iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Well, well here we go again. Snohorse rolled into chez Ice at 3:45pm on sunday. We had a beer and we were off to Auberge Drakkar to say hello to Playhard and the guys. After visiting a short bit with the boys we gathered up Shaggy and Jess. We loaded into my car and we were off to watch Mrs Ice, play dek hockey. This was to be a first for snohorse, Scott and Jess. We arrived in plenty of time to grab a beer from the bar and settle in to watch the game. It was quite the match as Mrs. Ice's team was taking names and kicking ass. Finished with a score of 7-1. Not quite a nail biter but we like it like that. Took Jess and Scott(shaggy) back to Drakkar and we were headed back to chez Ice. We spent the evening watching tv and relaxing. Woke to a nice day to hit the trail. Up and dressed bags on and I gave Mrs Ice a kiss goodbye. We were out and on the move at 8:15. This trip is to be no real plan. We were gonna roll and see where the trail takes us. We jump on the TQ 3 headed east. 20 miles from the house i get a call on the radio to hold up. I brake and spin it around to find Snohorse undoing the birdsnest of what was left of his belt. The 1200 gave no warning just grenaded the belt. 4000 miles on the belt RIPieces. We do a Nascar belt change and carry on. Trail 3 east to 351. All fresh groomed and very nice. First tracks. We run the 351 east and then 302 to 23 and up into St Raymond. We visit Dion Moto to get a spare belt for the 1200. Then on to gas next to Roquemont and its 23 north direction L'Etape. Trails are very nice considering it's monday and there has been big traffic all weekend. Temps are falling and the cold is good. Bring it. We hammer it on up to L'Etape. I'm surprised at how many sleds are here on a monday. We grab gas and take a break. To be Continued...... Shaggy, Carman, dooright and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Okay then, ran into Chris from VT. He was experiencing technical difficulties with his sled. Got towed 20 miles into L'Etape and was awaiting rescue from St. Raymond. Sorry to see a fellow QR broken down. But, cest la vie. Out of L'Etape and I was really struggling with what to do. I almost doubled back and down 369 to Beauport. But decided to push on up 23. To this point trail was super. After L'Etape until Apica it was not great. Really used up, we soldier on. As we pass Apica things greatly improved this section has been groomed much more recently. We hammer it and stop at 368 intersection. For a quick chat. Decisions Decisions. We are all dressed up and no place to go. 23 looks better so onward to Hebertville. Through Presbytre and across the Lake. We take gas at Petro 🇨🇦. Now more choices. It's 4pm mmmm? Alma or Roberval. Neither one of us ready to call it yet. So its 83 to Roberval. First part is unreal very fricking sweet. After the ice crossing and on the way to Chambord is a warzone. What the hell? This section is like no mans land it always is whooped out and used up. They must groom this just twice a month. Crazy. Trail is junk all the way to jct of 355. Then it is back to lovely, frozen flat and fast. 83 to 373 is super and we roll on into Hotel Roberval at 6:15. 315 miles today. Funny cause both Montana GPS were reset in my driveway this am. Mine reads 508km for the day, Snohorse Gps same exact one says 360 miles? Whats up with that he followed me the whole way. Strange. His Odo on the 1200 says 315 miles, 508 km is 315 miles. So what gives? we shall see where the trail leads us demain. dooright, Shaggy, Carman and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Looks like a good start Iceman, be safe and have fun iceman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Nice averages Max speed tells me you're running with Doos. This week is calling for colder weather so you guys will be in good shape for grooming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyskidooerinnewhampshire Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 6 hours ago, iceman said: both Montana GPS were reset in my driveway this am. Mine reads 508km for the day, Snohorse Gps same exact one says 360 miles? Whats up with that he followed me the whole way. Strange. His Odo on the 1200 says 315 miles, 508 km is 315 miles. So what gives? Snohorse darted off for a cold beer w/o you : ) . Don't you hate when your riding partner does that ? Safe travels. Shaggy, SnomoGary and iceman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800R MXZ X Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Looking good! Killing me, still 8 more days till vacation. Cnc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLAYHARD Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 8 hours ago, Trailblazer said: Nice averages ...tells me you're... Moving avg tells me you're MOVING! We took a bonus detour from Shawini to 4-Points and had a leisurely lunch at Roq: AubergeDrakkar, Shaggy and actionjack 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLAYHARD Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 9 hours ago, iceman said: ...almost doubled back and down 369 to Beauport. But decided to push on up 23. Smart move! Down around Quebec into Charlsbourg was lumpy. Hopefully flatter toward Casino today. What they built @ Valcartier is UNBELIEVABLE. Gotta see if trail gets us there. We took the 4-Points shuttle... Shaggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooccio Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Hey Ice! Couple of us are right with you! Took same route yesterday from l Etape. We stayed in hotel Jardin last night. Planning route today. Look for us. Will do same. Blue jacket, orange doo. Skidooccio out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnomoGary Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 ×2 same for us , this time next week we'll be on the flight . Yer !!!!!!! 2 hours ago, 800R MXZ X said: Looking good! Killing me, still 8 more days till vacation. iceman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AubergeDrakkar Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) Hi Iceman and Playhard have a great trip! Edited January 31, 2017 by AubergeDrakkar iceman and Shaggy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Night 1 never a dull moment...... started when we got here, we park sleds and this guy walks up. He is high as hell. Out of his mind wacked. He says in French. Where did you ride here from? So me being the wise ass I am tell him we left this morning from Rimouski on the Gaspe, he says was it long? I tell him no we drive fast. Anyway he don't skip a beat and says "you got any spare change?" What? No I said I got no spare change, now go. He leaves then is circling back and just watching us unload stuff. I go inside and the woman recognizes me from 2 weeks ago. We had a conversation then about the tent here for sleds as she was trying to convice me it's perfectly safe especially cause it has camera on it. Ha! I asked her to tell that to the guy that lost his sled out of there last year and was waiting for a taxi to St Raymond when i got here. She knew nothing of that. So i ask her what us up with the guy begging outside cause I aint liking him hanging around out there. I said what is going on here in Roberval? She says she will handle it. We lock up cover sleds and head upstairs. Our room looks right down at machines as we are Parked right in front no hiding in back where no one watches or see's anything. 2 minutes later Police are down there, guy will not be hanging around more tonight. Nice Dinner in the Bar, then we go to sleep. I sleep with earplugs (so I can sleep) then next thing I know Snohorse is waking me up. I look at clock it's 2am, i'm like what up? He says some guy has been kicking the door for a few minutes and yelling. What? My first check is the sleds. All good. Ok so a drunk guy thinks this is his room. He is now kicking the door like a swat team I'm thinking he is coming through. I'm yelling at him in French that he has the wrong room. He is yelling open the door between kicking it. Finally I call front desk. I tell them WTF? Get up here and find this guy his room cause I aint opening the door to deal with him and if it don't stop now I am calling cops. Guy comes up from front desk. They start arguing in hall. Drunk guy falls over i hear hit wall then floor. Poor front desk guy gets him up and up to the second floor they go. Now I am wide awake. Takes me another hour to go back to sleep. Damn. Always something, but this is a first. It's never drunk swedish twins why is that? Shaggy and vt_bluyamaha54 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooright Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Ha ! Drunk twins you'd get no sleep :-) Rock on with the adventure .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800steve Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 You cant ride the Japanese twins you have at the same time, what makes you think you can handle 2 Sweds? Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 9 minutes ago, 800steve said: You cant ride the Japanese twins you have at the same time, what makes you think you can handle 2 Sweds? Have fun. True. 15 minutes ago, dooright said: Ha ! Drunk twins you'd get no sleep :-) Rock on with the adventure .... Also True. Met your friend Chris in L'Etape. Sled was down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 35 minutes ago, skidooccio said: Hey Ice! Couple of us are right with you! Took same route yesterday from l Etape. We stayed in hotel Jardin last night. Planning route today. Look for us. Will do same. Blue jacket, orange doo. Skidooccio out. Probably heading up 93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 8 hours ago, Trailblazer said: Nice averages Max speed tells me you're running with Doos. This week is calling for colder weather so you guys will be in good shape for grooming. Right on JG. I got one Doo. Back from the dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooccio Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 5 minutes ago, iceman said: Probably heading up 93 We are headed to onatchaway, then prolly down to la baie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnus Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Sounds like an eventful trip so far! Me and three friends are heading up to Chicoutimi Thursday morning. Last year with the poor conditions we drove up with our sleds on trailers but this year we are riding from my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Day 2 Tuesday after last nights happenings we were not moving too early. We go when we feel like it. Today we had breakfast and suited up bagged up and left on a perfectly groomed trail right from door of Hotel. On 373 direction St Felicien its groomed sweet but we are certainly not first tracks. That would soon change. We catch the first group. 3 singles and a two up. Easy pickings. Onward. 373 is still showing some sleds ahead. We move on. At the intersection for Auberge du Berges. There they are stopped and talking. 2 take off when they see us coming the other 3 are too slow. We scoop on by. Now we are gaining ground on the other 2. They arrive at the intersection of 373 and the orange local near the truck dealer in St Felicien. They are not sure what trail to take. Reading the signs. All we needed. We are past. C-Ya. They push hard not happy to be behind us. We toy with them a while then after the turn for Hotel Du Jardin, it's time to bid farewell. We turn it up and buh bye. Not seen again. Trail is utterly amazing but it usually is up here so we are not surprised. 373 to 93 and to gas in La Dore. 93 is freshly groomed as well and we are headed for the Sawmill. There is two sleds ahead I'm guessing by the tracks i'm reading in front of me. Now I must take a minute to give a big thank you to the club here. I have never seen this section of the 93 as big as it is this year. It was big and flat. Nicely done. Icey likey. Nice job of cutting the branches back nice and wide. Trail wicked fast and we are loving it. That last section of trail (15 miles or so) into Scerie 54 is ridiculous and very delicious. If you don't like this here then give up sledding. On into the Sawmill. Nice to see lots of Action here this year. It was a ghost town last year with just the caretaker for gas on site. This year it's full on as a camp for the forest workers. We arrive at 12:15. Was worried maybe guy for gas was on lunch break but he came right down to the pump. Gas is 1.47 a liter. Cash only like always and they have no change. He has a chart to tell him how much it costs for all the different amounts(liters). I ask the guy about traffic today. He say two went north earlier and before them two went south. We are 4&5 for the day. Wow wicked scary to think the tracks i saw were headed south I would have bet my life they were all northbound. I do not get it. Why is it these people have a giant trail and ride down the middle. Makes zero sense to me. To be Continued. After Happy Hour. Sleds in Roberval right where we can see them. 93 north (note the tracks right up the middle) 2 were headed south Looking South (keep right for crying out loud) gas Sciere 54 Been there.... The gang is taking the Lunch in the Cafeteria. Shaggy, 800R MXZ X, Florida Snowman and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Rock on Team Ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Day 2 continued out of Sawmill and trail is ok but could use some love. It has not been groomed is over a week. It's not terrible but not like the rest we seen. We push on. The biggest thing were the road crossings the berms at the road were big and it was not the easiest you needed to be on your game to cross the roads and manipulate your way up and over. We found the usual 2-3 water holes (sippi holes) first being 50 km from sawmill headed north. (Will probably change but be advised) it was a pretty big washout on the right. Those of us who actually ride the right would be the ones in danger. Those of you who ride the middle are not affected. I meet a guy southbound solo at a road crossing. He tells me the 'gratte" is headed south about 10km north coming my way. Well thank you my friend, we move on now I'm on guard cause i don't know if i trust this guys estimate of where surfacer is. Where i can see i go all out. Where my "spidey" senses tingle i take it easy. Well its 20Km and there he is i see him on a long straight coming our way!. Sweet! we pass. Now its just heaven we roll on and, About 80 km north of Sciere 54 there is a big wet lowspot on the southbound side. Another sippi hole. We arrive to Relais Barriere du Nord(closed) and from here up is like tge section from La Dore to the mill. Hard and big frozen solid. Nice trail. We light it up. We cruise on up the 50 km to Petro Canada to gas up. It's noticeably colder up here and the trail shows it. Very nice. Its 3pm. We go 93 direction Chapais. Into Chapais and its too early to call it, so we go on to Club house on 93. Here we take a local trail down to a lake just because. Then we circle back and run 93 back to Chapais. Into Motel Routier sitting pretty. 235 miles happy 😊 tomorrow we double back and go local trail into Chibougamau and judging by the grooming i see on the App. We are gonna be loving the ride up to Mistassini. Big snowbanks at the road crossing Well lookey here Please sir may i have another? groomer, 182ray, snowfarmer and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipeman Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 When we came through that area about a week and a half ago there was logging going on near Desmaraisville hopefully you don't run into that As they plowed it down to nothing safe travels and thanks for the report ! Carman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Just now, Pipeman said: When we came through that area about a week and a half ago there was logging going on near Desmaraisville hopefully you don't run into that As they plowed it down to nothing safe travels and thanks for the report ! We are not going further west....back to Chibougamau then up to Mistassini and finally back down 93 to the lac. I hate the Railbed between Chapais and Going to Lebel. I got better things to do. Carman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Ice Those 15 miles or so south side of the sawmill are as you say real sweet but if you're riding south bound take care cuz at the end of that little run is a hard left, easy to miss cuz the road keeps going and if you're looking ahead and reading tree lines you are gonna get fooled. Watch you don't get stuck on the top or tip over on the other side of those snow banks. Keep roll'n guys, love the story telling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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