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2016 Riviere du Loup Trail Conditions


mikerider
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Its time to ride and I arrived at RDL tonight, finally. Driving north through New Brunswick and into Quebec, arriving into QC at dusk, I got about 40 miles from the hotel and it started looking good. About a foot of snow, looks powdery. Saw a groomer, saw sleds on trails, groomed trail crossings by the road, some sleds and trailers in the hotel yard, and lastly, the manager of the Universal Hotel said trails are great!

Rm 106 cell# 207-522-2673 texts only

This post is for all snowmobilers to provide info and trail conditions of this area for the enjoyment of others.

Snow, groomed trails, a new sled, and a week off. Doesn't get any better.

Happy trails.

mike

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Its time to ride and I arrived at RDL tonight, finally. Driving north through New Brunswick and into Quebec, arriving into QC at dusk, I got about 40 miles from the hotel and it started looking good. About a foot of snow, looks powdery. Saw a groomer, saw sleds on trails, groomed trail crossings by the road, some sleds and trailers in the hotel yard, and lastly, the manager of the Universal Hotel said trails are great!

Rm 106 cell# 207-522-2673 texts only

This post is for all snowmobilers to provide info and trail conditions of this area for the enjoyment of others.

Snow, groomed trails, a new sled, and a week off. Doesn't get any better.

Happy trails.

mike

Thanks for the update.

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John, come on up, got plenty of room.

Gary, looking forward to it. I'll let the spa know you are enroute! Went west today and nice riding. Tomorrow will check out easterly. Heard Montmagny area not good, not groomed, trees down. That is according to Jack and Sandi who came thru that area yesterday.

mike

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Hello Mike,

Glad to see that the conditions are improving around RDL. Plan to come up the 7th of Feb. Have you heard anything about Quebec enforcing a no studded track law ? There are some post talking about it but no one seems to have a definitive answer....John

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I haven't heard what the police response will be to this. I'm hoping to run into some officers at a trail side check or at a restaurant and ask them.

With that said, I have talked to officers in the past at check points etc. and they have always been exceptionally nice in our dealings, and usually quite social and talkative.

With this law going into effect at the last minute, and it would be considered such a minor infraction, my thoughts are that no way will they give out tickets.

My only concern would be crossing the border and having border guards take any action, like turning people around. And I think that is highly unlikely.

When I came across the border two days ago the customs people never even looked at my sled.

mike

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This season I have received many messages from people from various forums wanting to come to Riviere du Loup who have never been here before and inquiring about the Universal Hotel. This hotel is snowmobile central and very convenient to locate by trail or road and very easy to access the trail system.

On one side of the hotel is woods and quiet country side, and on the other side is the beginning of a bustling city with most services available from car dealers to restaurants of fast food and higher end food. There are many big stores like WalMart and Canadian Tire, an indoor mall, and an old (but small) section of the downtown that is charming.

The Universal itself is very large, I have heard over two hundred rooms. It has an indoor pool, indoor hot tub and gym. The spa offers massages, sauna, and an outdoor hut tub, outdoor patio with fire pit.

There are two restaurants in the hotel, one large and one small one located off the bar that is small and cozy. Each has a different menu and the menu is posted at the entrance to each. Food has generally been very good. There is usually a breakfast buffet and dinner buffet on weekends.

I believe last year I used one of the hotel discount sites to book the Universal and I saved some money. For extended stays like a week, often these sites don't offer the room until the last few days. I try using them a few weeks in advance and nothing is available, then I check a few days in advance and the week is available.

This trip I used the hotel website and the price was $89 a night. No idea if their computer tracks me and says I am from the states and quotes me in U.S currency or Canadian. (there is an ATM at the hotel btw). Playing with the hotel website quite a lot lately I find room prices vary constantly. Checking for one night for this weekend the price was $109. One night for next Tuesday was $83. I have stopped using the 'snowmobile package' deal that includes dinner and breakfast. Both use the regular menus but at night some of the higher priced dinners cost a surcharge over the package, and the price difference is listed on the menu. Also checking the

Universal booking site I find the package also constantly changes prices. One day it might add $50 to your nightly bill, another it might be $80. Having my truck here I can drive a couple blocks and grab a meal at McD's for a few bucks now and again.

There is a fenced in secure area for vehicles and another for sleds. I don't use these myself. They are too far from the hotel wing where I usually stay.

There are also garages for sleds at the hotel, Last I heard they are still free, but if you want it heated it is $10 a night. You can squeeze up to three sleds in one garage.

I like to stay in the 'snowmobile wing' of the hotel, first floor, as there is a sliding door to the outside, only a couple feet to my sled and truck.

These rooms are also the most inexpensive rooms, they are very nice, most have two queen beds, flat screen TV, small fridge, microwave, and coffee pot.

There are higher end rooms in the hotel also available if you want more space and more 'plush'. I like the activity of sleds coming and going and getting to see old and new friends on the sled wing.

Trail maps and trail passes are available at the front desk. Get one for the Bas St Laurent area and also for the Chaudiere region as your day ride may overlap into both areas.

One other thing to mention, there are often hockey tournaments in in town on weekends and the hotel is full on Friday and Saturday nights.

If I can only get reservations for Saturday thru Friday, but want to stay the following weekend even though there are no rooms, come that Thursday night I will leave a note at the front desk saying I want a room for Friday and Saturday, give my current room number, and also state I will be riding Friday and will check again late Friday afternoon when I return from my ride. This has worked every time on several occasions. Usually I check at the front desk before going to bed Thursday night and they already have a cancellation and I am set. If not, I check out of the room, throw everything in the truck and move to a new room on Friday after the ride.

Hope this helps.

mike

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Mike

Thank you for the summary of the Hotel

We will be there for the first time in the 30 of Jan for 2 nights on the front end of our trip and then one night on the back end

Would be good to see you

Schooter

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We are in st george. All trails are groomed but needs snow. North and east of lac etchman is good.

Hi - I am thinking of leaving from the Beauceville clubhouse on Tuesday and heading east. Is there enough snow to get to Lac Etchemin?

GW

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Thanks Mike. Great summary on the Universal - especially since some may be planning to come to the Winter Gathering.

Glad to see your trail side picture which looks like conditions are at least close to good in the area. Looking forward to what you find as you ride out east, west, + south of RDL.

.

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I haven't heard what the police response will be to this. I'm hoping to run into some officers at a trail side check or at a restaurant and ask them.

With that said, I have talked to officers in the past at check points etc. and they have always been exceptionally nice in our dealings, and usually quite social and talkative.

With this law going into effect at the last minute, and it would be considered such a minor infraction, my thoughts are that no way will they give out tickets.

My only concern would be crossing the border and having border guards take any action, like turning people around. And I think that is highly unlikely.

When I came across the border two days ago the customs people never even looked at my sled.

mike

I don't believe border services can do anything. There is no law saying you can not have studs in a sled track!!! The law only refers to crossing government roads. You can unload in Mont Valin and drive for days without crossing a plowed government road.

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NH Rough Riders and Team Phil due in tonight. Too bad I drank the bar out of vin last night. We'll all have to play cribbage.

Really looking forward to seeing you all.

Mini blizzard this morning. About 3 inches. Late start, went east to Tois Pistels and headed down to Squatec and looped around.

Some ice first several miles and then all awesome.

mike

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