JimP

You might consider waiting a little longer in the season for 3 or 4 loops out of Cabanon, It is very early conditions right now with not even 1/4 of trails open. The lakes are not safe to ride, lots of water not froze yet, limited grooming for trail connections, places not open full time yet, etc. I have been riding this area for almost 30 years. We have a house across the lake from Cabanon. Went up several years for Xmas week and even then it is a hit or miss for good conditions. 300km/day trips are very doable from there from mid Jan thru mid March, just not in mid Dec. It is just too early. I would wait a month or go to Valins. I hope this helps. JimP

I was also supposed to leave tomorrow for St.Zenon. I talked to Dennis at Cabanon this morning. The trails there took quite a hit with the warm weather, rain and wind. The trails are soft and after the cool down on Sunday will become ice. Will need a few inches of snow to get them back in shape. The problem is no snow in the forecast next week. I don't know if Towing will try to ride this area on Saturday but if he does, his report on Sunday will tell it all. I believe the base survived, just need another topping.

Can anyone verify that the free weekend is Feb.8,9th? We are planning on a trip next week to St.Zenon area but from years past, it becomes quite a zoo up there that weekend with the extra traffic on the trails and many unexperienced riders in the area. We might just put the trip on hold for another week. We do 3-4 trips a season in Quebec and travel 12 hours from Md. each way so we try to avoid the weekend warriors on the ride for free weekend. Thanks, JimP

I think you are probably talking about St.Louis's in St.Zenon. The dancers have been gone for a few years now. The place is still there but it is a restaurant now. Only other place anywhere near is in St.Come which is hardly ever open during the day and a hit and miss at night. Shawingan, Berthierville, Trois-Rivieres are the only towns within 100 miles that have dancers. JimP

Depending on weather and conditions and which way we decide to go, I have a secondary trip as well. Is Safari still open? I haven't stayed there since the year after Barnard passed. Short ride first day to Safari or Comfort Inn in Shawinigan. 2nd day take Trail 3 to Ice Hotel. How many miles? I assume it is built this year? Anyone rode in that direction yet? Backtrack to 73 to St Raymond -stay at Rougemont. How many miles from ice hotel back to Rougemont? 3rd day up 73 to LaTugue ( milage?). We always stay at Motel9 in Latugue but was wondering about Club Odanak? Has anyone stayed there? 4th day back to Cabanon via 73-355-360-m20-345. How many miles?

Thanks to everyone for your responses. One of my riders had a bout with cancer a few years back and has never been on a saddlebag trip before. He is doing great and has done several daily loops of 100-125 miles with no problems. We want to try to keep our daily mileage somewhere around 125-150 so he doesn't get too tired and has to repeat each day. Since there is no place to stay in Clova and the bridge out on Lepine road with limited grooming, we are going to change up a little bit. Kanawata 1st night. Gouin outfitter for lunch (88mi.)Gouin to Parent 2nd night. How many miles from outfitter at Gouin back down orange trail adn2 to 83 to Parent? Would like to stay at L'ombre Du Vent. I know it depends on what is available but we always try to reserve or call ahead. Is it a nice place to stay? 2nd choice Hotel Central. We have had lunch there before but never stayed there. It looked a little rough a few years back but it was when all the loggers were in the area and staying there. 3rd day Parent to Notawissi for lunch (how many miles?)and on to Meekos (how many miles?)to spend 3rd night. 4th day back to Cabanon via 53-319-322-63-33. How many miles?

I am planning a saddle bag trip toward the end of Jan. Leaving from a chalet on Cabanon lake. Heading to Repo for lunch, on to Katawana. I know it is approx.135 miles. My question is how far from Katawana is it to the outfitter at Barrage Gouin? Planning on looping on the orange trail off 83 up to Gouin and heading to Clova. I have been through Clova before but never stayed there. Where is a good place to stay in Clova? I have read bits and pieces about the Gathering. Is it going to take place and if so where and when? Has anyone rode Lepine Road this year and will it be groomed or not? How far from Clova to Rabaska Lodge? Rabaska to Meekos? Meekos back to Cabanon - 319 to 63 to St.Michel?

I was at Koebecs in July and spoke with Helen about the sale of the place. She told me that the new owners kept pushing up the settlement date ( 3 times ) so she and Peter took the place back. NO SALE! The Sacacomie people lost a very large down payment along with all of the improvements that they had done by refusing to settle in the agreed time period. Koebecs will be open for business this winter with Helen running the place. I have known the Koebec family for 24 years and we stopped in to visit by truck. Helen was very glad to see us since they don't get many visitors in the summer. The place is beautiful in the summer. I can't wait til winter and it is good that Koebecs will be back to normal this year. JimP

Mid Range, What year sleds with the bearing issues are we talking about? I took my 2010 with 5000 miles on it to the dealer yesterday. You can't hear any alternator noise with the engine running. We took the belt off and it spins very freely with no resistence. However the mechanic felt like there might be a noise starting with one of the bearings by holding a screwdriver on the alternator while it was running and listening through it. He compared it with the 2011 and said the 2010 was definately louder sound coming from the alternator. Polaris doesn't show that you can get just the bearings. They want you to buy the whole alternator for around $400.00. Did you repair yours yourself using aftermarket bearings or have it done at a shop. I don't have a clue as to taking one apart and fixing it. We might be going to the Gaspie in 2 weeks. There aren't many Polaris dealers up there so any advise would be greatly appreciated. My mechanic said to finish out the season and keep an eye on it. But it sounds like once the noise starts, you don't have alot of miles left to correct the problem. Please reply. Thanks, JimP

Thanks for the reply Midrange. Can you replace just the bearing or do you need to get the complete alternator?

Gizz, Thanks for that info. I'm waiting for Midrange to reply so I can take as much info as I can to my dealer for repairs before something else happens.JimP

MidRange, I have 2 Polaris 4 strokes ( 2010 with 5000 miles and 2011 with 3500 miles ) I haven't had any alternater bearing issues yet. What was the milage on the sleds you are referring to when the problem occurred? On our 2nd trip up to St.Zenon 3 weeks ago, I had a oil leak on the 2011 which was thought to be a crank seal. Had a local mechanic suppossedly fix it ( put in a new crank seal ) Rode 20 miles the next morning to the same problem with the oil leak. Took the sled back to my dealer in the states to discover it was the oil pump seal. With it fixed, we headed back this past week and this time the speedometer has went wacko. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Then on the 2010, a bolt on the inside of the muffler backed itself out into the coolant tank and I lost all the antifreeze. We got some silicone sealant which held and left the cap loose to make it back. These are the first issues we have had with these 4 strokes. I have been riding Polaris's since 1988 and I hate to switch but I don't need a breakdown each trip either. I also like both sleds and will wait to see what they come up with. Please reply. JimP

The pipeline was great! It had about 10" of fresh snow. I was breaking trail and having a ball. It was snowing too hard to take any descent pictures.

We stay at a house across from Cabanon. Arrived Sat.night Feb.26. Rode to Koebecs and Glacier on Sun.Feb.27. All trails were perfect. Woke up to snowing on Mon.morning Feb.28. Got on the trail around 9:00 and were first new tracks on about 6" of fluff. 345 to the dam and down 360 to River Mattiwin for lunch and fuel. Still snowing very hard took 355 pipeline up to 73 to Latuque for fuel and stopped at Motel 9 for drinks and to dry out abit. Continued on 73 to 355 on to LacEdouard to spend the 1st night at Pourvoirie Le Goeland. Broke trail for 200 miles and arrived around 6:00 still snowing and over a foot of snow by now. A very nice place to stay with good food. Got on the lake to 355 about 8:30 heading to Roberval. Had lunch at LacBouchette. Continued on to 83 when one of the sleds started a noice in the chaincase(not good).A couple of locals stopped and informed us of a dealership in Chambord so we limped in 18 miles to the dealer. We left the sled there which had to go to Alma to get fixed the next day. Rented a sled and rode across LacSaint-Jean to Chateau Roberval to spend the 2nd night.136 miles for the day. Took a taxi to the ballet(Foxy's).Woke up Wed.morning to a very cold -28C with 40-45m/hr winds blowing across the lake. Got on the trail around 9:00 back across the lake to Chambord and on to Alma to wait for the sled to be fixed. We waited at the ballet(Bar Casino)which was much better than riding in such cold conditions that day. The repairs for the sled was going to be $2,000.00 so the guy ended up trading for a used 2010 model. Spent the 3rd night at Hotel Universal.A short day today 64 miles. Got on the trail at 8:30 and took the 23 down to Relais Mont-Apica for snack and drink and on to L'Etape for fuel and lunch. Continued on 23 to Hotel Rougemont in St.Raymond for 4th night.195 miles for the day. On the trail at 9:00 took the 73 to a couple of local trails to the 318 to Cabane Chez Hill for fuel and lunch. Continued on the 318 back to Cabanon. 185 miles for the day. Rode a total of 900 miles in about 5 days of riding.(a couple of short days). Besides the day it snowed, all trails were 10/10.We only passed maybe 30 sleds all week on the trail. This was the final trip of the season for us with a total of 2200 miles in 3 trips.

Has anyone been riding this area? Have they been grooming on a regular schedule? Any problem with fuel at L'Etape? We are heading to Lac St.Jean ( Roberval )by way of 355 to 83 up and undecided going east or west coming back to St.Zenon. If we go west 83 to 369 to 345. If we go east 83 to 23 to 318. I know there is some logging going on around Wemotaci if we go west. I also know that the grooming is not all that around St.Raymond sometimes. Any suggestions?