NH-Moose

Bombardier coach pulling a small drag drove through the Le Chef parking lot. Update on Kwik Nicks track, losing a lot of lugs, just not made for trail ripping. Up the middle are all fine, its the ones on the edge taking it hard, probably from flexing since there is a lot or track sticking out the side, easy to fold over. Maybe some from tunnel ice too. Big winds at the saw mill, and farm fields...2 videos DB5F85C1-AF5B-4320-9287-255E4AFD9673.MOV A9855403-13E6-43C5-B592-244960CDD4B5.MOV

We considered going to the Curling Alley across the street, but forgot to pack our Curling costumes.

Only a couple pics today. The 2.6” 146 powder track...... as of this morning at Matagami. Nice warm up hut between Matagami and Quevillon at the 55/80km sign.

Kwik Nick installing a Canadian Tire stick on mirror to be legal. Im sure he didnt want to, but beats a fine. Kit Kat really needs to bring the great flavors to the states, I love the 70% dark, but these new Tiramisu are even better, and the espresso are great too! Will be hunting down some bulk packs on my drive south.

Carman, i’ll keep an eye out, but for me I have not burned 2-stroke oil since buying the Ace in 2015. Snohorse and Kwik Nick carry their trips worth in a stacked jerry cans, 1 for gas, 1 for Amsoil for the 850’s. No doubt you can find it, but prepare to pay through the nose for trail oil, the one time i had to buy some Doo oil or a belt up here years ago, i had sticker shock and carried my own spares. Not to mention the taxes. My 600 SDI’s always had a rack i could carry 3 jugs if necessary, usually 2 gallons, plus a coiple quarts got me through a weeks riding. I dont miss those days a bit, but i can see the allure of the power/weight ratio for some.

Breakfast wings for the fox. I’m jealous we were not here for wing night. Kwik Nick free Freeriding in the fluff Iceman tagging a sign at the spot Kwik Nick tool the wrong trail, we had plenty of time there. Cool antique military truck rolled in and out of the gas station while we were there

Warm up hut with the fire burning

Sorting my stuff for this weekends departure, also found: spare fuses, big and small types, variety af amperages. Spare relay, small type for X chassis, large for older Revs. Spare screws for HJC helmet shield, also fits other brands Spare breath box Starting to wonder if it would be easier to just drag a spare sled......... and bring 1 match ?

Great list so far! Topic comes up from time to time. Like Scorp says, spare spare belt......applies to anything super critical ;<) Belts and tires…..can’t do without them. If you use your 1 spare, you no longer have a spare. If you carry something, it pretty much guarantees you wont need it, but someone else may, so in the end you get to help someone.....and keep the gang rolling. Your gang or anyone you run across on the trail. I carry a set of motorcycle velcro-on heated grips, wired to a shield plug so anyone can use them if they lose a grip and its really cold. Learned the hard way, and have never needed them since! They roll up smaller than a soda can. Only draws about 1.5 amps, 20 watts, will (probably) not overload a shield power port. Not really HOT like factory grips, but enough warmth to take the edge off the bars and keep you riding. Energizer Lithiums are the best AA. I try to buy items that use AA batteries, then carry 4 spare Energizer lithium cells. 2X the energy of Alkaline, better in the cold. GPS, flashlight, head lamp, etc. Rechargeable batteries suck in the cold. Love the tiny Fenix model E12 AA flashlight! One in my jacket, one on the sled. Especially for early season trips when its dark early....or when power is out in the hotel (right Snohorse? ;<) Adapter/cabling to charge/run USB devices off the sled , perhaps to charge a Sat Phone, GPS, cell phone, Beacon, etc. Stretchy motorcycle cargo net. They pack small and are quick to apply to any failed baggage set up. Shield tester (or even better to have the DMM Scorp mentioned). Spare sled key Spare plastic sway bar link Spare plastic torsion spring slider. Spare nylon buckles for whatever holds your bags to the sled. Copy/PDF all your documents to yourself. Carry a spare paper copy....I use a bib pocket separate from my wallet, wallet stays in a zippered jacket pocket. A quality thermos/hot water bottle filled with HOT tap water every morning at the hotel. Some folks helmet ports freeze up and warm water works great to loosen ice. Can always drink water too. Lucky to have it mid-afternoon one time, was still warm in a Ziroshi flip top with secondary latch so it wont open or leak in your saddlebag. Smoked pepperoni, beef sticks, jerky, cheese, etc. Thin sliced and divy into multiple baggies. Leave excess on the sled....its too easy to forget them in the motel refrigerator!! Clothes go in 2-gallon zip locks inside a garbage bag inside your bags/luggage. Packable pair of shoes for hotel/restaurant evening use. Swim shorts for,the Manoir, or the occasional hot tub. Sled prep: Eyelets on the running boards or tunnel for a cinch strap to hold your heavy bag from bouncing. Replace the standard strap hooks with S-Biners that cannot fall off the eyelets. J-Hooks will unhook and end up in the track after a bounce. Aerostitch has awesome "Bungee Loops" to bolt to the running boards. Wire a 2nd shield jack to the battery, it will have its own inline fuse. Tuck it away for when your sleds jack fails and its a bear to get to its wiring/fuse to troubleshoot on the trail. You end up with a pile of those cords, mount one! Key lock or number/tumbler padlocks should be well oiled....2-stroke oil is good in the cold, so its good for locks too. Your 6-foot sled-to-sled security chain can be covered by a nylon braid from TulsaChain (sold by the foot) in the security chain menu. Apply 1/2 a can of Silicone spray to it and it will stay soft and pliable in the cold and not freeze. Their chain is also the best value for a decent chain, also by the foot. Gauntlets and thin gloves… Some people never get used to it, but many of us find it’s the perfect combination. Don’t need to take thin gloves off to do simple tasks. Wet gloves are hard to put back on too, carry spares, and spare spares. Vehicle prep: Bring your real floor jack and real spare tires. Spare spare trailer tire too!. On a Saturday afternoon or Sunday, you don't want to be scrambling looking for a tire shop in another country. The floor jack makes your roadside repair go fast, so less time in the roadside danger zone. Breaker bar and correct size sockets. Make sure lug nuts are not rusted on before you leave, use anti-seize (I just use wheel bearing grease) on the threads. Jumper pack stays in the vehicle (good old fashioned low tech heavy lead acid battery type, not the cute lithiums…..thats just my preference). Broom + shovel to clear off the trailer when you return and its buried. Ladder if you have a tall or flat top trailer. More chain, maybe a 10 or 20 footer to lock your truck to your trailer to a pole or nearby vehicle. Just to show some security “effort”, regardless of where you parked. Buy a bunch of big arse locks at the same time, check the key code and make sure they are all the same, usually an entire tray is identical. Now you have 6 -8 locks keyed alike and a dozen+ keys :<) Give a key to a buddy. One lock for the sled, others for the vehicles. Thats about it for now....

The adorable puppy was at Lac Pipmuacan, north of the Zec perimeter road. The gracious owner fed us hot chocolate and didn't want to charge us for it.

When a transport minister calls airplanes “devices”, i think i would seek alternate transportation to the proposed alternate transportation devices 🤣 ”A total of 50 seats are available on these devices.“

Hi JG, Purchased my pass specifying Club La COULÉE VERTE online tonight ;<) As always, looking forwards to seeing you this season, and many thanks for everything you do! A couple pictures of my yard critters, not as nice as your photos though. Lucky to catch the bobcat stalking and then pouncing a squirrel though! Bonne Saison! John in NH

May bring a drone on some trip, but it usually takes long enough to pop the GoPro on my helmet for some quick footage, let alone digging out a drone, booting it up, get some video, pack it up. By then the rest of Team Icaman will be 15 miles ahead 🤣

iMotoneige shows 3 bits of trail near Val Dor and Chabugamu groomed today, October 5. Or maybe they’re just jockeying around getting oil changes and maintainence? I’ll save you all some time and just be the first to ask.........How will the trail conditions be in 2 weeks?

Great stuff, looks the same but different, lots more green in the trees. Looks like it was all groomed for you too :<) Did Caro bring home a striped tiger kitty for the kids to play with? Plenty of room in the Snyder saddle bags

Perfect, thanks, new tool for me to apply next season. I know Playhard uses it a lot, and it looks like it’s now a full screen map so it’s easier to see than the original Via site where the map is only 1/3 of the screen. Thanks for the tip!

It’s all in the timing, what a difference a couple days make. Glad you hit the Northshore fresh groomed!

Rode from Hotel & Cie back to RDL Friday AM. A very very quick 100 miles, arriving at 10:45. Loaded up and drove south. Trail 5 including the power lines was perfect, best I can recall seeing it. Trip overall: 1047 miles on my trip odometer in 4 and 1/3 days. No mechanical issues. Very low traffic. iMotoneige app continues to pay off in planning, I hope they further improve it with imperial units and ability to see/save multiple routes. Wish the sled museum at Copper in Murdochville were open during the day, but its their way of doing business, 5 of us would have spent more $ than just lunch there had it been open. Hotel & Cie (in St Anne des Monts) restaurant was the best supper eats of the trip, gourmet everything, and a very professional and funny waiter. Its not a frequent stop as close to RDL which is our usual launch point, but we'll have to work it in to future rides. Chic Chocs and interior trails (like 597) are the place to be, the 5 around is necessary in places, but can easily avoid the Gaspe/Perce/Riviere au Renard areas, so I don't mind planning around them. Perce is no longer sled friendly IMO. Junk trail in/out, no gas, no deal. Would much rather look at the much bigger rocks (Chic Choc mountain range). LaCache is remodeled and open, rooms remodeled too. Can even rent the upstairs of the main place, multiple bedrooms, sitting area, etc. We asked they said under $200 CAD including tax for 5 people to rent the upstairs. St Hubert has better chicken, Scores has better ribs. Always nice to see, follow, chat with, miss by a couple hours, pass on the trail and PM other QR's sharing tricks, tips, pics, and stories. Another great Gaspe season ender!! I will post more pics when we gather everyones images and videos in a few days. hopefully some more of you can get out there, its still great, but will go fast unless you stick to the hills.

Carbides check ;<)

Low speed (actually no speed) flop over ;<)

Plan was working out great, left Hotel Cie in St Anne heading West on 5 to the 597, figured we would go a few miles toward LaCache to make sure it was not whooped, it was good enough so we went down and had soup at 10:30. Fueled and back up the same awesome trail. Well worth the effort, awesome run both ways. found out Planned for Matane, but arrived way too early due to the fast trails, so next stop Mt Joli. At the gas station I called but Gaspesiana didn’t have 3 rooms, so we ended up another 25 miles at Hotel L’Ompress in Rimouski. LaCage Au Sport was packed and loud, so it was Ribs and chicken at Scores across the street. Blew a new Gates Carbon belt with only 860miles on it today on the 900Ace, back to OEM belts next time I guess, those lasted thousands of miles. Tomorrow we shoot back to RDL and drive part way home, or maybe all the way home depending on time and conditions. Marty high marks the Copper debris hill yesterday (trying to embed via iPad) https://youtu.be/-j9DIWwtKOs

597 from New Richmond to LaCache was just Groomed, so it was awesome, like a super highway. The renovated LaCache looks great, friendly new owners, I’d consider staying here overnight now thats it’s been modernized. Chic Chocks were gorgeous on this sunny warm day to Murdochville. Lunch at Copper, was hoping to see the snowmobile museum downstairs, but it’s only open during and after supper, I assume to encourage people to eat, see the hundreds of sleds, and then stay over night, all under one roof. 5 on the north shore from MSP to St Anne needs grooming, it’s beat up, and drifts, made a last 50 miles bummer to an otherwise perfect day. Hopefully we’ll see some green on the map for our last 2 days riding, but we are fortunate to be riding late March with so much snow it’s hard to complain about one stretch. Very light traffic today, many people from Ontario are riding in this region this week. Tomorrow we may go down 597 to LaCache and u-turn back up the opposite direction since that’s my favorite trail through the valley I don’t mind riding it twice. Then maybe Matane for the night.

Wow, beautiful day, great trails. Left Mt Joli heading south on 5 and 587. Stopped by the Redemption look out tower to see the mummies, but it was too overcast to see much, observation tower is plastered with ice, we have no in interest in climbing. So much show in this interior region!! Lots of cool looking drifts creeping across the trails. Stopped at Groomers clubhouse for a smoked meat sandwich, waitress asked if we were the group from New Richmond, she was to call JG to summon him for a visit. We said we know JG, but had no arrangements. Great food, friendly service, and we were off to the south coast on 5. Was sweet, fast, and we made good time. Later, on the orange bypass above PLX, we saw a rotopax gas can in the trail, just past a huge drift, looks like someone slammed the drift and didn’t realize they dropped the can. I put it off to the side of the trail so no one would run it over. Hope they came back for it, looked expensive ;<) adjacent/above a road, we passed a couple sleds with NH stickers, should have stopped to say high, but we were all rolling. Maybe the group from New Richmond? Gas in Nouvelle, and settled in to Baie Blue in Carleton. Pub is closed this week for renovations, ate at the upstairs in the main dining room. Tomorrow we’re off to LaCache, Murdochville, and then up to the north shore. No telling what the Chic Chic mountains will bring, and we want to see the sled museum at a Copper, Steve likes to have a lunch, so we have short, medium, and stretch goal destinations in mind. Murdochville, Mt St Pierre, St Anne Du Monts. The only thin spots were on the south shore, south facing hills were slushy, the one long driveway is down to the mud...see picture....it’s going to go fast soon, but this week is awesome!! Saw a groomer that missed a turn and was stuck in a drift, must have walked out last night. Marty rides so fast he rode an inner idler wheel down to its hub. At Carleton, we rode out by the docks and the lighthouse. A lot of moving sea ice near the shoreline. Marty preferred to have cocktails in his room, so he missued out on the best part of the trips scenery so far. We all have our priorities I guess.