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I just find this pic on CMIQ french forum from yesterday morning(6 nov.2010) in St-Zenon, Lanaudiere... :D :D just few weeks to wait... original link: http://www.motoneigeauquebec.com/forum/showthread.php?105170-Sa-sent-la-motoneige-D-!!!! Alain

The updated 2011 version of the Lanaudiere trail map is now availiable on Lanaudiere web site. It will be easier to figure out the new trails I described above on those... B) Here is the PDF version of the paper map: http://www.lanaudiere.ca/docs/4c8f78f1eba2f/source/WebMotoneige2011_AN.pdf And the interactive Quebec Trail map: http://www.lanaudiere.ca/en/theme/snowmobile/map Alain

This is a very very good news Many area have alot of trails that are not affected but it's really nice to see that the clubs are already working on "B" plan to get as much as possible trails connected and get less dependent from farmers Alain

l'ASRA, the harvest insurance that is in the center of this dispute apply to farmers for cereals,apples,potatoes,also pork and lamb and some other products. It does not apply to dairy farms because Quebec manage those products with quotas and control their prices. But the farmers union, l'UPA is the same for all farmers so the decisions they take apply to all farmers.... those who don't use ASRA tend to show solidarity and follow the union words. Alain

Nobody will give money to them, it's the quebec government!!! Usually when they need money, they don't ask and take it in our pocket anyway <_< It's the SEPAQ (Quebec government)that owned and operate this relay in the reserve faunique Rouge-Mattawin .Unfortunately they decided to not open it this winter refering to rentability issues... it have been discussed that a private may operate it for the winter but nobody seems interested so it will be propably closed.... Alain

Yes, it was in the Mont-Joli area Talking of not so usual groomer, I have also this one... Alain

Yes,they look at the possibility to have a tanker there... also a diesel one for the groomers( I think it's also a problem at the moment). The relai Rouge-Mattawin was operate by the Sepaq(government) and I have been told that they already operate at loss in the past years... It was also question that a private or the snowmobile club operate it, but either solution fail...this is why it will be closed this season. So the snowmobile club actually look at which solutions are feasible for the fuel, we will see at the beginning of the season, soon I hope Also, as my title referred to Lanaudiere trails for 2010-2011 season, I just want to specify that other than what I previously mentioned about the new trails, the other parts of the Lanaudiere trail network will be pretty the same as it was the last season. Alain

I unfortunately won't have the chance to be there Greg, seems to have alot of people there I have been told that you must not miss the orssalimotosport stand ;) have a great time B) Alain

The trails in the "cafeteria" area will be all open with one new in bonus!! :) It is the cafeteria itself that will be closed :( . I will show you the map as soon as it will be avaliable but to explane, from cafeteria you will still able to take the #63 trail that cross trough Rouge-Mattawin wild-life reserve to Macaza or Mont-Laurier, you will also able to take the #318 to go to St-Michel des Saints, and still able to take the #63 and #341 to Coin lavigne as this was in the last years, and you will also have a new trail that will go to the #33/#63 trail but just outside(near the border) of the Mt-tremblant parc. The difference will be when you want reach St-Donat, around 12 miles south from cafeteria where you have the little Cypres shack there was a junction with 2 trails. The one to the right that was going to St-Donat won't be there anymore, this is the trail link we loose. You will have to continue on the remaining trail that also go to St-Donat via #310 trail(Caribou park gate and Domaine St-Guillaume. There will be also the possibility to go to Coin Lavigne and from there,take the new #33 to go to St-Donat. There will be nothing at Rouge-Mattawin relai(Cafeteria). The fueling points will be Coin Lavigne, St-Michel des Saints and St-Donat that are around 25 miles from cafeteria, maybe 30 for St-Donat...There is no fuel issue for those who loop on the Lanaudiere side for sure. I don't have the exact mileage from l'Annonciation to cafeteria for those who will come from laurentide area but I would bet around 60 miles which leave enought fuel to do the other 25 miles... correct me if I am wrong... The fuel issue I see is for those that will hope to fuel there without knowing it's closed... :o Alain

Hi guys :) As promised, I'm back with details on the trails for Lanaudiere in the next season. The big picture: for the Mt-Tremblant parc trails, we lost the trail segment from St-Donat parc gate up to the little Cyprès shack near the #310 trail junction. All the rest of the trails in the parc should remain the same as the past years for this next season. The relai Rouge-Mattawin more often call "the cafeteria" will be closed as announced earlier in an other post. On the other hand, we will have some new trails around the Parc and maybe more.. Just to clarify whats happen here, as many of you heard about, the decision to get snowmobiles out of the "nationals" parcs in Quebec province have been already take many years ago, no surprise here. The application of this decision have been fortunaly delayed to left the time to the areas and snowmobiles clubs to develop alternate trails and some money have been dedicated for that. Most of the areas of the province already relocate their parc trails like in Charlevoix with the haute-Gorge parc trail that have been moved to the east of the parc few years ago or Saguenay area that develop the Valins summit trails last year. Here, some of the alternates trails are made but the process is not yet completed, this is why we still get acces to the parc this season... It is important to note that this "ban" is only for the "nationals"Parcs, not the Wild life reserve that we sometimes incorectly named "parcs". By example, here in Lanaudiere we have the MT-Tremblant parc, the Rouge-Mattawin wild life reserve and the Mastigouche wild life reserve where we have trails with no problems. So,after the bad, the good news is that we will have new trails next season !!! Just south from the parc at Pourvoirie Coin Lavigne a new trail(#33) will go west to St-Donat, pretty parallel to the #43 trail (suspended bridge trail)but more north. Also, from Coin Lavigne to the east, we will have a new trail(still the #33)between the parc and the #63 trail that will go north, share a segment on existing #63 trail in the middle and farther an other new segment will reach the Rouge-Mattawin wild life reserve entrance. Also, in the projected new trails, we will have a new trail from the #345 between The Cabanon and the taureau Dam that will go throught Mastigouche reserve and join the #360 trail passing over the Mattawin river by a new bridge that will replace the old damaged Bailey bridge, but this last trail propably won't be ready for this season. In facts,it still left some work to do to open those news trails but we should be able to begin using them this season. All those trails can be viewed on the new 2010/2011 paper map, the updated 2011 electronic versions should be availiable soon on Lanaudiere web site( still the 2010 version by now) It's not all good news but I am very positive with the fact that we still get acces to the parc from Coin Lavigne on St-Côme side, Caribou gate on St-Donat side and St-Michel Gate on the Rouge-Mattawin side. With the new trails that will be avaliable, it will give many loop possibility, really more than before so ..... Let it snow !!!!! Alain

Last season, we pass in this area. We got on the mont St-Pierre near La Redemption that was outstanding and coming back by #587 trail to Mont-Joli (Where we stopped to sleep)we saw this similar view... The picture is crappy because it was very dark... I have one for you Groomer, and the others.... Alain

The Farmers issues are mainly with the modification that have been made to their compensation plans by 'La Financiere Agricole' their insurance company that I think is controled by the goverment. Their protest and claims are surely founded but have nothing to do with us... we are used to put pressure on the government... once again... <_< But don't forget that they had give us acces to their land for free since the beginning of the trail system... it deserve some respect... Fortunately, not all the trails are threat by this conflict that will propably solve at the first snowfalls... as usual Alain

As for the exact status for Mt-Tremblant park and around this season, I will come back to you in the beginning of the next week(in an other post) I can just say now that it is not all bad... brand new trails in sight Back to the topics here... Groomer, is it on 587 trail ???

No I'm not, I'm from St-Thomas de Joliette in the south of lananaudière. But if it's for giving him some money, I can even take it Alain

Thank you snowrider3 :) I can't wait to ride again and make new ride reports Time go fast, just 2 months to wait... until that, an old photo ride-report make a nice little virtual ride ;) Alain

Your translation is good Je me souviens... At the moment, I can't inform you more on what exactly have been decided for the Mont-Tremblant Park and the area around for the next season. I only have rumours or unconfirmed information but I should have the details in the 2nd week of october and will pass the information here as soon as i will have it. Alain

It was a good guess because they were similar... Bill, mached and MrGutz you are right on It was at the Chapelle few years ago... B) Alain

I had think it would be nice to put together the hyperlinks of my photo-ride reports from last season into a single post if somebody want to consult them... St-Zenon 13-12-09 photoride report http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1117&st=0&p=9517&fromsearch=1entry9517 St-Gabriel Brandon/ St-Zenon/ Mastigouche park 19/12/09 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1132&st=0&p=9652&fromsearch=1entry9652 Joliette / St-Zénon / Mt-tremblant park 26 december http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1145&st=0&p=9841&fromsearch=1entry9841 Ride report Mt-Tremblant park / Black mountain St-Donat 28 dec. 09 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1154&st=0&p=9880&fromsearch=1entry9880 Joliette / St-Zenon / St-Michel new snow !!! good condition 4janv10 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1180&st=0&p=10053&fromsearch=1entry10053 Joliette/St-Michel des Saints/ Taureau lake+Dam 9/1/2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1200&st=0&p=10234&fromsearch=1entry10234 Lanaudiere/Mastigouche park/ St-Zenon report 16 jan 2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1224&st=0&p=10424&fromsearch=1entry10424 St-Zenon/Mauricie loop via Mastigouche Reserve and Mattawin (#360trail) 23/1/10 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1243&st=0&p=10560&fromsearch=1entry10560 St-Côme/Black Mountain St-Donat/ Mt-Tremblant Park/ St-Zenon 6/2/2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1307&st=0&p=11137&fromsearch=1entry11137 St-Zenon/St-Michel/Taureau Lake/Manawan-Repos 13/02/10 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1325&view=findpost&p=11246&hl=&fromsearch=1 St-Zenon/ Riviere Mattawin 20 février 2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1345&st=0&p=11451&fromsearch=1entry11451 St-Zénon/Taureau dam/Repos/Manawan 6 march 2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1395&st=0&p=11820&fromsearch=1entry11820 St-Zenon/Repos/sentier M20 et #360 13 mars 2010 http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1404&st=0&p=11881&fromsearch=1entry11881 Alain

I think it will be an easy one for many of you... Alain

I think yes but still scratching my head where ??? Maybe Cabanon but not sure... Alain

I would bet the #360 trail between St-Tite and St-Joseph de Mekinac???? If it's where I think, the trail cross a river (on the ice, no bridge) less than 1 mile before this road crossing and few years ago the trail was passing on the road a half mile to get to this point... Alain

I'm pretty sure it's the old Devil's mountain cabin... that doesn't exist anymore and have been replace by a more modern restaurant. Was a nice rustic and unique place Alain

You're right Andy A view of the village from the lauching point... Alain

It's known locally as the St-Michel Relais or the Rouge Mattawin Relais and is at the St-Michel des Saints Park Gate in the Tremblant/Mattawin park. As mentioned, it is at a three-way intersection, TQ trails 33/63 where one could go into St-Michel, La Macaza, or over to St-Donat, and exit the park either by the Caribou or the St-Donat park gates. . Yup guys you're right on B) Alain

And this one ????? B) Alain