zeusand

Day 2: just did some loop trails around in Amos and ventured to new areas, I haven’t been then headed out towards La Sarre trails overall are great what a nice area for riding. This morning there was a nasty freezing mist, but after lunch, the skies cleared up and made for some true Quebec beauty! 280 miles today good day! 

Qualipieces Trek dual runner carbides collect golfball size rocks like crazy. Probably had 20 rocks stuck in the past 2 days. 15 cleared on their own, others required prying them free.
old school Pilot 5.7 skis

Mmmm
 
 

Day 3 & 4 Wednesday-Thursday 
 
Out of St Felicien 8:30. Up 373 still good here still cold this morning. We catch group in front of us and they are using open mesh so i can hear them. The last guy in line calling up to lead guy saying stop stop and let these guys pass. Finally he listens and off we go past these three. The only three we have had to pass all week.  Nice. We take it long up 373 to TQ93 then up top where I like it through Lac Jim around and down to Gas in Girardville. Back out and i take a right down a few KM and then left onto ice, locals bush trail to TQ 93 again back North of Girardville. To the 373. First timers with us so time to show off the bridges. Not terrible this trail but showing signs of heavy use. Its the new Mont Valin this trail. Surely everyone is thinking exactly the same way the further up the better and are using the hell out of this trail. Not far past Chalet warming hut we pass groomer headed opposite way. It’s a small one with smaller drag probably due to weight restrictions on bridges. No wonder it doesn’t hold up like the others trails we been on. Definitely more traffic on here and better towards the  truck stop in St Ludger but after that just so so to last bridge and down local trail to Lamarche and then up to Otis Nature. Great stay at Otis with Melanie serving dinner and Ann on breakfast. 
Woke to 4-5” new snow still snowing at departure. 
 
Otis Nature to 367 then 367 it is. 4-5” new snow. Snowing and sticky on face shield. But love to see snow stick all you want. Blowing open trail. Furtber down and further west less new snow, but still flurries and new lube 1-2” into TQ93 at St Monique 367 has been stellar. 93 is so so but this new snow albeit not alot is sweet. 93 mostly great. Can tell it’s getting the use its blue. TQ93 to 367 through Peribonka . Thinner but good to go here. Ripping fast. Back to a nice TQ93 through Dolbeau, then left turn local Orange the St Felicien express. Some so so but mostly good here across and still  nice on orange trail down and across ice back to 373 through relais Buttes. Too earky for us is 12:30 loop it we come back. Down 373 showing some areas of concern but nothing defcon 4. Then through St Felicien to local orange. Up to powerlines and through back to La Dore. Very nice holding up well. Then through gas to TQ93 and back to 373 to Relais Buttes. Lunch stop here. Feed bag disconnected. Then back up 373 to TQ93 to Local orange to Resto Chef. Sweet trails up here. Gas and necessities at du Chef then bonzai. Orange out the back beautiful ride to TQ93 which is holding up beautifully, left turn and 8 miles to our private oasis at Pouvoirie La Dore. We love it here. Super folks. 8 miles in fresh groomed for our arrival.
 
Warmer today no doubt. We will manage it is what it is. 

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Awesomeness here at Pouvoirie La Dore. 
Stephane taking me in the morning to show me route back to La Dore using the Branche West orange trail. 
 
plus a tour of the property here. Great people. 

Day 4, Left Pabos, took 5 West and trails are still pretty nice. Not great snow depth but the clubs have done a great job with what they have. Trails were all in pretty good shape until New Richmond. Really thin there and some bare corners but not terrible. Same for Carleton, mostly smooth but thin. The thinnest sections and most bare spots were around Nouvelle. Definitely spring conditions there. The snow started getting better and less bare spots and snirt as we headed West. In PALC tonight.

Well if NoHair is round....
http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2024_02/image.png.4b5bf13c43aef865a447bf015112f14e.png
He'll get a new Hat!
GutZ

Day 5. Today we started our way back to our starting point. It’s going to take four days and another 720 miles to get back. Woke up to 5° below zero and finished the day 25° with sunshine all day. We took a beautiful side trail today to add another 15 miles to the ride so it was 190 miles today. 

Today seemed to stay below the freezing mark making a nice ride today with lots of sunshine. Getting out of town is getting somewhat bad but still doable. Few miles out and things change drastically for the better. I am guessing there are some loops I won't try as those close to the St. Lawrence may or may not be good. And trails around Club Hiboux showed closed. Just sticking to the southerly trails where I know its really nice.
 

Day 3, left Grand Vallee and backtracked on 5 to 597 down to Murdochville. Trails in really nice shape! This part of the Gaspe wins for the most snow award. Lunch in Murdochville then continue down 597 and Piston Alley, all groomed up nicely to 5 again.

I was thinking about Lac Moreau, I had forgotten about Trout lake.  They were kinda ball busters too, but it was a sweet place.
Funny story.  About ten years ago we stopped and ate there not knowing they mostly cater to reservations with full package only, so it wasn’t cheap and the food was pretty bad.  As we left I asked about gas.  It was waaaaayyyyy over priced, and I mentioned it, but needed it so we paid….So off we go back to the trucks.  Long story short we went the wrong way for about an hour before realizing the mistake we had made.  So we ended up back at his gas pump for another round a couple hours latter.  The guy laughed a little when he said that I liked his gas so much I came back for more…lesson learned, never run your lips to the guy with the gas, no matter how bad he gouges you.

Here the  a music video of this ride.
I made a test on this one and film/process the whole video in 2k 30fps in place of 1080p 60fps, seems to improve the quality a bit on the net.
So crank up the sound and the quality to 2k and enjoy the ride 🍿🍿🍿
 

Good morning Lamarche
 

Today rode West on 83 to Auberge Presbytere for breakfast.  83 West was awesome.  Spent the day just riding 83, 23 and especially 383.  Stopped at Relais La Genouille, pretty good sled club. All trials awesome.  Unfortunately, when we got back to the Dela it was 35 degrees.  Snow getting soft and bare spots worse, Calling for rain on Friday.  Not sure I'd rec coming up this weekend.  Was 4 days riding worth 2000 miles drive from Pittsburgh?  YES.  Heading home tomorrow.

Looks like you chose the right area to ride.  I should have listened to you and come up. Have fun.   But don't break down, those Alibiti wolves are hungry this time of year.
mike
 

Day 1: today went from Amos up to Matagami total miles 253. Great trails the whole way fast running made the miles go by very quickly. Had lunch up there at a nice little restaurant. Met a couple from Ontario heading up to Matagami as well so we all rode up together got to love the snowmobiling community! 

Day 2 Tuesday 
 
Woke to beautiful cold morning after awesome night at Pouvoirie La Dore. Great stay had great conversation with Owner Stephane super nice guy. Big chalet with four bedrooms nice fun. Terrain here is big i think their territory stretches 20 miles. 18 chalets and big fishing and hunting for bear, moose and caribou. Lake trout and brook trout. 8 miles out trail to TQ93 trail groomed into pouvoirie with small drag but real good. TQ93 has been groomed north he has not returned south. It’s beautiful all the way to local trail to Resto du Chef.  Saw 2 sleds north bound direction Chibougamau. Been very little traffic few here and there but very spread out. 
 
Bingo that is the plan. Good old fashioned trail bingo. Here in the honey hole. I got all day to go nowhere. Destination St Felicien tonight and we will be in the vincinty all day. 
 
And now please stand by for a
Public service announcement. 
 
Everyone please continue to circulate only on the Blue federal trails as you are now. 
We thank you all for you continued cooperation in helping us enjoy the other trails privately without undue, unnecessary, excessive traffic. Thank you for the support. 
 
 
Say it with me or even better sing it out loud.  B I N G O……B I N G O 
 
Up down over back up down over up back around all that. And is awesome. 
One after the other  
Please sir may i have another? Yes you can. 
 
Late lunch Resto du Chef then then another 80 miles into hotel the BINGO way. 
 
Saw Mother Lynx with kitten. On TQ93 west of Lac a Jim. Leisurely strolling together right off side of trail. 
 
We will keep on going. One day at a time. Headed for Otis Nature via 373 and some bonus honey hole action. 
 
Well oiled machine here. Great bunch of riders. 
 
206 miles of
8/10 to 10/10 all damn day (r.i.p. Big) 
 
Corral full and overflowing here at Du Jardin. Hotel full tonight. 
Ordered dinner from Restaurant Mikes. 
 

 
 

2 hours & 40 min. for me to Temiscamingue-drove there for a one dayer once to break in new motoneige-150 mi. + lunch & drove home!

Figured I’d post on here in case anyone wants to follow along or is curious of conditions. Trucked up from PA up to Amos at the Amosphere 14hr run but bluebird day made travel easy. Pretty good amount of snow here considering how crappy a year it is grooming map shows lots of activity, so should be some excellent riding. Just doing day trips and big loops each day from Amos might head to Mattagami tomorrow will post report and pics. 

Have a great ride. It is what it is this year you will get into it. Its not all bad. Enjoy!

Day 2: Left Riotel FYI don’t have to go up the big hill. Go closer to the road around the back of the little brown building and it will take you right up to the road. Everything dry pavement in town, got up to the trail and took 5 East. Mix of good to fair with a few great sections mixed in. The most snow is in the elevations, all the towns are scratchy like late March. First 30 miles from Matane is pretty thin. Staying in Grand Vallee tonight. The deepest snow of the trip is out here, probably from Mont Louis to here. Calling for a warm up Thursday-Friday, we will see