NSHM

We left the Northern Door Inn in Fort Kent  yesterday at 0652, 14 degrees F. Trails in town were groomed and hard. My friend's sled , a 2023 Renegade Enduro 900 Turbo started overheating immediately. We could not understand , as we had encountered similar conditions each of the previous three mornings, and his sled ran consistently cooler than my 21 Viper.Neither of us have scratchers. We will before we ride again. Going into the fields did not help. We had stopped three times in one hour, and only got fifteen miles. I knew somebody staying in the area, and he picked up my friend and his sled at a road crossing. I rode to the truck, and drove the 61 miles back North to pick him up. Overall great trip, with some great conditions, despite daily temperatures approaching or reaching 40 degrees F. We put on 1000 miles, and this concludes our 2023 Snowmobile season. Already looking forward to visiting Quebec in the "Off Season" And hope to be able to ride more, and further into Quebec in 2024.
Here are the photos of our trip. 
2023 Last trip photos
 

Day 5- Today will be easy,  so we delay starting time until 6:30am. Temps fell to around 20 overnight,  coolest temp we saw all week. Groomer had been through so departure on trail 25 right in front of hotel flat and hard. Take that down to 540, over to 65 and into Weedon to top off fuel. From there jump on 55 until the 523 which brings us right to customs in Beecher Falls. Pass thru with no issues and run last 15 miles to camp, arriving before 10:30 with 135 miles. Flat light run, so very few pics. Deer were absolutely everywhere, use extreme caution in these areas! Total for 4.5 days of riding ended at 1556 miles. Maybe 25 miles of those had bumps, the rest were like riding in heaven! Just an incredible end of year run.

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Nice pics of your trip!

Day 4 - This was to be a positioning day, and we accomplished it. Left Matane early this morning and made it to Thetford Mines which will give us an easy run back to Vermont in the morning.  Will post pics and summary after we pour some beers down. 409 miles
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It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

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A breakfast stop at Tim Hortons in Degelis, then a quick 65 mikes to the truck by 9:20. Time to take the black trail and trailer home before tonights 8” snow due in NH tonight.  
Was a great ride, as always!
 

We get on 5 and head for Causapscal.
We can see the trail has changed a bit since our last time through. The trail no longer goes around the horn where we got stuck in drifting last time out. 
 
We make our way to the hotel. We notice that the trail has changed around town as well.
Another great day on the trail. 

It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

It had the don't start ,don't ride recall and is at the dealer waiting for parts!🤣

Chris,  I'm sure tides and wind are big factors and probably ice changes daily? Yah, no smokes here, but sugar pie and cold beers are a plus!

https://nhfishgame.com/2023/03/08/one-injured-in-single-vehicle-rental-snowmobile-crash-in-pittsburg/
"Although it is a common practice, the NH Fish and Game Department reminds riders that hand signals are not mandatory and recommends that riders keep both hands on the handlebars at all times."
Deitsch stated the crash occurred while he was operating south on Corridor 142 when he lost control of his snowmobile while attempting to give a hand signal to a passing rider.

Correct sir. Have seen those signs for years and probably saw 4-6 on our Gaspe run. Almost CERTAIN I didn’t see one from PALC to Degelis. That’s is irrelevant though.
That trail 571 has been groomed 3 TIMES aim the last week DURING THE Day. And I’d be willing to bet if I could look at history that is when it’s ALWAYS done. In a situation like that (which I don’t have a problem with) maybe the club needs to install a couple signs saying “this trail regularly groomed during day”
that’s just my opinion 

Kelly and I made a second trip to the Gaspe after getting frozen out a couple weeks back.  We clicked off 690 miles around the Gaspesie on fresh groomed trail for all but about 25 miles.  It is like catching the Holy Grail if you can make to loop all the way on freshly groomed trails. 
Started from Pointe a la Croix as usually, fresh groomed right out the door to past the cable bridge where Snowmaster 2112 caught up to us with his group. We chatted on the side of the trail then continued to the Albertville gas for breakfast. Met Snowmaster and his crew there again, but there were heading out to beat a storm on there way home.....we all know how that ended.  Thankfully no serious injuries. Kelly and I pulled out and took the local trail right before Lac Matepedia to St Adeleme for a break, lots of people there.  We then headed to Grande Nature, perfect trails till we got about 15mi before the turnoff above Cap Chat.  Good into Grande Nature. We had called about a week before and all that was left was a Scandinavian cabin. Have never stayed in one of those before, always up in the main building the cabins are awesome. The food there was incredible and the atmosphere is great. Left the next morning and had about another five or eight miles of rough stuff until we got to the Saint anne Des Monts turn off from there freshly groomed again right across the whole North Shore. Road through to the town of Gaspe and stayed the night at the Hotel Plante.  We went to supper with Northbound and Sandra it was a great evening. The next day we headed out again on freshly groomed trails all the way into Perce where Kelly wanted to get the iconic picture in front of the Rock, every snowmobiler has to do this at least once. In and out of there still on fresh groom trails we went through Chandler and got gas and stopped for lunch at the Chandler clubhouse, very busy there they were having drag races. Pulled out after lunch and sailed into New Richmond that evening, stayed at the Fin Gourmet. Next morning again out on freshly groomed trails and road back to the truck in Pointe-à-la-Croix.
Been riding in Quebec for 22 years and have never run so much freshly groomed trail before, the gods of grooming were smiling at us. Here is a few pics from our excellent adventure.
 

2 March 
Came home from Matane to solid 10” of snow since we left last Friday.
serious snow levels here in Shawinigan and surrounding areas. 
 
I think first winter ever they said Ville Trois Riveres has had more snowfall then Ville de Gaspe. We are ahead right now. 
 
 
 

Yesterday we stopped at a restaurant over by Squatec that we have never been to.  Maybe others have.
The restaurant is off of trail 546 and on auto route 232.  The turn off is 7 or 8 miles east of the 571, 546 and 35 junction in Squatec.  The trail was groomed and somewhat marked.  The cul-de-sac is just under 2 miles to the restaurant. 
There is another cul-de-sac a little further east that is not groomed and signed for Lac-des-Aigles.  That is not the trail.
The name of the restaurant is Resto Chez Lelou.  The signs on the trail are not appealing but the restaurant is a appealing and a fine stop for lunch.  The two ladies working there both spoke good English.  The restaurant is clean inside and seats 20 - 30 people.  The four of us had two chicken wraps, a club sandwich and fried chicken.  The portions are good and the prices reasonable.
Since the bigger restaurant closed in Squatec, we have been eating at the cantine by the gas station.  Which is fine but small and a little cramped.  Resto Chez Lelou is an alternate that is close by.
Jack & Sandi

Loaded up and heading home. GPS says 9:30 but she doesn't know about impending snow/ice storm right in our path. Again...it's all about the "timing"
We picked up jeffrey from RDL hospital around 10 a.m. He is doing  better than I thought but sore as f%$k and limping. They did cat scan, ultrasound for the organs and obviously x-rays, blood work, urine and more. Said they were on him like flies on shit when they wheeled him in. So a big tip of the hat to them and all emergency people everywhere. I guess it tremendously helped that we were literally right outside of town but I was amazed at the amount of fire fighters and EMT personnel at the scene instantly.  Side by sides with trailers, four wheelers with tracks etc.
I guess if you stripped us all down naked (oh God what a site) it would be I who looks like something happened.  The old handlebar in the thigh thingy. Pretty effen sore but I'll live.
So considering what occurred we all feel extremely lucky and thankful given what occurred. I know it was the scariest 2 seconds ever snowmobiling and possibly ever in my life. Knowing what was unfolding that last second was the worst because you know someone might get seriously hurt or die. Your best friends no less. I almost took the woods and am very glad today that I didn't. Don't think the outcome would have been as good.
Once again everyone,  THANKS for the well wishes and concern. It was another GREAT trip (well at least until the last 4 hours). We had GREAT trails,GREAT accommodations and GREAT weather.  Got to meet GTrider and wife, Fuse6, NHmoose and a couple others. Got to spend a little time with Iceman and Smclelan which is always a hoot. 
Hope everyone enjoyed the trailside reporting and pics. Im not usually in an area that had as much cell service as this trip so it was possible. Also the only phone I have that works in Canada is my work phone and the camera socks ass.
I hope everyone has a GREAT last trip or finished up recently with one.

Perspective:
Me and Mark I rolled up on the scene about an hour after the event. I saw red tape strung across the trail just before the downhill, slowed, and passed under the tape to slow roll forward to see why the trail was “closed” so close to town.
Just over the crest I saw a groomer and a bunch of people on the right of it. I assumed it was just a groomer that broke down mid-slope and riders were simply trying to get by it in the woods to its right…..in the fluff at the treeline.
There were a lot of people standing around. 
But then i noticed sleds in orientations that were not normal, as in the rubber side was not down, one front was facing the wrong way, or on their side wedged into the tractor track or drag here and there.  
Closer, I could see a bunch of people in the “V” where the tractor and drag appeared sort of jack-knived. They were working on a person on a stretcher. There was the groomer driver, paramedics, and others in the riding party.  I could see an ATV and a side by side, thats how the first responders got there before Mark and I.
Was a confusing scene, even being right there, hard to figure out, even now.
The hill was loose show….sloppy mashed potatoes….poor traction for sure, no wonder no one could stop in a downhill “surprise” situation. Mark went up the hill to park his sled by the one strip of red tape across was was kind of hard to see and we didn’t want to be piled onto.
I first talked to Chris since he was at the rear sitting on his Enduro.  Introductions made and he said we were the first sleds to come up behind them from our direction (Squatec) in an hour. He then explained the situation. We waited for Police to arrive to document the scene before anything could be moved. Once that happened everyone involved was ferried away and firemen began to clear the damaged sleds.
While we were there, 2 other NH riders approached and eventually we all fired up and passed in the ditch on the left of the groomer.
 
We had leap frogged Chris’s group several times between Murdochville and La Cache.
All I can say is they were lucky, could have been much worse or further from a road, or 30 below, etc. just bad planetary alignment of timing, location, conditions, etc.
And a speedy recovery to Jeffrey!