revct1

We need some company Joe. The trails are waiting for you. Jack & Sandi

A couple of pictures of the front of the Universal's restaurant from the outside. Looks like all new glass and probably all new interior if it is going to take the contractors until April to finish.

We arrive at the road crossing to Club Explorateurs. Oh where do I cross? I remember this was changed last year. I see the trail across the road. I get halfway across the road and realize there is a ditch in front of me. Hold up Sandi. I goofed. What else is new. I look to my left and I see the trail crossing a few hundred feet up there. I spin around and get bak with Sandi and see the sign for 35 east. I guess I wasn't observant enough. Cross the road and a short loop to the club house. Two other sleds are just leaving going down the railbed on 35 towards Pohenegamook. Those are the first two sleds we have seen today. The clubhouse is closed. The sign on the door only says "Cash Only". I don't see any hours posted. Maybe there are only open on weekends? Sandi is still having me lead. I don't mind. We head east on 526. This has a sled track or two on it. A little ripple to the surface underneath. I am not complaining. We have been on super trails all day. We get to local 40 and remember this had a little sand and is used by the logging trucks this year. To our left is 526 and no one has been on it today. Not a tough choice. We turn left and we are off. Instead of taking the connector to 5, we stay on 526. This used to be a narrow trail and a little cranky but has been opened up for logging maybe last summer but it isn't plowed or sanded. Just a perfect Quebec trail. We get to 85 and turn left. Now this has had some traffic but is just as smooth as everything else. A joyous ride back to the Universal. We gas up the sleds at the Petro Can next door. We like to fill up the sleds the night before. What a wonderful ride. I am so glad we decided to come up this week and not cancel. There are some trails that are thin but there are other trails that are fantastic. Sit back and enjoy the ride. If you are thinking about coming up, you won't be disappointed. Just realize that you may hit a bad trail but the good trails are phenomenal. Jack & Sandi

I can't believe we have never stopped here in all of the years we have been by St Bruno. We always would stop in Mt Carmel to fuel up but that was just a gas station. Which way should we go Sandi? This is turning out to be incredible riding. We head back on 5 east a few miles and at Club Belles Pistes du Rocher Blanc we go behind the clubhouse and take 557 south. I look at the groomer parked on the side of the clubhouse. What a pretty sight. He was out all last night according to the map this morning. A few tracks on the trail now. Still smooth as glass. I'm wondering about trail 35. The grooming map has it listed as the club is not reporting. This could mean many things. I can't imagine the snow is too thin after what we have been riding on. I don't think it would be closed. We pull up to the intersection and two sled tracks have turned left onto 35 and I don't see anything wrong other than it needs a couple of more sled tracks. Sandi, do you want to take the lead? No, go ahead. You might want to run that 850 a little. You don't have to tell me twice. I'm gone. The sign says 35 km to Club Explorateurs. That is 20 miles and it won't take long. Usually 35 has a little ripple in it from the traffic but with the map not showing it open or condition, no one has been on it. Thank you!

Here are few more pics.

Lets keep going on 5. Sandi asks me to lead. She is having a hard time seeing with the freezing rain. Me lead? OK I'll force myself. Whee! First one on the trail. 5 - 10 miles later, the freezing rain is letting up. This was the right choice. No one else on the trail and it is perfect. I don't feel the suspension moving even an inch it is so smooth. Wow! We get to the cutoff to St Bruno. It is staked and we turn left. Follow the stakes and signs. Parts of the trail are shared with ATVs. Easy enough to follow the trail. I see the little playground the trail goes thru. I remember this from last year when I was here with Joe JAK. Yep, there it is, the little everything store. St Bruno isn't very big and this is probably the only store for miles. It is a gas station, convenience store, post office, mini deli, beer and wine and anything else you can think of. The ladies are very nice but not much English. That is OK. We can muddle our way thru the language. Time to relax and have a bit to eat.

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Hey Sandi. A little bit of snow last night. That will help the trails. http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0580.thumb.JPG.5f0541f939d52c55e2436d834f71a76e.JPG I don't want to go on 5 east. That was too thin coming back yesterday. I'm up for a run west towards St Bruno. 5 shows groomed in that section. On the sleds and and down trail 526. There is a little freezing rain in the air. Scratch scratch on the shield to clean it off. This isn't starting good. Right onto 5 and in the open area before Club Aventuriers it is thin. I can see the snirt just below the new snowfall. After the club we turn right on 5. It is so smooth under the new fluff. I realize there isn't a sled track in front of Sandi. Oh this is nice. Thru St Antonin and down the trail. I remember when we first started coming up to RDL, these trees were only a few feet tall. They will be harvested before too long. Scratch scratch on the shields keeping them clean. We get to the junction with the little connector to the left to 526. Should we continue straight or turn left and head south? http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0581.thumb.JPG.b875a81c4eac5e8d60cfc48999852982.JPG Or south? http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0582.thumb.JPG.31613c90929d1049558059796b249625.JPG Either way looks great. Lets continue straight on 5.

Hi Mike. My trade-in was a 2020 so this one is an upgrade in suspension. I do notice the ride is a little flatter and feels a little better. Not that the 2020 was bad but this one is better. I sense the bumps under the sled put they don't transfer up to my body as much. I think back to 2003 when the Rev first came out and how transforming it was. Now each generation gets better. It is amazing how far the suspensions have evolved. And I'm sure the other manufacturers are just as good with their advances. I'm not one to put one manufacturer over another. It is all snowmobiling to me. Jack & Sandi

When we were many years younger, every trip was a one week saddlebag trip. The truck would be left at Valcourt or Motel Bernieres in St Nicholas (Levis). We would ride out to Rimouski or Matane and circle back. On the north side of the St Lawrence we would ride out of St Raymond. Does anybody remember Hotel de Collene? I may have misspelt the name. From there we would Tour du Lac St Jean. Our other route was from St Agatha and saddlebag to Abitibi. Many miles and many memories. Now we are more content with day trips and being near the truck. Maybe there is an overnight trip in our future still. Jack & Sandi

I couldn't agree with you more. The bar here at Universal has a supply of that red wine that Mike drinks.

I'm trying pictures again. I only took pictures of the good trails. http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0578.thumb.JPG.c9c4d4bb8b9cb40330a6f12a5b1d80f9.JPG http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0577.thumb.JPG.7ce235d0d1ca6196d8c0fc96cc704b31.JPG http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0576.thumb.JPG.b60ea2866d9d1fcf6f6d90abb9ffed67.JPG http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0575.thumb.JPG.b4045bf3018d7e83308846e56e496891.JPG http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0574.thumb.JPG.0e97149c96fdac27699a1b881e546a4e.JPG http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0579.thumb.JPG.f08c927b04d4483108cc75853af3a6af.JPG Jack & Sandi

Looking good Oilman. I hope your girlfriend has a great time. Riding with the guys is fun but sharing it with you partner is better. Jack & Sandi

Hi Mike. I'm typing as fast as I can. We miss you up here. Hi George. He apparently wasn't the one that hit the Mega Millions. Maybe he will surprise us and show up. RDL needs its mayor back in town. Hi Bobler. The season is finally looking a little better. I hope the snow stays and gets deeper. A lot of riders out there just itching to get some miles under them. Jack & Sandi

We get to the next intersection with local trail 40. Lets take 40 Sandi. I don't know if I want to go to the right on 526 towards Lac Phoenegamook. I know it won't be frozen yet. Sandi turns left and this is great for a mile and then it has been plowed. Not scraped to the bottom but plowed. Maybe logging? Sandi is running along and oops, here comes an empty logging truck. We pull over and let the truck go by. There is a little sand on the hills but very passable. We get to the intersection with 544. Hmm? To the left is where the logging trucks are traveling. To the right is 544 but it is not groomed. Go left Sandi. It isn't too far to 85. In just a little way and the trail splits with the logging road and runs parallel with it. This doesn't have a track on it and it was groomed last night. So sweet it is! Sandi is running know. This is the best of the best. Oh by the way, so far we have only seen two other sleds. We get to 85 and turn right and then left onto 544. This is as good as it gets. Sandi is rolling know. Plenty of snow and a perfect trail. We turn right staying on 544 instead of taking local 44. So smooth and so good. We turn left onto 565. This has been broke but isn't as nice as what we were just on. We go down the big switchback into the valley below. I'm guessing the tractor has made a few passes but hasn't brought the drag with him because of the hills. Bumpy here. This is what I meant about such different conditions. We poke along 565. The fields are pretty wind blown and now there is some dirt showing thru. No more fun. Keep on trucking. We make our way along. Some parts are hard to even see the trail. We get to trail 5 and there is the groomer. He is heading on 565 the way we just came from. I guess he is going to make it good. We turn left on 5 and in a mile or so there are three sleds with workers putting in the red stakes. They are just opening up this section of 5. In the woods it is ok. In the fields it is not ok. The wind really blows the snow off of the fields. There are areas of dirt. Not what I was expecting after what we had up in the woods. We putt our way along on 5. At the intersection with 85 to turn right to RDL, the trail becomes better. Just a few miles makes a big difference in snow cover. The rest of the way into the Universal is good. Some thin spots but good. So overall, there is good riding here and not so good. I think we are going to stay up in the woods more and away from the valley along the St Lawrence. Tomorrow I think we may run down 85 towards Cabano and Degelis or maybe go towards St Pamphile. We will see what the groomer map shows in the morning. Whether you should come up or not is your choice. I think there is enough good riding around RDL but expect to run into a few bad areas too. The forecast is for good temps but not much snow in the next seven days. The hotel is not full by any means. Breakfast is served in the conference room across from the bar. There was only one other table occupied when we ate this morning. Jack & Sandi

We are back and here is the "Report". Some very good and some very bad but keep reading. Sandi, lets take the local trail 40 that runs along the side of auto route 20. It was groomed yesterday and should still be good. Thru the gas station next door and we cross 20 on the auto route bridge. I don't like going thru those two little tunnels under the highway. The groomer has been here and the trail is ok. A little bumpy in the dips because there isn't really enough snow to fill in all of the low spots. Sandi is running along warming up the sleds and us. In the fields there is some minor drifting and in the woods it is quite nice. Mild today. It is 20F. We pick up trail 559 and this is good too. At St Helene, the trail isn't as good going thru town. It is still in the same place but it has been blown in and it is windy today. I take the lead working thru town. Just as we leave town, there is a sign pointing straight for Club Les Loups but the stakes go to my right. I'll follow the sign even thought the trail hasn't been groomed and there is only one sled mark on it. Oh I probably shouldn't have done this. A little way in and I stop to talk with Sandi. There is a little freezing rain and Sandi doesn't like this trail breaking thing. She isn't happy. It is a little narrow to turn around here. We go a little further and come to a groomed trail. We turn right and a couple hundred feet we are back on 559. My mistake. I should have followed the red stakes. OK Sandi, you take lead. A few miles up the trail and we are at the club house. It is closed. Sandi turns left on trail 5. A few miles in and we cross a road. The groomer turned around here. This is nice. Only one sled track in front of Sandi and the trail is perfect. Sandi is off. The freezing rain has stopped and there is light snow falling. This is what I've been dreaming about all summer. Keep going Sandi. This is great. We stop at the intersection where 561 heads south to 35. 561 looks good but 5 is perfect. Sandi stays on 5 and she is running. 10 miles later and we are at the little connector to our right that hooks up with 526. Yea lets take that. 526 is perfect. ♬ Over the hills and thru the woods to grandmother's house we go. ♬ I'm in heaven!

Thanks Tom. This looks a lot better than Christmas.

Thanks Mark. The groomers have been out and the forecast is below freezing all week. A few cm of snow is forecast for tonight. The grooming map shows two areas that aren't reporting. One going down 85 toward Degelis and the other towards St Pamphile. I can't imagine the two railbeds not being groomed. Maybe the beacons were turned off in the groomers. Sandi and I will be the boots on the ground or should I say the tracks on the trails! 😁 We will report back tonight. Jack & Sandi

Hi Oilman, It looks like you will have a good ride. The groomers have been out. Jack & Sandi

We are back from supper. You can't charge the meal to the room. Bring your credit card so you don't have to walk all the way back to your room. Jack

Hi Everyone, Quick update here. Like I said above, there is snow. From when we crossed the border, thru the Eastern Townships and all the way to RDL, there is snow on the ground. It may have been a little deeper around Levis than here at RDL. The trails we could see from auto route 20 looked passable and most were groomed. There is a foot or so here at the Universal and the snow depth map shows more depth in the mountains. There is only one other trailer in the lock up besides ours. The restaurant is under renovation but you may eat at the bar. Sandi and I are going there shortly for a nice meal. That sandwich on the ride up is long gone and I have to replenish the cavern. We will report back. Jack & Sandi http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2023_01/IMG_0573.thumb.JPG.2ec64261f2bfee7e99600aca68fd17f1.JPG

Hi BigLake, Sandi and I just pulled in to the Universal tonight. The conditions look good and the front desk said the riding is good. It isn't as deep as it normally is mid January but the map shows groomers were out last night. We're going to ride tomorrow. We will be at breakfast Tuesday morning around 7 am. Look for an "older couple". I have a grey beard and speak English! 😁 Jack & Sandi