zeusand

30 ft snow banks in the parking lot

True story:
The day of my 16th birthday I ran into the house waving my learner's permit at my oldest brother and said "LET'S GO DRIVING!"
He was home on leave from the Navy and tossed me the keys to a primer grey-blue government K-car from the couch.
I ran out to the curb and grabbed the car door handle and realized he was still inside on the couch.
I walked back inside and said "WHAT'S UP?!"
He said "I'M NOT GETTING IN A CAR WITH YOU! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!"
I'd mastered the 1-down-3-up on the dirt bikes by then, but I stank up the melty clutch on that 3-on-the-tree all over town that day!
Not relevant here, but true nonetheless!

Don't tell Hillary!

He lost a bet ... It's a pair of pink Granny panties strapped to the front of his sled 😁

Wow, thanks for posting the video Alain...
I remember years ago a buddy of mine tried doing that with the snowmobile to make the Moose move and it didn't even flinch, he backed up quick.

Wow, thanks for posting the video Alain...
I remember years ago a buddy of mine tried doing that with the snowmobile to make the Moose move and it didn't even flinch, he backed up quick.

Here is the best one courtesy of the club Lions de Senneterre

Translation:
you judge, bitch and run your lips.  Go put their shoes on and do better.  
 

I posted this in the French section earlier by mistake...
After a ton of normal pre trip work plus, passport renewals, Covid tests, and my son getting his drivers license 3 days before we left for RDL we ended up having a great trip afterall.
Left RDL Last Saturday and returned 7 days later with 1200 miles on the odometer.  Rode the north shore to Perce then up to Murdochville and over to La Cache with stops in Matane, Mt Louis, Cap Chat, Perce.  It was his first ride in QC and he loved it.  I have not been there since 2010 or so.
No breakdowns or mechanical issues added to the success of trip for sure.  The only issue was the VERY pesky moose near La Cache.  I took us 2 hours to get by her.  We were already running late and this just added to a very long day.   We were about to give up and wait it out in one of the warming huts but the groomer came by and she decided to turn and run back the other way.  Fortunately no one was kicked as 6 sleds were stacked up waiting to pass by this time.
I give him a ton of credit for doing so well.  He rode a 17 year old Renegade all day everyday and LOVED it.   If any of you ride with your kids get some communicators, they are invaluable for warning for traffic, hazards, or just chatting about the scenery.

Fantastic report as usual Alain!!

It’s too bad they couldn’t make all trails like this, that way you would not have to imagine the yellow line.  I have heard some say they don’t like the snow median, I figure it’s because they can’t hog the middle.
 

I'm getting ready to go riding in Quebec in a week...and even after all these years in the saddle...I have benefited from all the posts in this dialogue...it's hard to read and look at all these pictures, but also refreshing to understand how much we all can, and will benefit from the reminder  of our responsibility to each other while on the trail. I think everyone on here understands that, I really appreciate everyone's input here, a lot of great perspectives  on reality.

I've introduced LOTS of Newbies to sledding Quebec over the past 22 years (I know, I'm a Newbie to some of you), and showing these horrible threads to any that we bring to the sport we love can be an important part of orientation.
Most popular Newbie question: "How fast do these things go?"...
My answer: "The only thing that can f#ck you up on these is too much speed, and we build it up quickly. So your pace should be determined by your ability to safely keep on your side of the imaginary double-yellow line.  Especially in turns, and that goes double for left turns, so shed your speed before the turns, and many come up quickly, then be on the lookout for yahoos who didn't have this chat today"  
Then like it's been said here, the lead duck sets the pace, on smart speed and keep-right tracking. Thanks again to all here who are excellent lead ducks.  Doesn't guarantee surviving, but hopefully increases the odds.

Raising generations of kids who respect themselves is hard enough for me to imagine (without offspring of our own), but burying them because of someone else's disrespect is impossible for me to get my brain around. 
Fortunately this forum attracts folks who take the 2 words "Keep Right" to heart in more ways than one. Keeping our sh*t on our side of the "double-yellow" is just table stakes.  Thanks all for keeping right on and off the trail.
 

Fantastic report as usual Alain!!

We woke up this morning to heavy snow at Windigo. It looked like 6 inches or so on the sleds and snowing heavy. We decided to take the shortcut across the lake and meet up with the 73. I would say north of La Tuque there was 8-10 inches of new snow from the night, and the temperature was around 15F. 
As we got to La Tuque the snow changed to freezing rain, and then drizzle but there was still a fresh 6+ inches on the trail. Temp up to 25F.
By the time we got to Mattawin it was only just spitting rain and up to 32F.  They still have a lot of snow and the fresh 6 inches is going to help them when it gets cold again. The trails on the way down were really really nice, and the traffic was very light. I think people have already started moving into their summer programs.
Good for us because there still a lot of snow in the north. 57F here at home, the fat lady has sung,
 

Arrived at Windigo early actually after 185 miles of off trail from Saint Felician.  Stellar day today with bright blue skies and the temperatures that got up to 25F. So much snow, maybe the most I remember in doing these type of things.
In the middle of the bush we met three Canadian guys coming from their camp. They asked where we were going and we told them Windigo. They said you can’t get there from here I said oh yes we can.  Often the locals know their own little areas but they don’t venture out to far. He invited us to go visit him at his camp in the future, I know exactly where it is so maybe we will on our next trip through. Everyone is so friendly even in the bush. His team was on 24 inch expedition SWT‘s, they are on go anywhere sleds for sure. He is disabled and had a cane strapped to the back of his sled after a recent hip replacement, everyone can stop the whining now on why they can’t get out!
We also met a guy out on the rivers with his buddies that is a paraplegic, he is riding a modified free ride sled with his buddies, going everywhere they can go. Super nice guy very helpful, it was an honor to meet him on his local back trails.
We did ride a little bit of the 83 coming into relay 22, but then rode off trail all the way into Windigo using some of the Park Roads, the rivers and the Lakes, everything is in really good condition!
Relay 22 was rocking for the few minutes we got to hang out there, Sophie, Caroline, and Carrie Ann are there to welcome everybody and are very good hostesses.
Most old guys in this group ranging from 53-62.
There are two other Vermonters here tonight from Barrie that rode we the trail from Chibougamau , 310 miles one way. 
It’s an easy day tomorrow back to the truck though we have to decide do we go across the lake and rivers or just stick on the trail, we will decide that at breakfast I think.
we did get to see some wildlife today, no wolves but we did feed the gray jays out of our hands. We also saw a snowshoe rabbit hopping through the woods happy as can be, and another one being dragged flopping around by an owl, I think that poor dude was done.
 
 

We are just back from our sled week therapy in Gaspesia: sled/eat/sleep...&repeat 😄

I don't have the time to put together a big report but this will be a pretty good summary of how it goes:
This 6-day/1000 miles ride in known territory for us (5th time) went well and even if it was a bit cold/windy, we had no snow storms or mechanical breakdowns, which gave us a very nice easy trip

However the current context have changed the planning requirements from the past years: I have never seen so many snowmobilers in Gaspesia and the accommodation offer is probably a little less than usual... anyway all the places where we stayed were already booked full when we arrived. We booked our overnight stays 2 or 3 days in advance and the only shot we delayed at the night before for New Richmond, the 2 hotels there were already full and we had to extend our trip to Carleton sur Mer where we booked the last room. So you really have to book sooner this year

Day#1 Mont-Joli/Cap-Chat passing by St-Pierre mountain total 176 miles.

Here's the St-Pierre mountain belvedere under a very cloudy sky


We had a lunch in Amqui and slept at the Auberge Grande Nature in Cap-Chat, just at the foot of the Chic-Chocs.


Day#2 Cap-Chat/Grande Vallée via trail#5 total 148 miles

It was a cold and very windy day. There has been a lot of logging between Cap-Chat and La Martre since our last visit in 2018, so the wind is even stronger on the trails.


The cold has overcome my gopro (external power wire broken) and unfortunately I could hardly shoot while riding during the trip. I was deceived because I was hoping to capture the very panoramic segment of Rivière à Claude/Mont St-Pierre/Mt-Louis, but that will be for another time...



We tried to have a lunch at the Mont St-Pierre motel restaurant which was the only one open but it was full with people waiting standing for a table so we continued and found a woody spot sheltered from the wind for a side trail snack break instead. A couple of hours later, we were able to take a real break in an heated place at the marvelous relay of the Snowmobile Club rapide blanc. Large and well equipped with even a toilet for the lady who greatly appreciated this luxury!



We stayed at the Marée Haute motel in Grande Vallée. Even the motel looks basic the food was a notch over the bunch at that place



Day#3 Grande Vallée/Percé by #597 trail  Murdochville total 200miles

So we retraced our steps on #5 trail to get the #597 and go down to Murdochville


We had this surprised encounter there! They took the wrong entrance when they left the gas station after filling up and got stuck there solid...hope no one had need an ambulance in the next hour!



It was too early to lunch there so we picked up some food at the convenience store and went to eat at the junction #597/local trail that join #5 trail to the east. Very nice fast ride pleasant to do
We had some visitors for lunch: Several small black-capped chickadees came to beg us for lunch

It was the first time those ones came to eat in our hands. We are well used to the gray jays and there were also some there who did not hesitate to claim their food too


We went down to the #5 trail and then to Barachois to refuel and admire the rear view of the perce rock which is less common to see and I like much


We then took back #5 trail, crossed the small detour near the emerald river (not so bad) and continued to take the local trail for Percé... the trail of the shame as some call it: 12 miles of big bump to do twice is the penalty to be able to admire the rock!




Being already there we reach on the mountain behind, I like well the different views of the rock, including this one



We stayed at Camp de base in Percé. We had to follow a non-federated trail to get there but it was pretty easy with the instruction given and imotoneige and the stay there was nice in this historic and unusual place

Day#4 Percé/Carleton sur Mer via trail #5 total 178 miles

We took #5 trail which we held the whole day. As I mentioned a lot of sledders in the Gaspesia right now so the trails wear out faster and we encounter good and less good trail conditions and this time our morning unfortunately was quite rough. Here the Grande Rivière bridge


Here the Chandler snowmobile tourist information relay



We slept at the Baie-Bleu hotel in Carleton sur Mer


Day#5 Carleton sur Mer/Cap-Chat via trail #595 total 181 miles

We retraced our steps on #5 trail and took trail #595 to the north. This time we got top notch conditions, trail just groomed during the night. The "moment" of the trip followed with a brief round trip exploration on Mount Lyall located on the Chics-Chocs trail, 6 miles from #595.




We have been there several times but never seen the place like this: mommies as far as the eye can see!




Going back down to the #5trail we saw some impressive snowdrift



We then stopped to refuel at La Cache which was pretty crowed. We waited for the gas but no way I would wait for a lunch there. We just continued on #595 and stopped in a not too windy spot for an outdoor snack... we begin to be used to this!

We then went back down to #5 trail. Kristine was anxious to encounter the famous moose that we saw on video beating up a sledder but we had not seen it. We then turned right towards Cap-Chat again but this time to stay at the Motel Nanook


Day #6 Cap-Chat/Mont-Joli via trail #5+locals total 162 miles
We left on trail #5 trail to return to Mont-Joli. Here the footbridge of Cap-Chat that many will recognize...



We did a short round trip on the local trail to Les Méchins to shape up the ride a bit and then came back west on #5 trail. We stopped for lunch and a last fuel-up in Matane and then  continued on #5. It was another very windy day and the wind there is really strong!

 
We arrived early near Mont-Joli and we went around the town a bit via local trails to shape up the ride a little more again. Just before arriving we passed this dozer



We finally got back to our starting point around 3:45 pm with a total of 1046 easy miles for the 6 days.
Also, we slept twice in Mont-Joli. Before our first sledding day and on the last day at mon Joli motel and the Quality Inn hotel. I would like to point out that Mon Joli Motel offers a free parking for the week and breakdown service in the event of a problem on the ride. You leave them your truck keys and in the event of a problem they can come and pick you up with your own vehicle, which can be extremely nice in the event of a problem along the trip and it brings appreciable peace of mind even you don't need it.
This concludes my 2022 Gaspesia trip report

Sorry we didn't cross paths @ Drakkar.
What route did you take thru Gaspe?
Sure beats trailering when one has the time!

Awesome, have a great trip! Looks like we're just missing each other by a day. Not sure if we're going clockwise or counterclockwise, all depends on the weather.

Hey Jay, that looks like a great route, we're coming up on the 11th... What hotels are you staying at?

Just hide it good. They are illegal in Quebec.

We just finished riding from Shawinigan to Gaspe, not one trail check the whole trip. Guess I better invest in a radar detector!  

I do it like you do. Have had my share of idiots give me the wrong vibes and I stop before the next corner just to watch the shit show take the turn. I applaud as they pass mixed in with some sarcastic thumbs up 👍. 
Sad to say but it’s more and more like Russian roulette each day. Alot of amateurs and those who have been riding the middle for years and will never change. 
But at least they give the hand signals. 

Awesome, have a great trip! Looks like we're just missing each other by a day. Not sure if we're going clockwise or counterclockwise, all depends on the weather.