use your blinker too and make sure your headlights are on
people who don’t signal (by some method) while riding in the bush are ignorant, selfish & obtuse

And they should ban the ridelites. 90% of the people I see with these have the light green and don’t notice people are behind them. Best practice is to assume someone is always coming the other way.

Was up all week, tons of snow . We made it 80 miles in on the trail to HSP. Lots of drifts . Trails were all really good early week. We've been riding out of Pelchat last few days.

Was up all week, tons of snow . We made it 80 miles in on the trail to HSP. Lots of drifts . Trails were all really good early week. We've been riding out of Pelchat last few days.

We will try it again sometime,was still a great ride. Conditions were perfect.

Iceman I did see one of your stickers on a sign when we were out there.

We are going to start from Les Escoumins 

I’ve started and stayed in Les Escoumins, Forestville just a bit further East is another option, reservations aren't necessary as traffic is light up that way.
 

Hammer down and send it!

And they should ban the ridelites. 90% of the people I see with these have the light green and don’t notice people are behind them. Best practice is to assume someone is always coming the other way.

Have to go to the end if you’re going up there. 🙂

Have to go to the end if you’re going up there. 🙂

Have to go to the end if you’re going up there. 🙂

trails look awesome!
 

Ride 1
Gotta Love snowmobiling, year after year the off season seems oh so long. Yet I remount my trusted machine and seems like just yesterday I patked her for the off season. So nice to be back on the trail seems like I just left it. Like riding a bike they say and oh so true, you never forget how it’s done. 
 
This trip came together as most, kind of a last minute deal. But as I have said in the past when the boss (not the wife) asks if you want to go to Matane for a ride or stay and work? Hmmm let me think? Not a very tough decision. The boys will have to manage things without me until Friday and do without my big truck as they are not authorized to touch it. They have their own trucks they can work with those. 
 
Boss Man mon ami Alain arrived at 1pm Sunday at chez Ice. My sled already in his trailer as he had picked it up fro Moto Thibault Friday afternoon.(more on that after)
 
Snow had stopped in Shawinigan area by now and we hit the road enroute for Matane. Nice ride all the way to just near Montmagny here we hit more snow and wind still I have seen much worse but this will surely affect our travel time. Further east we go the more snow and wind. After Rimouski is onto the single lane stuff and a bit more white nuckle. We finally arrive at Matane 7pm not bad only one hour longer than a day with zero weather issues. Our issue was the other people scared to death driving like they never saw snow. For us not an issue. 
 
Into Hotel and only six other sleds here. I am very surprised. Now the fun begins. Unload gear into room and time to drop sleds. I open trailer go to start my sled and realize straight away, Houston we got a problem. Mon ami left my key on when he loaded my sled. She is dead. Like that Iranian general, seriously dead. Well not to mention the wind is howling and still snowing albeit not alot. Oh joy. We drop it on the ground. With the With the battery not very accessible on the grand touring of Alain We decide to use the truck the F250 will do just fine. We put the mini booster cables on it and let the truck charge it up a bit. She fires up and we park it for the night knowing fair well we are to repeat this process again in the morning. The real question is will it be ok after I ride it to La Cache and shut if off there? We shall see.
 
Had a nice dinner and chatted it up with the other gang of riders from Nova Scotia on their way back to the trucks in Point a la Croix. They came up the 595 yesterday and were going back through Amqui today. 
 
Day 1 Monday 
Matane to New Richmond 
TQ5 to 595 to TQ5
 
Up early at breakfast at 6:30 dressed and out at 7:15. Yup gonna need to jump it again. We get my ride breathing and hit the trail. 7:30am. Beautiful conditions and just after the bridge here in Matane fresh groom on TQ5 it’s delicious. Great run all the way to St Paulin and onto the 595. Super conditions. Crossed the River Cap Chat on the new ice crossing made by club to bypass a bridge that is gone. Surely 595 will be cut off on that end sooner than usual when Spring has sprung. Saw one moose and one nice sized coyote. Arrive at La Cache it’s 10:30am. Took the gas and since the Relais is officially open as of this past weekend we go inside. Lots of time on our hands. So far we have seen zero other sleds since hotel parking in Matane. ZERO. 
 
Gas super is $1.69.9 litre.  Pay up. 
 
We chat it up well mostly me as the Relais is owned by First Natiions people and they speak perfect English. They have owned it since 2017. We start talking and the manager pulls up with a truckload of groceries as they just opened and had nothing. I help them bring in the stuff as I was doing nothing else anyway.
We met Josh the manager, Justin is the chef, Dennis pumps the gas and helps with everything else. 
 
I start to explain Quebecrider to Josh the manager and he looks at me in wonder. He says we have been hearing stories from other communities about a guy named Chris Snowmaster2112. You are not him are you? Now I had two options here. My mind is racing do I say yes? Hmmm? Maybe he has beaver and a 60 pack of Bud and a hidden chalet. Well, honesty got the best of me, plus knowing Alain is not gonna be venturing off on any adventures to a chalet with these guys beaver or no beaver, I would but surely not Alain. I said no I am not. He said thank god we have been told he eats all the beaver and most of the beer. But they love him in the north and kids are writing songs about him and I think they will name the new school in Miquelon after him. Damn word travels fast. 
 
Anyway I think I convinced them to come onboard as an advertiser we will see if I get a call from the owner next week. 
 
Just as we are getting ready to leave 2 sleds arrive from the south. We chat with a couple. Guy with his girlfriend from near montreal. He first day in her life on motoneige first trails ever. She is loving it. I told the guy she won’t want ride anywhere else after this. He said I chose here for her first ride so she is guaranteed to Like snowmobiling. Smart man. 
 
Uneventful run down and into Hotel Francis. Just 2 deer near Pin Rouge Trails beautiful no other sleds none. One groomer headed up 595 close to New Richmond. No other sleds at hotel. Lots of Jack Daniels in my bag. Well there was alot. Not as much tonight,  that’s why no report yesterday. Sorry.
 
Day 2
New Richmond to Chandler
TQ5 
 
No hurry today was planned this way to relax today with all day to go a half day’s ride. Just what Alain wanted and fine with me and Jack. 
Went to breakfast at 8:30 thats like noon time on a regular day for Alain. But we are making exceptions this run. 
 
TQ5 flat frozen and fast. Beautiful. Not far along we see the first sleds coming at us since leaving Matane one group of three. Maybe 10 minutes later two more coming. That was it no others all the way to Chandler. Trail was so frozen in one spot I had to deploy my scratchers as my temp light came on. Not for long maybe 5-6km. Then put them back up. Came across a gang of club volunteers cutting branches back just before Port Daniel. Then we cruised on into the Relais at Chandler. 1pm. Day all but finished. Here we are the only ones they have seen all day the bartender was happy to have someone to talk with besides the chef. We eat and the operator of the surfacer arrives to prepare the machine for his run tonight. His name is Marc. He says for sure alot less snow right now then this time last year but the snow is frozen nicely and makes his job easier. Left relais at 2:30. Petro Canada for fuel then backtrack to Motel Fraser. Done. Alain needed his easy day because tomorrow is a big day for him. 320km from here to St Anne des Monts thru Murdochville and Mont St Pierre.

I used earth pak 55L back pack last year strapped on a powder keg gas/storage combo. This year I bought the 70L duffel to strap on the powder keg. I can never have enough room.