viper2

Hey lagman, like rmk said you will not need studs I have been riding Quebec for over 20 years and have never used or needed them. You really don't need a gps either as you will be on marked and groomed trails that can be accompanied by a trail map. If you will be going on a saddlebag trip your bags are very important. Don't rely on a dealer down home to mount your bags for you. First buy the best quality bag you can. I would buy the best bag Yamaha makes specially for your sled. It will fit and ride better. Make sure when you put your bags on they are good and tight. A loose flopping bag starts to rip very quickly. I also recommend putting a small kitchen type garbage bag inside your bag before your clothes, this will keep everything dry whether from snowdust or rain or whatever. I like to use ziplock freezer bags for my daily change of T-shirt/socks/underwear. I don't think you can go wrong finding a buddy on this site, most of us have been riding Quebec for years. Just be sure before you go to have your sled gone over, I have a very good dealer and while I am mechanically inclined I don't work on snowmobiles every day nor do I receive tech bullitins from Yamaha so I choose to have my sled gone over before a big trip. A few hundred bucks ahead of time may pay big dividends in the end. Remember this is not New York there are places up in Quebec where there is nothing in between gas stops for 90 or 100 miles, and a dealer could be a couple hundred miles away. Good luck on your trip.

Wednesday they left LeCabanon and headed southeast toward Lac Blanc. He said once they got out of the Zec and started getting further south and out more in the open the trails were getting pretty thin and more ice. They decided not to go all the way to Lac Blanc because of the conditions. They did put on about 130 miles and for the most part the trails were pretty good. It snowed in the afternoon and they ended up with about 2". The southern part of the region could surely use a good dump, but the northern area is pretty good and a 4"or 6"snowfall would make it great. Due to the fact there are a couple inexperienced riders they are not putting on alot af mileage, but overall my dad is happy with the conditions. They are planning to go to Mattawin today I will post when I hear from him. Sorry if the reports are a little vauge but it is information I am getting over the phone from someone who is riding.

Talked to my dad tonight about todays ride. They left LeCabanon this morning and headed to the Barrage. They took the 360 to 33 north to Repos. Trails were good once again with a few rocks here and there. Took the 345 back down and that was also good, trails had just been groomed last night. I didn't ask him the mileage for today but but it should have been about 175 miles or so. Very happy with the conditions they were expecting thinner conditions and more ice, but the groomers have done an excellent job.

Thank's Alain! great pics and report. As I told you in my PM some of my freinds and family are at LeCabanon now. I was planning on starting a new post and give day to day updates but I will just add it to your thread. I talked to my dad tonight and he said they received a few inches of snow sat. night into sunday. Today they went for a small ride to Koubek's taking the longer route on the way down and the 318 back. Like I told you there is one first time snowmobiler so they wanted to make an easy first day. He said the trails were surprisingly good. They definitely need snow but not many rocks and everything covered. No lube or overheating problems at all. Tommorrow they will do the same ride you did on Saturday take the 345 to the barrage then 360 down to Mattawin, I will post when I talk to him.

They do sell gas at Casey only place is Petit Gare only show in town. Nice couple they have food and a couple of rooms, right along the railroad track at the west side of villiage.

Thanks for the heads up snobeeler I know the conditions are poor and I wouldn't want to go up myself because I like to ride at least 200 mi. or more each day. The problem they have is my nephew is home from college and this is the last week he can go. It's his first trip to Quebec and there is also another person who hasn't ridden before. This may actually work well for them because traffic will be nil. My dad has some easy days planned and has talked to Denis and found out where he can and cannot go. He has been riding that area of Quebec since the very early 80's and really knows his way around especially some of the summer roads that used to be used for trails. These roads that have not been groomed this year won't have the ice and really I think he will be happy if they can go 100 miles most days and get some experience for these rookies. Sometimes after riding for so many years we forget how much fun this sport can be when you are first starting and are not worried about big mile days or besting your mileage from last year. They won't be on the trail real early and they surely won't be riding in the dark,just a nice vacation with some riding,swimming maybe a hot tub and some good food and the chance to meet some new friends.

Some friends and family are heading up to Le Cabanon at St.Zenon. They know conditions are not great but my nephew is home from college and is going up for his first trip to Quebec. They will have to ride mostly north from there and if they are lucky they will be able to get as far east as Riviere Matawin.

You really won't need a guide just contact the FCMQ and request some maps. Your main problem will be trail access, Mt. Tremblant village is not snowmobile friendly and you will probably have to trailer your sleds out of there. Lots of tree huggers and I don't mean the good kind like hunters in treestands.

Anyone heading up this weekend? I know there are slim pickings but just wondered if anyone is making the trip?

No this trail cuts south off of 83 between Wemotaci and Parent. It goes through Casey and tthen past Kanawata to Lac du Repos where you can hit 33 north to Manawan or south to SMDS or take the 345 south and either go down to Riviere Matawin or in the direction of Le Cabanon.

I know, I almost hated to hit the "add reply" button but I think we are safe Snowbound I have noticed over the years most guys avoid that trail for some reason, I think it actually has something to do with their starting point being either Shawinigan or St. Raymond. That's why when I hear comments like it's too crowded, or overrated, or old news about the SMDS and St. Zenon area I just smile and nod my head, they don't even know for the last few years there hasn't been that much traffic there. Oh well better for us cause I don't think anyone in Quebec grooms more often than that area.

If you want another awesome trail take the 369 south from 83. One of the best trails in Quebec, especially the section from Casey to Lac Chateavert. While we are talking about short cuts has anyone ever taken the one that supposedly cuts across a lake from Dam Gilardo to Windigo?

The way this weather pattern is it looks like you may not be riding at all this winter.

I agree with you for sure on the storage issue. For years we have been draining the tanks, running them dry then putting 1 or 2 gallons of aviation fuel in and restarting. Works well they start right up in fall and and you don't have to worry about the fuel going bad in the tank. I also wondered the same thing if anyone else that fueled up had a problem. If I was still running a 2 stroke I would definitely talk to my dealer about this, I think there must be a way to richen the fuel mixture up to protect against this or at least help. While I don't know the difference between ethanol and methanol I do know that they are both a form of alcohol and 2 strokes can be made to run on pure methanol/oil blend. I realize with the new technology in 2 strokes and the direct injection engines they might be alot more sensitive and may run alot leaner, I guess they have to with the fuel mileage they get and the low emissions. Good luck to you guys and I would definitely follow the advice of your dealer.

Don't want to start a riot, but I think I agree with you on the trail pass thing. In my mind the biggest problem occurs in areas where they get a fair amount of traffic but don't have someone online pushing their trail passes. This in turn gives little money back to some of the clubs that provide important links, let's face it you can't always plan on grooming once per week sometimes it takes a few times per week other times not. I won't even pretend to know the statistics but I would not be surprised to find out that 90% of the trail pass money goes to 10% of the clubs. :unsure:

Yes Groomer, I would agree he has been everywhere on Anticosti. Sounds to me like he may have worked foe Sepaq. Anticosti Island is a beautiful place, very special because it is so close to the mainland yet so isolated. Hunting there is superb and deer can be hunted by spot and stalk, I have many good memories from that place like all of Quebec really. The area we hunted was the south east part of the island from the Daupine river west to the Ferri river.

What camp did your brother in law guide for? I have been to Cerf Sau now 10 of the last 12 years, top notch guys there for sure. I have met a few people from the Gaspe that work there and the camp manager for a few years was from I think New Richmond or Boneventure, his name is Michel Arsenault and his son owns an auto parts store I think a Napa.

Isn't the ethanol in the gas the same stuff that is in a bottle of dry gas? Maybe I just am assuming that, but we have been using dry gas or gas line antifreeze for years to try to eliminate water problems. :unsure:

Ah Ha! Sorry Groomer I missed that thread, I guess I was still in summer mode. I found out about the move back in November when I was hunting on Anticosti Island. My friend and guide there works at the ice hotel when he gets done guiding hunters the beginning of December. He had told me about the move and that he wasn't sure if there was a way to get there by "snow machine" but he himself is not a snowmobiler so I figured there probably will be some way to get close to it.

Maybe check the woodrunnertrails website.

Great report Alain, I always look forward to your reports and pics. Hopefully more snow will come soon!

Just so everyone knows, this year the ice hotel is being built at a new location. I guess they wanted to get closer to Quebec City, they thought they were missing alot of the winter carnival visitors because it was too far away . I am not sure how close snowmobiles can get to the ice hotel, my friend who works there said he's not sure if snowmobiles can ride right to it.

X2 on that Timbo, the thing that really makes me laugh about the whole thing is there has to be alot more harm done to the environment in the summer when there are alot more vehicles in the park not to mention all the people camping beside the streams and lakes. We are pretty much just passing through. :unsure:

Thanks Timbo I will pass that info onto my dad as he is going up next week to LeCabanon for a week in the Lanaudiere region. The map thing won't matter to him too much as he never looks at the map, but he will like to know that the cafeteria is closed. Thanks for the report and good sledding.

Thanks for the report, I will pass this info onto some riders I know are going up next week.