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St-Zenon/Mattawin via trail#345/#360 photo rid0e report 5January202


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Here is the ride we did on Sunday January 5, 2020

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This last weekend was our first opportunity since several weeks for us to ride again. Saturday would normally have been our first choice but the temperatures were far too mild since several days so we decided to wait on Sunday where colder temperatures were expected. We were not disappointed with a good frost overnight and a winter normal temperature of -10C during our day. From what had been groomed during the night and following TrailBlazer advice, we chose to start from St-Zenon and going to lunch at Marineau in Rivière Mattawin which give us an easy  hundred miles to do before lunch.

We started from La Glacière around 9:20 am under a cloudy sky

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The snow cover, although limited, is good enough to give a more than acceptable trail on # 350 which was freshly groomed

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The # 23 towards the Cabanon was also freshly groomed giving us a nice ride

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A surprise for us, the route from #23 trail is deviated from the usual path for 4 miles because they will plow a section of road for wood transport(the interactive map is up to date on this change). This different trail path was great


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After connecting the usual route a little before the Cabanon, there is some sand mixed with snow on some spots as we often see in this sector but beautiful trail no bump.

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We continue on  345 towards the dam

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It was also freshly groomed, the first part of4 miles which leaves the forest road was a little less beautiful with some spots of dirty snow and some rocks but immediately returned on the forest path it was nice and fast, but with few visible ice spots


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The last 0.5miles before the dam still shown some potatoes but it's really short

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The Taureau reservoir is already lowered by half and there is still huge water amount still flowing out


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Then we had a 10 miles rought that had not been groomed on the #360 between the dam and the junction for the #345north( in Repos direction). Here is a pic from my gopro this time, Kristine was using her two hands to stay with me!

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Once past junction #345 north, The #360 had been groomed by the Mattawin club for the rest of the trip and was nice and fast


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We stopped to take a short break at #440 rest area to enjoy the view of the river

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And then took back the trail again, still beautiful and fast

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the other classic point of view

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The last stretch of 8 miles out of the Zec Chapeau de Paille was notch down given the limited snow cover but still nice and practically no bump. The cabin with the barrier in the middle of the road at the entrance of the bridge is no longer there...

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We arrived for lunch at Marineau around 12:30 with just 101 miles on the dreammeter. It's always as nice to stop there, just good things to say about them!

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After refueling, we chose to take the exact same path for the return. We usually choose to loop through the M20 /#345 but the #360 was far too nice to look any further. The traffic of the day did not wear it and we returned toward the dam at a very good pace. The small rought section before the dam wasn't any better, the #345 south of the dam showed some wear, not much  bumpy but have swept/icy curves but not enough to really slow us down, just a bit in the big curves. We cross 2 groomers thay were about to start their run when passing at the Cabanon. The#23 south from there had stay beautiful, giving us a dessert to finish the ride. We came back at La Glacière around 4:30 pm with 202 miles on the dreammeter, giving us a very nice ride for the day

In sum, the snow cover is not very generous yet, but is sufficient with cold to give very acceptable trails like the ones we had on Sunday. It was nice to have the 10 inches of new snow  we had last week , but without cold trail condition was bad with alot moguls . With the cold coming back, the trails will hold and keep good. We hope for more snow to continue to shape up the already opened trails and to continue the enlarge the playground down south.

You can also take a look at the updated trail condition site here: https://www.snowmobilecountry.ca/en/conditions/

Alain

 

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  • towing changed the title to St-Zenon/Mattawin via trail#345/#360 photo rid0e report 5January202
On 1/7/2020 at 9:12 PM, markusvt said:

Alain,

Nice run, we ran those trails on our way north and west a few weeks back ourselves.  The local clubs are doing a great job with the snow they have, we had a good time for sure.

Mark.

Thank you Mark! we are notch over what you got with the 10inches received on the 30-31 december and the few inches this week. We have a big storm ahead that look like to be rain for me at home near Joliette but a foot of snow for st-Zenon ... we hope for the best!!!

On 1/8/2020 at 6:01 AM, mikerider said:

Very nice that you are getting out to enjoy despite this late winter start. Great pictures and report as always, while most of us sit on the couch and can only dream.

mike

 

Thank you Mike, the season just begin, the best for all of us is ahead :spiteful:

On 1/8/2020 at 9:19 AM, viper2 said:

Nice report Alain, hopefully the little warm up this weekend won't do too much harm

Thanks viper2! It looks like we will got wet at home but my playground norther will continue to shape up. I'm just not sure we will be have decent conditions to ride touring during the weekend... and I may have lost my photographer for few weeks, i"m pretty sure she have a broken finger on her right hand :nea:she have an appointment with the doctor tomorroy ( no.no, it's not my fault she came back from the job like that!!!)  I expect she will be able to ride with me but will need a break as for the pics

On 1/8/2020 at 5:50 PM, snowmaster2112 said:

And he finally returns. Glad to see you back Alain !! Looks like a nice little ride. Heading up to camp friday with the boys and NOT looking forward to the more crazy weather in store.

Hope you had a good time in the Carribean !

Thank you Christ! I'm confident you will bring the snow with you and have blast up there in new snow.

The carribean trip was unreal... it was on Christmas day in Martinique! 

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 And i had no seasickness!!! 

Edited by towing
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On 1/11/2020 at 10:40 PM, viper2 said:

Oh no not a good time of the year to have a broken finger!

We were pretty sure it was broken because of the pain and the blue color the joint had took within just a couple hours but the x-ray show ok for the bones so it is the joint itself that took the hit,  we hope it will be a speedy recovery...

We had to postpone the sled ride this weekend because of the weather, so she had a break as a photographer, instead she shovel! She's unable to stop...

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