iceman

#NHMOOSEisMacGyver nuff said. #TeamIceman

Spare sled key and spare key for locks. Less is more....for the clothing. Fresh undies and socks but don't need a new outfit for each trail night.

Welcome to your home away from home Bill.

Just FYI, Heads up out there for extra Patrols of Police and club Security. Extra Radar for speed checks. A national operation organized by the Sûreté du Québec with the Quebec Federation of Snowmobile Clubs will be deployed from January 6 to 8 throughout the territory. This will increase the number of patrollers and trail supervisors in order to increase safety. For more information: http://bit.ly/securitemotoneige Good season for all snowmobilers!

La Cache will open for gas. Patience. It's only January 6.

Says 181 KM give or take.

That they did not elaborate on. I had not heard of any thefts so most likely was stolen from a chalet or something. From a local.

Yeah looking like a short lived warm up wed. But things change. All will be fine.

Arrest of a snowmobile thief in Shawinigan The Sûreté du Québec Multidisciplinary Support Team conducted Wednesday morning the arrest of Tommy Bruneau on the edge of a trail in the Lac-à-la-Tortue area of Shawinigan. Publicity The police wanted to intercept a snowmobiler on a trail in the morning, but the latter escaped instead of stopping. He was chased by the latter and they would have lost sight of him. After about one hour of trail tracking, the police located an abandoned snowmobile. It was reported stolen. They followed footsteps and asked the help of citizens to finally find the suspect who had hidden behind cedars. They arrested the 30-year-old man on the spot. Well known to the police, Tommy Bruneau appeared yesterday afternoon at the Shawinigan courthouse. A series of charges were laid against him: dangerous driving, escaping and stowing vehicles. The man will also receive a dozen reports of offenses related to the law on off-road vehicles, in particular. You can run but you can't hide. Nice Job by the SQ. Shawinigan

Took this from another site. Interesting read on grooming. Jean Guy tell us if you agree. A great write up from a club from MaineHave you ever wondered why the groomer wasn’t out last night? Everyone has had a day where the trails weren’t as smooth as the day before, and you just can’t understand why. Well, here’s a little insight into trail grooming. * While most clubs that operate groomers are funded by sled registrations, gas tax refunds and membership dues, or the state/province, the guys running the groomers are quite often (almost always) volunteers. They’re up all night so you can have your fun the next day. They understand the importance of tourism and the impact snowmobiling has on their local economy, and they often share your passion for riding. Show them your utmost respect and don’t try to destroy the hard work they’ve just put forth. Remember, groomers have the right-of-way, not you. * The most important requirement for effective trail grooming is to have the snow at the correct temperature. The ideal grooming temperature is between +23o F and -5o F (-5oC and -20oC). As snow is collected in the drag, it has to be able to flow, like flour. As we all know, once the temperature gets close to 32oF (0oC) snow begins to stick together. Instead of flowing out under the rear pan, the snow builds up in the drag until it spills out over the top in large chunks or balls. These large chunks are dangerous when they freeze in the middle of the trail. * So you have a fresh 6” (15cm) of snow fall overnight. How come the groomer is not out? In order to groom effectively and make the trail more durable, the idea is to cut the mogul off completely, not just fill in the void. Moguls have a memory. If you just fill in the void with new snow, by the time half a dozen snowmobiles run over it, the new snow settles and the mogul is back again. When you groom fresh snow, the drag can’t be lowered deep enough to cut off the mogul because snow collects faster than it can flow out under the rear pan. Again, the drag fills up and spills snow out over the sides. After a fresh snow fall it’s often better to let the snowmobiles run it in and knock the air out of it. Then when the drag processes this finer snow, it packs much tighter. Often times, fresh snow means the groomer tractors can not pull as heavy of a drag, either. Lighter, smaller drags don’t pack the snow as hard nor do they cut the bumps as well. A trail may be groomed right after a snowfall, but it usually will not hold up nearly as well as after the snow has been packed and then cut. * Most grooming is done at night because it’s safer and more effective. Safer, because there are usually not as many snowmobiles on the trails, and when there is, the bright lights of the groomer are visible long before the machine itself. Grooming at night is more effective because it’s usually colder and the snow sets faster. Also, the longer the trail sets before too many snowmobiles ride over it, the longer it will last. Set up takes anywhere from two to six hours, depending on temperature and moisture content of the snow. Generally two to six or even more than ten hours may be needed for the freshly groomed trail to set up to where it is durable and will hold up to heavy snowmobile traffic. * For longevity of trail grooming, it is best to avoid riding a snowmobile on freshly groomed trails for at least two hours after the groomer passes. If possible, choose an alternate route to help improve the quality and durability of the fresh groomed trail. Avoid following directly behind a groomer because it immediately destroys the smoothing just performed by the drag. If you come up behind a groomer and the operator beckons you to go around, that’s the main reason, to allow him to groom without snowmobiles on the trail enabling effective trail set-up. He wants you in front of him, not behind him! * If you come across a “soft” or freshly groomed trail and you must use that route, try to minimize your impact on the trail: slow down; try to stay off the fresh grooming if the trail is wide enough to safely do so; operate only at the outside edge of the fresh grooming; ride in single file versus having everyone in the group take a different path on the fresh grooming; and don’t purposely fishtail or power through the soft snow. Do as little damage as possible by backing out of the throttle and reducing your impact until you get off that trail or pass the groomer. Better yet, turn around and take a different route. The mentality that “someone else will tear it up if I don’t” is what leads to a poor riding experience for all but the first few sleds to come through. * Grooming is usually not scheduled during heavy snowfalls or storms. Operator and snowmobiler safety are of principle concern, but it is also not productive to operate in these conditions. Sleds will soon pack it down, and the resulting groom will be far more effective. * Cold temperatures must also be considered for operator safety in case of equipment problems. Less miles of trail will get groomed in extreme conditions. As the temperature drops below -5oF (-20oC), steel starts to get brittle and equipment is more susceptible to breakage if it strikes a solid object such as a stump or rock. Although the groomer operator usually has communications equipment and warm clothes, waiting for a snowmobile ride 25 miles (40 kilometers) in the country at 3 AM can be a very uneasy feeling. * Understand that aggressive riding styles can impact the quality and smoothness of the trails you ride on. Fast starts and stops, powering through curves, paddle tracks, carbide runners, traction devices, and powerful engines can all combine to destroy the smoothness of a trail. So the next time you hit the brake or the throttle, think about how much damage you have innocently contributed to destroying the trails you would really prefer to be smooth. Try to not spin your track during acceleration or lock your track during braking. * Snowmobiles are much smaller and much more maneuverable than groomers, so always yield to a groomer. Always slow down * When approaching an oncoming groomer on the trail, slow down and move your snowmobile to the far right side of the trail. Realize that the grooming drag or tiller behind the grooming tractor may be very wide, and might extend wider than the tracks of the tractor and can essentially take up most (or all) of the trail’s width. If the trail is narrow or winding, you may need to stop at the far outside edge of the trail to let the groomer pass. When possible, pull off of the packed section of the trail completely. It is your obligation to get out of his way. * Anytime and every time you have the opportunity, tell a groomer operator how great of a job they’re doing. Remember, most are volunteers and many love to ride, just like you. They need to hear your appreciation if you truly enjoy riding smooth trails, or to simply have trails to ride on at all. The groomers are often the ones who help brush and sign the trails as well. They need as much help and appreciation as we can all give them. Hopefully this gives you a little insight into grooming. So if you see the groomer parked some day, it might not be ‘broke down’, we may be waiting for the right time Consider joining a club and or volunteering. Many hands make light work!!!Ride safe and let's have a great season!!!

Bonne Randonee, I'll be there in spirit. Following your adventure here for sure. enjoy.

That Section is always a headache for them early on. I figured as much seeing everthing else groomed pretty much to Windigo but no further.

Whoops that did not go as planned

EcoSentier® is: A program developed by environmental experts in consultation with the snowmobile industry, trail users and community organizations; A certification with normative requirements and practices that respect the environment; Increased protection for the natural environment and local communities; The assurance that each certified trail has been verified by an independent non-profit organization, Nature-Action Québec. Snowmobilers who choose an ecoSentier® certified trail make the right choice if they want to: Encouraging environmentally conscious snowmobile clubs; Consume responsibly; Make the right gesture and the right choice; Contribute to better environmental management of the snowmobile sector; Contribute to the protection of the natural environment of your community. Impacts on snowmobile services Through this certification program, the snowmobile industry is taking concrete action to raise environmental standards and respond to a clientele that is increasingly sensitive to environmental and social issues. Certification recognizes the efforts and successes of conscientious snowmobile clubs. The snowmobiler who encourages ecoSentier® certified trails will not feel the impact of the implementation of the program on the total amount of his / her bill as it is about improving the way the club does things, with no additional cost to the user. Users of certified ecoSentier® trails who would like to know more or better understand the measures applied by the snowmobile club concerned can contact us by e-mail at info@ecosentier.ca.

EcoSentier® is: A program developed by environmental experts in consultation with the snowmobile industry, trail users and community organizations; A certification with normative requirements and practices that respect the environment; Increased protection for the natural environment and local communities; The assurance that each certified trail has been verified by an independent non-profit organization, Nature-Action Québec. Snowmobilers who choose an ecoSentier® certified trail make the right choice if they want to: Encouraging environmentally conscious snowmobile clubs; Consume responsibly; Make the right gesture and the right choice; Contribute to better environmental management of the snowmobile sector; Contribute to the protection of the natural environment of your community. Impacts on snowmobile services Through this certification program, the snowmobile industry is taking concrete action to raise environmental standards and respond to a clientele that is increasingly sensitive to environmental and social issues. Certification recognizes the efforts and successes of conscientious snowmobile clubs. The snowmobiler who encourages ecoSentier® certified trails will not feel the impact of the implementation of the program on the total amount of his / her bill as it is about improving the way the club does things, with no additional cost to the user. Users of certified ecoSentier® trails who would like to know more or better understand the measures applied by the snowmobile club concerned can contact us by e-mail at info@ecosentier.ca.

The Sticks are up on the river to get to Comfort Inn and over to Auberge Gouverneur. Also Saw that the trail to/from Drakaar (Safari) and the Esso station has been opened i. Shawinigan Sud.

Looks delicious over there JG. Keep on trucking my man. Fine Job as always.

Okie, you mean like to put the kids in? Right?

What's a carriol?

Yeah, you can be sure. I will not be the first.

Everthing I see as of today still has river closed going north. Made some calls now, Waiting for a call back. To confirm.

I wish i could tell you. I called Escapade but Kevin does not work there anymore he is involved with the club. It's safe near Grand Mere for sure to cross on 23 other than that best i can do is go check it Thurs or Friday myself. I will do some further checking and let you know if i find out more.

Jan 4 update -1c still light snow on and off. sorry I must apologize, i was wrong on my snow total before it's not 8-9" no no, there is a solid 12" of new snow. It was blown off the hot tub so until I actually went outside it was hard to tell.

Jan 4 -2c light flurries, big snow over I'll say 8-9" nice stuff gonna pack in nicely. Once they groom this in we are golden here. I'll give em a day or so then check it out.

Not sure on the 83, was some talk on cmiq but they did not mention why it was not groomed yet. Just that soon it would be from 22 north. That looks like it happened but not all the way so it's very possible.