snowfarmer

phil.... you should never give jg shit about foot prints in his pics...L.O.L..

That was an awesome ride Phil. I been to the Gaspe 7-8 times always mid to end of March. Don't think I've ever passed more then a dozen sleds in the whole 1200 mile loop. Trails groomed, tons of snow and no one there. It's a beautiful thing!!

Steamer we go the end of March every year, only once did we get skunked, usually tons of snow groomed and nobody at all riding. Last year we left RDL on 4/6 we were the only truck in the lot... The parking lots and streets are bare but who cares.

I know the Steep and Deep, just north of Mt Vilian, Brother "Long Hair" was leading up to a "look out", it kept saying 3kms to the top.
The sled is almost straight up and down.
GutZ

Trails are surprisingly good considering no new snow in a while,starting to snow now and they say more latter this week.If your staying in town,you cannot drive your sled as the sidewalks are bare.Rode to Meekoos today and all the trails were freshly groomed.Rabaska,Devils mountain and windago falls yesterday and trails were mint.Any trails along the road ,which is limited,are bare,but did not have any issues.Trails are hard and icy in places so picks are nice to have.In 400 miles probably haven't seen move than 10 sleds riding in 2 days,yet the hotel parking lots are full of trucks and trailers.

Day 3
Left La Saguenee in Chicoutimi 8:15, blue skies big sun and not as cold today. Still cold but not too bad. Nice riding weather. 83 is in nice shape all the way to 367. This trail is just as nice, hell they are all perfect. Its still full on winter here. Across the two bridges and up 367 to 93 then back to 367 then Orange trail straight up and over to Relais Mont Vilain. All trails excellent passed groomer on Local trail grooming a perfect flat trail. Keep at boys I'll be back in a few days. 8-10 miles from Relais, We see the trail marked Tour De Montagne. Well alrighty lets go check this out. Well as Playhard will tell you "not all ideas are good ones" we start up this single lane "trail"? Or so they say. It goes on and i see a sign says 4km more, Now if there was ever a time to follow your instincts it was then and i knew i should have aborted the mission there and then, but did not. It soon got steeper and steeper. I'm good but worried about my 2 new guys with 1.5 days experience this is getting iffy. Well too late cause is single sled wide and straight up now no where to turn back if we wanted to. I make it up but it was not easy big trenched out straight up climb you lose momentum game over. I reach a place with enough of a place to get turned around. But I am alone, after 2 minutes Andy climbs up but no Al and no Playhard. Andy says he thinks Al got stuck as he lost momentum. Ok now. If I go down to help and he made it past that last part then we are heading right for each other with no where to pass. I wait and am hearing nothing. I gotta go help. I slide on down cause it looked even steeper going down find Al spun out on the straight up part. He is holding the brake and not sliding back yet. David has backed down to give room but Al is trying his best but up aint gonna happen, i am able to jump up on snow bank and found a spot to park off trail, i hurry down to Al and take over. I roll back a bit but too much ice to climb up. I back sled down and get him turned around. David has backed down and is turned around. Great, Andy arrives and the three start down leaving me to crawl back up the Icey straight up slope to try to get back to my sled, felt like Mount Everest to me. Damn this was not a good idea. We make it back out onto the real trail, lick our wounds and have a good laugh about it. Off we go not too far from there I leave the trail and I jump out on River and we take the Vilain express. 
No visit at Relais Vilain today but maybe 15 sleds there at Noon. We have passed 2 so far. Leave there on 367 and down to gas there in Lamarche. 367 all the way to 93 in St Monique. All mint. Super conditions. Back to 367 to Peribonka. The trail here near the river crossing (peribonka) is marked Ferme' Danger. As there are fresh tracks we push on. Big heaves on the ice and on far side a big crevasse where the ice has given up but refrozen now, nice but its a. 8 foot drop that will get your attention if you are not paying attention or come through at night. There is a goat trail go around and we get through and back on solid ground. Back to 93 and direction Dolbeau. River crossing here is solid but is running water out further that was not there 3 weeks ago. Certainly the rivers and lakes will determine the end of the season up here. There is tons of snow. The ice will give before the trails. 
Through Dolbeau and 93 up to Girardville. Gas here and we take a late lunch. In the resto I meet Michael, he was the snowmobile club president and i did not ask if he still was. He recognized me from our last meeting last year at the gas station. He says new trail should be open next season. One bridge has been built and second should get done in next few weeks. Trail will go off of 93 near Girardville and take you to Relais Mont Vilain onto river there from the north using part of Local trail that has been closed there. Can not wait. 
Up over the top through Lac A Jim and its nice a bit of drifts in some spots but nothing horrible. Down 93 and to 373 past Relais des Buttes and smooth shot into St Felicien. 238 miles. New guys love quebec and are amazed, "the best adventure ever" says my brother in law. They love it. 
Tomorrow off to the Fairmont in La Malbie. Snow is coming things are gonna get interesting. Seeing 25-30cm for Quebec and up to La Malbie Tuesday night through Wednesday. We shall see. 
 
     

Too late to learn Québecoise?

 

One could learn to like Mondays!...
 

Headed up to Laval last night to wet my pallet a little at the OEM sled exhibition, took a few snapshots so here they are boys. Arctic Cat a no show again this year, what's up with that?
These two are my fav this year, Backcountry has got a new suspension, no more T-Motion, choice of track and has the Freerides colors

137" Freeride with choice of track

More from BRP


From Polaris, not sure if it's been too long since I've been looking at the but they got a new beast called Titan, a 20" wide track model.



And now a couple from Yamaha, Turbocharge 153 Viper

For Mr.Iceman


Something a little different
 
 
 

few pics from my ride with lindasledgirl + friends !!!
up to my camp again ...on and off the trail !!!
great to meet snowfarmer + wife again in amqui for supper !!!
 
jean-guy
 

Secret to getting Iceman to stop at a crowded relais: Have soup & cheeseburger & Pepsi on the table before he pulls up!
 

The 23 from Saint-Raymond to Saguenay remains a fav!
 

I started this thread about timing which can mean a lot of different things when doing these kind off tours. The weather , grooming , if you get a hot shower or not because there is to many people in the hotel and the system can't keep up! ( can't you tell this happen to us) I also was hoping we would run into some other QR riders but we were either a little to late or little too early. One thing I wanted to do was to catch up with Linda but she was a day ahead of us . I figured we would catch up in Amqui Sunday for dinner no matter what!  
My buddy Richard who I've been riding with since 97 and done many of these tours with but we always have to watch the weather because of his snow clearing business . Well Ontario is going to get hit with a storm and it's timing couldn't be worse. So we make a plan because we have to get home a day early. I call Linda to see if we can get to Amqui could I borrow her truck so he and I can drive to RDL to retrieve mine . Yup not a problem she says. So this morning we split up again and have Rob lead the group of six while Richard and I do a cannonball run from New Richmond to Amqui. Trail 5 is perfect again with about 75% of it as been groomed in the last 36 hours. We left at 8:35 and made it to the Ambassador by 12;20 . In the truck off to RDL and back by 6 so we can have dinner with the whole crew.
We all got to do dinner but had a nice unexpected surprise that Jean Guy was able to join us before he headed out to groom trail 5 tonight . I didn't have time to take pictures but Rob did . The rest of the group had a great day. 
This was the last trip of the season I'm sad to say. It's off to Whistler next week for some different kind of snow fun. It was a great snowmobile season for sure and I hope to catch up with so old and new faces in 2018.

Some more pictures from Rob from today's ride and other ones too.

Looks like a great trip! Makes me want to cross the St Lawrence and try out some new areas. Putting a winter trip to Gaspesie on my bucket list since I've only been there in the summer.

finally , after so many times i missed them ...went to meet mrs gt rider and gt rider at the clubhouse !!!
great to meet and talk to you both !!!
thx for bringing back cold temps !!!.....-9c right now and very windy up the hills !!!
took a few pics on my way back from clubhouse !!!
 
jean-guy
 

good morning terry !!!
they are on their way back to edmunston... today....via 587 ...degelis....cabano..etc !!!
blue sky day ....-27c !!!
grooming local trails soon !!!
 
jean-guy

Chicoutimi's finest:

 

Day 2 Sunday
Breakfast at Roquemont and out to load up and head out. Still cold this am but not as bad as yesterday. Scrspe out the parking lot and north on 23. Flat and fast certainly more ice closer to St Raymond. Once out the 12-15 miles from town back to full on winter trail conditions. Big snowdust today as the cold is just right for it. It kinda hangs there as the sleds pass. 
As expected not too many southbound until we get near L'Etape. Then its 11:00am and it stsrts, one after another. Headed down. Well it's Sunday and the end of school vacation week. Lots of action headed the opposite way. Most are all well behaved some really flying but on their sides. Trail is big . Into L'Etape too early for lunch here. Gas and a break to warm up. Trails have been super. Out and back to 23 north. Now its rush hour seriously saw more sleds pass me going opposite way then i have seen all season. Crazy. Playhard is ahead and gets to Mount Apica and runs in to order lunch so I had to stop. Too funny. He knew i would take one look at the madness just to try and park and want to ride on by. Glad we did stop as i had never been here (inside) and it was missing a sticker. Warm up and eat. A guy is there doing a survey for tourism and asks us questions about our trip and riding habits. Glad to help out. Leave there and most everyone is going south still had no one behind us all day going north. 
Another bonus ride, I just love riding with Playhard cause he takes me all the places i always ride right by. Next up the lookout up there by Mount Apica. Pretty sweet view even on a not so blue sky day. Wind wicked up there. But got the sticker on it. Down out of there and back to 23. Now the gremlins start. 
I ride with my highbeams on all day, now i notice i got no indicator light for high beams on my dash pod? Huh? Stop to check and sure enough got no headlights hi or low. I got hid lights. I have had bulbs fail(lose one light) lost a balast too same thing one light out. Never have lost both. Stop at intersection of 368 and check fuses......yup fuse is toast. Change fuse and it lasts maybe 5 miles then lights out. Screw it I aint playing with it here, too windy and cold and is running fine. Just pisses me off. I will look it over in the morning but not gonna spend too much time on this. 368 is just great and up thru Laterierre and on to 83 all in great shape. Up and into Chicoutimi just over 200 miles in at 4:30. 
Tomorrow is another day. Our newbies are quick learners and doing just great. 

How far do you want to travel each day?  How does your group ride-aggressive or not?   We just did the 595 and the Chic Choc trail from New Richmond and they were groomed and fairly firm the day we did them so pretty fast.   Took 1.5 hours to LaCache, and another 2 to Murdochville (about 60 miles each) with some waiting for slower riders.  Great trails.  With snow your time with increase.  There is a rugged mountain to go over just before Mont St Pierre-total 1.5-2 hrs from Murdochville.   The two Mont St Pierre motels are very basic but it's a long ride through the mountains to Saint Anne des Monts-50 miles approx.  there are lots of climbs and descents-slower going.  Nice views in that section so recommend you do it in the daylight.  The trails open up after Cap Chat again.  So if you ride aggressively and can handle the ups and down, twists and turns, have good weather, and can ride 225 +/- miles go further.   Hope this helps.

Its 150 miles from Ste Anne Des Monts to Hotel Rimouski.
Its 217 from Mt St Pierre.
Getting into Hotel Rimouski can be difficult if snow is low in town. It is very nice with all amenities.
I just stayed at Domaine Valga its at a high elevation they have good snow. If you like a quiet place I can recommend it. its 20 miles less on the trail.

Just an update about the Pete( guy with blown motor) that's his new ride.
The dealer in RDL came and picked him up out in the sticks in Rimouski. Hauled him back and took a look at the cylinders and as the the Groomer would say "Kaput"
options rent, 1000$ for the week or buy because he was going to do it next year so... buy it was. They gave him a fair trade and , charged him the Ontario sales tax and moved the trail sticker. Arrange for him to be trucked up to to meet us in the Chic -Chocs and was there for dinner all in the same day!
Great ski -doo dealership !

I guess I'll respond to my own post. :)  Did a little 3 day spin up to Barrage Gouin.  90% of the trails were a 9 out of 10.  A little thin and icy around Mont-Laurier but everything else was incredible.  Came across an accident on the rail bed (TQ63) East of Mont Laurier.  60 year old Canadian guy vs a deer.  Because it was -5F and he was probably doing 50+ mph, the sled literally exploded on impact.  There must of been a 1000 little pieces of plastic everywhere.  The deer died on impact and the guy probably has some broken ribs but they expected him to be ok.  You can see the deer laying to the left of the trail.

Just an update about the Pete( guy with blown motor) that's his new ride.
The dealer in RDL came and picked him up out in the sticks in Rimouski. Hauled him back and took a look at the cylinders and as the the Groomer would say "Kaput"
options rent, 1000$ for the week or buy because he was going to do it next year so... buy it was. They gave him a fair trade and , charged him the Ontario sales tax and moved the trail sticker. Arrange for him to be trucked up to to meet us in the Chic -Chocs and was there for dinner all in the same day!
Great ski -doo dealership !

Hey guys enjoy yourselves ! It's cold out there already . Been out and started sleds already. Bundle up!