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Joliette/Lac Blanc/St-Michel des Saints photo ride report 25march2019


towing
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With thaws on Thursday/Friday, it is not easy for snowmobile clubs to shape up the trails for us. It was the second consecutive week with essentially the same scenario: too hot and too wet Friday night to be able to groom. Although it was riding up north, we waited for Sunday to try it out. We left from home in St-Thomas around 8:00 Sunday morning under a temperature of -6C. Very spring conditions with hard as concrete trail. Scratchers were mandatory not an option. Another sign of spring: here on the picture near home, we can see that the trail that crosses a ditch has begun to drop a bit ... 

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I personnaly really like hard trails, my venture ride on it like a train on rails. You just touch the throttle to ride at very good speeds and the track hangs so nicely...
Here in the fields towards St-Norbert. Joliette had not groomed after the thaw but with the 2 scratchers down, it was a race track!


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And here in the maple grove just north of St-Norbert

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Farther, the snowmobile club of St-Gabriel Brandon had groomed all its territory in the night giving us perfect trails. The best ones of all the ride in fact

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My intention was to go to Mandeville so we went to take a look at Lake Maskinongé shortcut. Pretty much water over the ice that has wear through snow so the club had closed it

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So we continued on #63 trail

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And then took #345 trail to Mandeville


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Mandeville had not groomed after the mild weather but it was riding well, the trails were in good condition. We took the trail # 349. There are some sections on forest road, just enought snow on the edge and it was fine. The snow banks are still impressive!


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We stop at 10:00 at the Lac Blanc outfitter to refuel before going in the Mastigouche reserve

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The lake infront had pretty much water on the ice...

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We then came back a bit and took the #350(trail a Gaston) toward the Reserve. Freshly groomed trail with some new snow over gave real nice winter conditions

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We continued to #23 trail in the Mastigouche Reserve that we took to the west to go to St-Zenon. Not groomed recently but a beautiful layer of new snow on a hard base, ride nicely even with a bit of ripples in the curves


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We rode it all the way to the junction with #345 trail (Cabanon/Taureau Dam) that we took south

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We then took the #63 to go to St-Michel des Saints.

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We arrived for lunch at the Vieux Moulin à Scie around 12:30 with 134miles on the venture dreameter

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After a very good meal and a fuelup for the venture we left on #33 trail toward the west

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Had a small tear on my cheek when passing infront the Rouge-Mattawin relay closed this winter

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Just across the new trail to Mont-Tremblant Park

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We continued on the #33. The 2.5 miles of road side was on limit to be good, they should  trace us a sidewalk on the edge because the dirt was very near on some spots

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We then took the 1st local trail (orange on the map) to go on the #63.

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We pass at La Glacière

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We then took the #350 trail in front

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And catch the #23 trail down south to St-Gabriel and took the same route as in the morning. Here at the Hut at the top of the hill at St-Damien.


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It was impressive the difference just 1mile further down the hill. The trail went from winter condition to advanced spring condition, very very soft. It rode well but have to hang on the bars tight!  We followed our morning path and came back home around 6:00 PM with 255 miles on the venture dreameter. Surely the last one starting directly from the home, the trailer will have to take back service to stretch the season a little more.

Riding will still be possible in the weeks coming but not everywhere, some clubs south of Lanaudière have started to close mainly because of rivers but the north is still strong. The weather will play a big part for the next, in anyway the trail condition web site is always a good place to have details on the clubs: https://www.snowmobilecountry.ca/en/conditions/

Good end of season everybody!

Alain

 

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On 3/26/2019 at 10:38 PM, smclelan said:

Great report. Thanks Alain.

You are welcome Steven!

18 hours ago, PLAYHARD said:

As usual, a poetic way with words, causing emotion for the reader. 

Thanks PLAYHARD! I guess a part of the emotions came from the nice trail pictures!!! 😄

13 hours ago, mikerider said:

You capture the ride so beautifully  with your words and pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share your day.

mike

 

You are Welcome Mike! By the way, I have in backlog some beautiful video files from l'Ile Verte that I visit on the last day of my trip before going back home in the first week of march. It's Jim and Gemma that had briefed me about this nice spot after you had briefed them yourself, so it's a bit because of you that we visit this very nice place that we had really enjoyed, thank you!  I will certainly put those images together when I find the time and will post here 👍

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7 hours ago, towing said:

  I will certainly put those images together when I find the time and will post here 👍

Thank YOU! No rush! But that would be good Methadone, to help us come down off the Heroin, until next winter!...

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12 hours ago, PLAYHARD said:

Thank YOU! No rush! But that would be good Methadone, to help us come down off the Heroin, until next winter!...

👍

11 hours ago, NHTOM said:

Thanks for another another super report Alaine!  I agree with you on liking the hard smooth trails. They're the best

How many miles/kilometers do you typically ride in a season? Just curious.

You are welcome NHTOM! as for mileage, we ride a little less overall as we get older but it is around 4000miles/year. It's my fifth season with the venture that I bought new and it will turn on the 20000 miles mark (32 180kms) on the next ride... My 2 last venture were at 40 000kms after 5 season's

4 hours ago, GT Rider said:

Thanks Alain & Krikri for taking us on another ride.

I have sampled Walleye all over Quebec. Vieux Moulin à Scie is my favorite. It has been a few years.

Your picture may influence next years trip.

 

I will have to try the walleye there!!! I really like the ambience/decor there with all the antiquities, old newspapers and calenders, really unique and we always eat very well. 

I had not forget you about NB, I will comeback to you with details in the next weeks...

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