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Iceman’s Ender?


iceman
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Staged in Matane. 5 hrs door to door in truck. Boss is a wheel man. 6 others here from Ottawa arrived tonight. 5 of them first trip ever in Quebec. They surely picked the best for their first go in Quebec. Off to Carleton sur Mer tmmrw. For us. Stay tuned. Will it be the last ride this trip this year? Not sure. Maybe maybe not. We have not even started yet and Alain is talking about going for another run after Easter, Maybe Cote Nord. We shall see. One day at a time. 

Ice out. 

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Day 1 Thursday 

 

Left Matane early 6:45. Had a quick breakfast and out the door. Typical spring conditions leaving hotel and up through industrial park from Quality Inn. Once up in the hills nice frozen trail to start the day. Did not need the scratchers. TQ5 to Local orange. TQ5 was real nice near Matane. No worries. Onto orange direction Amqui. Nice trail here as well, a bit twisty to start and small by Gaspe standards but opened up nicely as we rode south. Can’t reall go wrong with any of the interior trails here. Down to rejoin TQ5 and well well freshly groomed. Here i put down the scratchers just because. Smooth ride into Amqui and beyond to Groomer’s Club House. Took the gas behind the club house and stopped to chat with Victor outside there. Next run was down 587 to Matapedia. Alain has never run this one. It’s a beauty and not far from TQ5 it’s fresh groomed almost all the rest of the way to gas in Matapedia. Once there we realize we are making excellent time so we call an audible and cancel hotel in Carleton sur Mer. We decide it will be New Richmond tonight. This will make a very short day tmmrw to Chandler but means extra sleep and more time tmmrw for happy hours. I’m good with that. 587 back to TQ5 and down through Point a la Croix. All good. As the day went on for sure the trail got more soft and made for heavy steering. Thats life come spring time riding. Lots of snow for sure but many of the along the road spots are getting down to nothing and some places are already there. Not gonna last forever here for sure. On to Relais in L’alverne and quick lunch. TQ5 from here to New Richmond showing the time of year and the warm temps. Not rough but mushy and getting used up. Saw 6 sleds all day until here at Hotel Francis then saw 6 more at hotel. Then another 4 arrived. Rush hour. Great day and besides my sled looking snirty(f-ing hate that) that’s spring riding. 391km not bad considering Alain does not do 300 ever usually. Tomorrow’s another day. 

Until next time.

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Day 2 Friday

 

No hurry today as we got a short way to go and all day to get there. Slept in a bit and then had a nice breakfast at Motel Francis. Left at 9:30. Trails ok near there, so so. A bit further and it improves a bit, surely it’s spring and won’t last forever. Nonetheless happy to be on my sled. Alain and I started this run doing 10km each then we switch places. Really passes the time quickly. At 10km I slow down and he passes. Then he does the same. We have the Senas too, so communicating is awesome. Having a good time with Alain and we have seen hardly no traffic. 4 sleds all day today going west. That’s it. After Port Daniel trail is real nice. We are ready to switch up and Alain slows and says go. I pull up to pass but its not super wide here. Then i see it too late, a branch sticking out. Big one. Whack! Well damn, Luckily the only thing to take the hit is my mirror. It’s still there, but the glass shattered into a hundred pieces all over me. Oh well, s**t happens, could have been worse. Now the rest of the day I find myself looking down to check and nothing but a black hole staring back at me. Annoying, but nobody’s fault but mine. No worries I will get another. Beautiful run the rest of the way into Relais Motoneige Chandler..Info Motoneigeste HQ. 3 local guys here heading for Gaspe for tonight. We talk with them a while then go in and say hello to Louise. She tells us about the grooming schedule and calls to the north shore to 3 different clubs, to check our route for tomorrow. Seems we should be good as the section NH moose encountered before Sainte Anne des Monts. Should be all cleaned up by the time we pass tomorrow. Excellent. She says it has not been the best year for the clubhouse as many people go up 595 at New Richmond then through Murdochville and down 597 to continue the loop or vice-versa, so essentially they are cut out of the loop. Great place there at the Relais and Louise is a wealth of knowledge ready to help with anything and everything. Please try to encourage this place as we surely don’t want to see it be gone. By the way next friday is last day they will be open this year. Trails near here closed last year on April 16, not sure it will be that long this year, Great Lunch and visit there then went to Pabos to check for a new mirror but the one they had the arm was way shorter and I aint buying one just to have it. I like to see with it. So I will get one from my man Pierre at Moto Thibault. Gas at Chandler and off to Motel Fraser. 185 big KM today but lots of fun and time to look around and visit at the relais. 

Happy Campers.

Until next time.

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Lost my right mirror last trip to a branch. May pass you depending if we head to cap chat or Plc in the morning from rdl. Tough decision  Oh yea forgot, what was with the protesters blocking the border crossing holding us up?  Told the agent in the states we just drive through. Apparently not here

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Edited by Jackstraw
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49 minutes ago, doo4adoo said:

Ice

i have both mirrors still in the box that should be the same as what you have Bought them years back for my attack but never used. 

Pm me your shipping address and will send them to you 

they’re no good to me anyway 

Wow super nice of you. Will pm you. Thanks so much. 

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40 minutes ago, Jackstraw said:

Lost my right mirror last trip to a branch. May pass you depending if we head to cap chat or Plc in the morning from rdl. Tough decision  Oh yea forgot, what was with the protesters blocking the border crossing holding us up?  Told the agent in the states we just drive through. Apparently not here

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We are headed for St Anne des Monts. Surely. Have a great ride. The protesters I am almost certain, are anti-immigration. They are unhappy with Quebec(well the government of Canada) taking in all the folks fleeing the USA in fear of deportation from Trump. No talk of building a wall yet here but anything is possible. They had to set up temporary camps there over the spring/summer/fall to house and feed all those arriving seeking asylum. It cost millions. 

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13 hours ago, iceman said:

We are headed for St Anne des Monts. Surely. Have a great ride. The protesters I am almost certain, are anti-immigration. They are unhappy with Quebec(well the government of Canada) taking in all the folks fleeing the USA in fear of deportation from Trump. No talk of building a wall yet here but anything is possible. They had to set up temporary camps there over the spring/summer/fall to house and feed all those arriving seeking asylum. It cost millions. 

All that political BS, I cannot express enough how wonderful it is to get lost in Quebec's trail system, with no phone, and no TV, just miles of wilderness, tranquility, great friends passing time, no customers calling every 10 minutes, just like a good fishing trip to the back country, makes it easy to figure out what is important...and even people gifting a set of mirrors to iceman....the season should never end!!

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Day 3 Saturday 

 

Today was one of those day you dream about. The perfect run for me to think about all of the off season to get me through. Up and out early just before 7am we leave Motel Fraser, awesome dinner last night and great conversation with the staff. Trail is groomed from here all the way to the 597. At 597 well what do you know? Hello. Groomed perfect no tracks heading for Murdochville. We can put some tracks on it no worries. Completely awesome. Closer to Murdochville the more new snow and full on winter still up here. Snow in the trees and a good 4-5” new snow but all groomed to perfection this AM for us. Thank you sir may I have another? Fast run into Murdochville on superior trails. At gas pump at 9:30am. Gas and go, actually chilly up here with no gloves on. Passed 4 big snow cats taking the skiers up to the backcountry on the way into town. 2 sleds headed south on 597 toward Junction with local orange to Gaspe. Saw no one else. Where is everyone? its mint up here. Out of Murdochville not groomed but still ok all the way to TQ5. 10km on TQ5 then hello fresh groom no tracks all the way to Mont St Pierre. Ripping trail absolutely incredible, nothing like great temps and great trail. Down into MSP for early lunch at Motel Delice. Alain was after their famous Pea Soup. He got it. Left there just after noon. Cruising on fresh groomed trail first tracks. Unlike NHmoose’s gang we hit it perfect as it was groomed all the way to just before Sainte Anne Des Monts. The last part certainly Not terrible by any stretch just not super like the rest we have seen today. Into Hotel at 3pm after gas and an SAQ Run for Jack and Wine for the Boss man. Happy hours are well underway and got two of the steak “Cowboy” reserved at restaurant tonight. 22oz rib steak. Bring it on. Iceman hungry. 

 

Wishing Mrs Ice all the best tonight as her dek hockey team is defending their dominating victory last year in the Coupe Burrows tournament in Trois Riveres. Kick ass ladies bring home that cup. 

 

Awesome day today and for sure in the lower elevations the snow is not as plentiful. My sled is so frickin dirty from just coming down into town here in Saint Anne des Monts ugh I’m hating it. Nothing the pressure washer can’t fix tmmrw back at the shop. 

Boss man got a call yesterday, seems his dealer has a buyer for his 2016 Grand Touring 1200, looks like he will be sporting the Grand Touring Limited 900 ace turbo next year. He is happy. Happy wife happy life and happy boss happy life too.

Tomorrow its a quick ride to truck in Matane and its game over for this year. 

Until next time...

 
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Cannot ask for a better way to end the season, if there is a good way to end. I was in New Brunswick about 6 years ago, mid February cold snap, 30 below. We rode from just a little south of Point crossing, thru Kedgewick River,to Moose Valley and on to Edmunston, I believe Holiday Inn. 2 solid days, white concrete, all groomed, never saw a sled or a track, all the way, on a super charged Yammie, hours going by hoping not to meet any traffic, near 1k all the way, you never forget those days, you are very lucky, like I always said, people think the season is over and the best is often left on the table, today you got some!!Probably get some more tomorrow!!!!

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Nice!

tq5 was spectacular all the way from rdl to cap chat. Hotel nanook closed till Monday 

everything booked in st Ann des monts

at village grand nature for the night.

wifi down here. Will post tomorrow. It’ll cost me $50 to post on my data lol!

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Great day Don & Alain!   There is nothing like hitting it perfect. You guys did just that today!  Like you said Don these days are what help carry you through the 3 long off seasons!

Safe ride in & on the black trail.  

Edited by Florida Snowman
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26 minutes ago, Jackstraw said:

Nice!

tq5 was spectacular all the way from rdl to cap chat. Hotel nanook closed till Monday 

everything booked in st Ann des monts

at village grand nature for the night.

wifi down here. Will post tomorrow. It’ll cost me $50 to post on my data lol!

Hey Jim & Eric!

Have a great safe run guys!

The WiFi was down there when we stayed also.  I bet it never works.   Isn’t it funny how that becomes a dealbreaker now?  They also serve breakfast too late! Beautiful setting though!

Edited by Florida Snowman
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Mini Day 4

St Anne des Monts to truck in Matane. Out at 7am. Up the hill to TQ5 at least the mud and gravel were frozen this morning. On 5 not terrible but not the perfection we rode yesterday. Still good. Quick zoom and after Cap Chat is groomed to perfection no tracks all the way to just outside Matane. We were flying. Saw 8 other sleds going east this morning. I did not get to pass one sled this trip besides Alain. Great run back to truck. 135km in 2 hrs 10 minutes. Loaded up, changed and down the black trail for Trois Riveres at 9:30am. Tres bonne. Great ride and overall a super season be it much lighter for me than usual. Sled is all power washed and will clean up both rides come the warmer weather before storing them. Warm at home and it will be done near here sooner than later. Sure there will still be riding in places but I am finished. Good luck to those still out there or those aspiring to ride some more. 

7655 km on the new sled this year a small year for me but hey it’s ok. 4756 miles. 

this trip just over 1000km. 

Peace and Love

ice out.

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