St-Zenon/Mauricie loop via Mastigouche Reserve and Mattawin (#360trail) 23/1/10

[towing]

Knowing the conditions we seen last week-end, we decided to drop directly near Mastigouche reserve to start our ride in top conditions. We were wondering if we had made a good decision because the trails more south we look at from the road during the trip from home had just been grommed and seems pretty good...

With our friend Snowcruiser, we droped down the sleds near Pourvoirie Mastigouche (Koubec) where Benoit, an other friend that rode with us had his chalet.

Weather conditions this time were top. Last night was freaking cold and -19C at start with sunny blue clear sky.

Few miles of twisties and road side and we were at Koubec...

The plan was to go lunching at Riviere Mattawin via #318 trail and#349 on St-Maurice river

So we took the #350 trail to reach the #318. The trail was freshly groomed...

We took the #318est in Mastigouche reserve . Trail perfect 10/10...

We realized that we had in the past near always ride those trails in the other direction. So we were really pleased to find a different surroundings in a knew of us place.

Outside of the Mastigouche reserve, the conditions were more lean but still good with just few brown spot in woods twisties sometimes.

We got on the #347 trail on St-Maurice river. At least, no chance to get sand here !!! As we had heard, the trail was a little ruff but good enought to open the throttle and get pretty fast on some strechs. The scenery is as always very beautiful there...

We had to be really careful because the slush had froze with deep ruts on some spot. But the worst is that there were many spots where the slush was not frozen... a little scary. Crossed those spots at full throttle with water splashing... would not recommend to stopped in the middle...

Farther, the ice cover had frozen really uneven and we had to go slowly

to be continued...

Edited January 25, 2010 by towing

[towing]

After the river, the trail was freshly groomed.

The snow cover was thin but the trails condition were good except for the last miles near Marineau ( Riviere Mattawin) where the ground is really uneven and there are few big pot hole over the trail just had to go carefully and it was fine. And we took a lunch at Marineau...

After fuel up, we took the #360 in St-Zenon direction. The first 7 miles in the woods was ok even the cover was thin. We saw here the Mattawin river that flow at huge rate...

We next entered in the Chapeau de Paille ZEC. This trail is on the "park" road that follow the river on many places, so we had a superb wide and fast trail

otherwise than the dazzle sun, it was paradise...

Did I told you that this trail is my favorite one... fast, good vision, undulating and a little twisty...

We went to snow to Benoit the scenik view on the river. The trees had grown pretty much and begin to block the view but it was still nice...

And we followed again the Mattawin river

to be continued...

[towing]

We took the time to stopped at an other scenik view on the river but nearer...

The river was so calm that we had a mirror effect with the mountains. This pic taken at high speed is not so good but give an idea how it was looking...

We were already at the end of afternoon. Few curves begin to wash out a little but the rest of the trail was so nice... and the scenery was so beautiful.... ok, I admit that i'm sold to this trail !!!

After crossing of the #345 trail to repos/Manawan, the trail became pretty ruff. For sure, alot of traffic passed there to go there plus the mattawin traffic.

But guess what we found 1 miles farther....

And back on good trail again...

Pee break at the dam...

We were surprised to see how the reservoir level had lowered from the last time we saw it 2 weeks ago..

It was already too late for more pics. We continued on the #345 trail to Cabanon. The trail was in very good condition, we crossed the groomer and wonder why he was there so good the trail was before. The trail few miles before arriving to the Cabanon that had sand contamination last weekend was near perfect ??? I don't know how they had do that, the groomers here do miracles i think... We stopped at Cabanon to fuel up and also lunch there. For those who wonder, the bar was opened.

Back on the trail, we continued on the #345 that was freshly groomed and very very low sand contamination just first miles from the Cabanon. The only thing was that we felt the runners grinding the trail base from times to times. We finished the ride with the #350 trail down Koubec that was not grommed back yet and pretty bumpy. Finished the ride with 202 miles on the dreammeter

To conclude, we had choose our route to try to get the best conditions possible but we were nicely surprised how good it was. Mauricie side had pretty similar snow cover as what we see in Lanaudiere, maybe a little less in the part we saw. In St-Zenon, trails were surprisely good, better than what I was expected. We still know that the base is thin because the runners grind the base sometimes but the groomers did a wonderfull job there.

Let's hope that weather forecast are wrong and that we will get white stuff in place of liquid stuff....

I keep you inform for the next...

Bye

Alain

[smclelan]

Excellent report and pictures as usual Alain.

[actionjack]

Great report. Thanks Alain. Heading up tomorrow! Starting at Motel Safari instead of Ste-Adele.

[viper2]

Great report Alain, I sure hope the trails hold up well monday. I am planning on coming up near the end of feb. for a saddlebag trip. I don't know where we will go yet it depends on the snow cover. Unless we do the Gaspe we will probably leave from St. Zenon. Did you recognize the picture in my post with the small building on it? Here is a hint, if you were familiar with the trail to River Mattawin say 15-16 years ago from St. Zenon you will know it.

[towing]

Thank you guys

Alot of rain today here like the rest of the Quebec. Not too warm, 3C the higher we seen... let's wait a little bit more to see if we can get some snow to topped that...

Hope the best for you actionjack.... I hope you have scratchers on your sled, icy conditions expected...

Did you recognize the picture in my post with the small building on it? Here is a hint, if you were familiar with the trail to River Mattawin say 15-16 years ago from St. Zenon you will know it.

I would bet for the Bailey bridge crossing but the failed bridge isn't there ???? maybe it was removed this summer???

This bridge had been partially burn by vandals around 1995. The trail was crossing there before... It is around 25 miles from the dam on #360 trail.

I know that there are plan on table to replace this bridge to link the #360 with the Mastigouche reserve on the other side of the Mattawin river. It is part of the plans for replacing the trails we will loose in Mt-Tremblant park in the next seasons... There is alot of potential trails in Mastigouche reserve, would be great to have this bridge back.

Does i'm right or wrong with your pic ????

Alain

[viper2]

Thank you guys

Alot of rain today here like the rest of the Quebec. Not too warm, 3C the higher we seen... let's wait a little bit more to see if we can get some snow to topped that...

Hope the best for you actionjack.... I hope you have scratchers on your sled, icy conditions expected...

I would bet for the Bailey bridge crossing but the failed bridge isn't there ???? maybe it was removed this summer???

This bridge had been partially burn by vandals around 1995. The trail was crossing there before... It is around 25 miles from the dam on #360 trail.

I know that there are plan on table to replace this bridge to link the #360 with the Mastigouche reserve on the other side of the Mattawin river. It is part of the plans for replacing the trails we will loose in Mt-Tremblant park in the next seasons... There is alot of potential trails in Mastigouche reserve, would be great to have this bridge back.

Does i'm right or wrong with your pic ????

Alain

You are right on Alain I knew you would know this spot. Yes you will have to check it out the bridge is gone. I always wondered what happened to that bridge, that would be great if they would replace it I always liked that ride on that side.