mikerider

Another confusing item I am reading, you also may be required to take another Covid test at the border crossing, or be given a home test to take with you on your trip. The home test must be done within 24 hours of entering Canada. After completing the home test, you call a number and a courier comes and picks it up. I am wondering if you need to stick around at the hotel to hand over the test or just leave it with the front desk (or bartender lol). Or if saddle bagging, how will that work? Very few border crossings have on site testing, so I am thinking?? most will get this home test from a border agent.

Hi Mark. I'm probably going to be a Maine rider this winter just to play it safe and to hopefully keep the budget more in check. It won't be the same not having a beer with you at RDL. You Mark, would make the perfect mayor of Riviere du Loup. You could even tell the kingdom you overthrew the last mayor. (I was in your neighborhood today paddling Cobbossee). mike

I too am leaning towards Maine again this winter I usually do 3 to 5 trips to Canada and testing is expensive. On the news today, one of Maine's large statewide healthcare providers is discontinuing doing testing for travelers, stating they are flooded with doing tests for sick people and workers who must be tested. They also said there is starting to be a shortage of test kits. I also heard test results are not always coming back in a timely manner. I am also worried about catching Covid in Quebec and being hospitalized. Check your health insurance. When in Canada, my coverage only pays for the hospital to stabilize me enough to ship me to the U.S. Not sure who pays for the ambulance ride. But if you feel comfortable going to Quebec, by all means you should. It is still the best. mike

Going west, Riviere du Loup might be 85 or so miles, recommend Hotel Universel or Hotel Levesque. Then continuing west or south west (to get more miles than 85) you will run into a lot of small towns that probably don't have hotels. Next good sized city after Riviere du Loup would be Montmagny (several hotels) or maybe St. Pamphile has a hotel. One option is to leave Rimouski and get on Trail 35 to Squatec and continue on 35 towards Cabano. When you get to the area just above Canano, stay on 35 until you get go trail 526 and head into Riviere du Loup, adding to the mileage. mike

I think the registration that says 'non transferable' only means that if you sell the sled, the new owner can't use your registration to go off and ride the sled. He needs to register it in his name. mike

And it will be great to see all our Canadian friends again. Very good news.

Steven, Make sure to tell the girlfriend this trip is far more fun than when you go with the guys.

I heard there is a nice waterfall in RDL. Is that the one? Don't forget to eat at the pub in the downtown. mike

Too funny,...

What a great spot you have made Steven. Sometimes just sitting down in a spot like that with a friend is just as good as any adventure. Thought of you and your forestry work today as I made a second paddle trip down the Penobscot to the island with the boom house museum. Found out is is always open and unlocked with no one there watching over it. Couple old phones at the museum, tried calling you, must have been out of the office. Did an early morning remote paddle first. mike

I would love to ride Millinocket another year. So nice to arrive there in 2 1/2 hours instead of 6 hrs or more. If the border opened and I stayed in Maine, I probably wouldn't have any friends to ride with in Maine, they would all be in Quebec. So if the border opens, and the Quebec businesses are fully open with no foolish rules about seating etc. (like only 2 to a table and only half the seating available), I most likely will go to Quebec. I am torn. Maine trails weren't as consistently as smooth, but they were really nice in Millinocket and the lunch stops were top notch. The hotel owner really treated us QuebecRiders great, letting us gather each late afternoon or evening in his un used bar. He even let a couple guys leave their sleds next door in his storage garage so they wouldn't have to trailer them home.

Today I went into the famous and very large Baxter State Park, home to Mt. Katahdin and the latter the end of the Appallacian hiking trail. Many decades ago, Gov. Baxter thought this land was too magnificent to be left in the hands of individuals and logging companies. After the legislature failed to agree to have the state buy it, the Guv bought it with his own money and left a large endowment to keep it going. It employs over 60 people to keep it going, and this isn't a place you can just drive home from at night so most workers liver here. This did help get the Guv out of hot water for ordering all state flags to fly at half mast on the passing of his beloved dog. Strangely, no dogs are allowed in the park The park consists of countless small ponds, most between 1/10 to 1 mile long as well as hundreds of miles of hiking trails to mountains, waterfall,s remote campsites and ponds. Today I drove the loop road which is really a north/south road, with a handful of short dead end roads going into a few ponds with old and famous sporting camps, now taken over by the park. I exited the north end gate whcih is by Mattagammon Wilderness Store, for those that came to Maine to ride this past winter. Total trip through the park was about 60 miles of very smooth dirt roads, but somewhat twisty with many blind corners and very narrow, and most of the way two large pick up trucks could not pass without one pulling way over and stopping while the other inched by. Speed limit is 20, and I seldom got over 15. There are many small ponds and stunningly beautiful streams next to the road. I did some short hikes into waterfalls and ponds. The camera doesn't catch the stunning beauty. This is also home to a very large moose population although I did not see any today. I also saw very few vehicles, maybe 1 or 2 every 15 minutes the first half of the trip, and a total of 3 vehicles the second half. So quiet for the July 4th weekend, and knowing Maine's Coast is traffic jams and thousands of tourist fighting for a parking spot in touristy areas and many unable to get into the crowded restaurants.

Back in Millinocket for a week Today's hike into Ripogenus Gorge, paddling under the shadows of Mt. Katahdin, and checking out the Chesuncook Boom House. I guess the boom house was where they corralled the logs coming down the lake way back when they had logging/river drives, and the loggers stayed at this house. It is now a museum. I looked for Steven's picture hanging on the walls.

Sorry Joe. I am back in Millinocket staking out our rides for this coming winter.

Pipemaster, Looks like Bulldog Camps really has upped their game and gave the place a nice makeover. Looks nice. I think last winter I rented the Polaris VR1 sled from the same place, their shop in Jackman. Top of the line sled. Nice outfit to deal with. mike

Rumor up here has it GutZ came across this and said hmmm, I wonder what would happen if we added nitrous to get it to turn faster.

This past winter I snowmobiled the Millinocket, Maine area and fell in love with the region for its huge wilderness, beautiful rivers and lakes, and feeling of remoteness once out of town. I wanted to scout around for future longer trips to the area in summer and fall . I again landed at Baxter Park Inn. Owner Tim is very thankful for the QuebecRiders who stayed here last winter and sends a hello to all.. Yesterday I did the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. This area was a bust, not worth the gas. Today was an early start up the Golden Road and along the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The Golden Road is Maine's most historic lumber road and traverses towards Moosehead Lake with other side roads going to such places as Ashland. and up near the Allagash. There are historic dams along the way, many small and large wilderness lakes, lots of fisherman doing their fly fishing and lots of white water rafters and kayakers shooting the rapids. Later in the day I discovered bicycle/hiking paths along the East Branch of the Penobscott. A wealthy out of stater bought this land, made the paths, built a visitor center and opened it for the public. It is truly a great gift of several miles of beauty. The old machine that is pictured had something to do with logging and pulling cables across the West Branch. Maybe Steven can chime in. (Maybe he used to operate it back in the 1940's). mike

Few days ago was vacationing in the NW Maine mountains and went into the back country and did some hiking around Grand Falls. And today wife and I and kayak Josie did a local paddle. mike

A happy birthday to you. mike

It's a fact: Dogs don't kill people. Guns kill people. And dogs are heroes. They stand at the front of the line to get heir vaccinations.

You are my hero Blueblood, a touring sled and a performance sled. That was my plan for next year also but alas a financial snagfu shot the performance sled purchase down the drain. After twice renting Polaris VR1's this winter, I think you are going to love that sled. It is an absolute blast to ride. If I didn't occasionally ride solo sometimes, I would for sure trade the Renegade in for a Polaris.

Imagine if Taiga could install a sound track that played out the sound of a two stroke triple triple!

A very happy birthday, Jean Guy.

Sympathies Jim and Gemma. It has been a year so many have struggled, so many have felt sadness in their lives. My vaccine shot felt like a shot of hope for the future. mike

I too am thinking the border may not open next year.