towing Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Saturday morning 8:30, cloudy -9C My wife and I started our ride from la Glacière in St-Zenon. The first target was to go to meet at Réserve faunique Rouge-Matawin restaurant our friends Coyote and jdventure that had started their ride from St-Donat. So we took the #63 trail to Mt-Tremblant park. Perfect freshly groomed trail to start... We quickly got on the #63 in the parc that have not been grommed up to the junction to the #33 trail but was not so bad. The clouds had disappeared and let place to a sunny clear sky... FCMQ guys stopped us to make a quick trailpass check... The #33 trail have been groomed and was pretty fast. Few minutes later we were at our meeting point at Rouge-Mattawin We don't wait very long and our friend jdventure arrived With Coyote, the only guy that is able to take 200 pics in a ride while driving :Wow1: The next target is to fuel up in St-Michel des Saints before getting north. The #33 trail down St-Michel was in great shape The snow cover is not thick but very good up to the junction for the Taureau Lake tour near St-Michel. We continued on #318 trail to go at gaz station near The Central in St-Michel. The 2 to 3 miles near St-Michel village were a little sandy but have to pass. The target is now to go lunching at Repos or Manawan via #33 trail. From St-Michel, we took the shortcut over the lake to auberge du Lac Taureau To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 I had never seen the Taureau reservoir so low at this time of the year, it is near completely emptied. We had to be very careful because the ice cover is uneven with 3'-4' hidden drop that surprised us a couple time. The picture don't show how deep we were but I would estimate that the level is around 40' lower than the summer level, maybe more... very impressive... In front the auberge Du Lac taureau ... We took back the #33/360 trail that is on the border beach... In the 1 to 2 miles next, the trail is on the border and there is sand spots sometimes but it's not long and it became ok after with good snow cover. Near auberge CanadaVenture junction, we keep the #33 trail and went north in repos direction. Beautiful fast trail !!! just had to be carefull with few icy curves in the first section, it was riding really good. This trail is not outstanding for scenery but for the trail itself. It's a wide fast long strech trail. I love my sled in these kind of trail and my sled also seems to love them... Few miles before the #345 junction, the trail transfered on a couple lakes (not groomed) and is well marked and indicated. The trail is again groomed on the other side and we arrivied at #345 junction It was 13:00 and the Repos was 1.5miles south so we went there but there was alot of sleds around so we decided to make the 20 miles more to go to Manawan for the lunch. #345 trail, go... to be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 It was a little bumpy in curves but at good speed, the skid topped the bumps and we quickly arrived at Manawan indian reserve We ate at " La reserve " . The exterior of the restaurant looks not so good but the food was very good and service was nice. We fuel-up and went back on the #345 trail that we kept up to St-Zenon. South to the Repos, there are many fast strechs... very nice trail We took a break ... Near this little fall... After the break, we continued and the grooming on this section was near perfect. Maybe some of you will recognize this place, the sign that we see on this pic, similar as a railway sign indicate a moose crossing!! We arrived at #360 junction at took dam direction. The groomer have just passed !!! perfect... It was already late and the darkness arrived quickly.We crossed the dam and just few miles farther we crossed... Lucky guy I was, the first of the bunch on this hard base trail topped with an even powder coating ... a pleasure to ride up to the Cabanon where we stopped for the last fuel up. And we go back at our starting point, La Glaciere where our friends had booked for the night. For my wife and I, it's the home return run... total: 280 miles on dreammeter To conclude, a very nice ride. The only less good trail condition were only few miles very near St-Michel Village on the 280 miles we made. The rest of the circuit was very nice and the more north we got , the better the conditions were and more snow coverage we got. Few sledders we talked to, told us that more north than we got was even better. It also seems that there are very few sled on the weekdays, less than usually so the trails conditions over the week keep outstanding. If you have the chance to get there outside of the weekend, you will have even betters conditions... And the last advice, if you try the Taureau reservoir trail, keep the trail where everybody ride, don't go farther than auberge du Lac Taureau on the ice and resist the temptation to explore the lake, it's dangerous and few sleds already sunk in doing that. No people injured yet but don't get in statistics... Alain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasemonkey Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 As usual, great stuff. I was wondering. It's been awhile since I've been to Manawan. Do the little kids still come out and climb all over your sleds and try to sell you little souvenirs? Everytime I ever went there, the kids would come out of nowhere and try to sell anything. If you stopped, they would climb all over you! It would always bring us a laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 good stuff , hope to meet you before the year is done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 As usual, great stuff. I was wondering. It's been awhile since I've been to Manawan. Do the little kids still come out and climb all over your sleds and try to sell you little souvenirs? Everytime I ever went there, the kids would come out of nowhere and try to sell anything. If you stopped, they would climb all over you! It would always bring us a laugh. LOL first time My buddy and I went there we were like OK this is weird. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBLER Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 The little bastards try to start your sled, they say if they get them started they take them out onto the lake till they run out of gas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Thanks guys The only kids we saw this time were at the ice rink playing hockey. I had heard many story about the kids or abandoned vehicle but all seems clean and quiet this time... Hope to meet you too grumpysanta before the year is done! also hope that it won't be done to soon !!! Alain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 we should try and set somthing up , let me know when you are planning a trip , do you always return home the same day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Je me souviens Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Nice report, great pics. Manawan is more than a little sketchy. When you see a pair of gas pumps in a cage, you know you have reached a different kind of place. I had my buddy sitting on my sled, while I left it for 30 seconds to pay for the gas. I loved heading up that way, not many people on those trails, as compared to the Cabanon area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted February 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 we should try and set somthing up , let me know when you are planning a trip , do you always return home the same day? Yes, we usually ride just one day of the week-end...4 boys at home 11-13-15-17 years old with thiers activities... have to put on my taxi cap often We very often planned at last second our week end trip... maybe there is a chance that we pass a week end on your side the 27-28 fev. Coyote the webmaster of passion yamaha organize a ride on devils mountain in Mont Laurier and I usually participate to this ride but again, I'm not set yet because I have vacation on the days next to this weekend and I had planned to make a 3 or 4 day ride... I will let you know if we decide to go in Mt-Laurier, maybe you could join us ??? Nice pic Je me souviens, kind of weird to see gaz tank like that !!!! Alain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 yes let me know your plans , i am retired and can get away during the week too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyman Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 Alain I just posted on another thread about passing you before I read this post. I wish I had seen you sooner as I would have stopped to say hello. Andy Saturday morning 8:30, cloudy -9CMy wife and I started our ride from la Glacière in St-Zenon. The first target was to go to meet at Réserve faunique Rouge-Matawin restaurant our friends Coyote and jdventure that had started their ride from St-Donat. So we took the #63 trail to Mt-Tremblant park. Perfect freshly groomed trail to start... We quickly got on the #63 in the parc that have not been grommed up to the junction to the #33 trail but was not so bad. The clouds had disappeared and let place to a sunny clear sky... FCMQ guys stopped us to make a quick trailpass check... The #33 trail have been groomed and was pretty fast. Few minutes later we were at our meeting point at Rouge-Mattawin We don't wait very long and our friend jdventure arrived With Coyote, the only guy that is able to take 200 pics in a ride while driving :Wow1: The next target is to fuel up in St-Michel des Saints before getting north. The #33 trail down St-Michel was in great shape The snow cover is not thick but very good up to the junction for the Taureau Lake tour near St-Michel. We continued on #318 trail to go at gaz station near The Central in St-Michel. The 2 to 3 miles near St-Michel village were a little sandy but have to pass. The target is now to go lunching at Repos or Manawan via #33 trail. From St-Michel, we took the shortcut over the lake to auberge du Lac Taureau To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 Alain I just posted on another thread about passing you before I read this post. I wish I had seen you sooner as I would have stopped to say hello.Andy It will be for the next time Andy Alain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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