iceman Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Club there is working on a plan to bring snowmobiling back in the Parc Haute Gorges there along the Malbie River. What an awesome ride that was and I surely miss it. Not sure if they can pull it off with all the tree huggers but they are giving a go at it. I will post link to story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted September 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Here you go just need to use google translate. Maybe somebody better with this interweb can post it with google translate. http://www.cihofm.com/nouvelles/On-travaille-sur-le-retour-de-la-motoneige-aux-Hautes-Gorges-2013-09-19-05-00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Rock & Rohl Iceman!! Some of my favorite QC riding was thru the Gorges. I remember Jacque trying to catch me running down there years ago.......all to no avail. Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpionbowl Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Tom, is that the trail with the best hot chocolate you keep talking about? I've only been in the summer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Tom, is that the trail with the best hot chocolate you keep talking about? I've only been in the summer... You are correct Gary! Relais is at the bottom just outside the park entrance. Great memory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Wow, would that be a fantastic development. For many years that ride down thru the gorge to Clermont was my favorite trail in Quebec. One of the neatest places to stay in Charlevoix was the Auberge des Hautes Gorges, right at the bottom of the run, just after you crossed the last bridge over the Malbaie. The Potatoe Brothers enjoyed the hospitality and the food there many times. Sadly, the main/best part of the gorge is in a NATIONAL PARC and based upon recent Quebec governmental policy towards snowmobiles in national parks (read: what just happend in Tremblant Park in Lenaudiere) I don't believe there is much of a chance of that happening. Quebec gov policy is to keep us out of ALL of them. Treehuggers are just too strong. We're damn lucky to still be riding in some of the Reserves. timbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted September 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I hear you Timbo, so true. For sure it will not be something settled easy or quickly. Gonna be a very slim chance for it getting open ever again i think. Sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmk Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I had the privilege of riding through it once making fresh tracks. Big storm grooming didn't start but the 155 with 2 lugs ate it up. To this day some of those photos hang in my office in Florida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy600ho Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Wow, would that be a fantastic development. For many years that ride down thru the gorge to Clermont was my favorite trail in Quebec. One of the neatest places to stay in Charlevoix was the Auberge des Hautes Gorges, right at the bottom of the run, just after you crossed the last bridge over the Malbaie. The Potatoe Brothers enjoyed the hospitality and the food there many times. Sadly, the main/best part of the gorge is in a NATIONAL PARC and based upon recent Quebec governmental policy towards snowmobiles in national parks (read: what just happend in Tremblant Park in Lenaudiere) I don't believe there is much of a chance of that happening. Quebec gov policy is to keep us out of ALL of them. Treehuggers are just too strong. We're damn lucky to still be riding in some of the Reserves. timbo Timbo, The "Potato Brothers" your refer too,, are they from Long Island?? Use to run into some farm guys pretty often from Long Island , NY that grew potatoes. Last time we crossed paths maybe 10/12 years ago or plus, time flys?? Forgot their names and not sure about being brothers. That gorge area was a very nice scenic ride ( if not the best a very close second) now missed by a lot of sledders. Little bit more chilly when deep within the steep stone canyon walls I recall. LOL,,, Uphill climb against all the treehuggers and gov regs when it comes to NATIONAL PARKS,, even in this country. Long time to hold your breath on this possible re-opening,, sure hope I am wrong. Just not good what is happening to this industry and other off road industry's either, no ________COMMON SENCE. Fuzzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saguenay Bill Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Lots of fond memories of THE GORGE. In March of 1991 we were riding down thru the gorge and noticed 2 igloos on the river about 1/2 way thru it. Rode in on the river and there were 4 guys from Red Bank NJ staying in them. They were there climbing the rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 fuzzy The guys you mention from long island were the "potatoe heads". Not to be confused with the "Astounding Potatoe Brothers", who were all from central/northern PA. There were 7 of us. Some old time readers of this site will remember "Chopper" (Richie Peck) and "Fluffy" (Kevin Mclain)who were charter members together with "Pud" (Thad Stevens) and I. Other "tatoe heads" were Jeff Tiesi, Mark Morrow, and Robin Bushouse. We were all nuts for riding in QC. We bought a 17 passenger ford bus from a municipal fleet (ford powerstroke), ripped out all the seats, put in 5 captains chairs, welded in a huge luggage rack, installed a big cabinet/sink/bar unit, blacked out the rear window and installed a "calf funnel" on the inside of the rear emergency exit to use for....... The exit tube came out right in front of the left dualies...... thank goodness we pulled a 7 sled "enclosed" trailer. We were longer that a 54' semi rig. We pulled that combo all over QC for 8 years till it finally blew (for good)coming home to PA just below Notre Dame de la Merci one really cold night in January. The bus was "Snowcoach 1" and the trailer had "The Amazing Potaote Brothers" on one side and "The Astounding Potatoe Brothers" on the other. The trailer was a triton, aluminium, and was 37' long, 3 axles, before another 3' for the V-nose. The tongue was 6' long. It was a long mother. Before we enclosed it a buddy who was a pilot (no, it was not 182 Ray), said that a good piper cub pilot with a headwind could land on it. The name Potatoe Brothers......... came from an unwholesome love for vodka that we all, (and to this day), possess. I still get PM's/calls/ from guys who remember seeing our rig all over Quebec, from Gaspesie to La Sarre, asking what ever happened to that righteous combo. Snowcoach 1 is presently in Hati (no shit). We rebuilt the transmission and donated it to a church charity just after the jumbo hurricane disaster in Hati. We were sent pics of it climbing up a mountainous dirt grade in Hati, windows busted out, hauling as many chickens as people. No shit, there were people, goats and chickens sitting on the roof. The trailer was for sale at "John"s" on route US11 just north of Northumberland, PA. He sold it last winter to ?????? We are, however, one, in solidarity, with the potatoe boys from long island. timbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmk Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) You are correct Gary! Relais is at the bottom just outside the park entrance. Great memory! Wife love's the hot choc as well. We stopped for lunch many times but one time mid week it was slow. Wife nothice a dwarf walking around after 15min or so he left. Went out side jumped on a zl 600 cat feet never hitting the running boards and took off. Looked like he had bars bent back to meet his reach better. Image I wont forget. My tracks story she (my wife was with me) we had to stay a second day at a log place south of the high very nice. I'll recall the name later. We parked in Saint Raymond at the old colin. We had to get back home kids were only 1 and1.9 mon, she rode a 144 sks then at 112lbs. Took 13hrs to get back to the truck the next year she wouldn't ride with me. Odd she wasn't into 18 pluss and 4 to 7 ft drifts at -30 I clued in then nice rides only for the bride 100 miles max stay at high end places. Edited September 20, 2013 by rmk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 (edited) Used to ride it all the time, awesome, awesome trail. Was in the woods for years, no problem. When they paved the road into the park, they left nowhere for the sleds. Low snow years were hell on the pavement. They rerouted the trail up into the woods for year or 2, but left the scenic stuff in. The next year they bypassed all the scenic stuff, and the year after it was closed...... Edited September 21, 2013 by markusvt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 More the next winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Rider Posted September 21, 2013 Report Share Posted September 21, 2013 Markusvt nice photos. I was wondering what year was the trail closed. I planned to travel it in 2007 but saw on the gps I was east (on the blue trail). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted September 22, 2013 Report Share Posted September 22, 2013 I think the last year the trail went along the river was 2001. The trail continued on for a few more years, but was no fun really, then it disappeared altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 Loved the Gorges even when i was Green. Wish they would open it up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 HEY... Trailblazer remember when bernard played tow truck for the whole trail in the gorge . Glad i was not on the sled being towed. i think there was 6 of us on that trip that got cut a little short . maybe one day we will get a chance again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saguenay Bill Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 This weekend I was at the NH Grass Drags. The fellow I did the show with is very involved with the Malabaie snowmobile club. What the club is trying to do is to put a new trail, you will see it on this year's Charlevoix map as a dotted line from the Ravage down to Trail 3. They are hoping to get it ready this year and in the coming years connect a trail off that to L Etape. According to him the trail will never go back thru the gorge again. Greenies will never let that happen. The new trail will run above the gorge but offer some nice spots to look down on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted October 14, 2013 Report Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) Wife love's the hot choc as well. We stopped for lunch many times but one time mid week it was slow. Wife nothice a dwarf walking around after 15min or so he left. Went out side jumped on a zl 600 cat feet never hitting the running boards and took off. Looked like he had bars bent back to meet his reach better. Image I wont forget. My tracks story she (my wife was with me) we had to stay a second day at a log place south of the high very nice. I'll recall the name later. We parked in Saint Raymond at the old colin. We had to get back home kids were only 1 and1.9 mon, she rode a 144 sks then at 112lbs. Took 13hrs to get back to the truck the next year she wouldn't ride with me. Odd she wasn't into 18 pluss and 4 to 7 ft drifts at -30 I clued in then nice rides only for the bride 100 miles max stay at high end places. Jesse,The place you're talking about at the top of the old Haute Gorges trail is Pourvoirie du Lac Moreau. Auberge du Ravage. Love that place! 5 star food. $$$$. A mini Sacacomie. www.lacmoreau.com Tom Edited October 14, 2013 by Florida Snowman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182ray Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 http://www.journaldequebec.com/2013/11/14/un-nouveau-sentier-en-projet-dans-charlevoix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) http://www.journaldequebec.com/2013/11/14/un-nouveau-sentier-en-projet-dans-charlevoix Translation: Since the disappearance of the trail Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie, with the birth of the national park, the number of snowmobilers fell significantly in Charlevoix. The creation of a new path would give the region its reputation. Edited November 18, 2013 by Florida Snowman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted November 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 Yup maybe some new trail for next Season not this year. Would be awesome to go from le Etape to Charlevoix, should be nice. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 We can only hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 That trail like so many have said, was my absolute favorite! Thanks for the pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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