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A few days around Saguenay (12/28-1/1/17)


scorpionbowl
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Summarizing what happens on this trip. Taking it day by day, no real plan...

Day 1: Leave trail 16 to 83. Head east on mostly garbage...rough and low snow until the ski area (aka relais spandex). There it is freshly groomed but still low snow. Local 21 looks great, didn't  take it. Groomer comes out from St Felix and I'm second tracks and it's perfect. Local 22 looks good, didn't  take it. Perfection to 383 (eternity), it is freshly groomed, didn't take it. Continued perfection to 383 west, it's freshly groomed, didn't take it. Continued down 83 to the 301, it's freshly groomed, didn't take it. Continued down the Claremont express, the south side was groomed the day before, 4" powder, but smooth. Just made it to Claremont for first gas at 103 miles, light was on for a while. Noticed the skidoo dealer moved, maybe this isn't news? Snow is thinner here, but fine. Doubled back to 383 west. On the 383, groomer stopped quick, but it was smooth with 6" powder. Took the 22, same conditions, then gassed at St Felix. Took 83 west to 21, but didn't take it. Back at relais spandex the groomer came through most of the way back to the city. Nice easy run, 200 miles. Heading to Valinouet tomorrow, by truck.

 

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Good luck at Valinouet. Big snow big bumps big traffic. no freshly groomed trails to be found anywhere or I woulda went down them . The 93 was pounded right out, the Bra Louis was one sled width wide. Did make it to mont villain. Less snow less bumps and less traffic that way.  165 miles for the day.  Riding the storm out tomorrow

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42 minutes ago, SkippyDoo said:

Good luck at Valinouet. Big snow big bumps big traffic. no freshly groomed trails to be found anywhere or I woulda went down them . The 93 was pounded right out, the Bra Louis was one sled width wide. Did make it to mont villain. Less snow less bumps and less traffic that way.  165 miles for the day.  Riding the storm out tomorrow

Only riding a few miles of that junk to get to the good stuff...and it ain't on no map...

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Running off satellite, so a bare bones update today, no firestick tonight that's for sure.

Day 2: We are operating on plan B (out of plan A-D). We drive to Valinouet, lock up and head out bras Louis (267), it's perfect. We meet 477, it's perfect, we take it. We hit 476, it's perfect, we don't take it. Gas and snack at onatchiway and out the 484, better than perfect. We hit the 482, it's perfect, we don't take it. The 484 dead ends at the Peribonka, we take the bush trail the few miles to the river, nice, but dodging downed trees. We hit the river, no stakes, we cross and hit the 367, groomed but rough. We skip scooby, at the lamarche trail, 367 says danger so we head to lamarche on orange, it's not open we get gas, little English but he said no circuit so we guess it's all junk. Back to the 367, it's not open a few miles in the swamp, then it's groomed but sucks. We know the 482 is good, we take it and return. Snow started around 3pm, nothing major yet, 165 miles today.

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Day 3: Woke up, it's 50f in the chalet, no heat. Nice people here, but not the place to stay. Wifi sucks, no breakfast till 8am, and a bucket of ice is $5. We hit the trail early and head to Valinouet. Groomer passes us at gas headed to chapelle, we grab breakfast. 7 miles in we pass groomer and take southern orange trails to chapelle. 2-6" softens any bumps and we top off at chapelle and get a quick wifi hit. Out the orange trail to pelchat to check it out. About 12" here and summits went toward pelchat so we think no problem. 

252 south from the pelchat turn...image.jpeg

These summits are crazy, zig zagging everywhere wanting to suck u off trail. Luckily one guy is fairly straight down the trail. The snow got deep quick, I say 20" anyway. Get off the lead track and snow is well over the hood. Good day for iceman to be working, we barely have the setup for this but had no problem following. After 10 miles or so, we catch the summits and I shit u not, one of them is dragging a full sized canoe. When we meet them they figured the pelchat trail was the wrong turn, and they wanted to go right to a camp or something, so they just turn off the trail and dip into a bowl toward the other road and the guy with the canoe gets stuck big, I thought this would take a long time to fix and didn't even get a picture. While they dig we look at the trail...

 

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We are two guys with marginal sleds for these conditions. There's a 6' wide base in the middle, get off that and it sucks u in. Where's RR when you need him.  Meanwhile the guys empty the snow in the canoe, take the tension off the rope and stomp around sled. I think these guys are high. The guy gets on it, starts moving slowly, then the canoe turns upside down, I figure he's done, but he rocks the sled side to side full throttle and gets onto a flat, flips the canoe and off they go. Looks like they have problems a little later, but we turn around and head back to the 252. By now  two sleds are on the 252, so it's easy going in 12" powder to 93. Here someone else has gone to sacre couer already so it's and easy run with 12-16" of fresh powder, get off the lead track and the conditions weren't nearly as deep as  Pelchat.

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Once 93 is off the c900, it's impossible to follow the trail with this snow and wind but finally make our way to the road and check in. Now we figure out what to do tomorrow...

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1 hour ago, MrGutz said:

ICE fishing would not need the boat? I hope...

GutZ

Just a joke but I wouldn't go out on the ice around here just yet without a boat or a very fast sled. Ice is still iffy.

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$5 for ice? I don't get it up there, you buy a cocktail in a bar and they give you 2 cubes in the glass if your lucky, and if you ask for more they think your nuts

It's friggin cold as hell up there why so stingy with the ice? I don't get it. Stick some trays out the back door and they will be ready in minutes

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Not much to get excited about from the map above but we decide to check imotoniege and head south to 3. It doesn't take long to see 16" of powder plus new drifting from the wind, so we have to backtrack. Imotoniege shows the C900 groomed half way which doesn't make sense since he doesn't turn around there, he goes to the 252 intersection. Starting out is perfectly groomed, one pan wide, so he hasn't returned. We ride on, skies are getting blue and the wind strong. We meet the groomer turning around and on the sat phone, probably updating imotoniege. Of course no one has touched th 93 or 252 from there, so we bust through drifts back to chapelle. After a quick break we expect hell to Valinouet, but lucked out because the groomer made one pass and was getting ready to turn around. 

Today was one of those brochure days where around every corner was a view you would see in an ad...

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