quebec bob

You bet, these moto skis were basically orange ski-doos, way back then, the 669 was their first triple then they upped it to 775. We use to put them in the Elan 250 chassis, kind of like putting a v-8 350 in a chevy vega.

You can never plan 5 days to do the Gaspe without realizing a few things. Do not do it if you are unable to be flexible with 2 or 3 extra days, for bad weather and break downs. You are lucky if you can do it that quick and enjoy it at the same time. You will have to cut out the north shore and cross thru Murdockville to have a good chance at completing the trip that quick. You want to see the rock, many people also consider going into New Brunswick @ point crossing and going thru Kedgewick River and Moose Valley to Edmunston then crossing back thru Cabano. There are a lot of options, but mostly give yourself a chance to slow down a bit and experience the people and the landscape, this is Quebec's' best ride in my opinion, get the most out of it. A bad storm , Gaspe style, can strand you for days, a great adventure, do not let that change your mind, it's a great adventure, just be flexible, expect the unexpected and have a great time with it, you will enjoy it forever.

These triples were either 669s or 775s, probably 669's, Polaris also has some wild triples a few years later!

Yes, the wind around that lake can be incredible, was on the north side a few years back going west in a storm, I think it took 5 hours to go 45 miles, one other time we were stuck in Amqui out on the Gaspe for 3.5 days, 2 days later we were in Moose valley New Brunswick and had to navigate 20 foot drifts and were stuck there at the sportsman club for 2.5 days, you could easily die with a group in those conditions. Be flexible, sit back and enjoy the hotel. Things could be worse, you could be back in the states at work, being stuck at the hotel in canada sledding is not such a bad thing, all considered

Sounds like you had a great ride on 23, wait till you ride the Gaspe, you haven't seen anything yet!!

great set of TUNED PIPES on that Moto Ski. They were built right down the street in La Pocatiere, probably spelled it wrong!! I remember riding a 320 Olympic back in the mid-sixties, we thought it was fast, I think it was 18 hp. You needed a lot of tools to ride it for a day, amazing where we are today, traveling to another country to enjoy 250 trouble free miles a day.We have this great forum, high tech sleds, a 30k maintained trail system, with people all over the trail system working their tails off dusk to dawn hoping for our arrival, you could not have dreamed this back then, when we were just a bunch of kids annoying the neighbors with smoke and noise. 2020 will be the winter that will have many of us on this forum participating in this sport in 7 different decades, amazing!!

Leave from St Michele to Repos, Katawana, up east of Haltaparche toward Windigo, to Relay 22, then to Roberville.Not really sure which way we will go from there, maybe down 355 towards Lac Edward, Matawin river and then possibly back thru the park toward St Zenon, kind of a plan but you know how this can change during the ride, just looking for a good Quebec adventure to break in the new 850 backcountry, hopefully not break down, still on my mind after decades with Yamaha.

WHITE GOLD, we are packing for a week starting Wednesday, usually my timing has us driving in the storm, guess we are lucky this time.

ad she is better looking than groomer!!

nice video, exactly what Quebec riding is all about, enjoying all the wonderful Canadian outdoor adventure with good friends, thanks!!

great trip, museum is nice, I have to get there. We are leaving on Wednesday for a week, hopefully all the promised new snow will be waiting for us, thanks for the great report.

Ice, I left Yamaha after 19 years for a 2018 850 backcountry as well. Hope it is not a mistake, it has decent power, handles well, seating ergos are perfect, plenty of wind protection with the big shield, bought the 4 year warranty, just because it is not a Yamaha, basically it is an XTX in a lighter package.

My 2 cents worth, I started riding in 1966, like a lot of people here,and with out any reservations, I believe that this site is far and away the best place to get info about lodging, trail conditions, trip planning, making friends , meeting people, getting very good info on equipment, etc. The camaraderie here is second to none, and I agree 110% the statement about how surprising it is that most people riding Quebec are not members here . I have met some of the nicest folks thru this site, all with a common interest in the outdoors, enjoying it and our sport while respecting the efforts of land owners, lodges, restaurateurs, and everyone involved in making it all work like a well oiled machine.Promoting this idea and trying to bring more good people or business' on board is a good idea. We have some great players here who have given a lot of their time to this site, I won't mention names for fear of leaving anyone out, but this is a small community and everyone here is important and has something to contribute with every trip they post about, whether it be a good meal or a shop that helped them out , many thanks to all of you, Bob.

Ice, that 18 xtx has some nice things on it, I had a relapse too, after 19 years on Yamaha, I finally got to the dealer yesterday to pick up the 850 backcoutry I bought a month ago, has 1 tenth of a mile on it, got the 4 year warranty, came with 2 years, bought 2 more for 900 $, which is transferable. Sure hope I did not make a mistake, never has a problem with any Yamaha outside of idler wheels and hyfax and of course the skis were always junk. Planning 3 weeks this winter, hope all I have to do is modify the clutch cover to get it as cool as possible and ride it, any troubles and it is gone next year, glad to see you out riding, happy trails!!

J G, great pics, you have a nice office, you are a lucky man!!

J G, these pics are probably the best thing anyone has seen or heard in the last few days. Typically when you hear or see nothing on line from an area after a rain it usually means things are not good, nice to see you back in business, the trail looks great, happy motoring!! j

Snow is a great blanket of insulation, it could be a while for all this slush to refreeze, I cannot really remember the last time this happened.

cold temps and snow moving west to east in Quebec bringing snow to much of the province over the next 48 hours, as much as we hate this rain it is leaving a great frozen base behind which should be a great base to build on and be a bonus on the spring side of the season, hopefully all will be well at the start of the week, here is to hoping!!

15 f in Saguenay right now.

It is -5 and light snow in St Donat at 6:30 pm, looks good , storm is behind us and all is frozen, a great base for the coming snow!! You can see this @ St. Donat web cam and then hit enter for live pictures and thermometer!!

putting a pull starter on is a great idea, I had an 800 triple Pantera years ago and when it was very cold frost would prevent it from receiving the proper signal because the electric starter was turning the engine too fast, it would always start with the pull cord.

Ice, I love the excitement of Quebec riding, last year I did not get to ride, first time since the 60's, work got in the way, I have 2 business' a tire store and a foreign car service center, not being able to find good help was the problem, still is a problem, not to hurt your feelings, but it is good to hear , I thought that crap was only an American thing, and this was not tolerated here 30 years ago. I have a new back country 850 waiting for me to pick up at the dealer, first new sled in a long time, IF I HAVE TO CLOSE THE BUSINESS FOR A WEEK TO RIDE, I'M CLOSING!! At 60, I cannot let years go by anymore, I will just send people home for a week with no pay. I hope you find a way to ride that new XTX.

I have stayed at lake William, nice place, but as Mike has mentioned, this area is not the same as the east, there is good riding there but the end all for me was that in 5 days I crossed more black top than the previous 30k miles , not my idea of the Quebec riding experience, but I will say it is close to everything you could ever need or want, especially in an emergency, a great area to take the family for day outings.

I have always put the very largest windshield on as well as have a pair of gators on board for the handle bars, just put an extra high 26 inch windshield on a 2018 850 back country. Cold hands and feet most definitely ruin your day. It has always amazed me to see sleds with little to no windshield, my friend was in real danger on his Mack Z 1000 touring the Gaspe a few years ago, it was -40 for a few days, no place for a small windshield!!

J G, trails look amazing for this early and your pics are great, I know the the words are small and the phrase is simple, but behind them lies a whole world of appreciation for everything you do for all that visit this site and have become friends with you and each other, THANK YOU!!!! AND HERE'S HOPING THAT ALL THE DREAMS YOU HAVE FOR A GREAT HOLIDAY COME TRUE. Bob.