markusvt

February 8,9,10 2013 http://www.quebecrid...t=0

33 has been ungroomed all year, making for slow going for 90 miles, (maybe that has changed in the past 2 weeks?). If you head over to 345-360-33-13-83, you are looking at 290 miles. Close the same going by Katawana to 83, but you will catch more of the nice going on 83.

We rode it a few weeks back. 90 miles not groomed. All marked, but not groomed. Might be different now.

A 4 day 1000 mile trip to Val-D'or is a good loop, done with experienced riders with a good plan. You wing it, and you have very little chance of a good outcome. What is the average miles you ride in a day? Saddle bag trips before? Biggest loop in the past? You know your group, your skills and your sleds. Some are best suited to day trips out of Zenon. If you are more adventurous, the loops described above are perfect, and a ton of fun. You need to plan well, food, gas, lodging. Need to keep the group moving. Need to work with the weather and the conditions. Mark.

Day 3: Not sure about the boots in the lodge, we all carry slip on shoes after we get off the sleds so no issue there. We had a great nights sleep, which we needed after staying out a bit late in Val-D'or. Noel starts breakfast at 7:00! Awesome. We were on the trails bit after 8:00 AM, and the temperatures were at 8F, above zero! We gassed up at trout lake before leaving. The gas is $2.10 a liter, but he trucks it in with 5 gallon cans from town 20 miles away. We only took $14 each to top off, so not too bad. They told us that gas was 190KM away in La Domaine. Hum, 118 miles. There is supposed to be a gas option off a goat path somewhere along the way, but we decide to go for it, (I did not see the other gas option, but I did not know what I was looking for).. The first 20 miles of trail is on an unused summer road, which was very nice. Then there was about 5+ miles or so of trail that was severely grown in. The groomer had been grooming it, but you had to stay in the middle unless you liked slapping 1-2 inch diameter saplings. Then the trail opened up and wow was it nice. 50 miles of very, very nice trail. The trail by Joncas was AWESOME. Lot's of sled tracks there, but no sign of life. It's been a tough year for the outfitters not on the power grid in the bush. We drove by a fresh sled carcass that had melted into the trail. There was not enough left to put into a zip-lock bag! The last 50 miles into La Domaine were a bit bit bumpy, but not too bad. The traffic around and into La Domaine was very light on Sunday. The lady at the gas station said Sundays are usually very light. Once we rolled in, we had 125 miles on the tank. We headed out on the 63 after lunch to Le Classic, which was a bit bumpy, but not bad really. We picked up the 322 to head back to the truck. The first 30 miles were nice. After crossing the reservoir it was ugly. The area had seen a ton of traffic. The trails were beat, but we expected that really. This tank had 109 miles on it, but we could have gotten gas many times if we needed it. Total for the day was 234 miles and back into the lot at 3:30PM. Nice thing is the truck was where we left it, always a good feeling. Total for the 3 day trip was 794 miles. 2800 miles for the season for me so far. Plenty of snow in the north, and plenty of cold. Everything we have read about the trails in the region was true and we will be back!

Nice trip!

Day 2: We had two choices to get to Club Trout Lake. One way was 180 miles, (down the 309), one was 280 miles via Rouyn-Noranda. -18F, and we chose the 280 miles route, we are riders after all. We spent a bit riding around town to find the Polaris Dealer to get oil for the one 2 stroke in the group. Val-D'or has trails EVERYWHERE! Gas at 48 miles, and all new groomed, wide and very fast. 70 miles more to Rouyn-Noranda for lunch and gas. Food at the local restaurant was nice. Very good trail, but close to town the traffic was insane. Never saw so many sleds on the trails, EVER!. 35 miles and we gassed them up again, then 90 miles more to Belliterre. One horse town with a crazy line at the 1 pump that was working. Traffic got WAY lighter as we got away from town. Lot's and lot's and lot's of snow. We saw 4 groomers yesterday, so this area is serious about keeping things nice. GPS with the Quebec maps came in real handy, as we have not been on these trails before. 303 south was very nice. Tight woods, park roads, some rail-bed, then fields, all really fun. Pulled into Club Trout Lake at 6:30, really nice place on the trail. 280 miles, (466KM) In the bush, only riders staying here. :^)). Noel said he has had a good year, guests every night, Mondays have been busy for him, sometimes filled right up!

Don, Agreed! The days of pulling in late and hoping for the best are long over for me., Good luck on your trip too! Mark.

Day 1: Decided to stay at Club Fontbrune, (a few miles south of Rebaska). Very nice, you get your own chalet, many are new. Very nice owners. We planned to ride to Val-D'or, Mapsourse said 278 miles. We headed out at 9:30. Got gas in Mont Laurier with 48 miles on. Headed to La Domaine for gas and lunch with another 60 miles on. Crazy town for lunch, but it worked. WOW, the 386 to the village to Kitciskik was so nice, it should have been illegal. Super nice 114 mile run, with no options for fuel in between that I could see. Gassed them up and headed to Forestel. Got here with 280 miles on at 5:20, not too bad. HemiDoo, JayBird and Greg Du Vermont make up the foursome for this ride. Very, very, very nice conditions. Fresh snow all the way. Temperatures were getting colder, supposed to be -20F in the AM. Sleds have been piling in and right back out for the last hour as the desk gives them the news that they are full. Quick clip from Today: http://youtu.be/9KXtpSaAeuc

Looks like a great time! I love Gouin and Lac Fallion! For the Vector, an hour before you have to go, throw a hairdryer under the hood with a blanket over the whole hood area, heats it up good.

Have a nice Journey, we may meet up with you somewhere on it!

Day 2: Ok, we had a 238 mile trip home planed, a nice loop down the west side. But, as fate would have it, we had to make a small adjustment, (all good) We headed south across the river shortcut south out of Windigo, (I have wanted to try this for awhile). 14 miles later we were on the 73. With a GPS on the tracks it was perfect, very nice shortcut. Into La-Tuque in 85 miles or so, (but now on 115miles on the tank from Relay 22). The pipeline was a ton of fun, very smooth. 60 more miles and we were back at the truck. Most was freshly groomed and in great shape. It would have been nice to spend more days up there with the snow so very nice, but next time! 150 miles on the day.

Nice, have fun!

Day 1. Plan was to leave Shawinigan and go the long way to Windigo, (25 miles from relay 22 off the 83). At breakfast, we realized we miscalculated and the day would be 370 miles, yikes. We adjusted and left from River Matiwan at 9:30 and -15F. We headed on up to La-Tuque, then up to Lac Edward, (trapper has food and gas, we past them by). The lake was staked, nothing like WOT for 10 miles. Had lunch and gas at Domaine du Lac Edward. We has 98 miles on at this point. Gas was $1.5 a liter. Next stop was Lac Bochette for gas again, another 85 miles or so. Up to Roberval, took few side trails and ended up back on 83 west. Pulled into relay 22 at 5:15, got gas with another 93 miles on. Got to our destination at Windigo at 6:15 with a total of 309 miles on the day. It was all very, very good. Temps at bedtime, -2F., Temp at breakfast, -14F, Met up with Iceman, NH-Moose, Scorpionbowl, and Snohorse on their 8 day journey, (small world!).

Getting to Barrage Gouin off the 83 is no problem, the signing is excellent.

Barrage Gouin is up and running, and all is good there. 2 very nice groomed, (with a 4 foot wide and a Tundra) trails off the 83, both about 25 miles long. West trail is wider and faster than the east trail. Not staked this across this year from the Dam to Cova. I would do it, but would not recommend it unless you are fairly comfortable off trail with a GPS and have good range on your gas.

The 63 intersection has been moved up the trail 5km or so. 63 is fully opened all the way to L'Annonciation, no problem at all. All clearly marked. 33 is marked and open all the way, just not groomed.

Day 3: Great breakfast at Barrage Gouin, (love that place). Headed back down the west side trail, (it is faster and wider). We were pushing 12 inches of new snow, WOW! It already looked like the warm-up never hit this area. We went by Casey, looked pretty dead, no signs, no tracks. Got into Kanawata with 98 miles on and filled them up. 12.5MPG, pushing snow costs a bit. They said Repo had no fuel, so they suggested taking the road to Repo to conserve gas. Got in with 35 miles on the tank, ate lunch and headed down 33. The first 93 miles had not been groomed all year!. Choppy but not horrendous. It appeared open and was well signed. Maybe 5 miles in the middle was on plowed logging roads, but with the fresh snow it was fine. You could get gas at La Taureau. It was groomed after that and we kept on trucking the 20 more miles into St Michael and filled them up. The 13 miles to Cabanon was a bit bumpy, but not bad really. The groomer had just left south, so we got a few miles of nice stuff, then onto La Glacier. 238 miles on the day. Nice 650 mile loop for anyone looking for an easy 3 day loop with nice placed to stay.

Day 2: 210 miles today. Woke up to 5 inches of new snow. Awesome breakfast with fresh watermelon! Left Rebaska, off to Fer A Cheval for lunch. 13 was SMOOTH. Awesome 98 miles. Food was awesome, trails were ridiculousness Headed off to Parent with another 45 miles on. Trails were awesome with the new 2-6 inches of snow on them. Gassed them up, and went 65 more miles and rolled into Barrage Gouin for the night. The 83 was awesome, and all of the side trails were awesome too. Met some guys up from Barre Vermont and Colchester Vermont. Very little traffic up here, and Ton's of snow! Tomorrow back to La Glacier.

Day 1: Left St Zenon, 214 miles later, ended up at Rebaska, Lot's of snow, trails very hard. No slider or overheat issues, enough loose on top for this. Snow in L'Annonciation and up to Mekoo's is the most I have seen, and the trails are very, very good. La Macaza a bit rough, looks like they just got the groomer through after the big December dumping, then the melt down. They are calling for 30cm of snow all through this area through Sunday. Very cold, 1200's got 16-17mpg today. Tomorrow, up to Barrage Gouin,

Got to check the box in the map menu,

22?

With a GPS and a phone, I would have been there. The days of awesome signing are long gone, (victim of snow that arrives late and leaves early, and reduction of dollars and volunteers I suspect). Driving in circles looking for unfamiliar destinations is no fun, a good GPS helps with that. Others may be successful using other options. I am in the 100K+ mile range in Quebec, and have found the GPS over the last few seasons has reduced those stressful moments. Last trip, (600+ miles), quite a few intersections had no signs at all. In some area this is typical, yet we still manage.

Punch this into your GPS, 555 East St Jacques Princeville Quebec G6L 4X6 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Complexe+hotelier+Du+Pre&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Complexe+hotelier+Du+Pre&cid=0,0,15413241542727561987&t=m&z=16

80% chance of rain and 40F on Sunday, good week-end to stay home for us.