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2018 Riviere du Loup Trail Conditions/Gossip/Tidbits


mikerider
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1 hour ago, mikerider said:

Andy.     I beg for those rooms, so convenient to have the truck and sled right there. Heated sled garage too far away.

We have them already and also the Heated Garages too for the week., I was just curious if that was them?

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SnowCrazed took a few pics today.  Thank you.  The first watering hole is Sandi not making it by a foot.  Her belt got wet and didn't have enough oomph to get the skis back up on the trail.  That last watering hole isn't one of us luckily.

This morning is cool and we see that a few groomers have been out.  We take off and head to Relais Les Adventuriers.  The normal water hole under the railroad tracks just past the Petrocan station and another one not to much further.  Sandi had an issue with the first one under the railroad tracks.  See above.  The second one she skipped right across.

At the relais we turn right on trail 5.  The groomer was out yesterday and this is pretty good.  Cruising along kicking up a little dust.  Where the trail changes from Adventuriers to Club Mont Bleau, things change and not for the good.  I think I'm back 30 years ago.

5a5beaeec56b2_Trail5westofRDLClubMontBleau.JPG.f33d2ee1b4d5ca6cca842394860dfe05.JPG

The trail is a little skinny.  10 miles of this and it is back to good trail.  The power lines on trail 5 have a few water issues.  The first ones are passable but we get to one that looks like a four wheel drive had been in and out of it a dozen times.  All chewed up and we can't see what happens around the corner.  The vote is to u-turn and pick a different trail.

We go back to Relais Belies Pistes and take 557 behind the clubhouse.  Much better.  Cruisng along again.  Oops Sandi.  The trail just turned left and the road goes straight.  A quick spin around and we are off again.  We get to 35 the rail bed.  This is nice.  Lets go left towards Les Explorateurs.

5a5bed004b5c9_Trail35justeastof557.JPG.0de9705927d803405394bac71491b9ed.JPG

This is more like it.  35 is fine.  No water, very few bumps and no traffic.  20 miles of loving it and we arrive at the Exploratuers.  Time for warm up and lunch.  We go inside and the cook recognizes me and Terry from yesterday. 

We have a nice lunch  and south on 35 to Pohenegamook.  Boy is that one tough to spell never mind trying to pronounce it.  We tank up, u-turn and head up 544.  This piece of 544 runs the road for 10 miles and then the trail is nice to 85.  We turn left onto 85 and head for home.  This was groomed last night and it is sit back and go.  The rail bed is always a nice last leg home.

We get to the first water hole after Les Adventurers and that is Terry's last pic above.  We think it is a tour group.  They all have similar outfits on and one is in pretty deep.  We wait until they hook up a sled and pop it up out of the hole.  We cross it no issues.  Then we get to the water hole under the rail road tracks.  Yep this time there are two of them in swimming.  Sandi notices a detour sign just before the water.  A quick right, over the tracks and back down on the trail ahead of the group.  We pull into the Universal and all ends well.

There is some good riding out there but you have to be prepared to alter your route.  The water is freezing up but some spots are going to take a while.  Pay attention and be safe.  One more day before we head home.

Jack & Sandi

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Just like Jack described and Terry showed through pics. Most really good but some dangerous water holes. This was going west and then south. Haven't heard anything east of RDL to Rimouski or Squatec.  One group left on the  day of rain went to Matane (east) and lot of bad water holes and had to get a car ride last ten miles into Matane. Hopefully clubs get detours set up.

So there is riding but be prepared for closed trails and detours and water holes. Hopefully Bill will tell all how Saguenay area is since the rain so people can decide if there is a better place to ride. 

mike

 

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Thanks Jack & Mike for the trail reports.

We decided Saturday to delay our trip with post rain trail conditions. Will head out in a week after conditions freeze up.

Steve

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Andy,    Keep an eye on our reports next day or two, and also Saguenay area. Delta Hotel in Saguenay is really nice, lots of US riders there, about the same mileage to get there but takes just a little longer to drive.  The clubs around here are usually great at pulling things back together, making detours etc., just takes a few days after such a big melt down. Hopefully know more after today and tomorrow.

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17 minutes ago, mikerider said:

Andy,    Keep an eye on our reports next day or two, and also Saguenay area. Delta Hotel in Saguenay is really nice, lots of US riders there, about the same mileage to get there but takes just a little longer to drive.  The clubs around here are usually great at pulling things back together, making detours etc., just takes a few days after such a big melt down. Hopefully know more after today and tomorrow.

Thanks Mike I will.

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I have been spoiled this week, Terry posting the pictures and Jack telling the story.

Most of today was awesome conditions and a lot of fresh grooming. Still found a couple water holes. (A weight challenged Polaris lol). Last nights bad hole already frozen solid.

Checked the groomer report/gps trackers and didn't show much past RDL as freshly groomed. I would say just like someone reported elsewhere, the new tracking system is having a lot of glitches. We found many areas freshly groomed that weren't on the map at 7 AM.

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1 minute ago, mikerider said:

I have been spoiled this week, Terry posting the pictures and Jack telling the story.

Most of today was awesome conditions and a lot of fresh grooming. Still found a couple water holes. (A weight challenged Polaris lol). Last nights bad hole already frozen solid.

Checked the groomer report/gps trackers and didn't show much past RDL as freshly groomed. I would say just like someone reported elsewhere, the new tracking system is having a lot of glitches. We found many areas freshly groomed that weren't on the map at 7 AM.

It appears getting good up to date trail condition reports right across Quebec seems to be a challenge this winter.  

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1 hour ago, mikerider said:

I have been spoiled this week, Terry posting the pictures and Jack telling the story.

Most of today was awesome conditions and a lot of fresh grooming. Still found a couple water holes. (A weight challenged Polaris lol). Last nights bad hole already frozen solid.

Checked the groomer report/gps trackers and didn't show much past RDL as freshly groomed. I would say just like someone reported elsewhere, the new tracking system is having a lot of glitches. We found many areas freshly groomed that weren't on the map at 7 AM.

Good to hear.

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Good morning, had some friends leave RDL yesterday heading for Gaspé. They were into Matane last night around 5:30. They reported several detours but did make it over all the river crossings including the Metis in Mont Joli and the Tartigou in Saint  Damase. They said there was plenty of snow cover, especially as you got inland away from the river. 

Happy Trails

RR

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I'm late for yesterday's post but sometimes that happens.  Terry and Mike covered the pics and overview pretty good.

A quick detail is we took 5 east 565 south and then 544 thru St Cypien.  The fields on 5 were frozen but there were large bodies of water on them a few days ago.  Terry's wash and dry hole was on 565.  There is a small bridge crossing a creek.  I'm guessing there is an ice dam under the bridge and the dam is diverting the water around the bridge and across the trail.  Not a huge water hole just an awkward one that his right front ski got caught under the ice.

We hit 571 and headed south to Squatec.  Had lunch at the restaurant there and  gassed up next door.

After lunch it was 35 over the mountain.  The Squatec side was groomed and wonderful.  The St Louis du Ha! Ha! side was not.  When we got to 85, the groomer had made a pass heading north so that is what we followed.  We ran 85 all the way back to RDL.

Like Mike says, the trails are coming back quickly.  There are still a few spots but each night there are a few less.

Sandi and I are packing up this morning and heading back to CT.  We haven't decided on the next trip yet.  Sandi's 1200 has a slow and very annoying anti-freeze leak that we have to get fixed first.  She is thinking about her next sled.  It is her turn for a new one in 2019.  Anyone interested in a good 2016 Renegade 1200 driven by a grandmother only in Quebec?  We normally trade in the old sled to the dealer but I thought I would mention it here.

Jack & Sandi

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6 minutes ago, RoadRunner said:

Good morning, had some friends leave RDL yesterday heading for Gaspé. They were into Matane last night around 5:30. They reported several detours but did make it over all the river crossings including the Metis in Mont Joli and the Tartigou in Saint  Damase. They said there was plenty of snow cover, especially as you got inland away from the river. 

Happy Trails

RR

Hi RR,

We were speaking with a group yesterday morning that had come up from Maine and were doing the Gaspe.  One person was Josh if I remember correctly.  That is great to hear that Matane is passable now.  We wish them the best on the rest of the loop.

Jack & Sandi

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4 hours ago, revct1 said:

I'm late for yesterday's post but sometimes that happens.  Terry and Mike covered the pics and overview pretty good.

A quick detail is we took 5 east 565 south and then 544 thru St Cypien.  The fields on 5 were frozen but there were large bodies of water on them a few days ago.  Terry's wash and dry hole was on 565.  There is a small bridge crossing a creek.  I'm guessing there is an ice dam under the bridge and the dam is diverting the water around the bridge and across the trail.  Not a huge water hole just an awkward one that his right front ski got caught under the ice.

We hit 571 and headed south to Squatec.  Had lunch at the restaurant there and  gassed up next door.

After lunch it was 35 over the mountain.  The Squatec side was groomed and wonderful.  The St Louis du Ha! Ha! side was not.  When we got to 85, the groomer had made a pass heading north so that is what we followed.  We ran 85 all the way back to RDL.

Like Mike says, the trails are coming back quickly.  There are still a few spots but each night there are a few less.

Sandi and I are packing up this morning and heading back to CT.  We haven't decided on the next trip yet.  Sandi's 1200 has a slow and very annoying anti-freeze leak that we have to get fixed first.  She is thinking about her next sled.  It is her turn for a new one in 2019.  Anyone interested in a good 2016 Renegade 1200 driven by a grandmother only in Quebec?  We normally trade in the old sled to the dealer but I thought I would mention it here.

Jack & Sandi

Wonder if it has anything to do with throwing a stud last year.Might be a loose clamp somewhere when the front exchanger was repaired or a rub thru on a hose under the motor.

Should still be under warranty.

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