viper2 Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Just got backfrom a 6 day western Quebec loop. Left Mon. the 21st from Mt. Laurier Best Western headed west on 63 toward Lytton. Scratchy getting out of town but that is Mont Laurier. gassed at the Classic then up to Domaine where we gassed up and fed the fox. So far trail was OK not rough but not groomed since the Sat. night snow. After Domaine took 63 west toward 386 and it was groomed perfect even after we passed the groomer it was still good. I have been the first to complain about this trail in the past but they really have their act together this year. 63 not opened past 386 north toward Joncas we took 386 and gassed up at the reservation Kitkistak (sp.) It is 120 miles from Domaine to there. Then we rode to Louvicourt where we stopped for the night stayed at the truck stop. 260 miles for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smclelan Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 It doesn't appear your trip pictures loaded on your post!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Lol, sorry not too many pics on this trip, maybe I can get some from my friends. My antique digital camera does not like the cold, and man was it cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Day 2: Louvicourt-Chibougamau 280 miles. Pretty cold this morning about -30F hard to get going in the morning when it's like that. Rode up to Senneterre and picked up 93 then on to Lebel sur Quevillon for gas. Headed up 93 no gas at Miquelon again this year stopped at Desmaraisville and got gas out of 5 gal. cans. $35/can. It is 150km from here to Chapais, Trail was groomed like a tabletop from Quevillon all the way up to Chibougamau, the detour takes you off the railbed about 10miles past Desmaraisville and you never really get back on it because of logging. The detour is not a bad trail but not as quick as the railbed. Couldn't get rooms at Nordic so we had to stay at the Hotel Chibougamau and we really would miss the garage. Not much traffic at all this year on this trail when we got to Desmaraisville the groomer was coming down the trail and no sleds had been up or down since the snow Sat. night. Day 3: Chibougamau-Lebel sur Quevillon 185 miles. -50F this morning and out of 7 sleds none would start. We had one with a coolant heater and managed to get that one started with a jump and 2 hours later we had them all running. Left about 11:45 so only made it to Quevillon, again had a hard time finding a room as there are alot of out of town workers taking the rooms.We found another small hotel with 6 rooms just behind the gas station in town nice clean rooms but no restaurant. Day 4:Lebel sur Quevillon-Val d'or 208 miles. Still very cold but managed to get them all started pretty quick. Headed down to Senneterre then 93 west to Amos. We planned to take 309 south to 83 but when we got to 309 it hadn't been groomed all year.We doubled back and headed down 307 toward Val d'or. 307 was groomed nice but there is a strech about 1.5km where there is logging on the trail and they seemed to go out of their way to tear the trail up. If doing this trail don't follow any old gps tracks it is rerouted near the bottom end just follow the signs to Val d'or. Stayed at the Forestel nice rooms they have done a lot of remodeling a little too pricey though. Day 5: Val d'or-Clova 208 miles. 83 east topped off gas at Louvicourt then down to 386 toward Lac Fallion. This trail is pretty twisty for 6 or 8 miles then opens up. It is not marked very well and about 3/4 way across it dumps you on a plowed road then at a turn in the road a single track headed east. We had no choice but to follow that and after about a mile it was groomed again???? Met up with 83 and headed to Lac Fallion for gas and lunch.So far the only trail in and out of Fallion is the lower trail (83). Snow gets pretty thin in the burn area maybe only a few inches on the trail. From Balbuzard to Clova more snow, beware of some tight and icy corners esp. in the burn. Day 6: Clova to Mont Laurier 190 miles. Took Lepine Rd. down to Pensive and got gas.Groomer was broke down going south about 35 miles below Clova. Trail was still good but won't last too long without groomer. After Pensive continued to Rebaska where we had lunch then rode down to Devils Mt. After that we headed to Mont Laurier to truck at Best Western. 1325 miles for the week very little traffic except Sat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowfarmer Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 They must get pretty frustrated in Clova with that groomer. Came through there about the same time last year and groomer was sitting in the middle of the trail with yellow tape around it and the track off. Hate to be that groomer operator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid Range Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 groomer was still in the trail yesterday jan 27. Broken axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Wow viper2, you got a real winter ride!! -50F...what a nice temp to do some mecanical to get those sleds to run...I'm glad that i went there in March !!! you were brave to keep going.. But from your report, it seems that except for the cold your trip went fine, better than last year. Thanks for the report !!! Alain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
600IQHO Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Other than the cold it looks like you had a really nice trip. I will have to wait till after the warm up and rain to see if I can go ahead with our trip or if I need to go to plan B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Wow viper2, you got a real winter ride!! -50F...what a nice temp to do some mecanical to get those sleds to run...I'm glad that i went there in March !!! you were brave to keep going.. But from your report, it seems that except for the cold your trip went fine, better than last year. Thanks for the report !!! Alain We had a good trip only real problems were cold related, the benefit of the cold was we had the trails mostly to ourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Other than the cold it looks like you had a really nice trip. I will have to wait till after the warm up and rain to see if I can go ahead with our trip or if I need to go to plan B. Hopefully the weather holds. The only place we were that it was real thin was 83 between Balbuzard and Lac Fallion, in my mind they probably could divert the trail onto some older sections or the ATV trail. These haven't been run on or groomed and still have good coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubler Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Viper, I've heard they have lots of snow up that way, what made the trail "thin" between Balbuzard and Lac Fallion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Viper, I've heard they have lots of snow up that way, what made the trail "thin" between Balbuzard and Lac Fallion? What made it thin is there is hardly any snow. I am not sure why I only rode through but I think it is a combination of wind blown conditions and then when the last warm up was it melted down more. This section is through the burn area if you are familiar with that. If you have been through there the last couple of years you remember seeing big piles of dead wood they bulldozed together so they could replant. There were places through there that only had 6 or 8 inches of snow on them. On the edge of the groomed trail there was hardly any berm and there were places where you were literally riding on a few inches of hard packed snow/ice. There is plenty of snow in the areas on either side of the burn when you get into the bigger trees.As I said I think if they have to and have the manpower to do it they could reroute the trail onto some of the sections that haven't been groomed or ridden this year. Let's just hope they get some snow on the back side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubler Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks Viper! Yes, I am familiar with the burn area. I am heading to Mont Laurier Saturday. Unfortunately my job doesn't afford me the flexibility to reschedule a vacation, so this warm up and rain is a frustrating part of the sport. I am hoping the riding is good. We are not backpacking, but doing 6 individual day loops from Mont Laurier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Do yourself a big favor Doubler, drive a few hours more to Val d'Or and make your loop trips up here, unless we get some snow between now and the weekend you will not be enjoying your riding around the Mont Laurier area not to mention the conditions could cause damage to your machines. Good luck JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 X2 Trailblazer I would not recommend going to Mont Laurier. We parked there for our bag trip and it was a little scratchy last Sat. I can't imagine what it is like now. You will not be happy esp. doing day trips. Do yourself a BIG favor and go to Val d'or or somewhere up that way. I would consider maybe even doing one or two overnighters as well to get the full potential of the area. Maybe 1 night to Chibougamau one to Matagami or LaSarre, etc. all these areas had great conditions and are getting 6-12" on the back side of this storm plus they are calling for single digit temps tonight and the next week. It is 43 deg. right noe in Mont Laurier with more rain tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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