Fred_LT

Just to let you know that the club in Parent - Alliance du Nord- officially closed the trails today. But, you can still ride at your own risks - no private land here! The conditions are good to great from Fer-à-Cheval all the way to Relais 22! Parts of the trail between Relais 22 and Rapide-Blanc have been plowed so it's getting hard to go all the way to La Tuque. Snow is coming our way and temperature will drop to -20°c at night this week-end!!! Back-country is also great but will have to wait 'til next year to ride in powder!

Fer-à-Cheval to Parent was groomed last night and their dozer is coming back from Wemotaci today! Probably the last grooming of the season, enjoy!

Plenty of Gas in Parent right now! Clova is closed since they had to close 83 West of Parent because of logging. We have about 20 cm of fresh snow and it was -18°C this morning in La Tuque area. Even if they stopped grooming a week ago, trails are still nice. But enjoy it this week-end, Hydro-Québec will most likely plow a section of the 73 next week, west of Rapide-Blanc. It's also getting hard to get through town, but plenty of snow left all the way to Parent. Still lots of fun to have next week if you park at Relais 22.(90km north of La Tuque by the road). Some pictures from this morning near Rapide-Blanc!

Even if there were to be trail closures on farmland, there will still be plenty of great trails that will be opened! For now everything is open and you guys should not worry too much about this! Most trails that are away from the St-Laurence valley won't be affected anyways! You might have to drive an extra hour north to get to trails that are on Crown land or may be adjust you plans a little! Going north from La Tuque, Matawin, St-Michel-des-Saints, Mont-Laurier, St-Raymond, etc..will be safe values...but again there's no strike for now!

There's new owners this year at Relais 22...but rooms are the same! Windigo is nice and rustic, but you may want to book in advance! There's also a way to cut through the reservoir on the way to La Tuque and save about 90 km. Those photos are from a few years back, but it hasn't change that much!

We just got another 8-10 inches of great powder around La Tuque area and no rain at all ; only 3-4 inches up by Parent area! I rode TQ 83 in Wemotaci /Parent area yesterday and conditions were perfect...except for just around Wemotaci - have to go on the roadside for 1-2 km when you arrive because the trail was flooded at the beginning of the season - but the club will be working on it tomorrow! Parent's Club will also receive their new Pistonbully 400 dozer on friday so trails will be even nicer! 20 ft Wide trail for half the way between Wemotaci and Parent Now I'm getting ready to go ride backcountry in Barrage Gouin area next week! We're taking the trailers 130 km north of La Tuque (we'll stay at Relais 22) then we continue to Barrage Gouin (180 km from La Tuque) for the rest of the week! The main backroads are well plowed ! Can't wait!

You take 360 eastbound towards the 355 - than the 73 all the way to St-Raymond. It is a short day but you can go from Mattawin to lake Edouard on the 355 - stop for lunch/fuel and come down towards the 73 on local trail LT2 (nice trail) towards Rivière-à-Pierre and St-Raymond!

Here's some update for trail conditions in La Tuque / Parent area! All trails are open for La Tuque,and in good to great conditions, since we didn't get rain in the area this week.(actually almost didn't get any this year) There will be a little detour on the 355 next week between St-Joseph-de-Mékinac /Mattawin and La Tuque. And there is a detour on TQ 73 towards St-Raymond because of logging (extra 30 km). TQ 83 Toward Wemotaci / Parent / Clova is in good condition as well! TQ 13 towards the Fer-à-Cheval is great and the Bazin ice bridge is safe (they started to use it with the groomer before Christmas!) Tons of snow in Barrage Gouin area (snowpack is 4-5 ft deep alrealdy). Fresh powder everywhere and all the sweet spots for backcountry are still untouched!!! Also the access trail is in very good condition from the TQ 83. The 345 through Kanawata toward Lac-du-Repos is open and in good conditions: but: From Kanawata going south, it uses the main road (not sanded and fast) toward the Repos. Can it get any better ? The 345 between Kanawata and Casey, on Jan.18th! The Manawan Club (Kanawata) have been working to open the official trail all week and it should be ready on Saturday (21st) through Lac Chateauvert. Finally, the TQ 83 is open and in good conditions from Clova to Senneterre; but forget about the Woodrunner trail, for now, (going South from Clova). Some guys did it but it's very rough and hasn't been groomed and cleaned. They should be able to get on it next week!