markusvt

Down by the sea 20 miles out of HSP......

Down by the sea 20 miles out of HSP......

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Really nice run guys 👍

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Congratulations to the entire team!

Until Next Time. Bonne Nuit

Day 2 
Left Sept Isles at 8am. Had nice breakfast at Comfort Inn. Loaded up and off we go. Trail much like we left it yesterday no grooming and fresh snow, No tracks headed east. We will change that. We make good time to River Moise as expected. From here the adventure really just is beginning. The snow is deep and Randy and Mark are taking turns finding the way for us. This day was quite challenging. Perhaps the most challenging day I ever spent on a sled in Quebec. 
They say "you learn something new everyday" well today I learned alot. Several things in fact. 
1 This Team from VT don't play and they are pro's. Big respect for the teamwork and the skill showed today. Words here will not duly do justice to what we achieved today. I can tell you but unless you lived it, You just won't understand. Big thanks to them Mark, Randy, Greg and Dave. Would not be here without them. 
2 I know now why the amount of people who have actually been to Havre St. Pierre by snowmobile is not very many. The trail is not a trail, its there, but not really. Especially now after 12" plus of snow and winds that created drifts throughout the powelines(which is the main route for most of the way) the size of Peterbilt trucks. Hairy shit. 
3 My sled is quite capable of making its way in deep snow. just don't hesitate. 
Ok now seriously you may want to go to Havre St Pierre. Great. Think again. Cause unless you got a GPS track and a solid crew of at least 4 experts. You are being foolish. There is no sticks, not many signs and you are on your own for more than 40 miles. Thats alot of decisions to make is it up there to the left? Down to the right? Up thst hill? Choose carefully cause your  life depends on it. There are cliffs and drop offs that are so beautifully hidden with the drifts it's not for beginners. 
Today was a long long day. I have never worked so hard for 100 miles ever. 8am-2:30pm to get to Rivere Tonnerre for gas and snacks. Yeah, check that moving average. Do the math. Not easy. Did I mention bring strong guys to help you out? Cause when you get stuck it's deep. I rode 5 or 6 today. Best place for me. We got 4 Doo's 3 1200's and one 900, one Sidewinder and my XTX. I needed to back down one big hill one cause the others dug such a trench they left me nothing to work with. One other time saw me just thrown too far right on a big climb.  But just a pull on my ski loops and i was out. The same can not be said for our leaders they are making decisions on the fly and encountering drits that are incredible. We did alot of digging and studying to find where was the best way to get through. After Rivere Tonnerre there was more sticks to guide us, trail was in woods, but still powerlines here and there. Still drifted bad, but we make better time. 25 miles from Havre St Pierre we find fresh groom trail we are delighted. We exploit this for all it's worth and hammer down. Into Hotel Havre at 6:15. 
Thanks to The Team Vermont and Trailblazer. I made it to Havre St Pierre. Mission Accomplished "failure was not an option"
Talks are aleady in the works for next years ride. Probably starting in Baie Comeau and shooting east of here as far as trail will let us go. I can't wait.
We were hoping to go 50 miles east of here then back but time will leave that as unfinished business for another time. But the objective has been reached. 
Tomorrow back west to Port Cartier. Should be a different game now that we broke a trail through "no mans land" 
in Rivere Tonnerre we chatted with some guys in the store they said last group to come through was last week. Thinking for sure was none other than Roadrunner. So no one else been through since them last week. 
Big respect also to GT Rider who I know made this run 2 up with Mrs GT. You are so lucky it was not drifted like this was today my friend. 
Tired. 



 
I need to make a withdrawl. Ice needs a new Apex....

 

 
Wanna get to Havre St Pierre? Look for these and good luck!

 
 

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

It was -15F this morning in Churchill with a stiff northwest wind, putting wind chill numbers way down. We dressed accordingly and headed out. It was 120 miles up the Esker road from Churchill to Esker siding.  This road was built back when Churchill dam was constructed in the late 1960s. At that time no 500 road existed, so the only way to get construction equipment into the dam site was over this 100 mile road to Churchill. The Schefferville Sept Isle train unloaded the trucks, turbines,  trailers and construction equipment to be hauled in over this road.
In Churchill , which is a company town, for the power station,  the town center is like Mall village. The grocery store, school, hotel and restaurant and shops are all located in this company facility. Kind of neat.
 Today, It is not groomed but was fun to ride and imagine the activity 50 years ago. One of the structures for water control is pictured below. We stopped at Esker siding and got a fire going in the warming hut. Spent an hour thawing out gear than off to Lab City where Rob's wife Tina cooked us all an awesome home cooked meal of Baked ham, Mac and cheese, potatoes, green beans and muitiple types of salads and Rolls and deserts.  Wow that was awesome after ten days on the trail. A down day to tomorrow with minor sled adjustments and than off bright and early Sunday for Gabriel Quebec, near Manicougan reservoir.

In Havre St Pierre at 6pm. Have I got alot to tell you. We made it. I will be back. To be Continued. I need a drink or 3.

Patiently waiting..................

Great job guys  wish i was there . and ICE MAN  sometimes good to be in the cradle  ...lol.

You are with a good group Don, those Vermont boys know how to get er done.

Don't ever ask Iceman to do a snowdance before a ride, you will be sorry 😀 And yes, this is the trail, we were not playing in the snow 😏

Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

Number one failure is broken wire at the coil connector , can happen on any cylinder. As it fails you go from 2 to 3 cylinders when only on two cylinders max speed is 50 mph. Easy to diagnose by touching the manifold in front of each cylinder, one will be cold. There are spare connectors  and pins in the wiring harness that you can borrow and MacGyver it together if need be.  Pictures look great! 

If you can feel the exhaust on the 1200 and can isolate to a cylinder, maybe a wire/coil/injector issue. If not possible common sensor issue but it should light a code. If you can, dump and change all the fuel, the 1200 will not tolerate any water.  Swap all the relays around and for sure tighten all ground wires including the one on the front left motor mount. Measure battery voltage.

Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

Markus
We got an early start,  on the sleds around 7, we were off on our journey!
We wanted to get ahead start on the weather system coming in, You hit the report perfectly,  the first 25 miles were great to the Mosey River, then the next 45 miles,  would make you ask your self  I am doing this because I want to right? This section had the machine thru without a drag,  a long time ago. But not marked particularly well,  rough,  but rideable,  helps greatly to have a gps.
This section,  would be ugly, after or during a snow storm, we lucked out today with decent visibility and some sleds have been thru. Than after 45 miles, and crossing river Tortue, bang, there was a fairly fresh groomed trail!  Wow, should have checked fcmq and the groomer surfacing report, we would not have been so shocked,  from there on in we rolled it out fast, checking into to Hotel du Havre around 2 PM and 170 miles on.  A great first day on out journey,  prepared to rough ride it in, but very happy, the last 100 miles were great! 
On to Chevery tomorrow!