Just back from Gaspe

[plowking]

After 30 plus years of riding out of and around the Lanaudiere region, finally pulled the trigger on The Gaspe!!  Thanks You for all the help & advice from this group and everything about the Gaspe is AWESOME!!!.  I do have a few observations & advise from my experience...  I did plan my trip counter clock wise and with my time allowed ( 1 week including travel) and adding 1 extra day for weather or snowmobile issues.  I'm not sure if it was the week I picked (2/25-3/4) or the new norm but I had a hard time getting rooms a week to 10 days in advance.  For instance I could not find any motel rooms, Airbnb's anything in Murdochville or the towns directly north for the night I was going to be up there...and it was a week night!!!  I decided to start in Mont Joli instead of Rimouski.  Just save a little trail time and allow for a slower more scenic approach.  I first and last night was at the Motel Mont Joli, WOW is the owner of that place fantastic!!! Not knowing if I would be able to stick to my schedule he "froze" my room for the night I planned to be back and the night after...Goody bag with a few drinks on arrival & return, someone on this site said he would hang on to your truck keys and come get you if you have trouble.  I didn't have trouble, but I asked and he said that is true...so I left my keys with him.  He did explain that his dining room has been closed since covid but he made us a dinner reservation at a place down the road and loaned us his truck to drive down...Coolest guy ever!!!  The hospitality at the other hotels we stayed at was great, rooms were great!  I thought the trails were all perfect for signage, maintenance, and grooming.  I share the sediment as a few that the trail from 595 to Murdochville was drifted and a little bumpy..very rideable and fun but you could see the wind and traffic took its toll on it.  With all the advice from this site I still missed the radar tower turn.  I didn't want to turn around, but I'm pretty sure I saw the entrance and just drove by it!!! 😂 I feel like the town of Perce could be marked a little better, with the popularity of that area the snowmobile tracks went everywhere.  We did find our way by luck up to the upper look outs, but we rode into the village & I'm pretty sure we ended up on private property.  We didn't get asked to leave, but the guy standing there didn't look thrilled to see us... This could be just have been my problem!!  We did have a hard time finding lunch stops.  I didn't really plan for that, but doing it again I will look in to that a little better.  I didn't get his name, but the owner of the Shell station right on the trail near the town of Gaspe spoke perfect English and was a pure delight to visit with.  Doesn't look like much of a place, but after visiting with him he really takes pride in the quality of his gas & knowledge of the area.  His place was near the bridge where the groomer went in the water, he gave us the story on that...We didn't have any trouble finding gas, but there are many more gas stops than the paper map or app show.  I'm sure you have to pay to be included on those platforms, but it's a good feeling knowing there are options.  As a victim of snowmobile theft in Canada in the early 2000's and riding with a guy who had an entire truck, trailer and snowmobile stolen around the same era it was nice to feel very safe around the loop.....I will definaly go back & do it again...maybe the other way!!! 

[mcstar]

Plowking, we were also up there the same week,  we never make reservations and I looked up the Quebec school spring break week and it came up for May 6th week,  but found out it was the February 28th week,  so that did not help, but I have never seen so many snowobilers as I saw last week. We had to modify the trip according to where we could find a room. I  was told at a few places that not all the rooms were opened due to lack of staff! And the endless tours that were in the area did not help the situation. And finally talking with groups from Ontario and US states,  they mentioned little to no snow in their area,  so up north they went!