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iceman

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Posts posted by iceman

  1. The identities of the three people who perished in an avalanche on Tuesday in Gaspésie have been revealed.

     

    They are Joël Crête, 35, of Coaticook, Nicolas Vanasse, 30, of Coaticook, and Bryan Forgues Morissette, 33, of Saint-Denis-de-Brompton.

    The identities of the victims have been confirmed by the Coroner's Office.

    Almost 24 hours after the accident, we know a little more about the circumstances of the tragedy.

    According to Jack Verrecchia, owner of Sled Den, a company specializing in off-piste snowmobile guiding, the avalanche happened around 2 pm.

    "There were four snowbikes: two guys at the bottom, one guy at the top.

    The fourth friend was filming a video.

    The guy above cut a line and that triggered the avalanche.

    All the snow came down on the guys.

    The man filming immediately went to their aid.

    "He tried to find his chums .

    He couldn't find his buddies.

    When he went, he found a helmet.

    Panicked, he came out of the woods.

    He found some other guys.

    He told them there was an avalanche.

    I can't find my chums," he shouted.

     

  2. Update 

    The group of four men, originally from the Eastern Townships, were hiking in the mountains some 20 km east of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts on Tuesday, in an off-piste sector not accessible by federated trails.

    The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) declined to elaborate on the cause of the accident on Wednesday. According to eyewitness accounts, three snowmobilers passed over a ledge. It collapsed, and the men found themselves buried under the snow, according to our initial information. Some were reportedly covered by more than two metres of snow.

    The fourth snowmobiler alerted emergency services at around 5:30 pm. Sûreté du Québec (SQ) police officers, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts firefighters and the many snowmobile guides who arrived on the scene in the evening could do nothing to save the three men.

    "It's an extraordinary tragedy," commented Guy Bernatchez, prefect of the Haute-Gaspésie MRC. "They were in their early thirties and fathers. That makes it even more dramatic," he added, before offering his condolences to the families.

    The SQ would not give details of the victims, but confirms that they were from the Eastern Townships. According to our information, they had already visited the Chic-Chocs in recent months with a guide, and had decided to return to this area, eight kilometers from Mont Médaille.

     

    The men were behind the wheel of Snowbnikes or Timbersleds, a type of motocross bike with tracks. These machines are more maneuverable, but less powerful than off-trail snowmobiles.

    A guide who took part in the rescue, but did not wish to be identified, spoke of a "stupid accident" that could have struck experienced snowmobilers. "It's like the year the French died in Lac Saint-Jean. These are powerful machines, they move, they stir, they move fast," said the man, referring to the tragedy that occurred in January 2020 when five tourists and their guide sank in the icy waters of the lake.

    Adrénaline hors-piste guide David Lévesque was on the scene with Avalanche Québec on Wednesday, trying to understand what had happened.

    "Cornices build up a lot with the wind, but when the weather warms up in spring, they get much heavier and can fall much more easily," says Lévesque.

    Without wishing to go into the details of the accident at this stage, the guide feels that this is a reminder to snowmobilers in Quebec: avalanches can happen here.

    "People who go to Western Canada do avalanche training for snowmobilers, and they're confronted with avalanches almost every trip. In Quebec, it's really in specific places, in specific conditions. But it can happen."

  3.  

    Three snowmobilers dead after avalanche in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts

    Rescuers found them several hours after the slide.

    Three snowmobilers lost their lives on Tuesday evening, possibly swept away in an avalanche near Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Gaspésie.

    Rescuers began searching for the three people around 5:30 p.m., when an emergency call was placed to 911. They were possibly surprised by an avalanche in the Mont Médaille sector of the Chic-Chocs.

    "A team of rescuers from a specialized emergency measures team, who are trained in avalanche situations in particular, went to the area to rattissage," says Frédéric Deshaies, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). Local firefighters and paramedics also pitched in.

    The SQ initially reported two missing, but the number has been revised upwards. They were found late in the evening in the search area, in critical condition.

    Unfortunately, the three men were pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to hospital. The victims were all in their thirties and from the Eastern Townships.

    "An investigation is still underway to understand the exact circumstances surrounding this sad event," says Deshaies.

  4. Finished, you got the last of the grooming there. 


    Hello snowmobilers

    Unfortunately, in order to respect the landowners and ensure that we retain our fragile rights of way, we are obliged to close our trail for the stage. It is currently being surfaced for the last time.

    The North Range fence will be closed tomorrow morning.

    We're aware that there's still a lot of snow up there. But we won't be able to access it with our machinery.

    We've done our utmost to please you.

    We hope to see you all next year.

  5. 3 hours ago, NSHM said:

    Doesn't that area normally stop grooming by mid to late March to run the maple sugar lines across the trail? Especially with the warmer weather this year. You had to be very careful to get under them on a sled.  Some spots also had the lines go under a ramp depending on the terrain, but I didn't think they were groomer rated.

    I been through there maybe twice in that area. I got not much info on this. 

  6. 14 minutes ago, FCL said:

    Carrying a spare set of springs for Rouski wheels is a great idea Ice.  Wondering if you know where you got them and maybe part number if that’s not asking to much.  Thanks

    I got mine here from Moto Thibault my dealer. Told them give me spares of what breaks. 
    Where they sell the wheels they should be able to get the parts for them.

    https://www.kimpex.com/en-us/products/snowmobile/skis-accessories/retractable-wheel-hardware/kimpex-rouski-replacement-spring

    https://www.kimpex.com/en-ca/products/snowmobile/skis-accessories/retractable-wheel-hardware/kimpex-rouskihh-external-torsion-spring?sku=472600

    There are 2 springs i need to look to see what i got. 
     

     

  7. The plan has changed 

    from club today. 
     

    THE TRAILS OPEN

    After a few reports and information received, the groomers are in operation today. Some decisions are hard to make, but it's never too late to get back on track.

     

    There don't seem to be any fallen trees, and the mandatory signage still seems to be in place. We'll be continuing our field checks today. You'll still need to be vigilant after the resurfacers have passed. We must also give priority to the resurfacer operators and volunteers in the field, as we have several hours of work ahead of us.

     

    The conditions will be updated on Imotoneige at the end of the day once we've had reports from the operators. We'll be linking up with St-Eugène and prioritizing north of St-Narcisse, St-Marcellin and Mont-Lebel towards Rimouski.

     

    An update

    Contrary to what some people propagate, the club doesn't save any $$$ when the trails are closed. On the contrary, with the new financing system adopted by the clubs, the more surfacing hours a club does, the more revenue it earns. And we agree with this principle!

     

    Please proceed with caution while waiting for the groomer to pass. The river is closed and you must use the footbridge to cross the Rimouski River.

    Enjoy the ride and thank you for your understanding!

     

  8. 10 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

    I had a set of Rouski's on 2 different sleds over 7 years and never had to replace the springs.  That said, I drilled small holes in the spring case one size bigger than a lubricant spray can straw and then soaked the spring & chamber each spring and fall. Still do that on my sled.

    How do you un deploy them? By hand getting off sled or rocking side to side to lift ski to release wheel?

  9. 14 hours ago, PLAYHARD said:

    Hey, what wheels are you running?  I've been having bad luck with Rouski's return springs quitting on the trail.  And I'm afraid that one of these days I may run short on duct tape & zip ties.

    Rouski’s cannot be allowed to slap back, you want them to last need to get off and put wheels up. Not letting them go you do it manually putting them back up. 
    i bought spare springs, i carry them with me for the Rouski’s. Been putting them back up by hand, still carrying those springs to fix the Rouski’s. Haven’t needed them. Have Used wheels alot. 

     

    12 minutes ago, GSX800 said:

    Those wheels look like Qualipieces rollerskis.  I’ve had them for about 6 years with no issues.

    I have the Rollerskis on my second 18.
    Definitely Not as easy to deploy as thr Rouski’s

  10. Are you there? 
     


    From club yesterday 

    Great news.

    Our resurfacer is on its way to the stage from Roquemont.

    This will be the only trail made by the club

    Surfacing will be done a few times this week. It will be announced here.

    Parking: club garage, shopping center, rang Saguenay

    Good hiking

     

    from Today

    We are happy to read all your comments about the opening of the stage trail.

    I'd love it if you could send me some photos of our trail from our relays. Photos that show the world etc etc.

    More good news. The Roquemont is ready to welcome you in its parking lots. So why not encourage them by going there for a meal/drink.

    Be careful, there will be resurfacers on the trail and lots of people.

     

    Last time I will say this.

    i motoneige is useless

     

  11. From Club Popular Sportif in Rimouski.

     

    TRAILS REMAIN CLOSED - DO NOT CIRCULATE.

    We would have liked to open the trails, but we cannot ensure safety on the 173 km under our responsibility. In many places, the ground had begun to thaw. Water is hidden under this snow.

     

    Why are the trails still closed?

    To open the trails, we need to check :

    Have any trees fallen?  What is the condition of the ditches? Is water running permanently in some places? Is all signage at strategic points still in place? Volunteers must make a safety round to check and correct. We remind you that many of our volunteers work during the week, so their availability is limited.

     

    Our priority is your safety.  We're still responsible, so we can't guarantee that you'll be able to ride safely, even if some places look "nice". We contacted neighboring clubs (St-Eugène, Trois-Pistoles, Les 4 sentiers and la Mitis). All sites remain closed, with the exception of Etang du Moulin. We invite you to follow the information distributed by each club.

     

    We know that's not the message you want to hear, but we have to take our responsibilities seriously, which sometimes means making difficult decisions.

    Thank you for your understanding.

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