Photo ride-report St-Gabriel/St-Zénon/Parc Mt-Tremblant/St-Michel 23-12-2012

[towing]

Hi everybody

We ride today Krikri and me but I'm short on time with job and Christmas party tomorroy to post you my ride-report. Knowing some of you are waiting for some pics of the area after the 2 storms, I will left you for the moment the link of my french version on CMIQ french forum. I will comeback on Chrismas day with the english version here... enjoy!!!

http://www.motoneige...chel-23-12-2012

Alain

UPDATED!!! english version on #16 message below...

Edited December 26, 2012 by towing

[dooright]

Wow , Very nice ..... Thanks !

[fuzzy600ho]

Super pics Alain,,thanks for your time,,Enjoy your party,,, Conditons look better than some years in mid season... YAHOO !!

[mikerider]

Fantastic pictures! Thanks.

I'm looking at grass in southern Maine and you are out riding in mid winter conditions. I can't believe how white and wintery it looks this early in the season.

mike

[actionjack]

Merci as always Alain!

Joyeux Noël!

[Saguenay Bill]

Nice pictures. Can't wait to get up to Quebec.

[Florida Snowman]

When are you heading up Bill?

[crazysnow]

WOW !!! Unbelievable !!! Thanks Alain

[Phil 1]

Merci Alain--- Merry Christmas

[gade_guy]

Très beau reportage, merci

Edited December 24, 2012 by gade_guy

[quebecmountainrider]

Nice Alain....thats the most snow I have seen there in a few years.Well it looks like alot...Happy holidays... jack

Edited December 24, 2012 by quebecmountainrider

[Greasemonkey]

Man, that looks awsome, Alain.

You don't know how lucky you are to be able to just saddle up and go like that.

keep the reports coming.

[hparaptor]

Wow. Can't believe how nice the trails look. Looking forward to heading up. Thanks for the pictures.

[snowfarmer]

Man thats alota snow . I know over in eastern ontario the heavy snow is making hard to open trails .Alot of tree cutting to do.

[Saguenay Bill]

When are you heading up Bill?

Jan 10 but that depends on weather. If a storm is coming in on the 10th, I'll leave on the 9th.

[towing]

On this last sunday 23 dec, even if the grooming was well underway further south, we started our ride from St-Gabriel de Brandon to spend more time on the norther trails.

The day plan was to go lunching to Coin Lavigne, riding Mt-Tremblant park, continue through St-Michel and back ...

The night was cold at -18C and it's under a half cloudy sky that we headed north on the #23 trail

The scenery was extremely snowy and accumulations are impressive

The snow sprayed all around, whiten the whole scenery...

Here north from Pourvoirie St-Damien

The sun was shy but show up a little

....

[towing]

For beautiful snowy scenery, this ride will rank in our top ten for sure!!!

We forked over the #350 trail toward la Glacière

Half way, the path is new from this year, very beautiful mountain ride

La Glaciere ...

We then turned on the #43 trail to go south/west towards the Coin Lavigne

I did not had my tape to measure and gave up digging before touching the earth but I would say around 36" accumulated to the ground

...

[towing]

Unfortunately for the pics, the sky became cloudier. The snow was still impressive

We started to see more fallen trees

We stopped at Coin Lavigne for lunch

We then went in the Parc du Mont-Tremblant. The first part is groomed as a boulevard. Personally I like it and helps keep people on the right side of the trail in curves securing us in this fast section

[towing]

Trees were more snow-laden

Here at the St-Donat/St-Michel junction

We then switched toward Rouge-Mattawin

We meet more and more bent or lying trees

We passed Rouge Mattawin relay (the cafeteria) which was closed with no electricity but should reopen soon for the season. From what I heard, it will be a private people that will operate it.

After a few miles the #33 then takes a whole new pathway. Still a lot of fallen trees, volunteers will have a lot of work there.

[towing]

The new route is beautiful, wide and fast. To put on your "to do list" for this winter and you won’t regret it. Way better then the old more narrow twisty pathway

We encountered a small unfrozen stream reminding us that we were still just at the season’s beginning. This guy did not took any chances to become stuck in!

And a little later, we crossed the groomer with a couple guys going to work in the fallen trees zone we passed before.

Approaching St-Michel, the trees were lying snow but less

In St-Michel des Saints village

Not seen a single rock or brown snow in the whole ride, not even here in the big hills near St-Michel

We stopped to take a break at Cabanon and then went back to the trailer via #23 trail which was particularly bumpy up to the #350 junction and then was freshly groomed

A truly memorable ride of 166 miles on this sunday 23 dec for us even for snow accumulations and the beauty of scenery. All the trails had been groomed at least once after Friday storm and even some fallen trees we didn’t had to turn back. Snowmobile clubs teams work hard to get the trails in shape but the work is huge. It's already Christmas and we will need to be a little patient to get perfectly repaired trails. The forecast for the next week call for cold temperature some moderate snow and some sunny days... probably the best Christmas holiday sledding snow conditions for years.

Unbelievable to see one whole season snow accumulation already on the ground in december!

Merry Christmas!!!

Alain

Edited December 26, 2012 by towing

[towing]

Wow , Very nice ..... Thanks !

Super pics Alain,,thanks for your time,,Enjoy your party,,, Conditons look better than some years in mid season... YAHOO !!

Yes it is, we already have one whole season snow accumulation to the ground

Fantastic pictures! Thanks.

I'm looking at grass in southern Maine and you are out riding in mid winter conditions. I can't believe how white and wintery it looks this early in the season.

mike

Season's beginning are unpredictable but this one is the fastest I've seen since I begin sledding . Already in mid winter trail conditions

Merci as always Alain!

Joyeux Noël!

Merci Alain--- Merry Christmas

You are welcome guys and merry Christmas to you too

Nice pictures. Can't wait to get up to Quebec.

WOW !!! Unbelievable !!! Thanks Alain

I was there and pinch myself to be sure it wasn't jusdt a dream !!!

...

[towing]

Nice Alain....thats the most snow I have seen there in a few years.Well it looks like alot...Happy holidays... jack

really surprising, we are lucky. As for the most bigger snow drop I have seen in this area, I just checked in my photo album to find details and it was near the 24 march 2001. We had took this pic near la Glacière where they had just received 39" in one night over the season snow base... They had just open the trails with the front bucket of the Dozers because no one were able to pull a drag. The season was near ending and it was way too late to really benefit from all the snow. I will never forget this ride.

Man, that looks awsome, Alain.

You don't know how lucky you are to be able to just saddle up and go like that.

keep the reports coming.

Yes I know it and I thanks the good lord for that!!!

Wow. Can't believe how nice the trails look. Looking forward to heading up. Thanks for the pictures.

We already have the snow and now with the cold temperaure we have, the conditions will go above what we dream of..

Man thats alota snow . I know over in eastern ontario the heavy snow is making hard to open trails .Alot of tree cutting to do.

I talked with a few guys that were working on the trails and some were discouraged. They said "we had just prepared and cleaned all the trails few weeks ago and it was perfect. Now we need restart all over from the beginning". But the result after cleaning is outstanding and with a bit of chance we will benifit of it for many months...

Alain

[RoadRunner]

An awesome trail report, thank you Towing for taking the time during a busy holiday season to share these pics and info with us. RR

[viper2]

Great trail report and pics Alain. Coming up there somewhere on the 20th of Jan. we were gonna do a short 4 day trip leaving tommorrow but we are being graced with a winter storm storm ourselves and will head to the mtns. of north central PA for a few days between the holidays. Happy New Year!

[MFARJM]

Great pics. Either you are very short or there's is booko snow! Can't wait to go up to St. Mich on Fri!

Alain, Is your member name " towing" due to the fact you have an auto repair shop and a tow truck like me OR are your friend's sleds always breaking down and you have to tow them home!

Hope to meet up sometime.

Jeff