TheBigLake
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Posts posted by TheBigLake
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Couple great days. Ran a few short loops and ended up in Hiboux Tuesday. Very short four item menu but a nice vegetable soup and a soda did the trick. 35 had 3-4” of snow and was great cruising.
Yesterday, we rode down to Mt. Biencourt. 10/10 trails, just excellent cruising. Great lunch. 44-544-571-35. The fields got a little drifty but otherwise a dream to ride. Drove to dinner last night, L’Estaminet AGAIN. That’s where we are right now posting here. Listen folks, if you get a chance, go. Anyway, the falls down at the park are lit up at night, pretty place.
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5 minutes ago, NSHM said:
Looks good! What's going on with trail 544 to 35 and the yellow connector off of it to 526 on trail 85 just south of where 526 hits 85?
Been red all season
No idea, but only part of it shows red, not the whole thing. The whole thing should show red as far as 544 is concerned, which makes local 40 also closed. They cut a big swath beside the trail on 546, I did see a new comms tower up on 546 though so maybe that’s what they’re doing.
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39 minutes ago, revct1 said:
Hi Big Lake,
It could have been us. 3 sleds passed us in the bogs just just north of Relais Aventuriers coming in yesterday in the snow squall.
544 plowed must be the section west of 85 to 35. We were on 544 around St Cyprien and it was perfect. Two weeks ago we were on that bony section of 35 and it was bad. It looks like a re-route maybe.
If that bolt you broke is the long skinny one at the front of the track, I broke one loading the sled into the trailer last year. The nut and threaded part was laying on the trailer floor. Joe JAK broke one this year. Maybe manufacturing is tightening them during assembly? It is something to check.
Jack & Sandi
You’re right on the 544 85-35. We saw a bunch of people running it so it must be passable if it’s necessary. Definitely appears as a reroute on 35. Snow needed on it. I think I snuck by you before the road crossing when the railbed ends. Some decent whiteout coming across the bogs. How about the hotel blackout last night?!
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Did a little exploring today. My wife and another couple inbound on Thursday, have to keep the ride quality high for her. Pain issues won’t stop her from cruising on her Enduro when the environment allows. RDL works so well for her.
544 completely plowed. App shows partly green, it’s wrong. Last 12 or so miles of 35 eastbound to 85 are boney. Otherwise, 85 is a highway, the lake run down Pohenegamook was soft snow and fast. Broke the front spacer in my rear suspension (the one that the limiter strap ties in with on the rails). Thankfully didn’t damage the track or anything else. Jean Morneau is the BRP dealer in town, GREAT people over there. They had the parts I needed. Kinda flew into town with hopes to get to the dealer in time in case they had to order for tomorrow, didn’t want to miss a cutoff time if there was one. I think I passed Jack and Sandi coming into town?
Trails are great otherwise. L’Estaminet put on another great meal last night. If you haven’t ever been into town for a meal, L’Estaminet is our favorite, Symposium is excellent as well. Taxi service is quick and reliable if needed.
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Just rolled in ten minutes ago. Place is a ghost town, though two MA vehicles with trailers pulled in behind me.
Planning for Moose Valley Tuesday. Anyone have a preferred route one going there?
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15 hours ago, mikerider said:
Today we went East to Rimouski with the idea of looping back thru Squatec via 35.. We had heard there may be a problem with 35 east of Squatec from flooding. A Canadian made a call for us and confirmed 35 still closed, road washed out. When we got almost to Rimouski, the first right turn to get to 35 was closed. We came back to RDL via 5 and some green trails. All perfectly groomed and mid winter conditions. Looks like mid February. Just Fantastic riding. 200 miles.
Big Lake< Cabano has enough snow but is not much snow. I would advise not going south below Chavellier Frontier club house and guessing below Cabano may??? be too thin.
No clubs open, thank you club Moulan for the Refuge room and coffee machine.
Yesterday we ate at Mike's in Cabano and was excellent. Today Tim Horton's and that was really good food.
mike
Thanks for the heads up on clubs not open, etc. Ended up getting stalled for departure today. We leave Sunday AM for Universel RDL, staying until Thursday at least. Glad there's workable miles for a few days, even if we have to backtrack a bit. We can't be 7.5hrs away from the border right now...if we headed to Valin, that'd be the case. The bonus is the nordic spa and a meal at L'Estaminet waiting for us.
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5 hours ago, mikerider said:
Hopefully Moose Valley Wed. or Thur.
Supremely interested in this, especially if you're running tomorrow. We have plans to go Thursday or Friday. We like to do the little loop down through Cabano and across to Pohenegamook on the green trail headed back east. It looks red on the map between the two, any intel there or is it just lumpy?
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Mike, glad to see you up there with boots on the ground. I missed my season last year except for a January trip up there, tore my right bicep tendon last February 14. Northbound for RDL dark thirty Wednesday morning. Out Saturday.
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Good afternoon,
Our last day today, home tomorrow. Rode around 200 today I think. Left the Universel, dipped between 85 and a couple greens to get down to the rail yard at 35. Put the boot to it, landed at the Roche Blanc intersection where one of our crew noticed some shredded bogeys. Return ticket for him. Two of us snagged a great lunch and some fuel at Hiboux, ran into Mikerider and his crew headed for St Pam. Ran 5 to 55 to 35, set the cruise control and didn’t stop until the railyard.
A lot of clubs aren’t open Monday and Tuesday. Same with many local restaurants in town RDL. Typical chains open as usual. The restaurant here is all revamped, looks great. Exact same breakfast menu as always. Dinner menu options aren’t plentiful, but the food is much better than it ever was.
Spoke with the spa attendant tonight, she said this place was full all of December and the first half of January. Feels really empty to us, but they’re glad to see it slow for a moment. Worth the drive for some great trail time here. Some snow pack can be a little light in spots but typical RDL experience prevails!
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9 hours ago, mikerider said:
Great reporting Mark! Remind me, where is Jasmin?
I forgot to mention we stopped at the club house on the power line just before Rimouski. They were closed. But they turned part of the club house into a Refuge for when they are not open. The big room is partly partitoned off with metal locking curtains and has a separate entrance. It stays unlocked, is toasty warm, tables and chairs for about 30 people and vending machines for coffee etc. Really well done.
Jasmin is Tourville. We were going to go that way until we found out that baby is closed on Tuesdays as well. We will take a long cut and end up at Hiboux tomorrow for lunch. Their FB page says they’re open seven days a week now.
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Good evening,
We landed back about 4PM as a run to the dealer was needed for one of our crew. New Klim gear courtesy of some cash spent at Jean Morneau in RDL. Always great folks.
Ran through Cabano down to Temiscouata this morning. 85 was aces. 563 has some whippets but is quite nice otherwise. Clicking once in a while but again, no issues. You could see the snowpack decreasing slightly in there. Hooked up with 35 headed toward Sully, there’s a spot of probably 4-5 miles of ungroomed material halfway between Sully and the 563/35 intersection. It’s very rough. 1.4-2’ wumps with the occasional rogue wave thrown in. The SmartShox are a complete game changer. That XRS ate it up at 60+ kmh without breaking a sweat. The sled just doesn’t move. You see one coming you think is going to hurt, and it just glides over?
Anyway, got gas at the Irving on the way down to the village of Pohenegamook. That guy keeps a great store. Had lunch at Auberge de Frontieres. They were just finishing up staking the lake when we finished our lunch. There are some slushy spots for sure, and the staked route is further west on the lake than last year. Good crossing. Made it up to the cross overlook. 526 was great, orange trail 40 is stellar, 546 to 85 to the hotel. Nice day. Highly recommend. Headed for Jasmin tomorrow.
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Hey folks,
Boots on the ground in RDL. Got checked in and all parked, took a 50 mile burn to stretch the legs this afternoon. Snow cover is low-ish, but extremely enjoyable. You’ll click the skis a few times getting out of town, but once past the Adventurers you’re pretty well set. Ran down 85, up 544 to 44 back to 85. Tomorrow we will run down through Cabano and over to Pohenegamook.
The Universel is a ghost town. There’s nobody here. Now’s the time to make the run if you can. Saw mikerider a few moments ago, I think he’s had the whole place to himself…the hotel and the trails!
On another side, two of us are running the new CKX Mission helmets now. Both of us came out of Oxygens after hearing rave reviews from others we know. This helmet is all that! It’s not as quiet as the Oxygen, but it’s so much lighter, no fogging issues at all and I can turn my head without turning my body while it’s on!
New to me this year is a 2023 Renegade XRS 900R with SmartShox. Another game changer. Came off a 2021 XRS 900T with QAS that is still a fantastic ride. I’m pretty well sold after our short run, but we will put some saddle time in tomorrow and see how things pan out.
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Great choice, Mike! Nice to see you up and running on here, my first sign on since March!
Hoping the snow folks up above decide to bless RDL with some before the end of the year. We try to hit the Universel on Dec 26 every year, but the last two didn't work out for us. They've changed the Boston Boat show dates from Feb to Jan this year, so the first part of Jan is pooched for us. If it isn't there, to Forestville we go!
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Get it in now while you can!
Riding is exceptional, really. 85 to Temiscouata yesterday was a great burn. Over to Sully for lunch, that burger was worth the wait. More traffic than I’ve ever seen out here but good stuff all around. Didn’t hit a bad trail yet.
It’s that time of year and unless another storm hits, the in-town material will fade quickly. I lost the turbo on my new Expedition SE Turbo R (blew the cooling line) so my ‘21 XRS 900T has been seeing some use (fantastic sled). Thinking this may be the last ride in QC for us this year. Back to St Sabine today to load up/head home.
Signing off ‘til December. You all stay well!
- MrsGTRider, P Hardy, SnomoGary and 3 others
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Evening,
Rolled into the Universel tonight. Parked in St Sabine and rode up. The conditions are getting thin in a few spots where you have to run roads before you hit St Pamphille. Once on the outbound side, plenty of base and excellent riding.
You can tell the days are getting longer. Any spot the sun can cast a decent swath of light, you’ll find a dip in the trail. 35 was a little lumpy but still great cruising and smiles all around from my wife and two other couples with us. Sunny, warm and ideal spring riding. 526 got plowed, but good base. Some nasty rises close together, something to watch out for and it’s not for long before you’re back on track. BUT, 40 is flat and perfect after being plowed for a while this year. Finest seven miles around and it’s crazy wide right now, and 544 was stellar from that point to 85.
Headed down to Sully tomorrow for lunch. Back to the trucks Sunday.
Hearing big storm next week?
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Boat show season has ended for us! Looking forward to loading up for another ride this week.Inbound to RDL Friday evening for two nights. Dropping in St Pamphille Friday AM. Only a 1.5hr drive from home to there, and it cuts off a bunch of mileage that my wife or the other couples would prefer not to run. 287mi from home to RDL I believe. So 140-180mi days of fantastic riding in our future. My wife’s first ride of the season…just received a promotion so she’s been busy, but what a great time for her to kick it off either way. Two couples joining us. Heading up the typical Universel/L’Estaminet experience, one couple has been up with us a few times, for the other it’ll be an introduction to the epitome of fine trail riding.
Hoping you all are well - Jack, I was hoping to connect with you and Sandi again. Great meeting you both a while back.
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I had the pleasure of meeting Jack and Sandi on Thursday night! Super people.
35 seemed to be late or they had some blowdowns on Thursday, but they’d completed a huge task and it was open for business. Hammer down.
Tourville at Jasmin is always a winner. Gas 2.25/L. Great lunch. Moving averages were high that day!
Fortunate to be headed back with a stellar crew on Thursday right out of home base…I’ll be seeing RDL on Saturday afternoon. Excellent group on here, I feel fortunate to have met a few of you along the way and it hasn’t disappointed. Safe riding to all!
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There’s gas just east of Pohenegamook village a couple miles..:it’s not the Irving halfway up the lake but a different one. I’m attaching a screenshot so you can see. Nice clean store, too. The lake is no good to run right now. Lots of yellow, and no stakes of course.
At the bottom of the lake across the bridge to the west is a small Auberge that serves lunch. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays I think. The micro-brasserie in Pohenegamook is closed on Tuesdays I know that. The Pohenegamook relay (Quonset hut) was closed on Tuesday. Club Exploreurs was closed Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
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Did a little recon for you guys today. Headed down 5 to St Bruno, but went out through the culverts down to 5 first. We stopped for fuel in Bruno to top off, we didn’t know where our destination was going to be.
As a side note, the 900 Turbo R Expedition is brutal on fuel! I don’t care, it’s a blast to run…buddies XTerrain RE 900R isn’t any better. Averaged 10.9 for the day.
Continuing west, you’ll run into 8 or so miles of plowed road, one of which goes through an active logging op. The base is good on the plowed parts. Ended up at Hiboux for lunch. Roche Blanc was open as well. Went down to 35 to figure out what the deal is with 35 and it showing up gray on the app. It’s had one pass or so I think with the groomer since the big snow, but it’s great running either way with some loose on top. Once you hit groomed, it’s the highway we know it to be. Explorers was closed, Adventurers was closed. It’s nice to see the doors opening up around here, but maybe 15 sleds seen all day on the trails. Three trailers in the lot right now.
Tourville tomorrow. Home Friday.
- revct1, Snobeeler, MrsGTRider and 1 other
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Just adding a few things in:
Most of downtown is closed early in the week, usually Sun-Tues. We went to La Cage for dinner last night, it worked well. Tonight, we went to Symposium and it was stellar. If you hit Symposium or L’Estaminet you’re bound for excellence. The taxi service in town is good (we drive our rig but we’ve used the taxi before).
Breakfast this morning was the same it’s always been. We aren’t picky folks but the difference between the hotel and these places are night and day and so easy to get to.
We get up, grab breakfast, ride, return for nordic spa time, find dinner…rinse and repeat.
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Just now, TheBigLake said:
A gentleman’s ride today, nothing crazy for miles but man we hit it on the nose.
Rolled out at 8:30 headed toward Temiscouata. I ran point all day and was the second sled in the trail until 544E, then I was the first all the way to Cabano. Stopped to make a small adjustment…I lost the air shock on my new Expedition SE 900TR in Valin two weeks ago, had to take the springs to the moon to get back to the Pelchat, so had to stop and dial the springs back a little. Snagged 563 to 35, first sleds all the way to within ten miles of the Pohenegamook quonset hut. It was closed today, so ran to the Irving then over to Auberge Villa des Frontieres for lunch. Had a great meal. Up to the cross then 35 to 526. Local 40 is plowed! Assuming 544 is as well…I think revct said something about that. Anyway, from 40 north, 526 is fine.
It’s worth the drive up. You can tell some clubs have only made one pass through, but first tracks today involved 3-5” of fresh snow and mostly flat trails. The fields have some drifting and the snow off the sides of the trails is much deeper than it looks.
So I’d recommend you do a little recon before you venture out to be sure your lunch stop is available. Some restaurants in town RDL are closed early in the week. The restaurant at the Universel is still hit or miss.
2025 Riviere du Loup Trail Conditions
in Bas St-Laurent
Posted
Final runs yesterday and today. Quick burn down to Cabano, 10/10. 563/35 all great except for the reroutes which are very passable. Chevaliers put on a great lunch, Pohenegamook is excellent. Put it to the bar the whole way if you want. La Croix overlook, continued down 35 and ran into a Quebec road block. Man they run long trains up here. Paced it at 35mph, increased to 45 as we got closer to Explorateurs. Temps cool, sun all day.
Today it was quite crispy. Wives stayed back and enjoyed a few spa treatments, so we took a quick burn down to Rocher Blanc for lunch. 5/557/35/526/5, all great going.
I’ve been up here since Sunday. I doubt we saw more than 20 machines daily from Mon-Thurs. Yesterday and today were busy but as usual, everybody under control and safe all around. Got stopped by QPP, such a great guy to talk with. Didn’t even check our passes, just shot the breeze for about fifteen minutes. Hard to find bad folks up here.
Homebound tomorrow. Hope you all have enjoyable and safe travels!