600IQHO

Where is the best and safest place to stay in Parent? How about Roberval also? This is my first saddle bag trip and I want to get it right. Thanks for any help.

Are the trails that bad around Mont-Laurier and ferme-neuve? We will be headed that direction from the Zenon area next week and coming through the park it does not look like you can get to Devils moutain without going through one of those 2 places.

Thanks for for the reply, the maps must actually be pretty close. They tell me 150 miles from zenon to Mt Lourier. I did tell you the other week we where going to do an overnighter to Devils Mtn and back, but just last night we where starting to think if conditions are good we will make something more out of it. We think we would like to try devils mtn to Kanawata after that. You are right you can fly right by it. Never came down from Casey but going north from Repos I flew right by it. Those trails are awesome up in that area. I also guessed it was about 280 to 300 miles so that was pretty close. We also decided if things are going good we will continue on to Saguenay and stop at the HI. We will get to see Bill 2X this year. This is our 1st saddle bag trip so if things are not going to well we will have a fairly short ride back to the Cabanon from Kanawata. It looks like a 260 + mile day from Kanawata to the HI. I believe it will also be about 325 miles from the Hi back to the Cabanon. We will see how it goes there are a lot of different routes on this loop that we can take that could shorten the trip if we decide to do that. We normally do ride between 200 to 270 miles a day and we have already rode 350 miles in a day so I do not think it will be to much out of our comfort zone. Maybe we will see you in 2 weeks.

Does anybody know the milaege from the Comfort inn, at Devils Mtn to Kanawata via trail 13 and 83? Thanks for any info!

I completely understand your point about the Yam engines being so reliable. But 17K for a sled! come on get real. My 2 Polaris's are not perfect they are both going for minor engine repairs on Thursday. But again 17K that is what I paid for BOTH of my sleds back in 07. I can do quite a few rebuilds for that and I have also never had one of them let me sit on the trail. I have only ever had minor problems that I found after I returned home. Also most people do not put more than 10K miles on there sled then they upgrade every 2 to 4 years. Well those that actually live up there in paradise probably do put a lot more miles on, but the rest of us? I know this is my 4th season on my sleds and I am ready for something new. I do not need something new, I am just ready for a new sled.

Thanks for the trail update, it is really good to hear things are getting back to normal. I am one of the impatient souls that left. But that is just me, I cannot sit in a hotel for a couple of days and just wait for things to happin. I have to be on the go doing something. I have always been that way. Driving home in the truck seemed to be a much better idea than waiting. My vacation is over I go back to work on Monday. Be back in 3 weeks. Please tell 182ray that I said hello, my wife and myself had the oppurtunity to ride with him 1 day last March. Be back soon!

You are right it is a snowmbile. I am just a little disgruntled as I should have snowmobling this week and not sitting in front of the lap top! Back to real subject here it is cold and it snowed finally and it looks like things may start to return to normal. Hopefully the cold and snow will stay well into March!

Let me get this straight! You pay 10 to 11 grand for a new sled, then you have to buy an aftermarket kit to cool the engine! What is up with that! Ski Doo should pay for it NOT YOU!

Thanks again Alain for your detailed reports, this weeks weather has obviously been devastating. I have personally never seen weather this like in the area since I have been coming to the area which is now 13 years. At least not in January or February. please keep us updated my next trip will be to the Zenon area. Thanks again!

I was just there, I cut my trip short bt 3 days. I rode 190 miles in the RAIN on Monday. Sucked soaked to the bone. Rode 20 miles Tuesday morning, not enough lube for me. Sleds ran hot could smell the slides melting. There is good news, like Bill said the base is good and it is solid just need a few inches of snow and i think things will be back to normal. I would wait a week or two if you can. Do not try to ride up from the south right now, it is not good flooded trails. Keep checking back someone will report when things are good again.

I am not sure where that is. Is it north or south of L etape?

Yes! By almost 3 days. I just picked a bad week. I am using today to figure out my problem, it was not the sliders! Cannot locate where the noise is coming from. I started changing evey bearing in the rear. I do not want to ruin my next trip, It has got to get better from here!

Bill we had the same problem, we stopped at the power dam to cool the sleds down. I was also melting my sliders down, so we decided to turn back, that is when we passed you. I did not fair to well as I pulled into the HI my sliders where gone I could here metal on metal. So we loaded and headed home . I just pulled in 20 min. ago. The trails where not that bad, just need a little powder on them. Maybe I will make it back up in Feb. and fair a little better.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it even rains up here in the Saguenay. Rain most of the day, did a loop from the HI to Onachaway and back. About 180 miles, lots of snirt near any towns and even some up on valins. We need cold and snow bad! No snow of any signifigance until maybe Thursday. I will try it Tuesday and see how it is.

YES IT DID! Rain most of the day up here in Saguenay! Rode from the HI to Onachaway and back all rain most of the day! Just got our suits out of the dryer. I even had the trash bags on. trails very wet and a lot of snirt! We need cold and snow bad, I will try again Tuesday and see what it brings.

Thanks for all your really good reports! I will look for your post on Saturday. We decided to play it safe and head up to Saguenay. The forcast looks so much better up there. We are going to move our reservations to the last week of Feb. at the Cabanon.

Bill we made up our mind tonight! We will be at the HI on Sunday afternoon. Just booked a room 30 minutes ago. See you on Sunday! This is happening to often cancelling everything and searching for snow. The way I see it you really cannot go wrong by heading north.

What days are you going to be back home? Due to conditions farther south we may head up to the HI on Sunday. We will be up until Friday morning.

I am in the same boat vacation all week and lack of snow is becoming areal issue. Problem is I have deposits at 2 different places that I may lose. But I think I may take everybody elses advise and head back to Saguenay. I will make up my mind Saturday and wait to see if Alain posts conditions for the Zenon area. I also believe that Viper2 has been up there all week. I will see if he posts.

Thanks for the report, it looks pretty good. Nice pics!

How are the trail looking out towards Mont-Laurier from St Zenon? Heading up on the 24th and we plan on doing an overnighter to Devils Mountain.The snow coverage is usually a little thinner out that way and with the snow coverage this year Any help would be appreciated.

I bought 2 BV2's yesterday, they are very comfortable, as for the light on the back they are both being returned!! Her helmet the light only turned on a couple of times and that was it no more light. Mine the light works but you cannot turn it off, I have to pull the battery out!! For that kind of money I thought everything would work at least for 1 ride. Those where the last 2 in stock in our sizes, the replacements are suppose to be in before we leave on the 24th. Hope we have better luck with them.

I believe his last post was from a ride this past saturday and his pics look good!

Forgot to answer your other question. I bought a Polaris Cyclone helmet last year and put an electric sheild on it right away. It is very comfortable once you get it on correctly, that is the problem it can take while to do that. It actually has a face mask inside and your breath is inhaled and exhaled out the side of the helmet. The helmet also has a deflector shield in front of the chin but I just cannot stop the air from coming up under the chin. Like I said before I also Have the original BRP modular and I am not used to having air hit my mouth and chin.

This is why I read what is posted on this site, I really believe what you guys are saying. All the bad stuff that I read about the BV2 just happened to be on other forums and a lot of people on those forums say anything to create controversy. We have decided not to wait for the off season and upgrade before our next trip in 2 weeks. I will be stopping at my closest DOO dealer on Tuesday (have not been there for a while). Hopefully they have our sizes and color in stock. At this piont it looks like the BV2 is the way we might go. Tuesday looks like it might be an expensive day. I would like to thank everybody for there for there input and honest opinion!