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Cote Nord and Lab loop


RoadRunner
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The logistics before a ride like this is always fascinating and that isn't talked about much.  What you carry is only half of it.  The support that you have back home and the various shops / dealers during the trip is probably just as important.  Thanks for the info RR.

I'm really curious how the ride will be from Havre St Pierre to Blanc-Sablon.  I had heard the trail uses the car road for the winter months.

Jack & Sandi

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On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 4:55 PM, RoadRunner said:

We had a small delay today with the sleigh, the SleiWarrantyfactured by Jean guy... Sleiglossesters Inc.. had Arguingown bracket failure. The sleigh is owned by Robs, Team Maine. Forfindately,  we had the warranty,  service rep with us from Jean Guy Sleigh Mastelots for the repair. The ultimate issue is who pays.  Team Maine claims defective material!, Jean guy Sleigh Masters claims product abuse!  We see a warranty claim dispute on the horizon!! :unknw:

Having a great time with a great bunch of guys! 

RR

 

 

Hi RR,

I would like to offer Team Maine some advice on the Warranty Claim dispute.  Accept your losses and move on   Arguing with Jean Guy is like wrestling with a pig in the mud, you will find the more you do it, the more he likes it!!  LOL

Have a great adventure and lots of laughs  

If

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Edited by smclelan
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SM, we all got a chuckle out of that one. We made it to Chevery, 247 miles.  Pics are limited due to wifi restrictions. Will get a trail report up later. Great blue sky day today,  a lingering problem with the 1200. More reports later. A great ride,  all in all!  RR

 

 

 

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Well, we started the day, where we ended it yesterday, with issues with the 1200 expedition and the fuel system. So what do we do, we are  10 miles out of Havre on a beautiful blue sky day. So we use our "one" lol phone call to dial up our 1200 expert. QR's one and only 1500 HD,  we call him tell him what is going on and he says, pull the top off and check the coil wires, than possible the electric throttle, or the rear draw tank has an issue. So trail side you tear it apart. We jus happen to have "5" top mechanics Trailside and off they go. Pulling this thing apart like we are in an Indy race. Coil wires are all connecting well, but one of our crew notices a kink in the draw tank feed line. We think that as this line gets warm, it collapses and plugs of the fuel venting. So we by pass the draw tank and set it back up like stock. Sled goes back together and runs great. Off we go in search of the "white road"

to be continued...

it should be noted, that Dixon, our Artic cat guy, who had problems yesterday, was somewhat celebratory that one of the skidoo had issues today! It's a tough crowd!

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Once we get rolling, it is a quick 50 or so to johan beetz, groomed with 4 to 5" of fresh snow. You can't beat that. Than from johan to Aguanish, well... go back and read the description yesterday of the trail after the Mosie river. Yup, 50 miles of......enough said! You probably don't want to do this section unless completely,

 prepared.. we bang thru this and once we fueled up and had a sealed packaged egg salad sandwich for lunch, we were off for the white road. Groomed trail, here and over to Natashuan, where the original white road used to leave from. We pick up the old white road here, but it is not maintained by the ministry so it leaves a bit to be desired if groomed trails are what you  like. Now the 138 goes all the way to Kegaska, so the official ministry maintained white road starts here now.

once you hit the white road in Kegaska, it is like grand central, we met 50 plus sleds on this super highway this afternoon, all the locals were heading somewhere and also a few touring trail sleds. This trail  is marked with a stake every 50 feet, seriously! A blind squirrel could find his way down this. So into Chevery we go. Only to have the 1200 start acting up again 30 miles out of Chevery, very confusing. Tonight our best  mechanics in our group are changing fuel filters that Misty River lodge rounded up for us locally and a heated garage to do the repair!  Great hospitality. Tomorrow, Lance au Clair....with the 1200 We Hope!

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There's always a chuckle between brand riding, that's what makes snowmobiling so experiencing. You can always learn from the other irregardless of the brand.

Now get that Doo back together guys a move forward.

Off topic..... just sold my parents tv on line to a Blanc Sablon native living in Montreal. What are the odds, I tell ya it must be a calling RR!!!

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4 hours ago, revct1 said:

The logistics before a ride like this is always fascinating and that isn't talked about much.  What you carry is only half of it.  The support that you have back home and the various shops / dealers during the trip is probably just as important.  Thanks for the info RR.

I'm really curious how the ride will be from Havre St Pierre to Blanc-Sablon.  I had heard the trail uses the car road for the winter months.

Jack & Sandi

Jack and Sandi, today we were riding off road on the white road, no road base exists here. The snow trial is what the locals use to get around in the winter as they are land and water bound during the rest of the season. Talking with locals, they really lie winter because they can leave their communities by snowmobile instead of boat or plane. Tomorrow from vieux fort to Blanc sablon is where we will find the road system that is or used to be converted to a trail in the winter.  We will verify that tomorrow as some think the road is plowed now with a trail beside it?  

It also appears that if someone wants to ride the white road,and not put up with the intermediary trail to get to it. You would trailer to Kegaska and leave from there. If so this would be a very easy, safe, ride east from that point in Kegaska To Blanc Sablon, and the communites are awesome! Happy trails RR

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Some of the trail and views from Johan beetz over to aguanish and onto Chevery yesterday afternoon. Note the stakes or tripods every 50 feet👍 The single track sections are between johan and aguanish. The staked trail and very new warming huts are on the ministry maintained trail between Kegaska and Chevery

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Is there commercial lodging available in Havre St.Pierre or just B&Bs.

Curious to know if you guys plan for a couple nights in the bush, it would be interesting to know if you did and where.

i remember seeing a couple years back one of Easyriders posts while he and his group where out in Labreville area having set up camp for the night with a carry on wood stove. 

Just curious to hear if you guys got this expedition planned out with lodging every night.

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11 hours ago, RoadRunner said:

Jack and Sandi, today we were riding off road on the white road, no road base exists here. The snow trial is what the locals use to get around in the winter as they are land and water bound during the rest of the season. Talking with locals, they really lie winter because they can leave their communities by snowmobile instead of boat or plane. Tomorrow from vieux fort to Blanc sablon is where we will find the road system that is or used to be converted to a trail in the winter.  We will verify that tomorrow as some think the road is plowed now with a trail beside it?  

It also appears that if someone wants to ride the white road,and not put up with the intermediary trail to get to it. You would trailer to Kegaska and leave from there. If so this would be a very easy, safe, ride east from that point in Kegaska To Blanc Sablon, and the communites are awesome! Happy trails RR

Thanks RR.  I was told awhile ago that the Ministry maintained the White Road during the winter months but if I understand you correctly, this is only from Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon.  Route 138 now ends at Kegaska.  Did 138 previously end earlier in Natashquan and at that time the White Road began there?

The trail side mechanics appear to have had favorable weather to do their repairs.  Hopefully the 1200 will keep its chin up and motor on.

The pics are very remote looking but absolutely beautiful!

We wish you the best on today's ride thru Blanc-Sablon and onto L'Anse au Loup, Labrador.

Jack & Sandi

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Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

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Edited by markusvt
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On 2/23/2017 at 7:47 PM, RoadRunner said:

DM, great to hear from you,  yes, those areas that look like low snow coverage , are actually in a burn area, they are wind blown and boney, once you get down out of them,  there is plenty of snow. I figured you were following along, Will keep posted as we can. 

From what it sounds like, if you want to experience the Cote Nord East and don't want to wrestle with the 45 miles of marginal trail, east of the Mosie, some people trailer to Havre, and head east from here.  An option, unless your a die hard rider, like many on this site, than you pound out the 45 miles of rough stuff to get to the good stuff lol

it sounds like the further east we go, the more the trail gets used by some visitors and lots of  locals, we will find that out and report in:good:

RR

Pounding out 45 miles of rough trail, better edit out that part for warrantee reasons. Great report guys, carry on.

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Really enjoying the reports of this trip and jealous as hell that I am not doing the same ! Hopefully some winter soon I can get enough time off work to doo it. Ride on guys and be safe 👍

Edited by Pipeman
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7 hours ago, Trailblazer said:

Is there commercial lodging available in Havre St.Pierre or just B&Bs.

Curious to know if you guys plan for a couple nights in the bush, it would be interesting to know if you did and where.

i remember seeing a couple years back one of Easyriders posts while he and his group where out in Labreville area having set up camp for the night with a carry on wood stove. 

Just curious to hear if you guys got this expedition planned out with lodging every night.

TB. There is The Hotel du Havre in Havre st Pierre, very comfortable. We stayed up at the Outarde on a tent in 2012. We did not go that prepared this trip! Made it to Lance au Claire this afternoon, what a gorgeous run, pics to follow

 

RR

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All of the communities between Kegaska and Vieux fort have no road access from outside, they are isolated and have only local roads in their communities. In the winter, the roads are not plowed and the snowmobile becomes the normal mode of transportation, These people are very accomadating, friendly and glad to see you. Winter is their time to be able to move around and socialize. The Quebec transport ministries contracts for the white road to be groomed by large snowmobiles and rear drags, also the stakes and signage is done under this contract. An amazing process to experience and see in operation.

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7 hours ago, markusvt said:

Havre St.Pierre is the last decent size town.  Tim Hortons and all.  3500 people. l'HÔTEL MOTEL DU HAVRE  and Complexe MV both there and you can book online.  The trail from there to Blanc Sablon is supposed to be loosley marked and dotted with warming huts, be interesting to see what you find.

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Markus, loosely marked would not do justice to the piece between Kegaska and Vieux fort, as I mentioned earlier, that is marked every 50 feet, great signage, and maintenance. A very enjoyable ride on a clear day. You understand why they need markers however,as this is a major transportation corridor in the winter for locals and in a snowstorm, you would want every marker to get you to the next survival shelter! 

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Edited by RoadRunner
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7 hours ago, revct1 said:

Thanks RR.  I was told awhile ago that the Ministry maintained the White Road during the winter months but if I understand you correctly, this is only from Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon.  Route 138 now ends at Kegaska.  Did 138 previously end earlier in Natashquan and at that time the White Road began there?

The trail side mechanics appear to have had favorable weather to do their repairs.  Hopefully the 1200 will keep its chin up and motor on.

The pics are very remote looking but absolutely beautiful!

We wish you the best on today's ride thru Blanc-Sablon and onto L'Anse au Loup, Labrador.

Jack & Sandi

Revct, you are right in that interpretation, the best way to experience the white road without running into loosely marked trails and unbroken conditions. Would be to go to Kegaska or Blanc Sablon to start. This section rivals the Gaspe in experience. The views are as amazing as the Gaspe and the white road trail is a very special experience not comparable with the fcmq system, IMG_0514.thumb.JPG.b03b1a0d29a666d15b2abf9b2cea835a.JPGIMG_0515.thumb.JPG.2f76d9cf3bc3949e0b1e7f10f46931c7.JPGIt definitely should go on the to do list for the avid sledder.

 

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