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2019 Riviere du Loup Area Trail Conditions


mikerider
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Awesome 225 miles today. Headed almost to the New Brunswick border, lunch at Squatec, and finally made it over by Ilse Verte. Love the little nooks and crannies of the club houses in this area. Can't remember the name, but a pic of inside the club 30 miles east of RDL on trail #5.

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15 hours ago, revct1 said:

Have a safe trip home Snowcrazed.  The pics are great.  Thanks.

Jack & Sandi

Hi Jack and Sandi,

Sorry I missed you this year! I split the ride home and stayed in VT last night and banged another 150 miles out today in the NEK. The NEK is exactly like QC only completely different! LOL. 

Look forward to reading about your rides this season.

Terry a.k.a. SnowCrazed.

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Hi Terry,

The timing wasn't right this time.  Maybe next time.  We appreciate your photography.  On those cold days it is tough to stop, get the gloves off, find the right spot and click but it adds to the story.  Thanks.

Jack & Sandi

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Back at RDL and back in the saddle for a couple weeks. Anyone around feel free to stop by, room is #132 for the first several nights or shoot me a text at 207-522-2673 or a message on QR.

Still time to sled somewhere for a burger. Happy trails.

mike

 

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Enough time this afternoon to go 30 miles east on trail #5 to club Isle Verte and have a late lunch. Never eaten there before and must say the hot chicken sandwich and fries were one of the better ones I've had in many, many years.

  • On the drive through from the Jackman border, saw some areas in Quebec have a ton of snow. Heard on the radio that the ferry in Matane is iced in and the ice breakers haven't been able to get it open so the ship can 't set sail.  Said today's sailings are canceled, and did not say how long this could go on.
  •        Today's drive through the mountain pass between Jackman and the border was the ice and snow covered frost heaved road as usual.
  •              The border crossing was a little off the wall today.  At the window the officer asked a much longer list of questions than usual, all the while checking off and writing notes on a check list. He then asked the same questions a second time comparing them to the first answers I gave. I must have done well on the pop quiz, he asked I pull around to the 'special' parking spot to the left. Two guards come out and glance over the truck and tell me I will need to pull ahead and into the garage. First the cover came off the sled, side panels opened,  under hood areas checked with flashlights. Next to the truck.  Everything was taken out.  Bags were put through the x-ray machine. Questions about a piece of lumber in the truck. A 4X4 used as a jack stand. Lots of marijuana questions.  No questions about the gorilla duct tape!  Asked if I had over $10,000 cash on me,,,yeah, right. They knew what I used to do for work. They were professional and polite, we talked shop for a bit and I was on my way. 

mike

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Hey Mike, if I didn't know you I would pull you over too! BTW I put a new belt on my sled and now get better fuel mileage than Farmerold. Sled did not feel right, was gonna take it to the dealer and decided to slap on a new belt, what a difference! Only thing is I hope I don't have to buy a new belt every 1800mi. their expensive. Usually get 5000mi out of a belt. Anyway, don't bust Farmer too much he's upset enough. Remember when it was "who had the fastest sled".  See ya soon.

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A dark haze hung at tree top this morning so zig zagged the trails so as to not get to far away today. At times the haze was at ground level leaving a frozen film on the helmet shield. Early afternoon it lifted and there were sections of blue sky.

I have often mentioned the eastbound shortcut trail via the tunnels to by pass much of trail #5 leaving RDL.  Keep bearing left but not the left that goes to the Rockford Bar. There is now another left to avoid. There is a new trail to the left about 12 miles out, just as you are about to enter the Shell gas station. There are no signs, but there is a trail that goes left over the highway. Just go straight thru the Shell station and get on the trail behind the station.  Though there are no signs at this left, there are plenty of tracks going the new way, it is not a shortcut.

Speaking of the 'do not turn left' at the Rockford Bar' turn, today I turned left. Appears the trail dead ends at the bar just a couple K's from the main trail. The bar/restro looks like a home converted to a bar and is out in farm land. I gave it a try.

Inside is nothing special, but it is very quiet. Nice!  Bar and a few tables.  Started with coffee that had an ever so slightly different taste than the usual, a better taste. This is the coffee I wish I could drink every day. I had a hankering for hot chicken again after yesterday's superb offering at the club house at Isle Verte.  Bar Rockford's was even better, melt in your mouth chicken, the most tender I have ever eaten smothered in a rich gravy. I am not a fry lover but these were perfect. By far the best cole slaw ever. I did my best to let the lady cook know my great pleasure in her cooking.  She motioned the cole slaw is her own recipe.  I will return!!!

 

 

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Thank you Jean Guy. That is a very wide trail. They must make two round trips with the groomer on that stretch.

I am not sure how many groomer machines RDL has, there are two sitting outside and there is a big garage that looks like they hold two more.

mike

 

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A Monkey Found Is A Friendship Found:

(Or, Are Monkey's Good Luck?)

Early morning snow/sleet/freezing rain. A late start with flurries stated for the afternoon. Through the tunnels heading west, onto Trail #5 and east to loop down to the Explorers Club House for Coffee. Dark and cloudy. Finally onto #5 heading east and come across a monkey in the trail. Just laying there, cold and lifeless. He looks very familiar. Last night a group of 4 Quebec sleds parked on one side of my sled by my room, and two sleds on the other side. All sleds were loaded with monkeys. My new monkey friend was one of these attached furry creatures, his color was very recognizable.  His master had left in the freezing rain, the monkey had enough and bailed.

I set him beside the trail hoping to put his thumb out so he could catch a lift. Hmmm, no thumb, will a foot work? I started to drive off but stopped. Couldn't do it. 

Monkeys on sleds are supposed to give luck. I am no longer sure. I start my engine, my new friend hanging on. Instantly starts a hard freezing rain. I come to Trail 561, ahh, this takes me to the Shell station on the tunnel bypass, SnowCrazed and I did this two weeks ago. It was poorly marked with a few intersections, thank goodness for his GPS. I obviously take a wrong turn and slip into deep wilderness for the next 25 miles. I have never been on this section before, it is a wonderful trail but seems to have no reason to exist. My shield is coated with thick ice. Slow going as my shield is up, I am peering over my iced glasses and slouched just looking above the windshield. Finally an intersection.I am back on Trail 5 and only a dozen miles to RDL. A sign at the intersection says I went through Chemin du  Lac. Six miles to RDL and the weather turns to snow.  Maybe the monkey does bring me luck. I finally get my glasses and shield ice free, I can see again. Two minutes later I am in white out conditions now going slower than ever.

If anyone knows of a Quebec sledder who lost a monkey, let me know.

And yes SnowCrazed, I did take pictures.

 

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