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I don't have the "Add" option. I'm on a laptop. Are you on a phone? Thanks, Jack http://quebecrider.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2022_02/image.thumb.png.edc93c49d7cab209fb9fde64ca77c685.png

Help! How do I get the pictures to appear in the text and not just the link? Jack

I can't get the groomer part of the map to open up. The map and trails are showing but the groomer option under the snowflake isn't there. We will just have to wing it today. Boy is it warm this morning,-6C. After being at RDL with temperatures -20C -25C, this feels like spring time. OK Sandi, let's go across the two dams and see what looks good. Off we go along with Joe JAK. The trail is good so far. The dams are bumpy but that is expected. The groomer isn't going to fit here. After the second dam, Sandi goes to the left on 367. Nice. Sandi is moving right along. I guess the suspension changes Joe and I made last trip she is liking. A little lean in the corners and off she is in the straights. OK, no sleeping today. Thru the scrubby pines and we are at Le Geant Trailer. Sandi stops at the junction with 93 to the left and 367 and 93 straight ahead at St Ambroise. I get off my sled and walk up to Sandi to see which way she wants to go. She gives me a big hug and says "I like the sled! It handles better than the previous one did and that one was great." That was unexpected and nice. Both ways were groomed. We are heading towards the old Scooby Raid so, let's go straight. I don't have to tell Sandi twice. Up 93 and the first long straight is open but the section going thru the field with the big irrigation wheels is closed. The detour is off to our right and it makes a big loop around the field and we end up just before the junction with 328 that goes to begin. Sandi stays straight on 367. With a little powder on the trail, Sandi is on her way and Joe and I are in the snow dust. As we get further up 367, there has been some logging going on. The trail is easy enough to follow. Just after the junction with the trail that goes to Lamarche, 367 crosses the road. about a 1/4 mile in, detour. The new trail turns right. This is where it ran a few years back. Down along the side of the road. Another change. Hmm? The trail used to turn left and go up a very steep incline. Now it stays straight and drops down on Lac Tchitogama. Interesting. Staked but not groomed obviously. The trail runs the lac for awhile and then pops up at Scooby Raid which is now called Otis Nature. Now you see why I haven't purchased a smart phone before. I don't know which way is up! Sandi not standing on her head. One picture good and one not so good. There is only one other sled in the parking lot. It is so quiet in Quebec this year. Inside and we have a light lunch. The relais is pretty much the same as it was. One of the waitresses is still there. Sorry, I don't know her name but she remembered us. I'm hoping that is a good thing! 🙄 (To be continued. Time to eat...) Jack & Sandi

Thanks. Its nice to know there is a camera on the enclosure. I didn't see one but the cameras aren't very big. Jack

We are back at Lac St Jean. Sandi and I drove up today. At the border, I've got everything under control. A few questions by the agent and at the end of the conversation, he hands us our two "random" covid tests. Oh, I thought Sandi was going to be my lucky charm. Wrong! Thank you to the agent. I hand the tests to Sandi and tell her "Not a big deal." I've been here before." Was it our covid test in Connecticut that was just at the 72 hour mark that triggered the random test or could it be that we were asked "Whom are we meeting in Quebec?" I answered "A couple of other snowmobilers from the States." Nay. It must be a random test. I just happen to be the lucky one that got randomized two times in a row. The rest of the drive was fine. A little black ice north of L'Etape in a snow squall but that was OK. So we are at the Delta this trip. We did the covid test and will leave it at the front desk for Purolator to pick up in the morning. We are going to be here for the week. A few other QR people are here but you know that if you have been following the posts. The Delta doesn't have a lock up for the trucks but there is an area set aside for the sleds. For you that have been here, behind the Delta and behind the old pool area that we used to park the sleds in, there is a nook in the parking lot where the hallway is that goes to the mall. In that nook, the Delta put up a chicken wire enclosure that will fit 30 sleds or so. Not real secure but better than nothing. I didn't see a camera anywhere. So good night to all. Jack & Sandi

Taking the random test wasn't very difficult. Thirty minutes the night I arrived and then I left the sample at the front desk of the hotel the next morning. That was Jan 23rd. I haven't received the results from the test yet. Now I'm back in Connecticut. I don't mind the test if it means I can snowmobile in Quebec. Just another hoop to jump thru. I'm getting pretty good at this. ☺️ Regarding the covid test we get in the States before we go up, I just had one this morning at 10:15 am and the results were e-mailed to me 11:15 am. One hour turn around. Pretty good. That is Walgreen's NAAT test here in Enfield. Jack & Sandi

Jack the dinosaur likes to print the ArivCan confirmation. I fill out the form for the trip with Sandi as my traveler and get the confirmation at the end and print it. I like the paper copy in my hand. It comes up on the computer at Customs so I haven't had to show it to them but I like having it just in case. Talk about stressful. After I was turned away back in November because I didn't complete ArrivCan, I was a little nervous the next time. But each time has gotten better and now it is just another thing to do before crossing. I had the random test from Customs last Sunday. I did the online nose swab and left the kit at the front desk of the Universal. I was told I would receive an e-mail with the test results in 3-4 days. I'm back in Connecticut and it is a week later. I haven't seen the test results yet. Hmm? If I receive a positive test, would I have to go back to RDL and quarantine for 14 days? I hope the trails are still great! Jack & Sandi

Remember to have your mask on before you get to Customs. They frown upon it if you pull up to the window without the mask. Have a great trip. Jack & Sandi

Hi Gary & Pat, Joe and I are packed up and getting ready to hit the road. It should be a nice drive home from here to the bottom of Vermont. That is where we should start seeing the snow from the Nor'easter that is off the coast. By then it is only an hour more for me, half hour for Joe. We will see you on the 7th. Jack & Sandi

This covid thing has affected everyone and every business. None of us could have imagined this a couple of years ago. If covid ever quiets down, maybe the vaccination mandate will pass. Jack & Sandi

Good report and pics Mark. That loop is a nice speedy ride. Thanks for sharing. The clubs really have their work cut out for them when they lose permission and have to re-route. It is amazing the work they do behind the scenes. Jack & Sandi

I have to make one more comment. Not on this ride but what I just observed. I'm watching TV in my hotel room. A worker from Universal just left work. Not unusual. It is -17C, 1F. Not unusual. He wasn't driving a car. He was leaving on his bicycle. That is unusual for me to see. I don't think I would see that in Connecticut! Jack

The last ride for this trip. Joe and I head east on 5. It is snowing and blowing a little. Joe is in a white out back there. Once the fluffy snow gets airborne, it is tough to see. If it keeps up, we may make a short day and start packing for the trip home. At Trois Pistolets, we have a little discussion. It looks like the sun is starting to come out. Maybe it will get better up in elevation. A few miles on 5 and we branch off onto 571. A few nice straightaways here. The fresh fluff covered up any previous tracks. The sleds are still kicking up the snow but it has stopped falling from the sky. Looks like we can stick to our original plan. 571 here we come. Thru the fields, we go by St Rita and before we know it we are at the intersection with 35 in Squatec. 75 miles on the gas tank. We have plenty. No need to waste time running into Squatec. I haven't been on this end of 571 in a while. Some fields and some woods and then 571 gets on a road that is wide a smooth. All this was groomed last night. What a joy. Up in the mountain we see the plastic tubing going from maple tree to maple tree. The further south, the more prevalent the maple tree farms are. Yum! 😋 A few sleds approach us as we get closer to Degelis. The low traffic has been typical all season. It keeps the trails so nice. At 85 we turn right and head north. We still have enough fuel so it is up to Cabano. We take it easy thru the residential areas. Don't want to upset anyone and we have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. We pull into the Shell station in Cabano. Tim Horton's has the drive thru open but not the lobby by the looks of it. Tank up and grab a couple of candy bars. My cardiologist probably wouldn't like my choice for lunch. Back on 85 and we are rolling. A few more sleds approaching us. Once we are out of Cabano, no traffic. We decide to stay on 85 for the rest of the run. It is cold but it is quick. Back in RDL, there is no need to gas up today. The sleds are going in the trailer. Now we have time to pack and get ready for our morning departure. I may sound like a broken record, remember those flat pieces of vinyl, but this season has been the best riding in many years. It was posted that the restaurants are going to open to half capacity Monday. That may get some of you that are on the fence to come up here and ride. You won't be disappointed. Next trip starts Feb 7th at the Delta, Jonquiere. Sandi is feeling better and we hope to see some of you there. Jack & Sandi

Great report and pics David. Thanks. I hope people are listening. It is cold but the trails haven't been this good in a long time. Jack & Sandi

Joe and I are on the sleds and heading out of RDL down 85. We get to Relais Aventuriers and it looks like the groomer had just returned home. Only a couple of tracks on 85. Off we go. As nice as 85 is, I decide to take local 44. Not a mistake. This was groomed last night too. We get to 544 and this was also groomed. At 85 we turn right for a few miles and then a left staying on 544 heading towards Pohenegamook. When you think it can't get any better, a great groomer proves you wrong. This piece of 544, starting at 85 under the highway, doesn't have a mark on it and I don't mean just sled tracks. This groomer deserves a gold star. ⭐ A fresh groomed trail has some oatmeal on the top, some divots and some lumps. This trail looked like a paved interstate. Not an imperfection in it. Even where the drag overlapped on the return run is flush and smooth. No digging in the corners. Amazing! This guy takes pride in his work. Thank you. Quebec people like you keep us coming back. I was going to continue on 544 but, we turn right on local 40 because that is where the groomer went silly. Then 526 to Relais Explorateurs. It looks like this groomer was out last night too. We get on 35 west and not a track on it, fresh groomed. Now we can see how much fuel we can burn up. I hope my drive belt is up to this. Go, go, go! 20 miles of heaven and I see the sign for St Bruno to the right. That is where we are heading. We get on, what I think is 557 and oh, this wasn't groomed. Well it had to happen sooner or later. There's a half a foot of powder snow and only a few tracks on the trail. Odd! We putter along. I know trail 5 is just up ahead. This reminds me of what the trails were like many years ago. I see a stop sign up there and a closed gate? The tracks go around the gate and get back on a real trail. I look at the trail sign and it says 557. Now I know why it wasn't groomed. But why wasn't there a sign or gate at the other end? I think that may have been an ATV trail. No blue or red stakes but there were curve signs. We are on 557 now and we can say we did have one bad trail this week. Maybe it wasn't a bad trail. Maybe it was a bad choice by yours truly! 🙄 The rest of 557 is great and 5 to St Bruno is also great. This is the first time I have ever stopped at the gas station in St Bruno. I've always stopped at Mont Carmel but I think that old one is closed because the cul-de-sac trail is closed. If you need to stop, St Bruno is fine. It is 2 miles off trail 5 and they have a little kitchen at the back of the convenience store. A couple of tables to sit at when that is allowed. The local post office even has the post office boxes at one end of the store. Your little town general store. Groceries, mail, kitchen, tables I even saw e-tec oil. We decided to have a couple of cheeseburgers all dressed. Very good. A recommended stop if it fits in with your ride. Back on the trail we keep heading west on 5. Hiboux has a small fire pit outside with a couple of tables and chairs. A few snowmobilers taking advantage of the fine weather and good food. It is refreshing to see a relais open and making the best of a bad situation. We turn left on 553. This is a nice connector between 5 and 35. Left on 35 where we can let the ponies run. Everything has been groomed. We take the little connector to get back up to 5 and head east now. When we get to the junction with 559, we decide to take this down towards the river and then run this and then local 45 back to the Universal. What a fine day. Our thought is one more day of riding, Friday, and then we head back to the States. All the trails this week have been absolutely great. Jack

-22C this morning. This afternoon it is going to be -10C. Warm compared to what we have been in. We will take it. The forecast for the rest of the week has changed once again. Snow starting tomorrow, a few centimeters. Then the snow continues into Saturday and Saturday night. No accumulation listed for the weekend yet. The trails are really shaping up nicely. Hmm! Where do we go today? Around RDL was groomed of course and 35 / 5 towards St Pamphile. Some grooming around Trois Pistoles too. Not much activity in the Squatec area. Its all good still. With the cold the past few days and little traffic, I can't imagine the trails being nothing but stellar. Be safe everyone. Jack

It was another nice day of riding albeit cold. -22C when we left and it warmed up to -20C this afternoon. Not many sleds out on the trails. Today Joe and I leave the Universal and when we get to 85, I turn left, north, towards the SkiDoo dealer in RDL. I can tell Joe is thinking "Where is Jack going?" I stay on 85 winding around thru town then I turn right onto one of the local trails in the direction of Cacouna. This runs along the railbed and is nice. Flat, smooth and fluffy on top. Boy is the snow dust in the air. Sorry Joe. We get to the next intersection and turn right on 565. Now I'm all set. Nobody has been on this yet. I'm staying on 565 and it joins 5. We run for about 8 miles and then branch off to the right still staying on 565. We follow this until we hit 85. South on 85 for 10 miles and then right on 35. 85 is great but cold. 35 was groomed last night. Only a couple of sleds have been on it before us. Some nice stretches thru here. We stop at Relais Chevalier. Closed as expected. Four sleds pull in. The drivers are speaking French. Not many Americans up here. Next, we get to the junction with 561. Hmm? I've never headed south here towards New Brunswick. What do you think Joe? Its early, we got gas and nowhere special to go. The relais' aren't open (yet). OK. I turn left and about 10 miles in there is an intersection marked trail 550 to the left. The map shows it as a yellow unmarked cul-de-sac. 550 is further east by Packington. Does anybody know if this goes all the way thru to Packington? The map shows a 10-15 mile gap to trail 550. Today is not the day to try it. 5 miles later and we are at the border with New Brunswick! Ok. We accomplished what I wanted to do. U-turn and back up 561. We get on Lac Pohenegamook. Boy is it cold on the Lac. Half way up we cut left over to the Irving station. We go inside to warm up. They have sandwiches here, coffee, all kinds of goodies. We grab a sandwich and have lunch. Oh it feels good to be in a warm place. I miss the lunch stops. Back on the sleds and north on 561. On 565/35 for awhile. We pass Les Explorateurs and stay on 561 all the way where it runs with 5. North of that and just before St Alexandre, we turn right on the local trails and make our way over to St Antonin. A little while later and we are back at the Universal. A hot shower awaits. In a little early but that's OK on a cold day. We saw a couple of sleds early this morning and then a few more on 35 and 561. If the restaurants open up next week, even half capacity, I expect more sleds. The trails have a superb base to them and with the cold, have set up nicely. Unless there is a warm up, the trails will be fine for a long time. Until tomorrow, be safe. Jack

Thank you Alain and Kristine. Great report. Years ago we used to cross at Sorel and then the trail was closed for a few years. I think the club had trouble with permissions. It is good to see that access is open again. It is an inexpensive way to cross the river. Thanks again, Jack & Sandi

What a nice day. Joe and I left this morning with no big plan. Lets head east on 5. There was quite a bit of grooming last night. Sandi gave me the OK to take her sled, the new 2021 MXZ X 600. Remember we didn't ride at all last year. She wants me to soften it up. A few extra cheeseburgers helps to fatigue the springs a little. Off we go. Once again the trails are groomed and smooth. A little fluff from the overnight flurries. I've got Sandi's sled with the suspension set pretty soft. I notice its a little heavy in the handlebars. We get to the junction with trail 5 and I decide to put a little more pressure on the center shock to lighten up the front end. Off we go and it is better. This is starting to feel like her old MXZ. Riding along the front end does feel lighter. Of course the smooth trails makes the ride exceptional anyways. Joe and I swap sleds. I would like another opinion. Joe rides the MXZ from the former Relais Verte to Relias Trois Pistoles. A nice variety of trail from straight and fast to twists and turns in the woods. We stop at Relais Trois Pistoles. Joe gives his nod of approval. He said Sandi is lighter than him, yea, but her sled is good as is. We swap back and bail off of 5 and head down 571 towards Trois Pistoles. Another fresh groomed trail with an inch of fluff. Turn right on 518. FarmerOld was on this last week and said it was great! I haven't been on 518 in a long time. Boy I should take this more often. The less traveled path is sometimes the better one. Most people run 5. You got to get on some of the green and yellow trails once in awhile. They are many times the best kept local secrets. 518 is one of those secrets. It runs close to the river thru woods and farm land. Not much change in elevation but wonderful lefts and rights with a few camel backs. Lets run it Joe. The sky is clearing and it is warming up, -15 to -12C. The snow dust is in the air and we are moving. We get to St Eugene de Ladriere and there is a Crevier station. "How much gas you got Joe?" "About 3/4 of a tank. I'm good." A mile later and we are at trail 5 at Relais Moulin. I didn't realize how close this gas station was to 5. Remember that just in case. It looks like the relais is closed. I have an idea. I discuss it with Joe and he agrees. We turn right on 5 and start rolling. You can sure run the speed limit here on the power lines! 😁 I rarely see it this smooth. As Commander Cody would say about driving his hot rod Lincoln, "The telephone poles look like a picket fence!" My apologies to those of you that don't know that song. We get to Relais Trois Pistoles. "Joe, how are you doing on gas?" "Good. I can get 140-150 miles on a tank." "OK. We will have 140 miles at the next gas station." We continue on 5. A little over an hour later and we are at the gas station in RDL. Joe takes 34 liters and I take 32. Not a lot left in the tanks but we made it. We go to the Universal. Here is our lunch stop. Since the relais' are closed, we decided to go back to our rooms at the Universal for a lunch break. Something different heh. We both have a light lunch and watch a little TV. We are full, the snowmobiles are full and there is still plenty of daylight left. We are back on the sleds and heading west down local 45 that runs along the river and parallel to auto route 20. Another fine example of the yellow local trails that are superb. About 10 miles out and we get to the Shell station. Here you can cross over route 20 on the local auto road and hook up on trail 561 which we do. Once again, 561 does not disappoint. We run this to the merge with 5 and continue on. We turn right staying on 561. The trail just keeps getting better. We get to Relais Exploratuers and turn left onto 526. Stay straight on the local 44 to pick up 544. Like I said, these green and yellow trails can be the best. 544 takes us to 85 where we turn right for a couple of miles and then a left staying on 544. This is slightly longer than 85 but a different ride than the railbed. 544 breaks off to the right and we stay straight on local 44 to go back to 85 and ride it all the way back to the Universal. What a nice day. Forget about work and all those other things. Enjoy the ride! Tomorrow it is forecast to be cooler. A high of -19C. A few flurries falling out there now. More rigs in the lot too. Mostly Quebec and Ontario. I did see a couple of Massachusetts trucks. Until tomorrow, be safe and think about coming up here for some of the best riding in awhile. Jack

Thanks Jay. I sure hope that pans out. It would be so nice to take a lunch break during the day. Jack

Hi Jay, I'm at RDL this week. We will be going to the Delta Feb 7th for the week. Going to the Sag is the same as it has been. When we were there in Dec, the groomer hadn't made a pass at that time. Before we left, the groomer did come thru and filled in the gullies. Just follow the signs as in the past. The trail stops at the Sag. In past years it used to continue thru the back parking lots to Hotel Montagne. Have a good ride. The trails have been great this year and minimal traffic. Jack & Sandi

Hi Chris, I've only crossed on Rt 91 into Quebec. I would think it would be the same but maybe not. My test went to Laval near Montreal. Ontario would probably have a lab of their choice for processing. It would be interesting if you had an Ontario kit test positive but you were snowmobiling in Quebec. I'm sure Canada has an aswer. Cross wherever you normally would and let Canada figure it out. One last thing I forgot to mention. I asked Greg my test observer, What would happen if I just had my old flip phone? He said they have done the tests verbal only if that is all they have to work with. It is much easier with visual but they work with what they have. Jack

About the random border test. I got the random test kit at the border this trip. I was by myself. The Canadian border agent asked me a few more questions than usual and said I'm the lucky one, I get the random test. He gave me a box and said the info is inside. You need to perform the test within 24 hours. The agent was fine. No extra info from me because it is all in the computer from my passport and ArrivCan form. So when I arrived at the Universal in RDL Sunday 5 PM, I got on the Dynacare Covid testing border website. Keyed in info about me and the numbers on the test kit I was given. Then made an appointment which was in about 20 minutes, 6:30 pm that same night. The website listed me as "appointment pending". That sat on the screen until 7:00 pm. Then my appointment started. The first part of the appointment is automated with how to prep for the test. No surprises there. The test is the same as the NAAT or PCR test in the States. After I went thru the automated prep part, Greg came on the screen. It was kind of like a zoom call I guess. I haven't done these live things before. All of it was on my laptop. I'm told you can also do the test with your smart phone. So Greg, went over the procedure with me. The kit has the swab and test tube with the preservative liquid in it. You wash your hands first then swab each nostril with the tip in front of the computer. You put the swab in the test tube, break off the long end of the swab stick and close it up securely. The test tube is bagged in a zip lock "hazmat" marked bag and then that bag is placed in a courier pick up bag. My courier was Purolator. I don't know if Dynacare uses other couriers. I told Greg I was in a hotel and on vacation snowmobiling. I asked If I could leave the pick up bag at the front desk or do I have to be there when the courier arrives. Greg said leaving the bag at the front desk is fine. Note: There is a place in the Dynacare website form to put this type of info for the courier. Greg asked me to refrigerate the test sample overnight and leave the bag at the front desk in the morning. I did and the front desk said that they have done this before. I wasn't told that I have to quarantine or do anything else out of my normal routine while the test is being processed. The test results are going to be sent to my e-mail in 3-4 days. At that time I'll look at my e-mail and see the results. If the results are negative, no further steps to do. If the test is positive, then I would think I would have to quarantine and it might get a little more complicated. At that point, I would see if I could drive back to the border and return to the United States. I could do that without coming into contact with anyone. One self service gas station and I'm in the States. For me, the random border test was easy. Just one more hoop to jump thru so I can snowmobile. Like I said it is that same procedure as doing the test at I did at Walgreen's and CVS. Jack

I'll say today was a fine day of riding. Cool temps, great trails, no traffic and fantastic company, JAK and two of the GutZ guys. We went west on 5 then took the connector to 526 and to Relais Explorateurs (single arch). The trail was firm and smooth. We got on 35 west and this was even better. The railbed went by quick and before we know it we are at the junction with 557 that goes over the mountain. You know guys, 35 is good but look, 557 was groomed last night and there isn't a track on it yet. 557 it is and off we go. The first 20 miles is a nice mountain trail with gentle twists and turns as you climb in elevation. Beautiful! Then the trail is on a road for 15 miles. It doesn't get much better than this. Just cruising along, blue sky and sunshine. We can feel the heat from the sun thru the shield. Snow dust in the air behind us. The relais in St Pamphile is closed like most of the others. We continue on into town and gas up. U-turn back to the relais and left on 55. Another trail that was groomed last night. Wow. Perfect all the way up to 35. Turn right on and it is still groomed. We are making time now. The kilometers are ticking away. About 15 miles in and we are at the little connector that takes us up to 5. Off we go on the connector and then right on 5. A little choppy here but that is comparing 5 to what we were just on. 5 is still fine. We stay on 5 the rest of the way back to RDL. Quebec really knows how to take care of the trails. Thanks! Jack

Good to hear. One less item you have to deal with. See you soon. It has been a long two years. Jack & Sandi