2/20-2/23 "Cushy/Tourist Tour"

[PLAYHARD]

All trails were great, hard packed & groomed, with just a few snirty corners in spots where the sun's been beating on them, and some short stretches of stutter bumps around the heavy rental group areas like Lac Blanc & Lac l'Eau Claire. The week started out cool 10-15F then got up to t-shirt weather (literally) by Thurs @ 32-34F. Some snow's coming, but WE NEED COLD!!

Mon 2/20: East & south on the local trails out of town, then west on the 3 & 63 & 350, through Lac Blanc, then up the local connector to 23 east & down to Sacacomie for lunch & gas (100mi), then back to Shawini on the 23. We went around the north side of town to the M3 because the new M1 has a hairy little woods section for just a 1/4 mile that a novice could/would flip over on (just behind the Harley dealer on the west side of the highway), 160mi

Tues 2/21: Aside from one new muddy 2 mile logging go-around a few miles east of Rogers, we made a beeline to the Hotel Du Glace/Four Points Sheraton on 3/23/302/3 into Charlesbourg. THANKS LOTS to whoever posted about the single track trail along the 4 pts fence over to the ice hotel! Super easy. Cool tour of the ice, pretty much the same as when it was over at Duchesney. They were setting up for a big Porsche hospitality event so they had some street toys (911's) on display, 120mi. (In by 12:30pm!)

Wed 2/22: Scenic route back through St Raymond on the 73, "railbed" is always fun especially when it's groomed flat, "bike path" down 353 also perfect, then bumpy as always on 23 (the old 318) west through Lac-aux-Sables since they can't get the groomer between that pond and the river but all good again after the SkiDoo dlr, then turned north up the 351, relais-burgers at Tawacheche (not bad) then on to the "pipeline" & down 355 always a photo opp, down 360 to St Joseph for gas, back to the 23 & 3 & M5/M3, 201mi.

Thurs 2/23: Family Fun Day w/Mrs. Iceman & Company! 3 east to 351 south to the local trails into the best Yamaha Dealer IN THE WORLD Moto Thibault in Cap-de-la-Madeleine and took the new Apex with power steering for a test rip (SWEEEEEEEET), then 351 east to up a local orange trail (C3?) which was super flat and novice-friendly, and pizza at "67" in St Narcisse (ya can't do 300 miles in a day AND have pizza!), then out the 3 east a bit more and then local trail to 351 south thru the covered "bridge"/shed @ Relais de la Station, and back, 100'ish mi.

We were pretty lucky & psyched that there was such good snow and so well groomed for this tour since we stayed so far south. And the next 10 day's reports are for 20's by day and teens by night with snow for 6 out of the 10 days!

[towing]

Nice report and pics PLAYHARD B)

fortunately, the temp cool down since last saturday night and should stay cold up next weekend at least...

Alain

[Snobeeler]

All trails were great, hard packed & groomed, with just a few snirty corners in spots where the sun's been beating on them, and some short stretches of stutter bumps around the heavy rental group areas like Lac Blanc & Lac l'Eau Claire. The week started out cool 10-15F then got up to t-shirt weather (literally) by Thurs @ 32-34F. Some snow's coming, but WE NEED COLD!!

Mon 2/20: East & south on the local trails out of town, then west on the 3 & 63 & 350, through Lac Blanc, then up the local connector to 23 east & down to Sacacomie for lunch & gas (100mi), then back to Shawini on the 23. We went around the north side of town to the M3 because the new M1 has a hairy little woods section for just a 1/4 mile that a novice could/would flip over on (just behind the Harley dealer on the west side of the highway), 160mi

Tues 2/21: Aside from one new muddy 2 mile logging go-around a few miles east of Rogers, we made a beeline to the Hotel Du Glace/Four Points Sheraton on 3/23/302/3 into Charlesbourg. THANKS LOTS to whoever posted about the single track trail along the 4 pts fence over to the ice hotel! Super easy. Cool tour of the ice, pretty much the same as when it was over at Duchesney. They were setting up for a big Porsche hospitality event so they had some street toys (911's) on display, 120mi. (In by 12:30pm!)

Wed 2/22: Scenic route back through St Raymond on the 73, "railbed" is always fun especially when it's groomed flat, "bike path" down 353 also perfect, then bumpy as always on 23 (the old 318) west through Lac-aux-Sables since they can't get the groomer between that pond and the river but all good again after the SkiDoo dlr, then turned north up the 351, relais-burgers at Tawacheche (not bad) then on to the "pipeline" & down 355 always a photo opp, down 360 to St Joseph for gas, back to the 23 & 3 & M5/M3, 201mi.

Thurs 2/23: Family Fun Day w/Mrs. Iceman & Company! 3 east to 351 south to the local trails into the best Yamaha Dealer IN THE WORLD Moto Thibault in Cap-de-la-Madeleine and took the new Apex with power steering for a test rip (SWEEEEEEEET), then 351 east to up a local orange trail (C3?) which was super flat and novice-friendly, and pizza at "67" in St Narcisse (ya can't do 300 miles in a day AND have pizza!), then out the 3 east a bit more and then local trail to 351 south thru the covered "bridge"/shed @ Relais de la Station, and back, 100'ish mi.

We were pretty lucky & psyched that there was such good snow and so well groomed for this tour since we stayed so far south. And the next 10 day's reports are for 20's by day and teens by night with snow for 6 out of the 10 days!

Nice report! Where did you stay in Shawinigan, easy in and out?

[PLAYHARD]

We're partial to the Governeur. Maybe out of habit. But the staff are excellent/sled-friendly and they know us. And the restaurant/brewery scene is tres bon. The street plow guys "groom" the bridge throughout the season so there's always snow, though sometimes it can get lumpy for the half-minute. If you're going west then Escapade is probably more convenient. And of course Bernard's bride at Safari is always a safe bet.