Andyman Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) We hit the same 373 barricade, took a local trail and burned the road to the hotel. Read on FB they are working on a bridge and suggest running the road or going via St Hedgwick. Edited February 4, 2016 by Andyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Hey Don, I found this for your travels. Just need to mount on toboggan & hook to your hitch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipeman Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Watch the holes going up to Chibougamau Iceman, 1st one a little over 20 miles past sawmill another one 9 miles up is BAD then another one after you cross back over the road about 10 miles after the second I am confused by this, I took the 93 from La Dore up to Chapais on 1/20 and had no issues ? No holes etc...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neksledr Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Sounds like Don probably would like my wife's sled! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Hey Don, I found this for your travels. Just need to mount on toboggan & hook to your hitch! image.png I fear there would be not much traveling with this around. Sounds like Don probably would like my wife's sled! I never met her but I'm liking her. She's definately a keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Day 2 Had a nice breakfast at a reasonable hour at Auberge Dilligence. The Team are not concerned with time and we leave when we feel like it. Temperature is surprisingly warm for Feb in LSJ for sure. Very nice. We leave hotel about 9:30 under partly cloudy skies. Full smiles in our helmets with the promise of great trails ahead with the fresh snow from yesterday. 93 from hotel to the orange trail that goes under the 373 then rejoins it. On the orange trail near the trail that crosses river to Relais Buttes is our friend smoothing things out. All good all the way to 373 what a ride. 373 between the orange and 93 is not groomed yet but very nice no worrys. 5"-6" new snow yesterday. On to 93 direction La Dore. Once arriving where the club in La Dore starts after you use the road to cross the bridge. 93 is all groomed and simply delicious. We suivre the 93 until the right onto the orange trail to Restaurant Du Chef. Not a mark on the freshly groomed surface. Was and is one of our favorite little runs this trail that re-joins the 93. We top the gas at Chef, continuing on the groomed sweetness all the way to 93. We had discussed what we expected to find there and the consensus was bang on. 93 to Sawmill was ungroomed from yesterdays snow, no big deal but for the fact that it had only a one sled wide path everyone riding the middle with the sides untouched in the deep stuff. We decided to go at least to the Sawmill to check it out. I will admit I am no fan of this kind of riding when I know the guy coming at me is using the same track I am running, I am just hoping to catch the traffic at some good places. We do our best to widen it out if we can as we go but its deep on each side. I get lucky with the first group and the second group is broke into two with the first 4 stopped digging one out who missed the turn off a big fast section into the woods. A left for him but he went straight. I stopped and the one guy waves us on and says 3 more in their group coming, ok great. This section before the sawmill is changed from the last time I been there. I did not make this run last year so not sure maybe it was changed last season but it was not the trail as I knew it. Awesome run though i like the new trail. Cruised into the sawmill took the gas and a small break inside and discussed whether to abort this mission or push on. Talked a little french with some Quebecoise headed south and they said groomer is up there. Ok we will go on. We leave out and it's groomed recently from sawmill, great right? Well not far up we catch groomer and he lets us pass. Trail is just like before the sawmill. Huh? Did they chopper in this machine? We assume it was parked at sawmill or at the rest area there along the road. Either way we are hoping he is coming all the way but who knows. Tmmrw will tell. Fresh snow and bigger trail getting better. Not as much new snow so we are able to blow the trail open wider a bit easier. We did see one hole at 20 miles like Viper said then the big one is at 40. Orange ribbons a plenty there now. Up through the closed relais du nord and we get to Chibougamau and have a pow-wow. Change of plans Chapais it shall be. 93 to Chapais. To be Continued..... Edited February 4, 2016 by iceman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NH-Moose Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Like the hole up 21 miles in, this one at 41 miles was also filled in with branches. I think none of the holes are dangerous any longer, but still worth slowing and weaving through until they are groomed over and smooth sailing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 We skipped gas before Chibougamau and blew past the turn for Going to chiboug. Then we continued on to Chapais and took gas at 112 miles on the tank then back to Motel Routiere for the night. All in all very nice conditions. I am spoiled and it takes a perfect trail to get me excited and the 93 is far from perfect. It's very nice do not get me wrong but many places are in need of filling in and there are alot of places that will launch you into space if you are not on your game. But go for it and get it while you can. 230 miles for the day. Just want to take a minute to say how nice it is to have a Team and know they got your back and you got theirs, no matter what. Knowing Snowhorse and NNmoose are behind me is priceless. It's not all about where you go but who you go with. the chemistry on and off the trail is what makes the comradrie come alive. It's priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Just want to take a minute to say how nice it is to have a Team and know they got your back and you got theirs, no matter what. Knowing Snowhorse and NNmoose are behind me is priceless. It's not all about where you go but who you go with. the chemistry on and off the trail is what makes the comradrie come alive. It's priceless. Makes all the difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooright Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Nice pics Guys ... Seems I end up in front on single track my fair share of the time , what could possibly go wrong ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) Agreed Can't wait to hear what the rail bed to LSQ has to offer. Crazy and Phil right behind you boys Hope they will benefit from the newly groomed trail with the holes filled. Lead the way Edited February 5, 2016 by Trailblazer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Agreed Can't wait to hear what the rail bed to LSQ has to offer. Crazy and Phil right behind you boys Hope they will benefit from the newly groomed trail with the holes filled. Lead the way The investigation of 93 west ends for us in Chapais back east to the LSJ Tmmrw. This was a up and back from the go. No plan to go further this trip. Side note. The raibed in my opinion is the most boring trail in all of Quebec. And it takes no skills. It's a valuable link I understand that but never cared for it. The way to go out west is with the truck and trailer right to Val d'or then you got much more time in the promiseland to ride. 50% of the time 83 to Clova is junk and I got no time for that. So trailer west is the way to go. 6hrs in truck from Shawinigan saves 2 days each way by sled. Meaning 4 more days out west usually on perfect trails. West this year is seeing much more action now that it's really coming round, with no snow in much of Ontario it's seeing many from there coming to ride there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) Nice pics Guys ...Seems I end up in front on single track my fair share of the time , what could possibly go wrong !You feel my pain. I know you get it. Makes all the difference!No doubt about it. Edited February 5, 2016 by iceman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I am confused by this, I took the 93 from La Dore up to Chapais on 1/20 and had no issues ? No holes etc...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I am confused by this, I took the 93 from La Dore up to Chapais on 1/20 and had no issues ? No holes etc...? Pipeman this was last Wednesday the 27th was same Tuesday on the way up a real widow maker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groomer Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Pipeman this was last Wednesday the 27th was same Tuesday on the way up a real widow maker hi viper 2 !!! groomer operator should have made a little effort by cutting trees and branches... and put that over water....then you go backward a few hundred feet a few times and load the drag and put snow over branches...15 mins job !!! crazy !!! jean-guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzy Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Or at least tie ribbons a few feet ahead in the trees to warn there is trouble ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 hi viper 2 !!! groomer operator should have made a little effort by cutting trees and branches... and put that over water....then you go backward a few hundred feet a few times and load the drag and put snow over branches...15 mins job !!! crazy !!! jean-guy Hi JG Hope tout est bonne avec toi mon ami As you surely know operating a surfacer is an art. There are drivers and there are operators, Not everone has the "touch" that is required to skillfully use the equiptment. You are an artist without a doubt. I have no doubt you could teach a thing or three to many of the "drivers" that are in need of some skills that only come from years of expertise. Maybe a school for new operators Grooming 101 with professor JG. In fairness it looks as though they did "fill" the 3 big bad spots with trees and snow. 2 are pretty good the one in the pictures seems to be problematic with alot of water running across at that spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neksledr Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I fear there would be not much traveling with this around. I never met her but I'm liking her. She's definately a keeper. Ice, she is a keeper! And it's a rare time when I look behind me at junctions and she's not pushing me! Following your guys adventure from my desk, wishing I was there! Ride safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipeman Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Pipeman this was last Wednesday the 27th was same Tuesday on the way up a real widow maker Dang I'll say thanks again for warning us all of it. I know mid March last year we had to turn around because of water flowing across the 93 trail but that was before the lumber camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Day 3 A balmy -13F in Chapais this morning. Had breakfast and the Team suited up and we were off like a prom dress. My calls to the powers that be were answered as from the go right out the Hotel the trail was groomed to perfection and the white asphalt was oh so nice. Rode on one ski or so it seemed all the way to the local into Chibougamau. 10/10 this section. We had had a meeting of the minds and decided we were going to try to check the run to Mistassini. We bypassed the first local into Town and contined past the Petro Canada on the 93 there. Just a ways further south is another Local trail into Chibougamau we take it. I've never been this way (oh how I love exploring these orange trails.) sweet trail brings you back to the trail for Centerville. We head for centerville still riding beautiful groomed trail. We arrive near the town and I end up on an even better groomed trail. How could this be? I quickly realized I had jumped ship and was riding on their beautifully done X-ccountry ski trail. My bad. Sorry to the ski people in Chiboug. Purely accidental. We get turned around and now I got my act together so we head up behind town and by the Hospital. Not bad but turning into a goat path quickly. We go up to the intersection for Mistassini and beyond a mile or two. It's listed closed and it's not looking like something I want to do 60 miles on. The team agrees we abort the mission. Another time. It's such a great run when it's open and we will return. Back the way we came minus the X-country ski trail and now back to 93 on perfect white asphalt this time we went past Nordic and rejoined 93 at the intersection that is normally used by most to get to chiboug. Left Turn and back south to gas at Petro Canada. Gas and go back south 93 direction Sawmill. To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NH-Moose Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) All water holes north of the Sawmill are filled and groomed smooth. Unless you knew where they were, you would never know there was a problem before. Can pass safely at the speed limit of 70 (insert you distance units of choice) per hour. Some cool Iceman Wheel Art de Glace too! Edited February 6, 2016 by NH-Moose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markusvt Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Looking really nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 SOB that is one fine looking trail Groomer got his work done I see. Ski trail.....always an adventure, not fun with out one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Ok so where were we...? After filling up 93 is just delicious all the way to JC Bou. Here are friend the groomer has ended this run. However 93 is still very great and the trail is still awesome be it no white asphalt. Perfect run and just before Relais du Nord the Groomed asphalt begins out of no where. Best we can figure is he came in from the relais then backed out and turned around at the relais nord. Very strange but no need to investigate this further the trailis groomed perfect and that Is good enough for us. We had a bet going and me and NH Moose lost out cause if it was groomed all the way from Chiboug then Snohorse promised to buy us POGO's. Damn it, i wanted a POGO. But since there was the section between JC BOU not surfaced we lost. One other note just before Relais Nord I was crossing rail tracks and went over and started to make the swing back to the right and I must have Suprised the hell out of the guy coming cause from what Snohorse says he panicked and drove off the trail to the right into the bush. He asked me if I bullied the guy but I was on the right in the sticks where I always am. I did not see him go off. NH Moose was there for the assist but he evidently used the saplings(as they make for good traction) and powered out. Groomed beautiful to Sawmill. All holes filled in like it never happened. Cruised into mill got 20$ in gas and we took a break for candy bars inside. More after.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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