Byrd

And...
 

There’s nothing better when a springtime ride with the mrs have fun 😀 

There’s nothing better when a springtime ride with the mrs have fun 😀 

There’s nothing better when a springtime ride with the mrs have fun 😀 

Bonjour tout le monde. 
Well here we go again, one last little run to close out this season. Alain was returning to Matane for another quick run with his wife Josee. I had thought I was finished but the stars aligned just right and with a quick turnaround of my sled at Moto Thibault...merci Pierre and crew for the best service anywhere. Here we are in Matane. Big thanks to both Playhard and to Florida Snowman for offering up their trailers for Alain to pull us to Matane. Merci Beaucoup mes amis. In the end it was Florida Snowman’s trailer that was picked by the boss Alain to take us to Matane. 
Mrs Ice will get a brief introduction to riding in the Gaspe. I explained to her she is in the promised land now and this is the big league compared to Shawinigan. She is very excited to be baptized here in Gaspe. I explained to her for most people this is a bucket list destination. Though her trip will not be a full tour of the Gaspe you need to walk before you can run. Worked out well for her to get out of School today as she only had 3 periods not a full day and tomorrow is a teacher conference day (no students). She was good to go. 
Quick ride 5 hours from Trois Riveres landed in Matane. More trailers here than last week. Parking lot it full. 
Setlled in and very happy. 
We will ride TQ5 to 595 to New Richmond then back the same route. 2 days of riding. Not long and not far but a great first ride for my girl in Gaspe. 
Conditions from hotel not fantastic but its just to get up the hill. After we are good to go. Groomer leaving tonight for La Cache according to club. Gotta luv it. 

And I thought it was just me who felt this way. 

Universal is a great spot to stay for day tripping.Get the imotonege app it shows there the trails are being groomed and plan your day accordingly.There is lots to see in that area.  l can guarantee it won’t be your only trip to Quebec.😀

Universal is a great spot to stay for day tripping.Get the imotonege app it shows there the trails are being groomed and plan your day accordingly.There is lots to see in that area.  l can guarantee it won’t be your only trip to Quebec.😀

Universal is a great spot to stay for day tripping.Get the imotonege app it shows there the trails are being groomed and plan your day accordingly.There is lots to see in that area.  l can guarantee it won’t be your only trip to Quebec.😀

Universal is a great spot to stay for day tripping.Get the imotonege app it shows there the trails are being groomed and plan your day accordingly.There is lots to see in that area.  l can guarantee it won’t be your only trip to Quebec.😀

I thought that was for loading it on the trailer?

The Yamaha looks lonely parked there all by herself 

The Yamaha looks lonely parked there all by herself 

One last run down the river to the Inn but before we arrived Houston, we have problem! Scott's sled over heats. A Stud thew tunnel heat exchanger and another stud thew the front exchanger.
Off to gas station to pick up some J B weld and antifreeze. Screwed in 5/16 bolt  and cover with J B weld. Put weld on front. Removed the rest of the studs from the track and will test in morning.
The next morning the front was still leaking so off to hardware to get sheet metal screws. Drilled out, put in screw added more JB weld and let it harden.
Time to test, no leaks so off to miramachi for the night.
Day 9 we headed off to Governors lodge for the night. Big thank you to Marc and John for being open as food, accommodations and gas getting harder to find so we changed plans and will take the shortest route too RDL .
Day 10 ride to Edmundston . Day 11 ride to RDL. Parking lot empty no one on trails almost eerie over 2600 km of great trails.
Another great trip with family and friends. 

One last run down the river to the Inn but before we arrived Houston, we have problem! Scott's sled over heats. A Stud thew tunnel heat exchanger and another stud thew the front exchanger.
Off to gas station to pick up some J B weld and antifreeze. Screwed in 5/16 bolt  and cover with J B weld. Put weld on front. Removed the rest of the studs from the track and will test in morning.
The next morning the front was still leaking so off to hardware to get sheet metal screws. Drilled out, put in screw added more JB weld and let it harden.
Time to test, no leaks so off to miramachi for the night.
Day 9 we headed off to Governors lodge for the night. Big thank you to Marc and John for being open as food, accommodations and gas getting harder to find so we changed plans and will take the shortest route too RDL .
Day 10 ride to Edmundston . Day 11 ride to RDL. Parking lot empty no one on trails almost eerie over 2600 km of great trails.
Another great trip with family and friends. 

Headed out and had breakfast at a local diner, stopped in Rogersville for gas and then down to Rexton. 
The "9.0" in our title signifies Mrs. Byrd's father's 90th birthday, he himself was a long time snowmobiler who saddle bagged throughout New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Quebec, in fact he spent his 88th birthday on the trail. 
An amazing seafood dinner at Makeba Restaurant in Richibucto with family and friends. 
On Sunday we hooked up with some locals and ran the Richibuto River and then stopped and had lots of fun with family and friends.
 

Left the Atlantic Host in Bathurst heading towards Wilson's Sporting Lodge in Doaktown. Flat light and flat trails. Very fast ride to Serpintine, in for lunch & gas, snowing very hard at this point. Headed south towards Doaktown, still making really good time.
Pulled to Wilsom's about 5 as it started to rain. Great accommodations but no restaurant. Hopped on sled and went to Tipsy Canoe for dinner in the pouring rain. 
If you ever want a fast run this is the route to take. Wide trails with big sweeping corners and no speed limit in New Brunswick. 
 
 

Woke up sunny skys, left Carleton headed for New Brunswick. Quick ride down to Pointe à la-croix called Mundles towing to take us across the bridge.
Had planned on staying in Campbellton but with a storm coming we thought we would get further south.
Got to Island Lake, no rooms. Then down to Governors, no rooms. So we decided to head to Bathurst and stayed at the Atlantic Host for the night. Checked in and have a great seafood dinner. 

This is the house we stayed at in Murdochville, sleeps 8 and newly renovated. 

By the time we went to breakfast, all the sleds from the night before where gone, packed up and off.  stopped outside of town to get young Murdoch McKenzie a picture in front of the Murdochville sign.
Over to La Cache for gas and some of the best homemade lasagna you'll ever have.
Snowed most of the day, 6 to 12 inches of sugar on the trail. Great ride with sun peaking through at times.
Continued on south to Carleton-de-Mer and checked into the Baie Blue and St Joseph's pub for dinner, lively little bar, Playhard's nephew would loved it, lots of young girls.
M&M Tours will be going dark for a couple days, be back Saturday afternoon for a report. 

Great stay at the Riotel Matane. Dinner was really good with lots of variety and if not overcast I bet the view would have been spectacular. Would highly recommend if in the area, well signed but a little sketchy getting there, lots of gas available near by. 
Checked grooming map, trail 5 groomed last night so we decided to go that way to  Murdochville.  Thought this would be the morning that we wouldn't be the last to leave but that didn't happen. On trail by 10:15. 
Does take long to reel in the first couple of guys, followed them for a bit and I think they thought it was their own private trail system as they were on the inside of every corner. Not wanting to be part of this we slowed the pace down with a short break then another stop for lunch at a Relais. 
Gassed up on the coast at Tourelle then continued on to Murdochville....Up the Mountain. Down the Mountain. Up the Mountain. Down the Mountain. Snow all day with 6 to 8 inches of powder on trials. Not many pictures due to weather.
Arrived at Hotel Copper and no rooms but when we called last week to make reservations Jacques promised we'd have a place to sleep. They took us over to a renovated duplex being converted into a big house with 6 rooms and 8 beds. Great spot. 
Hotel Copper for breakfast, every one from last night is already gone. Last to leave again! Off the the south shore. Up the Mountain. Down the Mountain. 

Stumbled across the original toy hauler, the boys from jersey out did themselves, the only thing missing is an Ice man sticker 

Left Oliphant on Sunday, 7am. New trailer with some modifications, short 1200km jaunt to the Universal in Rivere de Loup.
Woke up Monday morning to snow and wind. Checked radar said it should starting clearing around 11.  Leisurely breakfast and unload, hit the trails 10 after 11 ( 10 o'clock old time).  
Trails a little choppy to Rimouski, to be expected for a Monday morning after a warm Sunday. Had to follow a bunch of throttle jockeys for a while, you know those guys that have to have a hand full of throttle and a hand full of brake with the track spinning all the time. The guys that haven't figured out it all about the flow.
Stopped for lunch and gas in Rimouski, took a picture of the clubhouse for Snowmaster. Back on trails sun came out, trails were groomed all the way to Matane. 10 out of 10. Into town for gas and arrived at Riôtel around 6:00.
Tried to meet up with Mike the Mayor of RDL but our schedules didn't work out. 
 
Check out the new red tickle trunk!
 

One last run down the river to the Inn but before we arrived Houston, we have problem! Scott's sled over heats. A Stud thew tunnel heat exchanger and another stud thew the front exchanger.
Off to gas station to pick up some J B weld and antifreeze. Screwed in 5/16 bolt  and cover with J B weld. Put weld on front. Removed the rest of the studs from the track and will test in morning.
The next morning the front was still leaking so off to hardware to get sheet metal screws. Drilled out, put in screw added more JB weld and let it harden.
Time to test, no leaks so off to miramachi for the night.
Day 9 we headed off to Governors lodge for the night. Big thank you to Marc and John for being open as food, accommodations and gas getting harder to find so we changed plans and will take the shortest route too RDL .
Day 10 ride to Edmundston . Day 11 ride to RDL. Parking lot empty no one on trails almost eerie over 2600 km of great trails.
Another great trip with family and friends. 

One last run down the river to the Inn but before we arrived Houston, we have problem! Scott's sled over heats. A Stud thew tunnel heat exchanger and another stud thew the front exchanger.
Off to gas station to pick up some J B weld and antifreeze. Screwed in 5/16 bolt  and cover with J B weld. Put weld on front. Removed the rest of the studs from the track and will test in morning.
The next morning the front was still leaking so off to hardware to get sheet metal screws. Drilled out, put in screw added more JB weld and let it harden.
Time to test, no leaks so off to miramachi for the night.
Day 9 we headed off to Governors lodge for the night. Big thank you to Marc and John for being open as food, accommodations and gas getting harder to find so we changed plans and will take the shortest route too RDL .
Day 10 ride to Edmundston . Day 11 ride to RDL. Parking lot empty no one on trails almost eerie over 2600 km of great trails.
Another great trip with family and friends.