viper2

We were not in Percé this trip but looks like Pkayhard has your answer. The trails are great up here right now and very little traffic. Starting to see some traffic today on the South shore but as you know that area is always more traveled

Mike it is a wind turbine and when you take the trail into the town of Gaspe it sits behind the first building when you come into town off the trail. I think the place is called Nergica it’s some kind research facility

Yesterday took 597 North from Murdochville to 5 East. Windy and cold a lot of drifting and hard to see the trail. Hoped to stopped at the Relay near Cloridorme but it was closed. Pushed ahead to Riviere Renard for a late lunch at the Relay then took 5 to Gaspe. Stayed at Hotel Baker, awesome rooms but a little hard getting into town. No restaurant at the hotel as they are remodeling but we walked to dinner at Brise Bise. Great dinner there.

Left the Riotel in Matane this morning and headed on 5 East to the St. Paulin Relay. They just got done plowing about the last 12 miles to the relay. After the groomer goes through there will be some spots you can jump off the road but a lot will be on the plowed road with logging trucks. Had lunch at the relay then headed South on 595. Lots of snow here first tracks and pushing snow all the way to the snow bridge. After that a couple tracks from yesterday and the closer to LaCache the less new snow. Get to LaCache and no lunch. They had problems with the generators last night and just got them up and running, at least we could take the gas. Head East on the Orange trail to Murdochville. Met the groomer coming from Murdochville not long after we left LaCache and it was a welcome site with the new snow. Checked out the mummies up on Mt. Lyall then continued on to Murdochville. Enjoyed the views but the fresh snow was tiring. At Hotel Copper for the night.

Thanks Don 👍

Left the Universal this AM with a few inches of fresh snow. Took 526 to 85 to 5 East to the 3 pistols clubhouse. Hoped to get breakfast there but they are closed Monday and Tuesday this year so we headed down 571 into 3 pistols and got breakfast at the cheese factory in town neat place. Took 518 from there East to 5 then 578 to 5 again into Matane. Staying at the Riotel, has a mix of conditions everything from fresh groomed to loose powder the closer we got to Matane. Hope to get to Murdochville tomorrow via LaCache

Does anyone know if the St. Paulin relay is open on a Tuesday? Heading from Matane to LaCache then onto Murdochville tomorrow morning and hoping to use it as morning stop

Good to hear they are cleaning the place up. I was last there 3 years ago and the cage was around the gas pumps then still

I agree guys, but the Indian reservation of Manawan is not anywhere near the Abiti. Manawan is only about 50 miles by car from SMDS. There are people that check this page that don’t have a lot of experience in Quebec and I don’t think it is good to recommend to them not to secure their sleds. I have been riding that area since the late 80’s and I remember when there were no doors on some of the houses because they used them for firewood (no shit) They also have a steel cage around the gas pumps in their own town. That’s all I am saying

I have seen someplace that they are grooming the old trail this year but even if it’s not groomed, unless you really need the gas it’s not worth taking the Southern route, Jackstraw states in the West from St. Come thread they are using the old trail they just went through there yesterday

I wouldn’t recommend that

I tend to agree Steve, but it would not be without sone sacrifice. Many years ago a business owner in St. Zenon did exactly that and many people berated him for it. Other businesses and patrons of other businesses had nothing good to say about him, everything from he made the trails go away from competing businesses to even being accused of burning down another lodge. Nevertheless he soldiered on and still helps to operate one of the most successful clubs in Quebec

Jack absolutely, such a tragedy. Staked or not I never fully trust the ice and we always try to keep a pretty good space between riders and try to stay off at night

Groomer, looks like enough guys there to just lift the front end up and turn it around

I think Trout Lake is closed this year. Le Bannik is a nice place to stay

Yes Bob for sure. Actually seems in this case like the group has some previous experience which may have been their undoing

Fuse, we stayed there last year, there are a few different size cabins. The one we stayed in was a 3 bedroom

Usually just drive to Mont Laurier now if we want to do a Western run, it's all far from NE PA but its all about the same

Looks like a nice run 👍

Don, I was thinking the same as you. The SMDS area has gotten a bad rap over the years for traffic but truth be told the root of the traffic comes in large part from these tour groups, and I have seen some with 20+ sometimes all over the trail with large gaps in between riders with obviously extremely large differences in skill level. It seems over time that those that were returning customers grew tired of the same old so the tours started turning into multiple night bag tours and while the groups got somewhat smaller the other thing that has happened is with more experience these groups have become somewhat more reckless. One thing I have noticed with these groups........ and I am not sure how they are instructed by the guide but they can be just plain rude. I sometimes think the guides are to blame, I have seen them pulled off to the side and as we are passing them they pull out in the middle of our group. Also sometimes when you come up behind them and finally find a safe place to pass they appear clueless and start drifting over in front of you. Sad sad thing what happened there for all involved but I do think many are rushing to judge the guide

That is going to be a long day

Used to like to start trips like that from St. Agathe before they shut the railbed down

That sucks for sure Don, not a good way to start the season. Hopefully not much damage is done and the rest of the year will we trouble free. Our group is planning to launch a Gaspe trip from the Universal in RDL. Hope to be there Sunday night heading out Monday

The guide was pulled out and taken to the hospital where he died

That day 3 looks awesome! If I want to spend a day on a boat in February I would probably choose the Caribbean 😀