zeusand

Would have been bad for the community to loose the gas station, even short term.
On a positive note for Murdochville .  I just read a news article talking about a mining firm doing some tests to evaluate reopening the cooper mine again.  Apparently the copper market is high again.

Amazing to still be riding across staked lakes and rivers in April. Trails are still amazing, but soon the sun will take its toll and the brown spots will multiply. The groomers will stop grooming, and that will be that until next season.
After some initial equipment malfunctions where flexibility and a sense of humor got us through, its been an amazing 2 week long season ender with 2 great riding partners.
 
Hope you all enjoyed the ride along with us!
 

31 March Thursday 
 
Woke to a dusting of snow still snowing at 6am. Knew this was not going to last. We dis breakfast and after 8am its now snow rain ice all of it. We head out to give it a try. Up 373 to Relais Buttes. Here Playhard has seen enough, well not seen enough actually as the weather is playing havoc on his Helmet shield. We split the team he is gonna meander back and NHmoose and I push on. Up 373 then local across river just past relais. Orange local up past Chute de l’ours and rejoin 93. Up we go its rain now but we push on. Orange trail up to just near Lac a Jim. Then back left on 93 back down the bump out as we call out of 93. Now a bit of freezing rain up here. Getting encapsulated by the minute. Trails still unbelievable and despite the westher we are having a blast. Back south and just rain now again. We had planned to head to Resto du Chef then loop back through La Dore but that mission was scuttled as we are really getting rained on now. The novelty has worn off. We agreed it was time to bee line it back to hotel. Back in around 11am. 88 miles. We were glad to ride a bit. 
Got gear drying in room. We regroup and decide to take truck to Du Chef for lunch. Rest of afternoon is a lazy day. We are plotting are next ride tomorrow as long as rain has gone. It will be warm here until tomorrow night so surely no purple lines tomorrow to see. But we will manage. 
 
Some riding better than none. Already talk of riding through Monday or Tuesday it’s been that good we don’t want to leave. 
 
Until next time

20220330_123150.mp4

Tracking the Spring Fling 22 ridders. 10:47 on 83W heading towards Relais 22
Yes there 1:04 Taking the Gaz , Gritts and chewing the fat !
They gone stealth 2:08 shut down satellite ping pong on me..
On the move finally😂 . must of been a nappy. Following their crumb trails back to the Aqua Pool !

29 March Tuesday 
 
Hit the trails this morning 4 strong. The usual suspects and Mrs Ice is out to play. Gonna be a long ride for her with one working foot. We leave hotel and head south on 373 to the south end of St Felicien we take orange local passing Polaris dealer and cross the ice to run back north. Ice still solid trails mint conditions. Up to the orange trail that cuts across to Dolbeau and rejoin 93. Looking for something negative to comment on conditions but trails are perfect. Sky is grey but other than that all super duper. 93 through Dolbeau stellar here. Take 367 toward Peribonka. Then bail north on orange local to rejoin 93 in St Jean d’Arc. We gas up. 93 it is toward St Augustin. Sorry but it just keeps getting better by the KM. We drop into the back of the Relais there and take the orange of 93 direction 373 to Passerelle 49 parallel. Fast trail we have seen 3 sleds all going opposite direction. The mrs is hanging in there I know it’s great conditions but she has not had a big day since Matane first week in January. Very proud of her. She is not used to it like we are. It’s still new to her. 373 is fantastic we stop and admire the bridges and make our way to the Relais up there. 3 guys leaving 2 others inside. No real food but its warm and they got bathroom for Mrs. Ice. They got some premade sandwiches chips muffins candybars and other stuff. We take a nice break here. Relais closes for season tomorrow. We know the other side here has not been groomed as recently as the east side. It’s not terrible but corners bumped up a bit. Nothing horrible but not like the east side or anything we have seen so far up here. We run to join 93 and into Girardville for gas and bathroom. Then continue down 93 to join 373 through Albaniel and on to Normandin where we retrace our route from yesterday using orange trails to Relais Buttes and down 373 to Hotel. Great day. Mrs Ice is hanging up the helmet for this season as she has commitments to deal with back at home tomorrow afternoon. The three Amigos remain. Plotting our next maneuvers. 
 
Until next time.

1:06 now cruising on 373 trail to Gerardville.  Got to be fantastic trail conditions my stop watch says so !

28 March Monday 
 
Started the morning off with a car ride to get breakfast from Mc Donald’s. No breakfast at hotel on Mondays. At the same time I decided to scout out a bit of trail. I have used the trail that goes behind Du Jardin to get to the gas station and depanneur right near Mc Donalds. I do not remember it going any further. However I Motoneige is showing it crossing the bridge and winding through the neighborhood and out into the woods joining the other local trai, I am very familiar with. It also shows at the bridge in St Felicien just near Mc Donalds the trail also goes on river and goes back toward St Prime. The gate is closed to enter the river. So no problem but there is plenty of signage and sticks to follow the other trail it crosses on bridge(unplowed) sidewalk. Then left around through neighborhood and back across main road through more neighborhood then off into a field to the woods. Surely much easier with snow on pavement but with wheels was not an issue as we left the hotel this way this morning 3 strong. We will come back for Mrs Ice around noon. Stupid nice trail everywhere. Yes wind has been blowing nonstop so in the ooen areas a bit of drifts but they are soft like pillows. Just like my breakfast “i’m loving it”
I dont think I am the only one as Playhard and NHMoose are smiling big too. We debated over whether to even leave RDL or just stay there another week. We stuck to our original plan and bailed out. No regrets. Did not see one trail like any of these are here. Yes rode groomed trails in Gaspe. But not like here. Snow there is soft and not frozen even after its groomed still soft. Does not take many sleds to make it seem like it was not even groomed. Not the same here. Rock hard base with cream cheese on top. Ripping fast. Just how I like it. Orange trails to Normandin full 10/10 gas in Normandin then onward. Quick run up to 373 then short spin to the “middle orange” as we call it. We rode this trail twice today once up in morning and once back down this afternoon. One of my man Snohorse’s top runs. That was for you Philly. Up to 93 and its all been a stunner. Delicious trails and we are eating it up. To Lac a Jim quick hello and down 93 to orange again this time back to 93 then to 373 and backtrack to Du Jardin through Relais Buttes. All 10+ trails. All of it. Playhard is taking care of things this afternoon with Canadian Tire and NHmoose, Mrs Ice and I head out. No need to complicate things. We ride exactly the same route but backwards now the lefts are rights. We know it’s fantastic. We put Mrs Ice in rocking chair and we are in group chat so all three of us connected on the radio. Very cool. Destination Lac a Jim. We make a slight change by taking what we refer to as the 93 bump out. Makes the run up to Lac a Jim a bit longer but why not. This trail great also but the end is a bit bumpy up some of the big hills. This is easily forgotten and forgiven with the conditions on the other 99% we rode today. Into lac jim we have now seen 5 sleds today all locals for sure. Late lunch at Lac a Jim. Private relais to go with private trails. Mrs Ice’s first time on Sled in LSJ so its all new for her. i Love showing her around. Lac Jim across 93 middle orange it is down to Normandin gas it again. Back down orange to trail, to Relais Buttes. Not showing closed river must be good still, it is good we cross no issues. Even smooth here on river it’s crazy. Back to 373 and back to Hotel just after 5pm. 
Great unbelievable day. 

😃

http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2022_03/BEBDAC58-FEF6-4F2B-AB14-F4C1C9534F7C.thumb.jpeg.f1c120559e994aed3c5b4af4c5756fd2.jpeghttp://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2022_03/BEBDAC58-FEF6-4F2B-AB14-F4C1C9534F7C.thumb.jpeg.f1c120559e994aed3c5b4af4c5756fd2.jpegThis is my all time favorite. Gaspe 2019

Yes P Hardy they really are!
Chilly single digits and breezy today, awesome!
 

Just got back last night from this spur of the moment loop.  As you said everything was absolutely perfect and no traffic anywhere.  Locals on the Southern end of the loop tell me they got 2 more weeks before things start to close down.  Most areas have 4-5 feet of snow.  Some of the trail signs just poking through the snow its so deep.  It pretty much snowed non-stop since last Wednesday.  Saw the sun for 15 minutes yesterday.  
 

28 March Monday 
quick update 
trails superior to many I have seen all year. 12/10 unreal saw 2 sleds all morning. Back at hotel to get Mrs Ice she had online commitments this morning. Now we will go back out. 
Full report tonight
every trail perfect zero traffic just us. 

27 March Sunday 
West bound from RDL light flurries all night probably almost 2” new snow. Black trail is wet but not slick. Back to Quebec City over the bridge and east to 73/175 Direction Saguenay LSJ. Smooth ride uo through L’etape and across 169 by Mont Apica and then west again to St Felicien. Colder up here wind biting cold. Much colder than any day over in Gaspe. Lunch St Hubert in Roberval. We leave there last short leg to St Felicien. Taking it easy as wind is pushing the trailer around here a bit. My phone is ringing. It’s a text. Audio message. It’s Mrs. Ice telling me to hit the gas as I am holding up traffic. We have her back. She is with us for 2 days to knock the cobwebs off and embed some solid memories to get her through the long off season. Ankle not 100% but we will adjust to her level of comfort. Into hotel the convoy rolls. Mrs and I suit up we drop sleds and her and I are off to see how this ankle is doing. Full February like trails except for parking lots and by road. Hard packed but still enough lube for slides. White asphalt all the way to Relais Buttes. She is adjusting. She is not fully recovered but she is doing well. Saw 2 other sleds. Trail mint entire way. I think it’s gonna be better here as far as smooth flat trail than it was in Gaspe. 
Tomorrow we will see more. 
Very quiet here at hotel might be 2-3 other guests here besides us. 
Just the way we like it. 

Things you never see in the states