momojohnny

July 4 th...

Picks start Saturday December 1 at noon. Not before. So everyone gets a chance to see this post. 

Sitting in a chair all day at a snowmobile show sounds too much like coming out of retirement and going back to work.   lol
Snowmobiling all day and drinking wine at night with friends,,,now that is retirement!
mike

Congrats guys, the Universal is a big player to the start of many sledding trips in and around those regions. 
Okay now we have to name an ambassador just as we have in the Saguanay , how about “Universal Mike”.

Mike
You've been there?
Can you get us discount on the SPA side?
LOL
GutZ

FYI for those interested...there have been almost 2,000 registered users since day 1. Over the last year there have been about 400 active members. During the peak season, there are up to 125 active members in a day, with 85 members active on a typical winter day.

That’s great news to hear, just signed up.

IMO you will not regret it.  
For research consider viewing https://cabottrailbiker.com  The site offers great points & places to stay. The author Daniel Ross is a wonderful guy. We met him in N.B.  and he showed us some of his best back roads in Nova Scotia as Ginny & I made our way to the trail. 
Any additional questions do not hesitate to reach out as I will try & answer any questions you may have.
Stay safe. 
Paddy O 
 

Wife and I did the east coast tour last summer. Spend 12 days wth perfect weather touring PEI, Cabot Trail and Nova Scotia on our Spyders.
Beautiful country to tour on the bikes. Wonderful people everywhere you go. 
First of September we drove our daughter from Ontario to Halifax, Nova Scotia to start university. Returned home through the U.S. That is a beautiful drive through NH and VT. Want to return on the bikes sometime and do some exploring.
 

The wife and I agree. Nice trip.

6.MOV6.MOVOnly returned from a week traversing Nova Scotia & P.E.I. on two wheels....Anyone who wants to do it and hasn't I recommend it. Great motorcycle riding. 
 
 
 
 






6.MOV

Ginger & I attended the US Open on Labor Day
 

Usual party animals  . Weather was perfect, hope you have a good run tomorrow in Kingston
 
 

Trigger you in ABAY for Pirates weekend. ?

This help ? We where headed west on 93.  That is  old the Cochrane sign from the closed  A105 Q connection. I dont ride with a  GPS  so I dont know the exact spot sorry. 

Plenty of Gas in Parent right now! Clova is closed since they had to close 83 West of Parent because of logging.
We have about 20 cm of fresh snow and it was -18°C this morning in La Tuque area. Even if they stopped grooming a week ago, trails are still nice. But enjoy it this week-end, Hydro-Québec will most likely plow a section of the 73 next week, west of Rapide-Blanc. It's also getting hard to get through town, but plenty of snow left all the way to Parent.
Still lots of fun to have next week if you park at Relais 22.(90km north of La Tuque by the road).
Some pictures from this morning near Rapide-Blanc!

Barter?

This was parked there in the late afternoon 2014. He was gone when we woke in the am.

Joncas

I guess just the small  seasonal fishing cottages remain so I was told last week . I asked Natalie ( owner of Pavilion La Verendrye),,,,  who operates -owns Joncus  now after the fires,   and she said the government. She could have meant  gov owned , but leased out to whoever now . I "think" somebody in Phils 1's gang said the Natalie  has a  99yr lease  on her and husbands   open + operating  Pavillion lodge in the park. Makes sense, big investment on their part.  They are critical to get across 63,  hope all patronize  them. They seem to be doing well, place is great   FMCQ needs to park a tractor and operator at the place . Who ever grooms  the western part of 63 out of Belletere, turns  from around at the Joncus gate and heads back west.

I guess just the small  seasonal fishing cottages remain so I was told last week . I asked Natalie ( owner of Pavilion La Verendrye),,,,  who operates -owns Joncus  now after the fires,   and she said the government. She could have meant  gov owned , but leased out to whoever now . I "think" somebody in Phils 1's gang said the Natalie  has a  99yr lease  on her and husbands   open + operating  Pavillion lodge in the park. Makes sense, big investment on their part.  They are critical to get across 63,  hope all patronize  them. They seem to be doing well, place is great   FMCQ needs to park a tractor and operator at the place . Who ever grooms  the western part of 63 out of Belletere, turns  from around at the Joncus gate and heads back west.

We've been invited this weekend by the girlfriend of one of our sons to spend a night at their family cottage on the shores of Taureau Lake in St-Michel des Saints. A great opportunity for us to do the reservoir loop in relax mode on 2 days. Here is the final trail path of 303 miles traveled  during the weekend.


Saturday morning, -9C under a clear sky and a beautiful sun when we left home in St-Thomas de Joliette . Finally it was not a so good idea to start from home, we were knowing that the 5 first miles were in Berthier snowmobile club that had closed during the week but still having the signage so we went for it. We got ice, ruts, and a plowed section but once in Joliette's snowmobile club, it was just groomed during the night and the fields trails were impeccable



We took the trail through St-Félix de Valois. The residential section was bare, no more snow but once crossed it was ok. Here in a maple grove tapped with buckets that we don't see often anymore



Every trails in the fields were still in very good condition, here on the old railway in St-Cléophas. All in all, we can say that the good reliable conditions began north of St-Gabriel de Brandon, souther than there, conditions were too uneven



So once in the mountains north of St-Damien the conditions were still winter, very good



The pourvoirie Réal Massé being closed, the Mandeville snowmobile club had groomed a shortcut of 1 mile which avoided us to go through there and saved us about 5 winding miles so very nice. In the 90 curve  with the wooden mirador, we then passed straight.





We then continued the #23 to the Cabanon. No spring's signs there





We stopped early to refuel and eat at Cabanon and then went right toward the Taureau Dam



conditions were impeccable in the best of the season





We took a good break at the dam, chatted with people who were there and took some pictures of the place





By taking our time a bit too much we were starting to be a little tight for being on time for the appointement with our son near the Auberge du lac Taureau so I opened up the throttle which was easy enough with these perfect conditions





several wide and fast trails sections in this area





A little before arriving at the Auberge, the trail passes right on the shore beach and you can see how low the water is, a good 50 feet lower than the summer level



We finally joined our son and his girlfriend at the agreed time. We went on the emptied lake with them before returning to his girlfriend's family cottage. They also ride a venture, 2 decades older than mine!



It's been a long time since I went outside the regular trail on the lake, you must always be very careful while riding on the emptied reservoir ice but it's impressive, very special like this dune normally submerged in summer in the middle of lake.





The view from the cottage on the reservoir is absolutely beautiful and there are many deers in the yard !!!



Kristine took beautiful shots


 
We had a great evening and a great time with our hosts. It seems to me that just a few years ago my boy was still playing with his toys at home and now we are received like distinguished guests by him and his girlfriend in a beautiful cottage ... time flies it is incredible!!!
Sunday morning we took it easy, Kristine was very proud to having snap those blue jay great shots







We then start our return and took back the usual trail on the reservoir



Although it is tempting it is not a good spot for speed runs because the ice is far from being even everywhere



We refueled at St-Michel and took the trail #63 to the Cabanon. There are some dirt spots that are starting to come out especially in the big south facing hills near the village but nothing serious yet.



The rest is still beautiful



We passed near the Cabanon and went north on the #23 trail to ride the Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve. Still a lot of snow there...



The trail was nice with a bit of ripple in some curves but very nice overall



good snow and fast trails





We arrived at the pourvoirie Koubec a little before 2:00 pm and eat there. 



We then left on #350 trail to the west



And have taken the #23 on the same path from the day before but south. Here the diverted trail to the shortcut to avoid  Massé pourvoirie



the shortcut



We took a short break at the small snowmobile club's shack just up the big hill in St-Damien. Kristine took this amazing afternoon close-up of the moon 



 We then retraced our steps down to St. Gabriel.


 
As written earlier the good conditions were north from St-Gabriel and south from there the difference was noticeable on the conditions compared to Saturday morning with some dirt that was beginning to appear. To avoid the village of St-Felix we passed by St-Cuthbert/St-Norbert which at final had too bare and dirty spots and was no better than the saturday route. We had just enought water holes to cleanup the skid after  the dirt runs!!! We finally arrived home around 5:30 pm with 303 miles on the dreammeter for the 2 days.
In summary, the season is over near home but still a lot of snow north in the mountains and Mauricie side seems pretty good too. The temperature and precipitation in the next days will be decisive to know when the clubs will be grooming again. I suggest you to follow the developments here on the trails conditions website: https://www.snowmobilecountry.ca/en/conditions/
Good season ending!
 
Alain

St Hubert is worth some skags & slides!

 
That #relive I ridiculously cool. But I gotta figure out how to work it with a Garmin Montana. Thanks for sharing!

I drove down that one the end of February, it was brutal, I turned around and went to the one by the two motels.  They should not mark it for gas in the winter when they plow it bare like that. At least the one boing into the motels you can run on sidewalks and some yards with a little snow. I sure miss the gas station at LA Martre (where the red lighthouse is) that carried you though in both directions. 

yes........the old Joncas burned as well. I have great memories of the old version of Joncas  back in the early 90's. The old one had a look of a logger camp (which it was) with all the rooms upstairs.