gaspe report

[viper2]

just returned yesterday from a trip to the gaspe.we left mon. the 25th from the Universal hotel in RDL. we left at 7:30 and rode 288 miles to St. Anne Des Monts arriving about 5:30 p.m. the trails were in pretty good shape esp. for a monday. Day 2 took us through the awesome mountains from st. anne des monts through riv au renard. at one point you can look inland and see the chic choc mts. or look north and see the st. lawrence seaway. the chic choc mts. to me are one of the neatest views in all quebec. we rode 270 miles this day to Perce.the trails were pretty poor all around especially from Grand Vallee to river renard.i guess the groomer has been broke for a couple of weeks,but to me this is no excuse.if a club is responsible for a certain section of a national trail it has to be done.you can't live with just one groomer.i do feel bad for the clubs in this area in that they get very few people to buy their trail permits here because nobody drives here to start. i think the canadian gov. has to rethink how they dole out the money a little bit. also i will admit with terrain and elevation changes it takes alot more groomer passes in this area to keep it smooth,but in the area of the windmills the trail is wide and pretty straight so there is no excuse for these conditions.we stayed at La Cote Surprise in Perce, this is only the second year they have been open in the winter.it is newly remodeled inside and the rooms were beautiful.it is located right next to the sea with a good view of the rock and Bonaventure island. we didn't get in until about 7:30 that night but we had called ahead.normally they serve dinner from 6 to 7 but they waited for us and we had a great meal folled by some of the best sugar pie in quebec.the next morn. we woke up to a blizzard with high winds and snow sideways.this was me wife's 2nd time in perce and she is 0 for 2 in seeing the rock.i think Frank and his wife the owners of the Surprise may have questioned our sanity to leave in this storm,but we have been in this this area many times before so we were confident we would be alright.it was hard to leave though,knowing i was driving away from the most comfotable beds i have in away from home.if you are ever in perce check this place out,it has everything under one roof and is very cozy with a nice fireplace and lounge. Day 3 184 miles from perce to Carlton. trails were very good considering all the fresh snow. at places we were probably pushing at least 8 inches.they have more snow than i have ever seen on the south side of the gaspe.at many places the trail markers were almost covered.we stayed at the Belle Plage in Carlton.This is also a nice place with good food and it is very close to the trail. Day 4 Carleton to Mont Joli via587. trails were awesome today we rode to Point la Croix then about 15 miles past there we picked up the 587.i had never been on this trail but i reccommend doing it now.the 1st part takes you south to Matapedia on the border of New Brunswick then travels west through acouple other small towns.this part of the trail was very smooth but at times a little twisty.the trail then turns north to Albertville and gets wide and fast.we stopped at the clubhouse there and had lunch then continued on to Mont Joli to the La Gaspesiana. Day 5 we took 5 west to 548 down through Sqatec to the 85 at Cabano 85 is the rail bed up to RDL. all these trails were great and after 152 miles we at the truck by lunch and loading up to go home.in all we had about 1150 miles in 4 1/2 days.

[Riverdriver]

We must have been right behind you on the Gaspe and couldn't agree more about the trail conditions on the north side from Grand Vallee to Perce. It was not just poor conditions for that week, the trails have not been maintained and have gotten away from them.

We are frequent Gaspe riders and have decided to avoid this area on future trips.....to bad. Something needs to be done to subsidize these remote clubs or pay for grooming by those that look at the Gaspe trail system as an integrated network.

Its like driving the interstate and finding a dirt road linking sections of it.

[smclelan]

Great story viper2. I agree with you about being unhappy with that section of trail. The fact the groomer is broken shouldn't matter. As an active member of the groomer committee in my club here in Nova Scotia I would not let that happen to our trails. We have had mechanical problems with our equipment, but before our trail get too rough we arrange to have the clubs on each side of us come in with their equipment and groom our trails. I have heard this story a couple of times in that part of the Gaspe and I don't think it is an acceptable excuse.