iceman Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Gonna start this post here then continue in the Saguenay LSJ forum tmmrw when we get up there. Its the beginning of the end and as all good things must come to an end, this season is no different. I've got 3 rides set up back to back to finish out my season. The first started this morning from Shawinigan and Chez Ice. This is a week i have bee waiting for as we got two QC rookies with myself and Playhard. We are 4 strong. My brother in law Al and our mutual friend Andy are with us for a 5 day ride. Both have minor sled experience but have experience on quads and streetbikes. They get it. Today was set up as a orientation day and easy 100 miles just to St Raymond. Cold as hell, did I mention that? Wind is wicked and these new guys gonna be baptized by fire and learn what January feels like usually even though its March. Was 5F with a biting wind most of the day. Dressed and sleds loaded. We left my house at 11:45. Guys got in late last night as My brother in law flew up from Florida to NY yesterday landed at 1:15pm then they had a stop in Mass to grab gear and up to Auberge Drakkar at 12:00am. 9am they are at my house and we go to pick up the toy box at Moto Thibault. No hurry we got all day. Grab trailer and kick some tires in the Showroom. We are back in truck northbound back to my house. We unload sleds and head inside the guys need to pack their saddlebags. This is done now we gear up and load sleds. Mrs Ice gets home just in time to say farewell as we cruise out the driveway and onto TQ3. Frozen just as suspected but no scratchers needed enough dust to keep things cool. Some corners are rubbed off and it is slippery without the iceripper or studs it's borderline dangerous. Playhard will set the pace for the new guys i will run tail gunner. Better this way. He is much more patient than me and has a way of teaching the basics. It's perfect. We are moving great these guys are quick studies. TQ3 to m-something to 23 then 351. All same rock frozen hard. With some loose dust on it. Some places glare ice, road sides hurting, gas stations, resto's, and motels bare pavement. So far. 351 thru St Tite to 302. Cold but we are plugging along. 302 to St Adelphe. River is frozen but just bare ice. We cross and up through town on some bare sides of the road. 302 and back to TQ23 we run this up to 353. We go to St Ubalde for lunch. Much needed warm up break its 2pm. Halfway to St Raymond. Out of lunch at 3pm. Ready for the sprint up to Roquemont. 353 to 73 nice trail. Everything flat some corners icy and wiped clean but its Saturday and we are seein more traffic closer we get to St Raymond. Down Railbed TQ73 its real nice. Not far out of St Raymond the guys see their first groomer. He is heading up. He pulls over and i watch as the guys squeeze on through. We sail on into Roquemont gassed up the guys with wheels (all of them) not me. Wheel on into the sled Corral i grind my way in as its bare in the lot and the Corral. Packed with trucks and trailers here. Unbelievable how many. Nice dinner and some micro brews and we will call it day one. We lose that hour tonight and we have 7am breakfast. TQ23 to L'Etape then up to Chicoutimi for Tmmrw. doonali and RoadRunner 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 1 Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Nice new bridge on the 353. Motorcyclists that get the correct instruction should pick it up quickly. Ride on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Gonna be a nice run up to LSG and you got that extra hour of light to boot. Keep those ducks in line Ice. Give David my best regards, miss him. PLAYHARD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Day 3 Left La Saguenee in Chicoutimi 8:15, blue skies big sun and not as cokd today. Still cold but not too bad. Nice riding weather. 83 is in nice shape all the way to 367. This trail is just as nice, hell they are all perfect. Its still full on winter here. Across the two bridges and up 367 to 93 then back to 367 then Orange trail straight up and over to Relais Mont Vilain. All trails excellent passed groomer on Local trail grooming a perfect flat trail. Keep at boys I'll be back in a few days. 8-10 miles from Relais, we leave trail and I jump out on River and we take the Vilain express. No visit at Relais Vilain today but maybe 15 sleds there at Noon. We have passed 2 so far. Leave there on 367 and down to gas there in Lamarche. 367 all the way to 93 in St Monique. All mint. Super conditions. Back to 367 to Peribonka. The trail here near the river crossing (peribonka) is marked Ferme' Danger. As there are fresh tracks we push on. Big heaves on the ice and on far side a big crevasse where the ice has given up but refrozen now, nice but its a. 8 foot drop that will get your attention if you are not paying attention or come through at night. There is a goat trail go around and we get through and back on solid ground. Back to 93 and direction Dolbeau. River crossing here is solid but is running water out further that was not there 3 weeks ago. Certainly the rivers and lakes will determine the end of the season up here. There is tons of snow. The ice will give before the trails. Through Dolbeau and 93 up to Girardville. Gas here and we take a late lunch. In the resto I meet Michael, he was the snowmobile club president and i did not ask if he still was. He recognized me from our last meeting last year at the gas station. He says new trail should be open next season. One bridge has been built and second should get done in next few weeks. Trail will go off of 93 near Girardville and take you to Relais Mont Vilain onto river there from the north using part of Local trail that has been closed there. Can not wait. Up over the top through Lac A Jim and its nice a bit of drifts in some spots but nothing horrible. Down 93 and to 373 past Relais des Buttes and smooth shot into St Felicien. 238 miles. New guys love quebec and are amazed, "the best adventure ever" says my brother in law. They love it. Tomorrow off to the Fairmont in La Malbie. Snow is coming things are gonna get interesting. Seeing 25-30cm for Quebec and up to La Malbie Tuesday night through Wednesday. We shall see. RoadRunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLAYHARD Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 On March 12, 2017 at 5:48 PM, Trailblazer said: my best regards, Trail-bla-ZER! How YOU doin'?! Hang onto that flexibility & sense of humor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.