gizz Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 I was hoping to head up to Richards place on Wednesday night to ride Thu Fri and Sat from there up to Valin and back. Is the grooming done around Shawinigan? We did this a couple years ago the last week of March and they were still grooming so we figured we could do the late march thing again. Maybe we waited too long? I don't want to do the 9 hour drive for sub Canadian conditions. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Sub Quebec conditions is what is happening. La Tuque is finished grooming Shawinigan too.Very melty here. Waited too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800steve Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Lac St Jean is still very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 (edited) I agree i just got back. But to ride there from richards this week is gonna suck. If you want to drive to lac edward or relais 22 now thats different, but to leave from Richards would not be the same conditions as around the lac st jean. 1200 miles in 4.5 days last week and rode back thursday 17 march to shawinigan. I saw it all. Need to drive more north to not suffer. Edited March 21, 2011 by iceman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groomer Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHKxJt8-BjQ monts valin ,march 19 th !! groomer !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revct1 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Very nice!!! Jack & Sandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizz Posted March 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Valin looks great but i can't take the drive all the way to the Mountain from central PA. Guess we'll hold off til next year. too bad they stop grooming so soon near Shawinigan. I did this a couple years ago and it was groomed into the first week of April. Bernard was alive then and i know he pushed hard to keep things groomed for as long as possible. Sounds like there's plenty of snow though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800steve Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Drive to La Tuque, ride up from there. The western part of the lac is as good as I have ever seen it, mid winter condition. We went up Friday nite, stayed at the HI, rode 284 miles on Sat, below the Sagenay River. Sunday we did 318 miles aroud the Lake, maybe the best I have ever seen it. Most times this time of the year, you have to go to the mtns, but not for another few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quebec#1 Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 Ive never seen clubs give up so early in the season like this ! Its been like this for the last 5 years, st-donat and club st-agathe would groom till the very end (march 31 snow permitting) Since the americans dont come up in numbers anymore clubs dont groom long into the season . A real shame for us local guys that pay for club memberships the highest in the world might i add ! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-rl2J-ZvIA Rode last week-end, Quebec city and north, TON's of snow, all groomed, they say they will groom till the end of March, (talked to the club FCMQ rep.), so load them and go! Start at Saint Ann De Beaupre. The island was AWESOME, lot's of snow, Baie St Paul, La Malbaie, all great, head out the 83, all good! I was hoping to head up to Richards place on Wednesday night to ride Thu Fri and Sat from there up to Valin and back. Is the grooming done around Shawinigan? We did this a couple years ago the last week of March and they were still grooming so we figured we could do the late march thing again. Maybe we waited too long? I don't want to do the 9 hour drive for sub Canadian conditions. Thoughts? Edited March 24, 2011 by markusvt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnomoGary Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHKxJt8-BjQ monts valin ,march 19 th !! groomer !!! Do you know What number trail this is groomer? (or Jack) Gary Edited March 24, 2011 by SnomoGary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 From relay KM31, it is trail 93, really, most always the worst trail to ride there, so much traffic. Do you know What number trail this is groomer? (or Jack) Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnomoGary Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) From relay KM31, it is trail 93, really, most always the worst trail to ride there, so much traffic. Thanks for the info Mark. The video in your post only bought it home to me how lucky you guys are to be so close to things, when we have to plan well ahead just to have 2 weeks 'in Paradise' Gary Edited March 26, 2011 by SnomoGary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg du Vermont Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 It is still quite incredible throughout many areas. Don't throw in the towel yet. Pick a place and make another ride. Visited friends in Quebec this weekend, made a small ride unloading from foret morency parking area just off route 175 just north of Stoneham. Temps never rose above freezing all weekend. It was actually windy and cold. No evidence of Spring during the ride to Mont Apica. Absolute winter conditions with 3" of fresh on tons of snow. It was crazy fun and the conditions were exceptional. Talked to some guys at Apica the came from Alma and it was all great from there as well. Our ride the week before in Charlevoix was incredible and the weather has not changed, so I must belive it is still great. I would start in Baie St Paul to miss the St Anne river crossing in St Tite des Caps. Martin Pelchat says that the conditions from Escoumin to the Monts Valin are beautiful. Keep in mind that you need to go 94 miles from Pelchats to get to the gas at Chapelle. Upcoming end of season celebration events include Jambon Creton party at La Chapelle in Mont Valin, This weekend, Sat April 2. If you have never been it's an experience. St Raymond ride and party from the Roquement, This weekend, Sat April 2. Special room rates at Rouqemont The Annual Short sleeve (manche court) ride-in to relais Mont Apica for lunch, Sat April 9th. Can you tell that I'm having great difficulty in letting go of this season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackstraw Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) It is still quite incredible throughout many areas. Don't throw in the towel yet. Pick a place and make another ride. Visited friends in Quebec this weekend, made a small ride unloading from foret morency parking area just off route 175 just north of Stoneham. Temps never rose above freezing all weekend. It was actually windy and cold. No evidence of Spring during the ride to Mont Apica. Absolute winter conditions with 3" of fresh on tons of snow. It was crazy fun and the conditions were exceptional. Talked to some guys at Apica the came from Alma and it was all great from there as well. Our ride the week before in Charlevoix was incredible and the weather has not changed, so I must belive it is still great. I would start in Baie St Paul to miss the St Anne river crossing in St Tite des Caps. Martin Pelchat says that the conditions from Escoumin to the Monts Valin are beautiful. Keep in mind that you need to go 94 miles from Pelchats to get to the gas at Chapelle. Upcoming end of season celebration events include Jambon Creton party at La Chapelle in Mont Valin, This weekend, Sat April 2. If you have never been it's an experience. St Raymond ride and party from the Roquement, This weekend, Sat April 2. Special room rates at Rouqemont The Annual Short sleeve (manche court) ride-in to relais Mont Apica for lunch, Sat April 9th. Can you tell that I'm having great difficulty in letting go of this season? I think people are nuts if they don't head up for a late season ride. We just got back from the gaspe', 1200 miles of the best conditions we saw all winter. Plus it's light out till 7:30. I'd be back up in 2 weeks if I didn't have to go to Fla. A couple of the clubs we talked to said they where going to continue grooming till it melts due to the late start this season. Edited March 30, 2011 by Jackstraw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddking Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Awesome video's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NH-Moose Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Just arrived back home in NH at 1am from Riviere Du Loupe. As Jackstraw said its incredible on the peninsula right now!! Basically two and a half days riding, 850 miles, no dirt on the trails other than the usual short logging road sections, and at road crossings and gas stations. Only 1 spot of water (in a turn, that covered the inside lane, easy to just scoot around it) in 850 miles! The mountains are still fluffy powder at elevation like near Lacache, especially South of Lacache. Didn't get to Murdochville, got lost on the little Chick Chocs trail and turned back, should be broken through by a sled or the groomer by now. Most all the trails we rode are still being groomed, or they didn't need it since traffic is so light. We hit RDL-Amqui-PtLacroix-NewRichmond-LaCache-Matane-Amqui-RDL. Groomers area was especially sweet, stopped at the clubhouse but he was at home, so we gave him a call to say hello and THANKS!! 597S from Albertville south was so sweet! Even all the local weekend traffic (and there really wasn't much traffic) couldn't beat up the trails on the north shore 5, it was among the best I've ever seen the conditions there. Wish I had more time off, I could easily do a week out there and hit the entire peninsula and really spend some time on the interior. If you go up, stick to elevation whenever possible (common sense) to stay in the soft stuff, the lower elevation trails have excellent coverage and depth, but soften each day and pack pretty solid at night. I would say RDL is the most Westerly coastal point I would launch from, it thinned out within the last couple miles into Universal, but not bad by any means, just saying as the week progresses it will be lean and muddy there first. Natural snowballs rolled by the wind. There were a few fields covered in them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 1 Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Wish I could go back right now, looks as good as when we were there last week...How bout South of LaCashe some of the nicest snow & trails I have ever seen... Like you said get off the couch & go North young man... Glad you had a good ride...2 guys can cover a ton of trail in a short time up there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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