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Team Iceman report..... trip 2


iceman
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Day 1 Saturday

Put me in coach I’m ready to play. Time for another jaunt. After a long week of work, Snohorse arrived right as planned at Chez Ice. Unfortunately, I was not home yet. However the Mrs. was home and provided the needed Budweiser. Soon after I arrived to get this party really started. Well not so fast, I had to stock the firewood for my bride for the week so she and the cats won’t freeze to death. Firewood finished and got showered up. Time to head out get some food. We got all the errands done and back at home. Next affair is to install Snohorse’s new communicator on his helmet. Trying out some new Sena 20s radios this run. Not to big a job and before you know it its now after midnight. Time to sleep a bit. We are in no big rush but have a big day ahead. 

 
Up at 7:30 get organized finish packing. We unload Snohorse’s backcountry and load up. Dressed and helmets on just before 9am. Typical for us. 
 
Right out the gate I can see the trail has improved greatly from last weekend, cold and a few CM new snow really helped alot. TQ3 through Shawingan and its not too shabby. Cold this morning-22c. Up to Grand Mere and the river all good to Junction with TQ23. TQ23 direction Cabanon. Yes 2 weeks in a row I’m headed for St Michel on a Saturday. I must need my head examined. Anyone who knows me Knows that I hate weekends but it’s a necessary evil in today’s world. Is what it is. I’m expecting traffic but surprisingly it’s not bad, maybe it’s the cold. 23 is great just after Cabane Chez Natalie I’m seeing some snow dust ahead. First traffic. Unfortunately trail is way to small to burn them down. Even worse there’s 8 of them. Not good. Fortunately we arrive at a spot I know well. The trail veers off the road into the woods. If you know then you just follow the road and it comes back to 23. Plenty of snow on road and we scoop all 8 no problem. Smooth sailing up to Cabanon. i take $20 in gas just to get to the real gas in St Michel. In and out at Cabanon. Arrive in St Michel at Noon. Gas in town next to Ski Doo, then off across the road and to 63/33 to Head for Lac Repos. Near St Michel was the usual conditions. Just after on 63/33 was awesome all the way to Repos. No stop at Repos it’s Kanawata express. Arrive into Kanawata just about 3:30. Gas and go. 345 well just stay away(really) you will hate it. This trail seldom disappoints and today was no exception. A superhighway and we run. Up and to Casey then on to 83 west all spectacular 10/10. Unbelievable. Tabletop flat and fast. Kanawata to Barrage Gouin in 1 hr 30 minutes. 145 km. 
I think the trail was good. 
 
Into Barrage Gouin said hello to Carol who was on her way out and enjoyec a great Roast Beef dinner with a side of Chicken Wings of Course. Served by the wonderful Louise. Happy to be here. All good first day.  New radios work sweet and trails were immaculate. 302 miles.
Big discussions on where to head next. Talked to some guys who came in from Lac Fallon. i think decision is Made. Go west young man. After all west is best. 
Stay tuned 6 more days to come. 
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7 hours ago, actionjack said:

Having commo is so much better than not.  We use Senas also. Is the road mostly always snow covered or only when you hit it right?

Usually always snow covered.

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Enjoying the story, ride fast take chances.

Snohorse, without hijacking Ice's thread, give us your spin on the BCX as the trip progresses please, or start a BCX thread many are interested. Thanks

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5 minutes ago, Phil 1 said:

Enjoying the story, ride fast take chances.

Snohorse, without hijacking Ice's thread, give us your spin on the BCX as the trip progresses please, or start a BCX thread many are interested. Thanks

I will start a BCX thread tonight with his feedback. I can tell u he loves it. Allgood so far

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5 hours ago, stupe said:

Did you at least put a new sticker on the gas pumps up there?  Some jackwagon f'd with it last year.

D5493135-E13A-4A5B-B302-603438CCE2CE.JPG

Sticker was fine yesterday. at Gouin?

Edited by iceman
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25 minutes ago, iceman said:

Sticker was fine yesterday. at Gouin?

Ok good. I took the picture mid- March last year. Was a bit annoyed but I did chuckle when I saw it. Glad it was replaced. 

Looks like your doing some big miles out west. I’ll be doing the same loop in a few weeks. 

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Sunday Day 2

 

Nice stay at Gouin, Internet now costs $5 to get a code to use it, well ok. What can you do. Talked with some Canadian Army Rangers there. They were waiting on the rest of their unit to arrive and tgen gonna be doing some excercises there with their Bear Cat sleds 24 of them parked out front. Pretty interesting, we ran into the same guys at Pel Chat a few seasons back. Late start today but who cares. Launched at 9:35. Road from Lodge to trail back to 83. To TQ83 west. This is what Quebec trails are all about. This is perfection from here to Parent just delicious. Into Parent and get some gas. I have not been through here in years and I love the new trail right past gas station and out of Parent, good stuff. Hammer down to Clova and we get some gas there, we park on the tracks cause we like to live dangerously. Went inside to have lunch Team Ice style, candy bar and a pepsi a few minutes by the wood stove and a few stickers placed, we out. Next stop Lac Fallon. Trail continues to no disappoint, we had a group of 10 sleds pass the other direction just after Parent near jct with 13 but no one else since. Quiet out here...perfect. Cruise past Balbazard, nice to see the forest growing back now after so long looking like desolate moonscape. We are rolling. Be warned there is a serious hole about 10 km east of Fallon. I saw my life flash before my eyes. I though it was game over. Big washout probably 2 feet across and deep the whole width of the trail. Thought for a second about trying to lock her down but when in doubt.....throttle out. Hammered the gas and while radioing to Snohorse to watch out. Lifted the skis enough to clear the far side and bang over it. It was a moment to say the least. Yes it had 2 ribbons marking it but not before just at the canyon. 3km further another but this one just running water and not deep with a go around. Into Fallon in one piece. Gas and go. Roxanne says 3 hours to Val D’or. Ha! Yeah no. 

Out of fallon at 4:20. 83 still good. We take the local trail toward Louvincourt. First glance says this aint been groomed in a long time it’s not terrible by any means but not what we had on 83. Maybe 20km in, here sits the groomer broken down on the trail. Well that explains alot. No choice we are committed, onward. To 386 and it’s choppy too, hmm this decision to come west is looking questionable. Up to gas at Louvincort its 5:35. Gas and quick break and back to 83. Much better than the 386. Closer to Val D’or better it gets. Into Hotel Forestel with 327 miles at 6:10pm. 5-6 other sleds here. That’s it. 

Gps says average moving speed of 72km per hour. Not bad. We will see what tmmrw brings. 

 

Until next time.

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39 minutes ago, RoadRunner said:

Iceman, Trailblazer enjoyed that first pitcher, but wants authorization to charge one more to your account.  Having a great Super bowl night at the Gouin, a day behind the Ice😉07176D48-0860-4400-B96B-D4C20691625E.thumb.jpeg.e55f4ccee1dae947705ec996655f3aa5.jpeg

No problem, it’s in the budget. I got long arms to reach in my pocket. Enjoy. Sorry I missed you guys. 

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34 minutes ago, dooright said:

Hey RoadRunner, Trailblazer

Keep that tab open for us , we'll be by there soon !

Looks like you took the ice road from Realis 22 to Gouin ...

 

2 pitchers for Team VT on me. 

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43 minutes ago, RoadRunner said:

Iceman, Trailblazer enjoyed that first pitcher, but wants authorization to charge one more to your account.  Having a great Super bowl night at the Gouin, a day behind the Ice😉07176D48-0860-4400-B96B-D4C20691625E.thumb.jpeg.e55f4ccee1dae947705ec996655f3aa5.jpeg

I know that tshirt!   Trailblazer drinking beer and not wine?  Interesting. 

Strange they are changing for Internet at Goin.   Won't change my opinion of the place and look forward to my next visit there.

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42 minutes ago, dooright said:

Hey RoadRunner, Trailblazer

Keep that tab open for us , we'll be by there soon !

Looks like you took the ice road from Realis 22 to Gouin ...

 

Yes, Dooright,  we call it the Gouin Expressway ,...... only use when you absolutely want to be there before the kickoff😁🍻

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Just now, Phil 1 said:

Ice almost hit that same hole last year on a right hand corner needs to be marked better, there was a ride around then.

It’s a certified canyon its beyond a hole this year.

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Day 3 Monday

 

Late start, beds way too comfy at Forestel. Ah no big deal. We will hammer it out. Today really had no plan as to where. For me it’s definitely not the norm. I like to have a destination and then plot a route. We pull out of Val D’or deciding we will follow the best looking trail at each intersection. Near Val D’Or all the feeder trails near town were in need of grooming. The 83 was good so 83 west it is. We go and it’s private trail no one to be seen anywhere. Gas in Cadillac. Cause we had none since Louvincourt last night. Then onward 83 west. Friggin cold out here. Trail is between an 8 to a 10 depending on where. Surely they are low on snow compared to other years but the base is great and they are managing what they got. I have seen it much better for sure. Near Royun Noranda we see 2 sleds. Then near town a couple more all locals out for a ride. We arrive outside Royun and decide we go toward Ville Marie. We go that way and give it about 60km its not as nice here. Very choppy and I got no time for it no more. Time is short out here this run and no wasting it on mediocre. Uturn and back toward Royun. We decide La Sarre it is. We hammer north. Much better trail from Royun north. Real nice. We had discussed and concluded its been 3 years since our last run out here. Time flies. Between the logging and the long time since I last was here. It’s like being a virgin here all over. Many spots are unrecognizable from memory and it’s like all new trail. Cool. Great run up 93 to La Sarre. Getting colder this afternoon. Into La Sarre and Villa mon Repos at 5:10pm. 247 miles. Gassed up taking the JACK. Tomorrow’s plan? It’s time for “trail bingo” lots of orange trail here just calling our name. 

Until next time.

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