Scranton1

We are just back from a fantastic week on the warm Cuba’s beaches but I was looking forward to ride the venture again since our first and only one ride was on December 17th. Without any day target other than to have fun, we left directly from home (St-Thomas de Joliette) and decided the itinerary one intersection at a time. Here is the final route that it gave:



The weather shock of coming back home was really present with a 52 degree C drop at -22C on this Saturday morning. It was very humid and a layer of mist was still partially shading the sun even at 10:00 am. The trails have been groomed and the quality was impeccable




Very close to the #3/#43 trail junction there is a savanna that is always longer to freeze and it is with no surprise that we saw this hot hole in the middle that can be easily cross on each side. The good surprise is that the driver of the dozer had taken the trouble to back on several hundred meters on each side of the woody section to surface the whole trail just apart from the hot hole: I raise my hat to Carcamp snowmobile club!





We then took the #3 trail eastbound. The pines of the windbreak lines typical of the place were all frosted over a small layer of remaining ice from the previous ice storm.



With the little haze still floating it was really beautiful






Winter in all its splendor!



We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of snow to the ground and the trail conditions look more like a late January than beginning, a very beautiful start. Here we see a little more the traces of the last ice storm





On the #3 trail a little east of Berthier, the Bayonne river is already ready and I am surprised to see that the dozer has even crossed it! Look at my mirror, it's so humid that a frost has formed over it! First time it does that ...



Surely no stranger with the haze that still floating over the snow ...



With all those fields in perfect conditions our rhythm was obviously fast and the cold biting so we decide to fork on the #63 to the north to ride in more wooded sections, more pleasant under the circumstances.



Here a short stop at the St-Gabriel de Brandon belvedere which is located just up a big hill north of the village named Mont Lanaudière, that was a small ski center years ago



There is still behind my sled a vestige of an old ski lift.



Considering the time ahead, already 11:15, getting on the # 23 north and going to have a lunch at the Réal Massé outfitter seems the perfect timing, so we continue north.



Even more snow as we go north, here climbing the big hill in St-Damien of Brandon



The snow is not only to the ground but also in the trees creating magnificent scenery







With the deep cold the quality of trail was top notch and we could ride at good pace.





It's really the big winter up there.





We arrive to eat at Réal just a few minutes before noon.



The good hot vegetable soup of Réal, the one we could eat with a fork with his much big chunks of vegetables in, it is one of our classic of the winter, always as good and comforting!



Although there were quite a few people, the service was good and fast and 45 minutes later we were already on our departure. This one chose the air way to come to eat here!



Was very nice to chat with Lus lsd and his buddy BoumBoum that we had not seen for a long time


Encouraged by the beautiful conditions beyond our expectations, we had continue on the #23 to the north





We had first think to switch on the #350 trail towards the Glacière and then go back down south on the #63 but it ride so well that we chose to continue up north on the #23



We were not disappointed, obviously it starts having a few traffic bumps from time to time but nothing to slow our pace.



Sign that there’s alot snow there this year: no rock and no trace of sand even near the Cabanon



We finally turn on the #63 just before the Cabanon towards the village of St-Zénon



Here seen from behind after crossing it, a sign that it is still the beginning of the season: a small ditch not frozen. We see it well in advance and easily crosses it. There was about 2"thick water and an hard pack base



Here the big hills towards the village of St-Zénon



Always as fun and beautiful to ride!





A little past the village of St-Zénon we stop refueling at the service station Crevier before continuing on the #63 trail south



In Glacière direction





Very nice conditions. We pass the Glacière and continue south. Much deep snow in this area





At the junction with trail #343 we continue south towards Bazinet Outfitter



The scenery is white coated there!






The Bazinet outfitter



I must admit that I had doubts about the next section of the #63 tot Ste-Emilie. With a more irregular base it is more difficult to get it good and we got it rought almost all last season but to our surprise it was very beautiful as I had not seen it as good since a very long time.

It was beginning to be a bit dark for moving pictures and I had to stop to avoid blurring. Here in the power line south of Ste-Émilie



The Black river just north of the BRP Géro sled dealer is already well signposted



We had continue with the sunset and took a small hot chocolate break at the TimHorton of St-Jean de Matha



We then came back home around 5:15pm via #341 and #43 trails, which were still nice despite a few traffic bumps in St-Félix of Valois area.

Finally a total of 171miles in outstanding conditions, far exceeding what we were expected. The trail network is well established even in the south which already has a good snow cover now and the cold of the last days will help overcome the last recalcitrant to freeze spots thus giving us a vast playground to ride on.


Get out and enjoy, the season is on...



Alain

oui !!! toujours beau !!!
-30c yesterday morning ....-16c this morning ...grey sky !!!
we should put the '' razor '' on the drag  today for a clean shave of the trail !!!
back on tq 5 later tonight !!!
 
jean-guy

The service runs from 700am to 900pm 7 days a week.  32.00$/sled min. of 2 sleds or 50.00$when solo.  He can drop you off at the quebec inn on the south shore (+2.00$).  It's a nice kind of holiday inn hotel.  There is  a normandin restaurant nearby.  Good value generic kind of restaurant. There is also a  gas station at walking distance.

THE Most Important. 

Extra fuel and a GOOD tow strap, a sense of humor, half the clothes and twice the money...

In case anyone didn't get this the first time:
ALL YOU NEED IS NH MOOSE IN YOUR GANG!
And these guys do a fine job, whether renting or buying:  https://www.spdirect.com/iridium-9575-extreme-satellite-phone.html

Hi all QR Members
JD and I arrived here in Paradise yesterday.  All kinds of weather driving91. no  up.  When we hit VT it was snowing lightly on  91.  When we hit 11 mile hill, mile marker 139 to 150 it was snowing very hard.  Got to Barton, no snow.  Got to border and it was a whiteout for about 3 miles, then sunshine.  The roads from QC to L Etape where very slippery.  Mostly packed snow, it was -8F.  Once past L Etape roads were decent.  Today I unload truck and trailer, got sleds out of trailer, dropped trailer and went to Wally World for a pair of slippers as I left mine home.  Wally World was packed.  Then when and got truck washed.  Waited 1 hour for that as there were 10 cars ahead of me.  Will get out riding tomorrow.  Lots of snow here and all trails are open except the crossing at St Charles which was suppose to be open.  I'll find out why, but probably a land owner issue.

Bill

Arrest of a snowmobile thief in Shawinigan
The Sûreté du Québec Multidisciplinary Support Team conducted Wednesday morning the arrest of Tommy Bruneau on the edge of a trail in the Lac-à-la-Tortue area of Shawinigan.
Publicity
The police wanted to intercept a snowmobiler on a trail in the morning, but the latter escaped instead of stopping. He was chased by the latter and they would have lost sight of him.
After about one hour of trail tracking, the police located an abandoned snowmobile. It was reported stolen. They followed footsteps and asked the help of citizens to finally find the suspect who had hidden behind cedars. They arrested the 30-year-old man on the spot.
Well known to the police, Tommy Bruneau appeared yesterday afternoon at the Shawinigan courthouse. A series of charges were laid against him: dangerous driving, escaping and stowing vehicles. The man will also receive a dozen reports of offenses related to the law on off-road vehicles, in particular.
You can run but you can't hide. 
 Nice Job by the SQ. Shawinigan
 

Took this from another site. Interesting read on grooming. 
Jean Guy tell us if you agree. 
A great write up from a club from Maine

Have you ever wondered why the groomer wasn’t out last night? Everyone has had a day where the trails weren’t as smooth as the day before, and you just can’t understand why. Well, here’s a little insight into trail grooming. 
* While most clubs that operate groomers are funded by sled registrations, gas tax refunds and membership dues, or the state/province, the guys running the groomers are quite often (almost always) volunteers. They’re up all night so you can have your fun the next day. They understand the importance of tourism and the impact snowmobiling has on their local economy, and they often share your passion for riding. Show them your utmost respect and don’t try to destroy the hard work they’ve just put forth. Remember, groomers have the right-of-way, not you. 
* The most important requirement for effective trail grooming is to have the snow at the correct temperature. The ideal grooming temperature is between +23o F and -5o F (-5oC and -20oC). As snow is collected in the 
drag, it has to be able to flow, like flour. As we all know, once the temperature gets close to 32oF (0oC) snow begins to stick together. Instead of flowing out under the rear pan, the snow builds up in the drag until it spills out over the top in large chunks or balls. These large chunks are dangerous when they freeze in the middle of the trail. 
* So you have a fresh 6” (15cm) of snow fall overnight. How come the groomer is not out? In order to groom effectively and make the trail more durable, the idea is to cut the mogul off completely, not just fill in the void. Moguls have a memory. If you just fill in the void with new snow, by the time half a dozen snowmobiles run over it, the new snow settles and the mogul is back again. When you groom fresh snow, the drag can’t be lowered deep enough to cut off the mogul because snow collects faster than it can flow out under the rear pan. Again, the drag fills up and spills snow out over the sides. After a fresh snow fall it’s often better to let the snowmobiles run it in and knock the air out of it. Then when the drag processes this finer snow, it packs much tighter. 
Often times, fresh snow means the groomer tractors can not pull as heavy of a drag, either. Lighter, smaller drags don’t pack the snow as hard nor do they cut the bumps as well. A trail may be groomed right after a snowfall, but it usually will not hold up nearly as well as after the snow has been packed and then cut. 
* Most grooming is done at night because it’s safer and more effective. Safer, because there are usually not as many snowmobiles on the trails, and when there is, the bright lights of the groomer are visible 
long before the machine itself. Grooming at night is more effective because it’s usually colder and the snow sets faster. Also, the longer the trail sets before too many snowmobiles ride over it, the longer it will last. Set up takes anywhere from two to six hours, depending on temperature and moisture content of the snow. Generally two to six or even more than ten hours may be needed for the freshly groomed trail to set up to where it is durable and will hold up to heavy snowmobile traffic. 
* For longevity of trail grooming, it is best to avoid riding a snowmobile on freshly groomed trails for at least two hours after the groomer passes. If possible, choose an alternate route to help improve the quality and durability of the fresh groomed trail. Avoid following directly behind a groomer because it immediately destroys the smoothing just performed by the drag. If you come up 
behind a groomer and the operator beckons you to go around, that’s the main reason, to allow him to groom without snowmobiles on the trail enabling effective trail set-up. He wants you in front of him, not behind him! 
* If you come across a “soft” or freshly groomed trail and you must use that route, try to minimize your impact on the trail: slow down; try to stay off the fresh grooming if the trail is wide enough to safely do so; operate only at the outside edge of the fresh grooming; ride in single file versus having everyone in the group take a different path on the fresh grooming; and don’t purposely fishtail or power through the soft snow. Do as little damage as possible by backing out of the throttle and reducing your impact until you get off that trail or pass the groomer. Better yet, turn around and take a different route. The mentality that “someone else will tear it up if I don’t” is what leads to a poor riding experience for all but the first few sleds to come through. 
* Grooming is usually not scheduled during heavy snowfalls or storms. Operator and snowmobiler safety are of principle concern, but it is also not productive to operate in these conditions. Sleds will soon pack it down, and the resulting groom will be far more effective. 
* Cold temperatures must also be considered for operator safety in case of equipment problems. Less miles of trail will get groomed in extreme conditions. As the temperature drops below -5oF (-20oC), steel starts to get brittle and equipment is more susceptible to breakage if it strikes a solid object such as a stump or rock. Although the groomer operator usually has communications equipment and warm clothes, waiting for a snowmobile ride 25 miles (40 kilometers) in the country at 3 AM can be a very uneasy feeling. 
* Understand that aggressive riding styles can impact the quality and smoothness of the trails you ride on. Fast starts and stops, powering through curves, paddle tracks, carbide runners, traction devices, and powerful engines can all combine to destroy the smoothness of a trail. So the next time you hit the brake or the throttle, think about how much damage you have innocently contributed to destroying the trails you would really prefer to be smooth. Try to not spin your track during acceleration or lock your track during braking. 
* Snowmobiles are much smaller and much more maneuverable than groomers, so always yield to a groomer. Always slow down 
* When approaching an oncoming groomer on the trail, slow down and move your snowmobile to the far right side of the trail. Realize that the grooming drag or tiller behind the grooming tractor may be very wide, and might extend wider than the tracks of the tractor and can essentially take up most (or all) of the trail’s width. If the trail is narrow or winding, you may need to stop at the far outside edge of the trail to let the groomer pass. When possible, pull off of the packed section of the trail completely. It is your obligation to get out of his way. 
* Anytime and every time you have the opportunity, tell a groomer operator how great of a job they’re doing. Remember, most are volunteers and many love to ride, just like you. They need to hear your appreciation if you truly enjoy riding smooth trails, or to simply have trails to ride on at all. The groomers are often the ones who help brush and sign the trails as well. They need as much help and appreciation as we can all give them. 
Hopefully this gives you a little insight into grooming. So if you see the groomer parked some day, it might not be ‘broke down’, we may be waiting for the right time 
Consider joining a club and or volunteering. Many hands make light work!!!
Ride safe and let's have a great season!!!

La Tuque Club very active on Facebook
major tree clean up on 83 west to wemotaci under way
 

La Tuque Club very active on Facebook
major tree clean up on 83 west to wemotaci under way
 

Looks like it was a Grouse, also known as natures grenades. These little birds have been know to explode during the winter, due to a build up of digestive gases and the constant shivering. Many a hunter/trapper have lost a finger or two trying to grab one of these little guys, and is the origin of the phrase "Giving them the Bird".
GutZ

Plans for the team's expedition are falling into place nicely.  Departure from Mont Laurier Sunday morning Feb 19 for 7 days riding is confirmed.  A nice scenic truck/trailer drive up to Mont Laurier on Saturday is foreseen, featuring fast-food tours of Renfrew and Maniwaki.  The finale of the drive will likely include a tutorial at Mont Laurier SAQ.  
Sam had a big scare when Dick's participation appeared to be in jeopardy - a round of witty jokes (Sam with no Dick etc etc) were suffered in silence, but the air has cleared and all appears well.  
Other participants are rounding out.  It is looking like wall-to-wall BRP 1200's with the exception of Sam's 900 ACE, all with 137 inch tracks.  Team members are headlined by Dick and Sam, with a supporting cast of less experienced (read younger) sledders who have sculpted their craft under the exacting tutelage of Dick and Sam.  

Tx for the info Don
was very curious why 355 hasn't lit up yet on the groomer map.
I was wondering if 83 has the same issues?
 
 

Was there yesterday aswell, big thanks to the volunteers clearing the trail! Still more to clear but is coming along nicely, also had an excellent meal at the restaurant there in Lac Edouard. 

Club Passe-Partout Roberval
From Today, lot's of work to get trail open. Lots of trees and brush to be cleared. Thank the club volunteers when you see one. Wherever it is. They all work tirelessly to make trails the best they can and as safe as possible.

 

hi ns predator !!!
looking even very good !!! that last storm ,snow was working great this morning ...just like i was grooming on a pillow !!!
groomed tq 5 and 1 local trail......5 moose...that big bird watching a dead partridge on the trail ...
came back at 3 pm....traffic is very -very low !!!
watch for moose...at least 10 between st fidele cb and ste marguerite !!!
great sunrise !!!
 
jean-guy
 

You are Very Welcome John. Happy New Year to you and yours. Hope to see you here in Quebec. 
Good luck to all for next time.

Thx so much Don really nice of you and much appreciated.  

Today we are starting a little later.  We just feel a little lazy today.
There is 3-4" of fresh snow on the ground and it is still snowing some.  A little breezy so there may be some drifts.  We leave the Sag and head west on 83.  We ride by the Delta and give it a wave.  There is some drifting in the open fields but not much.  We cruise along and take the Local 7 up to 383 where we turn left.  383 is nice under the fresh snow making for a smooth ride.  No traffic out at all.  We stay on 383 but notice that the trail to St Charles is barely broke.  No signs for St Charles so I don't know if that crossing is open.  We continue on and the junction to Larouche has a couple of sled tracks but hasn't been groomed.  We stay to the left and drop down to 83.  Here we cross the corner of Lac Kenogami and pass Relais Grenoule.  We continue on picking up 23 and run up to Ski Bee Doo for lunch.  Oh no.  That is what we were afraid of, it is closed for New Years Day.  It is going to be hit or miss today.
23 is in great shape.  We keep heading north into Alma and cross the river on the snowmobile / car bridge.  We turn right on 93.  This was in great shape yesterday and is still very good.  We turn left on Local 554 and go to Relais des Lacs.  Again, closed for today.  
We continue on 328 but when we turn right towards Begin, the trail is just barely broke.  This doesn't look like fun.  Time to u-turn and head back down 554 to 93.  Good choice.  Much better than beating ourselves up on 328.
We stay on 93 thru St Ambroise and turn right on 367.  At the camp ground, the trail has been plowed.  There is still a bit of snow on it but also dirt and rocks.  A little ways past the campground the trail drops down and runs thru a sparsely treed area.  Ah ha!  The groomer must have gotten stuck in here.  The drag is parked on the side of the trail and the trail is a mess.  It looks like the club must have come in with a big piece of equipment to pull the groomer out.
After this mess, the trail is good again.  We run back to the two bridges and head back to the hotel.  No lunch today but a nice ride.  We only saw a few sleds out and the trails were good.  One more day to ride and then it is time to load up and head back to CT.
Jack & Sandi

Jan 1

Left here at noon. Nice to see the machine where she belongs, outside in the snow.

Hit the trail TQ 3 Est. direction Shawinigan Sud...fresh snow loose but nice, many tags and brush still poking through here on the hydro lines. The usual thing for early on in season.   
 
Continued to Shawi Sud. Here is the Intersection for M-2 to Shawi Sud, and Shawinigan 
  
Continued on 3 est then took the 351 direction St. Severin. Trail in the swampy parts needs more snow to fill in all the uneaven terrain, alot of up and downs. But all in all not too shabby. I saw no water holes at all. Once out of the swamp and onto the Railbed section it was real sweet. I continued to Relais Station. Passed on through was maybe 6 sleds there. 

Contnued on to the intersection just after the Relais. 
continued on the 351 nord arrived at the junction of 351 and 302. Decisions, Decisions i choose 302 only one track on the fresh snow here i'm going. 
really some great conditions for Jan 1 and we do not have nearly the amount of snow around here as other areas so they have done a fine job with the snow we have. Some nice spots but nothing spectacular just yet. But very rideable. Found some nice scenery in the woods.
continued on 302 checked St. Ubalde but did not see Playhard getting a Pizza. Maybe in 2 weeks,
kept going and joined back up with TQ3 now going back ouest. The Section between St Cashmir and where my club takes over in St Prosper, was the ugliest of the day. Big bumps and needs snow to be groomed in nice. However my club is on it and looking sweet. I cruise toward the Closed down Rogers Cabin and realize that the Groomer was here not long ago. This is the best trail I've seen all day. 
yup sure enough i catch up to him just before Chez Roger

onward to St Stanislas. I stop on the river to check it out. 
Ran the TQ 3 back to St. Narcisse where i gassed up. Then back to Lac a Tortue on TQ3 and back to Relais Iceman. 
I'm quite pleased with what I've seen and things will continue to improve for sure. snow is very loose still and will get more solid with time. Passed maybe 6 sleds on my whole loop. 
So a 3 hour ride and although the I motoneige says it was 165 Km I had it at 185 Km and no it was not track spin. 
Super nice to be back in the Saddle and it feels like I just got off it just yesterday as opposed to last March. Nice. 
Now to decide where to go Tmmrw. hmmm? 
until next time. 

hi phil !!!
 no problem !!!
i ll put the red carpet on my white trails for you guys !!!
 
bonne année phil !!!
 
jean-guy
 

Not much to get excited about from the map above but we decide to check imotoniege and head south to 3. It doesn't take long to see 16" of powder plus new drifting from the wind, so we have to backtrack. Imotoniege shows the C900 groomed half way which doesn't make sense since he doesn't turn around there, he goes to the 252 intersection. Starting out is perfectly groomed, one pan wide, so he hasn't returned. We ride on, skies are getting blue and the wind strong. We meet the groomer turning around and on the sat phone, probably updating imotoniege. Of course no one has touched th 93 or 252 from there, so we bust through drifts back to chapelle. After a quick break we expect hell to Valinouet, but lucked out because the groomer made one pass and was getting ready to turn around. 
Today was one of those brochure days where around every corner was a view you would see in an ad...

You keep this up and you may very well see BJ and I soon.
 
Happy New Year J G

hi phil ...bj and jg !!!
looks way better now ...great snow to work with ....and colder today !!!...-22 c right now !!!
with trees full of snow..very nice !!!
i should have slept an extra 20 mins...deleted many pics...too bright !!!
8 30 hrs run !!!
 
jean-guy