Byrd

We are having our lasagna dinner now 
this place and Jean-Guy IMO is one of the greatest places on earth 

Is it open to the pubic or just friends? Adventure finds you on most of your rides thanks for sharing.

Both looking good in your new duds.

Both looking good in your new duds.

Thanks for taking all of us along on another one of your great adventures . Do you all ride backcountrys 850?

Both looking good in your new duds.

We got up and left Windigo by 830 heading for relay 22. The 83 is different now to relay 22, instead of 20 miles you have about 30. They added 10 miles and it comes into 73 North 10 miles before Relay 22. They had to do a reroute due to a bridge being out that they can’t get the groomer across. There had been some logging in this area preseason, but it’s all very rideable now even though it doesn’t show it on the app. Very cold at relay 22, and a ton of snow. Gas and oil available and no worries to come in and warm up. We started the day at -11 F and it was -15 F by the time we got to read a 22, and stayed there most of the day. It is -20F now and will Lilly be colder in the morning.
We headed out to 83 a bit before we navigated our off trail experience to end up at barrage Gouin at 4:30. Super fun day out in the woods, we are solo, no sleds out here, no people out here. Only bears, moose, wolves, and Beaver’s.
Johnny says the  Gouin ice is very safe, but we stayed off it as we had crossed a number of streams and Beaver ponds on our way here already, and it was no time to press our luck at the end of the day.
Johnny has added a new entrance in the front so that everybody goes in and out one door and then he directs you to the rooms or the restaurant or the living room that he has.
He has special arrangements to serve you food, dinner basically he brings to you in the living room area or into your cabin. Breakfast he gives you the night before that you put in your refrigerator and take care of in the morning yourself. All this goes away once Covid is over, but for now it is totally acceptable. He of course has plenty of gas and it is very warm and comfortable inside as always. 
Lots of snow up here, Johnny has been maintaining his private trail down to the 83 so no worries there. Tomorrow a easy run over to the wood runner trails and explore a bit before ending up at Notawussi.
I confirmed with them that they have gas and like everyone else they have special arrangements for the food, but I am not worried. Everyone has been very very accommodating.
 

That was so much of the experience back in the day😀 Got to meet a lot people that way.

That was so much of the experience back in the day😀 Got to meet a lot people that way.

Arrived at Windigo with 226 on the clock. We are the first Amaricans in 2 years. February 2020 we were here last before the border closed. Beautiful day, started cold at two above zero got colder down to about -6 and we end of the day at +6 overall very very nice. We left Saint Michel early this morning and headed off across the reservoir up to the 33, the reservoir was very nice. 33 was groomed all the way to where it crosses the water, no complaints there. They groomed at both directions.
Arrived into Repos at roughly 930 with 60 miles on, I harbor no ill will against the place and admire that they’re still hanging in there. Like a lot of these places I know that they for sale.  We did have plenty of gas so we could’ve bypassed it but we bought gas there and bypass Kanawata, it made more sense for us. If you had a gas situation or a time situation, you could easily have took the road all the way to Kanawata.
Most riders are still using the road for 10 miles outside of Repos, including us. The trail doesn’t really have quite enough snow yet. Needs another groom and it will be fine. Everything has a fresh 4 to 6inches they just need to mix it in.
The next part of the trail on the way to the Kanawata intersection is very nice, very well groomed wide and in great shape, you get there in a hurry. We skipped Kanawata and buzzed up to Casey, as most of you know this section of trail is wide open, super smooth, and amazing. We stopped in to the new place in Casey, Casey de base. We met Norman and he made us some chicken soup and hamburgers and a few refreshments before we headed out. He says next year he will have fuel but not this year. 
We then headed up to the intersection at 83. We took a right to Weymetaci, going into Weymetaci is a hit or miss. It’s plowed all the way to the intersection, though they have a new trail put in for most of it so you go on and off the road. Getting into a Weymetaci for gas is no trouble at all, very friendly though they did stop us at the gate to ask what we wanted. We then buzzed the remaining 60 miles into Windigo.
Tomorrow we have an off trail excursion planned to get to barrage Gouin. We have given the appropriate people access to our GPS and satellite coordinates so if we stop moving they can send in the rescue team. There is a lot of snow up here, I am a bit worried with that but I think we will be OK.
 
We will check in tomorrow if we were successful in getting to barrage going, if I don’t check it and you will know we were in the woods somewhere.
We toasted the first drinks tonight to all of the Americans that haven’t made it back yet. I don’t want to rub it in at all in what you were missing, but the hassle crossing the border is way, way, way, way, way worth it. Love the trails up here, and love the people more.
We were lucky enough to get a trip up early December to Mont Valin with the Team Maine and Rack up at 700 miles in three days, a month delay was too long to be back up here.

What a shame another place with lots of character gone.😪😪

Great report mrs.ice love all the pictures.

Great report mrs.ice love all the pictures.

So tonight we’ll shake things up a bit, you’ll read about our today’s adventure through Mrs.Ice’s eyes. Hope you like it. 😁
After hearing Mr.Iceman’s melodies all night long, we opted for a late departure since we’re only riding to the mummies and the surroundings to be back at Quality Inn for a second night. 10:30 it was.
Started on 5 to 591. At the beginning, near the hotel, I have to admit that we’re missing some snow. However, only 10 minutes up the mountain and it’s  much better. Snow is somewhat loose, so a little shaky but for sure rideable, I just need to adjust my driving. 
I don’t know about when you’re riding, but I love to look around at the nature, see the fresh snow in the pine trees and sitting on all the branches. Oh, how I was spoiled in today’s sightseeing so early in the season. 
I kept stopping to take pictures for me, for you, so you see it for yourself, but a picture never truly represents what your eyes can see on the spot. Anyway. I guess I was stopping too much... someone’s patience was challenged, hahaha. 😅
Trails were really great all the way to La Redemption. Only saw a few sleds, you know when you can count them, but lose the count because they’re too far apart... gotta love to have the trails to yourself. 👌
I realize that I dislike to be tilted on one side due to an incline on the terrain, we were in the fields at that point, good to ride on, but lack of snow to ride straight on flat. Lover said it was good practice for me. I guess. But I also need to tell you that I do not enjoy big downhills, but I did encounter a few on Cote Nord last week and I’ m sure will see more this trip. I’m getting used to them slowly, gaining confidence each time. 
I get good advice. I know i’m In great hands. 591 to 587 now. 
Got to see the beginning of the mummies’ formation, how nice it was to be in winter’s wonderland. My Hands froze up there because I took too many pictures, Oups. It was worth it though, so beautiful. I can only imagine the look in February. Wow. 
Then, we saw a sign marked canyon about one km off the main trail, 587. Up we went, It was impressive as well. Sketchy trails for us to get there,  but we managed. Lover said there are tracks, we can go. 
Afterward, we came to a point where I was asked if I wanted to go back the same way as this morning or this other trail, little longer he said. Apparently was 30 minutes, 40 some km more. I said you pick. Junction of 591 and a local orange trail. It goes towards St Paul. 
So off we go on that new trail. Some narrow and twisty parts, which I don’t mind because it warms me up. Then here it it, some sort a wide trail on a dirt road. Perfect to go a little faster, just a little. 😉 It brought is all the way back to trail 5, we completed our loop from the east. 
We made It to home base near 4:30. It was a good 240 km. 
Overall, it was a lovely day, not as nice as it was in Escoumins last week, but for January 2nd, it has advanced pretty well, can’t complaint. 
Forgot a thing or two that I will add here.
We do have radios to talk to each other, lover warns me for things to look out for and sleds coming. However, if we’re too far apart I’m on my own. So I’m working hard for my turns to be sharp and tight  on that right. I try to be more on my right than him. 😜 not easy.
Last, we came back in the dark, it has been a long time since I rode in the dark. I was flashed by another sled once no clue why, until lover told me I had big lights on. 😬 
Mrs. Ice

Great report mrs.ice love all the pictures.

I don’t know for sure but I wish I was there my guess parent 

Great report and pictures as usual. Are we going to see Mrs-ice stickers in future?

Great report and pictures as usual. Are we going to see Mrs-ice stickers in future?

Great report and pictures as usual. Are we going to see Mrs-ice stickers in future?

http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2021_12/4945C7F1-A097-4B56-8435-CC9A6A2EBDAF.jpeg.20e2383ee88d91940cc489b2ccfaf8ce.jpeg

Some-of the crew landed last night,so we were fairly well staffed today. As we suspected, great back country woods road riding, some off trail breaking ,  215 miles on, while breaking trail most of the morning, we used 18 gallons to go 150 miles😃
More fun tomorrow doing similar type riding.  The trail 93 today was brutal, very rough, grooming is expected tonight 😊
 

Had a good chat with the dude when we passed though last year. Interesting fellow!