viper2

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

Got home from the Gaspe trip Monday January 30th, Decided Tuesday gonna head right back up Sunday the 5th for a week at LeCabanon. Just 3 of us on this trip, my 77 year old Dad will be leading this trip. He has been staying here since the mid 80’s and LaGlaciere before that. We leave at the crack of 9AM 😂 not as chipper as he used to be, it’s ok we will ride at his pace, he will lead. We head out on 23 in the East direction. Take that down to 345 and go check if Koubek’s is open, they are not on Monday’s apparently. We roll up 23 to 350 towards Lac Blanc. We take the gas there then continue up 349 through Lac au Clare back up to 23. We still head East and have a late lunch at the old Cabane Chez Hill. Forget the new name. After lunch double back on 23 to Sacacomie for gas then back 23 all the way to 345 and into LeCabanon. 200 miles for the day, trails ok not great, not terrible. They had an accumulating snow yesterday and the trails that were not groomed last night were a little loose and some bumpy, not bad

I agree 100% Don. then after doing everything wrong accuse the place of setting them up.

It's always about the money

31 January
 
Left Auberge Eva on 355 beautiful trail. We continue on to TQ83 junction and continue passing the former Green Roof Auberge and start our run under the Lake. Some good and some boney and thin areas.  Need more snow obviously. We are just lucky to be riding there is enough for the areas thin on snow for the clubs to work with.  Through Chambord and we continue on TQ83 we run it to junction with TQ23. We run up through Alma then through the orange trails to get back out to TQ23 and up to the TQ93. This is a great trail up here this 93 it very rarely disappoints. It is nice today. Against my better judgment and strictly for seeking bonus miles from this relatively short day. I leave my beloved TQ93 and drop her for her little sister turns out in the beginning this trail is nice and pretty but one we bail off this local and hit the 328 we are seeing a bit of a junk fest with these conditions. However the motto this week has been patience and we stick and stay hoping to make it pay sure enough maybe further along then we would have hoped. The groomer is heading at us. He has nice snow here to work with not typical depths for this time of year but enough he is using his blade and cutting the bumps beatiful site to see. This one is a Piston Bully. As a gear head this is one beautiful machine and the newer Surfacers are seriously incredible pieces of engineering. I love it.  328 to 367 said hello to the cattle that live there at that end of 328 on our way by.  If you been by there you can’t miss the herd. Down 367 to TQ93 very nice trail. Have seen some sleds passing other direction now on TQ93 i catch up to 4 two ups.  We eventually work it out and they let us all through. Nice to have the radios and get the “all good here” from our excellent tailgunner. He got our six. NHmoose. 
Snohorse is Freeriding his way along and its so funny to hear him rap on that 850 and it sings through the radio. Braaaaaaaappppp he is like “let me play you the music of my people” . Cruise on down the orange park trail to cross at Shipshaw. We head through Jonquiere and grab TQ83 run this to the Bec Scie then turn around. We motor back to Chicoutimi on TQ83 and into Hotel la Sagueneenne.  Great day not crazy miles. 
 
Restaurant at hotel used to be independent. Now has been 
purchased by hotel as have been the conference rooms as they were also separate from hotel ownership before. Now the hotel owns it all. That said we were told major renovations are coming to restaurant. Big changes. We shall see. 
 
Our 3 sleds here along with about 10 others. 

 
 

Doesn't matter sticker or not, it's not like years ago when they waved you bye if you had a sticker. We were checked twice last week. 1st. time was on the Gaspe just passed PALC. We all had season passes and stickers on sleds but they checked the papers on all of us. The 2nd time was Sunday afternoon in RDL almost back to the Universal. I was leading and the officer looked at all my paperwork and my drivers licence then asked if everyone was in my group. he checked the others stickers and had us move on. I will also add we all has a season NB permit as well as a season Maine registration

here the ride we did Sunday January 29 under a temperature of -12C with snow

Left St-Thomas near Joliette around 9:00 AM to go have a lunch at the Lac Blanc outfitter near St-Alexis des Monts.
Despite the snow, the visibility in the distance was correct, we could easily see the stakes, but it was difficult to see the relief of the trail. Luckily,all trails had been freshly groomed and with the deep cold night the conditions were perfect.

As usual in these snow conditions, visibility was almost perfect in the woods

Since the snow had just started, we chose to do the most fields section in the morning before there were too many snow blades. Here on #3 in St-Cuthbert.

This weather reminded me of when I was a kid and the school closed due to snowstorm and i was spending the day at playing in the storm.

It ride extremely well, perfect trail. We went through the #63 and then took the #350 in the St-Paulin sector.

To note in this sector, the gas station in the village of St-Paulin is closed on Sundays.

The trail was nice and beautiful snowy scenery


We arrived early around 11:15 for lunch at the Auberge du Lac-Blanc

It was wise to arrive early, the service was fast and impeccable and it was more busy when we left an hour later.

Although we had to come back home early for a family dinner, since it was still early we were able to stretch the ride a bit by going north on the trail à Gaston (#350 northwest).

Again, very cold temperature helping, the trail was mint and the beautiful 3" layer of snow that gave a smooth ride in powder

The little 900 ace is a lot of fun to ride in these mint wooded trail conditions.

The snow cover is getting impressive in Lanaudière/Mauricie, in the good ones that we have had for several years

We quickly pass by  Koubec 

And went back down south via trail #345 which was perfect.

We went through the Mandeville sector

I was tempted to take the marked trail on Lake Maskinongé but with the snow and the wind my sweetheart was not very comfortable with my plan so we kept on the land trail

The trails were a bit more rough in  St-Gabriel sector but I was not surprised because I had read they had a major breakage on one of their 2 dozers at the end of the week and they only have one left to groom their entire territory.
We went back down to the St-Cuthbert sector where we resumed the morning trail path to return home. There were more snow blades in the fields but it was still riding well

We were quickly back home around 3:40 p.m. with 232kms of happiness on the meter
The season is now with outstanding conditions and we finally have some real cold to freeze the trails and make them more solid. I expect the few rivers that were not safe yet to be ok by the end of the week with the weather forecast ahead.
Gentlemen, start your engines and go!

i am way behind on this thread i will do my best to get us all caught up.

Friday 27 January 
Time for a little adventure and some on the fly planning. (Hence the Free part) cause we all know riding is not free. We are starting with a rough idea but nothing set solid. 
 
What we know is the players. Snohorse is back in QC, first run together since march 2020. We got NHmoose ended last season with this fine gent and mon grand chum Playhard. Missing you David. 
 
Snohorse arrived first early afternoon friday. We quickly made off for St Etienne to drop a Doo (one of his horses) off to get serviced up. The Backcountry 850 is unloaded and ready for its service appointment i set last week for Monday morning. 
We head back to the house next to arrive home is  mrs ice. She is headed to Shawinigan Cats hockey tonight to represent. We wait for NHmoose. 
he rolls in about 7:30 we spend hours bullshitting. 
Shawinigan pulls out the win over Sherbrooke GO CATS GO
We find ourselves well after midnight still going on. 
 
Tomorrow’s ride will be starting later. Oh well. Got nowhere to be and all day to get there. 
 
Very excited for mrs ice to jump in with us boys. She is very capable. Learns quickly this one does. 
 
 
 

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 5: Leave Matane this AM with many clubs showing grooming activities during the night. We take 5 West to 591 then ale that South as the 5 wasn’t groomed. 591 was groomed but the fields are drifted. Slow going until we get to 5 again then the pace picks up. Took the local trail at Padoue to 587N then hook back up to 5. Continue on 5 to Mont Lebel and take some gas then continue to 35 towards Rimouski. Pick up the 5 West one more time. We continue on 5 and take a break at Trois Pistoles clubhouse. After a short break we continue on 5 to 85 then 526 into the Universal. 210 miles for the day. Trails surprisingly good considering all the snow and wind

Day 4, snowing pretty good when we are packing up to leave SADM. Decide to see what we can get. Hit 5 and head East, few inches of snow so far, winds not so bad. 20 miles out and it’s getting deeper, starting to push hard. We pass the St Paulin relay and like reported on here it’s closed so we push on. It started getting windy snowing hard now, we come into St. Adelme and top the gas. We pull into the relay and decide to have an early lunch and figure out where to go from here. A few of the locals express how bad the storm is getting, we decide to continue to Matane and quit for the day. We leave and the drifting is getting bad, time to quit, we made the right choice. Pull into the Riotel and it’s snowing sideways. Good to be done.

Jack, if you leave Amqui and take the trail from the gas station in St. Irene it’s 154 local. When you cross into NB it is 155, you take that to 17 then to Moose Valley. It’s 100 miles from Amqui to Moose Valley this way

Day 4, snowing pretty good when we are packing up to leave SADM. Decide to see what we can get. Hit 5 and head East, few inches of snow so far, winds not so bad. 20 miles out and it’s getting deeper, starting to push hard. We pass the St Paulin relay and like reported on here it’s closed so we push on. It started getting windy snowing hard now, we come into St. Adelme and top the gas. We pull into the relay and decide to have an early lunch and figure out where to go from here. A few of the locals express how bad the storm is getting, we decide to continue to Matane and quit for the day. We leave and the drifting is getting bad, time to quit, we made the right choice. Pull into the Riotel and it’s snowing sideways. Good to be done.