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2020 Jack & Sandi's trips


revct1
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16 hours ago, revct1 said:

Trails and EcoSentier I don't see a difference other than the EcoSentier which I do not know what that means.

Jack & Sandi

Jack, looks like EcoSentier is a environmental program that clubs can pass to show the trail is Ecofriendly. Here is a link to it. Green means Ecofriendly not groomed recently. Must be the reason for color changes as green suits Eco better.

https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=fr&to=en&ref=SERP&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fecosentier.ca%2ffr#

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4 hours ago, revct1 said:

Hi Mark,

It's the weekend so I expected more traffic but that lower re-route of Bras Louis was tough.  The groomers are out but with temps just below freezing, the trail doesn't really set up like it does when it is -20 C.  The snow stays mushy and it doesn't take many sleds to push the snow around and bump it up.  93 and Pelchat have been groomed but from the Sag, it is a big loop to go to Sacre-Couer and back for us.  I know people do that loop and it is great but we have shortened up our days a little.  Especially the first trip up.

 

Hi Pat & Gary,

It is good to hear from you.  How is it on the other side of the pond?

Pat is correct.  The bumps slowed us down but we did manage to get a seat without waiting.  We have our reservations at the Delta when you are here.

 

Hi Jack  it's  very very  wet here in uk, the ground is sodden everywhere. But were all good.. we arrive at the delta on 5th feb and leave on 19th.   Be safe n see you both soon. 

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6 hours ago, doo4adoo said:

Do you have a part number? That’s something I would be interested in. Never saw this 

Thanks

Now back to Jack and Sandi updates

Part number I see is 860201432.  Called a shim for linq accessory.  Not for a gen 4 but may work.  If I remember when I tried it would hit the taillight housing.  Maybe shims would create the clearance needed?

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5 hours ago, Snobeeler said:

Jack, looks like EcoSentier is a environmental program that clubs can pass to show the trail is Ecofriendly. Here is a link to it. Green means Ecofriendly not groomed recently. Must be the reason for color changes as green suits Eco better.

https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=fr&to=en&ref=SERP&dl=en&rr=UC&a=https%3a%2f%2fecosentier.ca%2ffr#

Interesting reading.  It sounds like this would be a plus to snowmobiling.  Generally speaking, it probably won't affect the ride but it does put on a good face to the rest of the world.  The eco trails maybe a little harder to close once they have been certified.

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This morning the groomer map shows a lot of activity last night.  Let's stay south of the river today.  I wonder if Kenogami is frozen?

We get on the sleds and head 83 west, 367 toward the two bridges.  But instead of going to the north shore, we get on 383 towards Spence Ski-Doo.  This was groomed last night and it is nice.  Very refreshing compared to yesterday.  The snow cover is thin in spots with a little brush sticking up thru the trail.  Under auto route 20 and right staying on 383.  Sunday morning and no traffic.  We cruise by Spence and wind our way around to the end of 383 that drops down and meets 83.

Let's go take a look at Lac Kenogami.  The groomer made  a pass as far as the lac.  Yep, the lac is frozen and there are many tracks on it.  I'll go first.  Sandi is a little skittish of lacs.  Pretty smooth.  No drifting or ice heaves.  We get to Relais Grenouile.  It's open and a few sleds parked here.

We'll u-turn and go back across Kenogami.  I'd like to run the length of the lac but I know Sandi isn't going to agree to that.  We get on 83 and this has been groomed.  It is a little thinner in snow cover because it gets so much more traffic than 383.  A little snirt and some brush sticking up thru the trail.  Overall the groomer has done well with what he has to work with.  Local trail 2 is closed.  I wonder why?

Just before the intersection with local trail 7 there is a detour sign pointing to the left.  This must have just been cut thru the woods.  Pretty rough and more dirt than snow.  Watch out for the rocks Sandi.  It's only about 1/2 mile long and we are back on 83.    Nice riding in the fields where the terrain is already smooth and it doesn't take much snow cover.

We stop at the Delta.  A fair number of truck and trailers here.  They are parked in the same area but no snow bank to enclose them.  Just part of the parking lot now.  The new snowmobile enclosure looks, ah, maybe not quite as secure as the old pool area.  We park the sleds and go inside for a late lunch.  No crowd here.  We must be behind the rush today.

We relax.  No hurry.  Just a short loop around town.  Mid day here and it is quiet.  We finish up lunch and get back on the sleds.

83 east back to Chicoutimi.  In a little early today.  These old bodies don't take a beating like they used to.

Jack & Sandi

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Santa brought Sandi an Oxygen helmet for Christmas.  She is liking it a lot.  It takes a little tinkering to get it just right but so far it is much better than her old Modular.  Like others have said, it is quieter, better side vision and warmer.  Sandi wears glasses and that was one of the reasons she couldn't wear a BV2.  The Oxygen seems to have taken glasses into consideration.  We haven't been in any really cold temperatures yet but she says it feels and fits nice.

She said she is going to go faster now.  She doesn't get a draft on her face at 60 mph.  Oops, speed limit is 42 mph Sandi.

Jack

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Hi Joe,

The forecast for temperatures are below freezing but mild.  A few centimeters of snow but no big storm.

RDL's forecast is 15 cm for Tuesday.  It looks like the storm is going to travel along the St Lawrence.

We have had a few centimeters here.  Every little bit helps.  Long underwear not required at this time.

Jack & Sandi

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Update on the new 850 Renegade.  Still in break-in mode.  Feels strong like the 2017.  I like the new dash layout.  Very clean looking and easy to read.

One oddity with my fuel gauge.  I filled the tank yesterday.  All the bars are lit.  At 40 miles the top bar goes off, normal.  Only 35 miles later, 75 miles total, I'm at a half a tank and then at 100 miles only one bar and the low fuel light is on.  I went another 16 miles and filled it up.  It only took 26 liters.

So I figure the low fuel light activated after about 23 liters of fuel was consumed.  There is still about 13 liters of fuel.  My old 2017 didn't trip the low fuel light until it consumed about 30 liters.  A big difference.  I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this.

It isn't using an excessive amount of fuel.  It is just the low fuel light tripped early.

Jack

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8 hours ago, poltodoo said:

Any sign of the ambassador in the lobby

Ice man has returned realizing the love is still here

Maybe bill will give us another shot

We miss him 

I did see ( someplace on the inner-webby) Bill says Jan. 6th for his return to the Delta ..  

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10 hours ago, dooright said:

I did see ( someplace on the inner-webby) Bill says Jan. 6th for his return to the Delta ..  

Usually that is Bill's schedule.  By then there should be a little more snow cover.  It would be nice if this next storm moved 100 miles north of the St Lawrence.

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12 hours ago, revct1 said:

Update on the new 850 Renegade.  Still in break-in mode.  Feels strong like the 2017.  I like the new dash layout.  Very clean looking and easy to read.

One oddity with my fuel gauge.  I filled the tank yesterday.  All the bars are lit.  At 40 miles the top bar goes off, normal.  Only 35 miles later, 75 miles total, I'm at a half a tank and then at 100 miles only one bar and the low fuel light is on.  I went another 16 miles and filled it up.  It only took 26 liters.

So I figure the low fuel light activated after about 23 liters of fuel was consumed.  There is still about 13 liters of fuel.  My old 2017 didn't trip the low fuel light until it consumed about 30 liters.  A big difference.  I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this.

It isn't using an excessive amount of fuel.  It is just the low fuel light tripped early.

Jack

   Fuel gauge is out to lunch, mine stays on full for 50+ miles, when its on 1/4 full and you put in 3 gals its back to full again. Probably have to go by miles not the gauge, more than the old ones.

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The nightly report by Jack & Sandi:

This morning it is a little cooler than it has been, -15C.  The forecast is for a clear sky today.  The map shows grooming activity in St Nazaire, L'Ascension and the Lamarche area.  What do you think Sandi?  We haven't been to Relais Mont Vilain yet.  367 to St Ambroise is never groomed this early and a small section of 93 isn't groomed but the rest looks good.  OK we agree.

First stop I want to make is at Club Saguenay by the Delta.  We haven't received our trail passes yet.  Long story but I ordered them online Nov 29th.  No passes yet.  I've called FCMQ, left voice mail and sent e-mails.  No response so far.  I thought maybe someone at the club might be able to get thru to the FCMQ.

So on the sleds and we head to Jonquiere.  The clubhouse is on 83 about an 1/8 mile past the Delta.  We pull into the parking lot and no cars.  I go up and tug on the door, locked.  It is dark inside Sandi.  No sign on the door with their hours.  I had looked at their website and the hours weren't posted there either.  I have a printout with us that is the confirmation that I tried to purchase the passes but it would be so much easier to have the stickers.  We can't do anything here.

Back on the sleds and 83 to 383 to the two bridges.  Good ride but I'm not looking forward to 367 to St Ambroise.  Well 367 is as I expected.  The first couple of miles where the snowmobile trail and quad trail run together is OK.  The quad trail has been groomed.  Then the trail turns to crap!  I'm not surprised.  The groomer doesn't hit this because the area of 367 thru the scrubby pine trees is swampy and the groomer will sink.  Keep going Sandi.  It will get better, eventually.  No way around this unless we go all the way to Alma on 83 and that wasn't as bad but it is a long way around.

Dah dump, dah dump, dah dump.  As we cruise along at a snails pace.  Only 5 more miles.  Keep going.  Finally we get out of the scrubby pines and get to the field by the Le Geant trailer park.  More trailers again this year.  This end looks like year round trailers.  The lights are on, cars are in the driveways and the road is plowed.  Oops!  Watch out for that ditch Sandi.  That hasn't been filled in yet.  The trail goes around it over in the field.  OK.  We are in the old trailer section.  Across auto route 172 and left on 93.

This has been groomed and Sandi is picking up speed.  Still some brush coming up thru the trail but it is smooth brush.  Cruising thru the woods and we get to the intersection with 556 that goes down to St Charles.  Wonderful.  This groomer has been out too.  On we ride.  A few miles from Relais Montangarde and the groomer turned around.  Why?  You were doing so good.  We are back to the goat path and only one sled wide.  4 or 5 miles of this and the trail widens out a little.  Not quite as bad.

We get to the junction with 554 and this is where the map showed it was groomed and the map is correct.  Yippee!  We turn right on 554 and start making some time.  Nice ride to Relais des Lacs and we get on 328 for a short ways and then turn right on 553.  Oh this is Quebec at its finest.  What a difference in trails.  553 is perfect.  Flat, smooth with some gentle curves back and forth.  Watching the blueberry fields go by clicking off some miles.

We turn right on 367.  Not so good here.  Instead of going thru Lamarche, we stay on 367 and a couple of miles later where the little local connector joins in, it is groomed to perfection.  This is where 367 runs along the side of the fields and it is flat and smooth.  Before we know it, we are pulling into Mont Vilain.

A few sleds here but quiet compared to mid season.  A beautiful day.  We are on nice trails and a great place for lunch.

After lunch we run Lac Tchitogama west for a couple of miles and then get back on 367 west.  367 goes near Relais Jos Bonka but didn't go thru the parking lot like in years past.  I didn't see any signs for the relais either.  Hmm?  Will have to check it out.

We take the little connector to 328 and stop in L'Ascension for gas.  It is getting a little windy here.  Back on the sleds and in the open fields it is very windy.  Some of the trail is wind blown and snirt on the windy side of the hills.  It is smooth snirt though!  Left on 93 and now we are driving into the wind.  The groomers have been out but it is thin here.  The wind does damage.

Last year there was road construction in the area where 23 and 93 meet.  This year there is a re-route to go around this.  Easy enough to follow but like most new trails, it is rough in some spots.  It needs more snow in the fields.

We get to the junction with 554 where we turned this morning and I know what is ahead of us.  30 or 40 miles of ugly.  OK Sandi, we have had some good trails now it is time for the bad.  We suck it up and get past Relais Montangarde.  Back on a decent trail til St Ambroise.  We go by Le Geant trailer and I am not looking forward to the next 10 miles.  Just after the trailer park the trail goes to the right into the woods and I can see the headlights from a couple of sleds heading towards us.  Lucky them.  They are at the end of the rough stuff and we are just starting the torture.  Wait.  Those headlights are far apart and, and is that a groomer,  YES!  Salvation is coming towards us.  Our prayers have been answered.

We pull way over to the side giving the groomer plenty of room.  He gets a big wave and smile from both of us.  I'm parked and as the groomer goes by, I can feel the ground shake.  It is like sitting in traffic on a bridge and have a tractor trailer move by you.  You can feel the bridge shake.  Well, this is what the ground did.  It must be all swap underneath.

We don't have to fly over this.  Just sit back and enjoy no bumps.  All the way to the two bridges is smooth.  Some brush and snirt in the trail but who cares.  We cross the two bridges and stay on 367 to 83 to the Sag.  Back at the hotel.

What a nice ending to the ride that we thought was going to be horrible. 

Maybe some snow in the forecast.  Happy trails to all.

Jack & Sandi

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1 hour ago, revct1 said:

367 goes near Relais Jos Bonka but didn't go thru the parking lot like in years past.  I didn't see any signs for the relais either.  Hmm?  Will have to check it out.

Bad News 

https://lelacstjean.com/actualite/fermeture-du-relais-jos-bonka-un-manque-dachalandage-et-une-rumeur-ont-raison-du-restaurant/

Closure of Relais Jos Bonka: Lack of traffic and rumor over the restaurant

 December 12, 2019 at 3:46 p.m.
 
 Closure of Relais Jos Bonka: Lack of traffic and rumor over the restaurant
 Just under two weeks ago, the co-owners of Relais Jos Bonka in Ascension-de-Notre-Seigneur announced the closure of their business.  Falling traffic, a bad rumor and a lack of funding are at the heart of this difficult decision.

 Acquired three years ago, Daniel Shanks and Christiane Côté intended to make the place the culinary destination of Lac-Saint-Jean.

 "We wanted to make room for a snowmobile relay in winter and a restaurant in summer.  Our plan was to have rental chalets in addition to making the site a year-round tourist center, "explains Daniel Shanks.

 After investing a lot of money in the project, they did not get the expected traffic in return.  Every year, fewer and fewer people visited Jos Bonka.

 In addition, it was difficult for them to seek funding.

 "We approached the municipality of Ascension, the MRC and CIDAL, but nothing worked.  We were unable to get funding.  "

 

 

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Yes it snowed!  There was a tiny bit of freezing rain last night at bedtime.  Then it turned to snow.  I woke up a couple of times during the night and it was coming down pretty good.  It is still snowing now.  I went out and measured in the parking lot and there is 15 cm (6") of fresh snow.  This should welcome in the New Year.

Jack & Sandi

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So Sandi, with the fresh snow and some wind this afternoon, where to?  Maybe stay out of big fields as much as possible.  This morning might not be too windy.  Lets go to Mt Apica.  We haven't been there yet.  Six inches of snow and here we go.

On the sleds and 83 east it is.  A few sleds have been out ahead of us so Sandi has something to follow.  Ah, nice fresh snow.  A little track spin here and there.  We turn right on to 368.  This was groomed yesterday so it is smooth underneath.  Quite a bit of snow dust behind Sandi.  The past couple of days there hasn't been any snow dust.  Maybe dust dust and rocks would have been more like it.  We are out of the fields now and into the woods.  Nice riding here.  We pass the 383 junction and start climbing.  We get to auto route 175 and not much traffic.  The road is in good shape.  We cross and continue on.  Some logging going on in here.  Not disturbing the trail much.  We get onto the section of 368 that is on the old road and it is beautiful.  The trees hanging over and covered with snow.  So pretty.  We have only seen a couple of sleds so far.  Nobody else out I guess.

We get to the junction with 23.  Sandi looks around and notices something is missing.  What's missing Sandi?  The warming hut is still there.  Looks like it has new metal siding.  Sandi looks at me and says "No porta potty!"  Oops.  I guess guys don't notice that but the ladies would.  So attention all ladies, the porta potty is gone.  You must plan accordingly.

Alright, Sandi turns left and heads to Apica.  It will be a good lunch stop.  23 isn't quite as nice as 368 which was flawless.  23 is good but a little chop in the corners.  More traffic on 23 of course.  A quick ride and we arrive at Mt Apica.  Only five sleds outside and the guys are with the sleds chatting in French.  We park and Sandi looks in.  It is dark in there.  She goes up to the door and it is locked!  What does that paper sign on the door say Sandi?

Dec 31, Jan 1 and Jan 2 CLOSED.  Open Jan 3.

Very important folks.  I know a lot of riders depend on this stop for fuel to get to the Lac.  No one is here.  No food.  No fuel.  So for everyone that can't make Hebertville, make sure you tank up at L'Etape.

U-turn it is and back up 23.  I've got a gas caddy with me but we will have plenty of gas in the sleds.  After we pass the 368 cut off, 23 gets better.  A lot of traffic from the previous days takes 368 so this section of 23 stays in better shape.  We get to Presbytere and drop down on the lake.  At the end of the lake is the steep climb up to the road.  There isn't a snow bridge yet and it is a bad spot because you pop up in the road.  Have to be very careful of auto traffic.

I look around and see a sled track about a few hundred feet before where we are and it is going to the edge of the lake.  Lets go over there and check it out.  A much gentler climb up the bank, a slight turn to the right and we are on the side of the road.  Nice.  We run the edge of the road back to the trail and off we go.  We pull into the Petro station and top off.  We still had plenty of fuel even though my low fuel light had come on. 

Lets continue on 23 north and then circle back on 383.  Well we notice that the snow is thinner here.  We aren't that far from Chicoutimi as the crow flies but there is only two inches of fresh here and this part of 23 hasn't seen a groomer this year.  Going from a really nice 23 to a single sled wide path stinks.  I know 383 is only about 5 miles up so keep going.  A few stakes in some of the fields but some fields have none.  Just following tracks.  The fields are wind blown and bumpy.  You see the harrow marks from the farmers still.  It will be over soon.

Finally we get to 383.  This has a little more snow and maybe has seen a groomer awhile ago.  Keep on trucking.  We get to the Relais Grenouille (bad spelling) and this is busy.  From here on it is 83.  This was groomed but it is still rough.  We were on it yesterday and a groomer did make a pass but it just gets so much traffic and there isn't a lot of snow to work with.  Passable but we got spoiled with how nice 368 and 23 were before Hebertville.  You got to take the good with the bad.  We push our way thru and wave to the Delta as we go by.  We will be there in February.  Only another 10 miles Sandi.  Chin up.  We top off the sleds at the Ultramar just before the Sag.  One more mile on the spur and we are in for the night.

It was a very good ride until Hebertville and then it went downhill from there.  We didn't see too many sleds today but there must have been a lot of traffic on 83 to beat it down like that.  I don't expect and groomers to be out tonight and probably not until tomorrow night.  We will have to plan accordingly for tomorrow.

Happy New Year to everyone.  Ride safe and look forward to another great season.  Thanks for being with us.

Jack & Sandi

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We woke up last night at 11:50 pm.  Turned on the TV for 15 minutes to watch the ball drop and then fell back asleep.  The midnight parties are long gone for this couple.

A dusting last night of 1-2 cm. 

The groomer map gave us a surprise.  That piece of 93 by Relais Montagnard was groomed along with that fast section of 93 called C-900 that goes to Sacre Couer.  264 and 328 to Rose du Nord also done.  Here in town 83 and part of 368 also groomed.  I didn't think anyone would be grooming.  Thank you for all your effort.

Time to discuss today's ride with Sandi over breakfast.

Jack & Sandi

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