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2017 Trail Conditions Jack & Sandi


revct1
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The Eastern Township is like the forgotten uncle.  Very few posts here regarding trail conditions but that is understood because there isn't always snow to ride on.  But for Sandi and I it is our starting point when there is snow.

We drove up in the truck Thursday morning figuring that we may have to trailer to find snow.  We are here until next Tuesday and are going to ride out to RDL and Amqui and then loop back.  When we cross the border it is just above freezing and raining.  Uck!  By the time we get to Valcourt where our sleds and trailer are, it has dropped below freezing and the rain has turned into a wet snow.  Lets go for it.

We get dressed, load up the sleds, top them off with gas and head out.  The first night is Hotel Bernieres, St Nicholas.  Trail 35 isn't too bad but there are a few branches and trees hanging down over the trail that we have to dodge.  The wet snow is sticking to our shields but I'll take this instead of freezing rain.  We get to Richmond and jump on the railbed.  This is nice.  Maybe a little under a foot of snow but the rail bed doesn't need much.  A few changes to 35 as it winds up around Warwick and Victoriaville.

We stay on 35 all the way to Dosquet.  Here we sometimes stay on 35 and go thru St Agathe to 537 and 75 into Bernieres or we take the local yellow trails thru St Agapit and St Apollinaire and come in on 5 from the other direction which is a little shorter.  We opt for the local trails.  These are fine.  The wet sticky snow on the trails has turned into a lighter fluff.  The snow is noticeably deeper now.  We have to read signs at some of the intersections.  It has been a few years since we have rode out of Valcourt due to the low snow and bad timing.  But this year is fine.  No wrong turns and we pull into Bernieres.

Sandi's 1200 did the 140 miles on one tank of fuel and 33 liters.  Her low fuel light was on for about ten miles though and she can get a little cranky about that.  But with the gas caddy this year, it is not a problem.  We could have probably have gotten better mileage but the wet sticky snow I'm sure made the sleds work a little harder.

RDL is the next stop.

Jack & Sandi

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We cross at the Pittsburg/Chartierville crossing whenever possible. Sometimes we day trip in the region. I join the LaPatrie club to support this region.

Leaving Thursday from Pittsburg headed to Saguenay region by sled. Our scouting reports indicate it will be fine. Eastern Townships do get less snow, but have great trails when mother nature cooperates. 

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I don't know if you have been on 23 but if not here is a little grooming info.

So you will be going from St Raymond up 23 thru L'Etape to the Lac.  23 is groomed from each end.  One groomer comes out of St Ray and the other comes down from Hebertville.  It takes each groomer two days.  I think they sleep in L'Etape.  They usually groom Thu Fri and again Mon Tue.  Try not to hit it on the weekend  if you can schedule that section for during the week.  Watch out because the groomers may be out during the day.  All that can change due to weather / storms.

Jack & Sandi

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So its the last day of this trip.  I'll finish posting the trip where I started here on the Eastern Townships.  The rest of the trip is in Bas St Laurent, under Trail Conditions.

Tuesday morning.  The sky is clear and the temp is cool.  Today is a short day.  We are riding back to Valcourt to the truck and then heading home to CT.

A look at the groomer map and we will take trail 25.  We pull out of Hotel Bernieres and the groomer turned around in their parking lot last night.  This is how you should start everyday of snowmobiling.  Trail 75 to 5, very nice.  Trail 75 splits off to the left and we stay on 5.  Trail 25 joins us from the right and it is all groomed.  Not too far along as we approach St Apollinaire there is a detour sign for 5 and 25 pointing to the left onto what was a local yellow trail.  Hmm?  This is the way we rode in at the beginning of the trip.

We follow the signs along and 5 and 25 now go south of St Apolinaire instead of on the north side.  Easy enough to follow.  Not too much further and 5 breaks off to our right and we go left staying on 25.  We go by Bernier Sport Ski Doo and the Polaris dealer in Laurier Station.  The trail is perfect.  Oops, there's Sandi's brake light again.  I look up ahead and today she has found deer out on the trail.  They run along a short distance and off into the woods.  We pick up speed and the brakes come on again, more deer.  It must be social day for the deer.  Twice more this happens.  At least deer don't mind jumping off into the woods not like Mr. Moose that kept us at bay for over a mile.

Trail 25 is perfect.  This is a fun trail.  One that isn't traveled as much as say 35.  I hate to keep repeating myself but the trails are exceptional this year.  I remember when we first started riding in Quebec, it would be a treat if you hit one groomed trail on a 4 or 5 day trip.  Now we expect it everyday and the groomers are meeting our expectations.  We are being spoiled in a good way.

At an intersection with a local trail about 10 miles before the junction with 35, we stop to take a break.  We have only seen a few sleds today.  While we are sitting there, a couple of sleds come up from behind and they turn and go towards Princeville.  Then we hear more sleds coming from the direction of 35.  Seven sleds pull over and stop.  Locals but a couple off them speak English.  We chat for awhile.  They are out on a day loop.  I wonder if they called in sick to work this morning?  Always fun to talk with other sledders.  We part our ways and head down to 35.  The railbed is fine.  We stay on 35 and in Norbetville we stop at a small restaurant, Lydia's Restaurant, for coffee and a restroom break for Sandi.  This is a nice place.  35 has been rerouted to here and I bet this place is going to get a lot of snowmobile customers.  It is clean, on the trial and the prices look great for a lunch stop.

It has cloudy up now and there are a few flurries in the air.  We finish up and run 35 into Valcourt.  Only a few spots today that weren't fresh groomed and those were still good.

A wonderful six day trip from Valcourt to Amqui and back.  A little drifting one day.  Mild temperatures and fantastic trails.  Next trip planned for Feb 8th to the Delta in Jonquiere.  See you there.

IMG_0569.JPG

Pic on trail 35 near Norbertville.

Jack & Sandi

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