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Iceman 2020 Opener


iceman
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Ride 1

Gotta Love snowmobiling, year after year the off season seems oh so long. Yet I remount my trusted machine and seems like just yesterday I patked her for the off season. So nice to be back on the trail seems like I just left it. Like riding a bike they say and oh so true, you never forget how it’s done. 

 

This trip came together as most, kind of a last minute deal. But as I have said in the past when the boss (not the wife) asks if you want to go to Matane for a ride or stay and work? Hmmm let me think? Not a very tough decision. The boys will have to manage things without me until Friday and do without my big truck as they are not authorized to touch it. They have their own trucks they can work with those. 

 

Boss Man mon ami Alain arrived at 1pm Sunday at chez Ice. My sled already in his trailer as he had picked it up fro Moto Thibault Friday afternoon.(more on that after)

 

Snow had stopped in Shawinigan area by now and we hit the road enroute for Matane. Nice ride all the way to just near Montmagny here we hit more snow and wind still I have seen much worse but this will surely affect our travel time. Further east we go the more snow and wind. After Rimouski is onto the single lane stuff and a bit more white nuckle. We finally arrive at Matane 7pm not bad only one hour longer than a day with zero weather issues. Our issue was the other people scared to death driving like they never saw snow. For us not an issue. 

 

Into Hotel and only six other sleds here. I am very surprised. Now the fun begins. Unload gear into room and time to drop sleds. I open trailer go to start my sled and realize straight away, Houston we got a problem. Mon ami left my key on when he loaded my sled. She is dead. Like that Iranian general, seriously dead. Well not to mention the wind is howling and still snowing albeit not alot. Oh joy. We drop it on the ground. With the With the battery not very accessible on the grand touring of Alain We decide to use the truck the F250 will do just fine. We put the mini booster cables on it and let the truck charge it up a bit. She fires up and we park it for the night knowing fair well we are to repeat this process again in the morning. The real question is will it be ok after I ride it to La Cache and shut if off there? We shall see.

 

Had a nice dinner and chatted it up with the other gang of riders from Nova Scotia on their way back to the trucks in Point a la Croix. They came up the 595 yesterday and were going back through Amqui today. 

 

Day 1 Monday 

Matane to New Richmond 

TQ5 to 595 to TQ5

 

Up early at breakfast at 6:30 dressed and out at 7:15. Yup gonna need to jump it again. We get my ride breathing and hit the trail. 7:30am. Beautiful conditions and just after the bridge here in Matane fresh groom on TQ5 it’s delicious. Great run all the way to St Paulin and onto the 595. Super conditions. Crossed the River Cap Chat on the new ice crossing made by club to bypass a bridge that is gone. Surely 595 will be cut off on that end sooner than usual when Spring has sprung. Saw one moose and one nice sized coyote. Arrive at La Cache it’s 10:30am. Took the gas and since the Relais is officially open as of this past weekend we go inside. Lots of time on our hands. So far we have seen zero other sleds since hotel parking in Matane. ZERO. 

 

Gas super is $1.69.9 litre.  Pay up. 

 

We chat it up well mostly me as the Relais is owned by First Natiions people and they speak perfect English. They have owned it since 2017. We start talking and the manager pulls up with a truckload of groceries as they just opened and had nothing. I help them bring in the stuff as I was doing nothing else anyway.

We met Josh the manager, Justin is the chef, Dennis pumps the gas and helps with everything else. 

 

I start to explain Quebecrider to Josh the manager and he looks at me in wonder. He says we have been hearing stories from other communities about a guy named Chris Snowmaster2112. You are not him are you? Now I had two options here. My mind is racing do I say yes? Hmmm? Maybe he has beaver and a 60 pack of Bud and a hidden chalet. Well, honesty got the best of me, plus knowing Alain is not gonna be venturing off on any adventures to a chalet with these guys beaver or no beaver, I would but surely not Alain. I said no I am not. He said thank god we have been told he eats all the beaver and most of the beer. But they love him in the north and kids are writing songs about him and I think they will name the new school in Miquelon after him. Damn word travels fast. 

 

Anyway I think I convinced them to come onboard as an advertiser we will see if I get a call from the owner next week. 

 

Just as we are getting ready to leave 2 sleds arrive from the south. We chat with a couple. Guy with his girlfriend from near montreal. He first day in her life on motoneige first trails ever. She is loving it. I told the guy she won’t want ride anywhere else after this. He said I chose here for her first ride so she is guaranteed to Like snowmobiling. Smart man. 

 

Uneventful run down and into Hotel Francis. Just 2 deer near Pin Rouge Trails beautiful no other sleds none. One groomer headed up 595 close to New Richmond. No other sleds at hotel. Lots of Jack Daniels in my bag. Well there was alot. Not as much tonight,  that’s why no report yesterday. Sorry.

 

Day 2

New Richmond to Chandler

TQ5 

 

No hurry today was planned this way to relax today with all day to go a half day’s ride. Just what Alain wanted and fine with me and Jack. 

Went to breakfast at 8:30 thats like noon time on a regular day for Alain. But we are making exceptions this run. 

 

TQ5 flat frozen and fast. Beautiful. Not far along we see the first sleds coming at us since leaving Matane one group of three. Maybe 10 minutes later two more coming. That was it no others all the way to Chandler. Trail was so frozen in one spot I had to deploy my scratchers as my temp light came on. Not for long maybe 5-6km. Then put them back up. Came across a gang of club volunteers cutting branches back just before Port Daniel. Then we cruised on into the Relais at Chandler. 1pm. Day all but finished. Here we are the only ones they have seen all day the bartender was happy to have someone to talk with besides the chef. We eat and the operator of the surfacer arrives to prepare the machine for his run tonight. His name is Marc. He says for sure alot less snow right now then this time last year but the snow is frozen nicely and makes his job easier. Left relais at 2:30. Petro Canada for fuel then backtrack to Motel Fraser. Done. Alain needed his easy day because tomorrow is a big day for him. 320km from here to St Anne des Monts thru Murdochville and Mont St Pierre.

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1 minute ago, Jackstraw said:

Amazing no one around with the lack of snow in the states, nice!

No one

very private trails so far

two other sleds here in Chandler tonight

 

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Day 3

started nice is over in Murdochville

my machine is down. Headed to Matane to get the trailer.

details later. Problem anti freeze leak. Cannot see where from.

but i am done at Motel Copper

Jaques and Bernard to the rescue

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2 minutes ago, quebec bob said:

Sorry to hear that Don, hope it is minor and you can get out again soon, season is too short to begin with.

In Matane now

back to Murdoch with truck and trailer to get the sleds

season way to short and my patience even shorter

i got a spare bullet in the garage at home (if the wife let’s me ride it she has adopted my second apex as her own)

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2 hours ago, iceman said:

Motel Copper

Jaques and Bernard to the rescue

Love those guys.  Very thoughtful & generous.  Especially when the poop hits the fan.

Gotta get tons more riders to part with $10 to peruse the museum downstairs and fund their collection addiction!

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2 hours ago, PLAYHARD said:

Love those guys.  Very thoughtful & generous.  Especially when the poop hits the fan.

Gotta get tons more riders to part with $10 to peruse the museum downstairs and fund their collection addiction!

Yes, The guys at Hotel Copper are very generous and have helped with emergency logistics for years, They are really great folks.

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Day 3

 

Left Chandler on perfectly groomed white asphalt 7am. Groomed all the way to 597 absolutely unreal. 597 groomed the same. Just to first warming hut. Saw 2 moose on trail, we stopped and let them do their thing for a bit then they sauntered off and we continued. Here’s where problems start. Been smelling antifreeze on and off for 2 days but no visible leakage anywhere. Took off panels looked all over saw nothing. 30km out of Murdochville temp light on, not good surely is not frozen trail as there is fluff on trail. Stopped and I am engulfed in a cloud of vapor. Not good. Game Over. No choice we hook it up. First time for me on this end of the rope in many years. Not a happy camper. Off to Murdochville. The 900 turbo Grand touring does a fine job pulling my beast and me to Copper. Within 5 minutes of arriving Jaques has a guy enroute to drive us to the truck in Matane. We take the time to eat while we wait for our ride. He arrives just as we finished. 2 hrs 10 minutes later to Matane.Then 2 hours back in truck to Murdochville load sleds and 2 hours 20 later back in Matane. 

 

Done for now back to the real world. Sled to doctor tomorrow. Probably gonna need surgery. 

 

Trails here empty and in top shape surely that will change in the next week or two as more people go for their Gaspe Tour. 

 

3 sleds here at Matane 

4 at Copper when we left there.

 

conditions incredible.

Edited by iceman
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It's very nice to read you again on here Don! love your report.

sorry to read that you got this antifreeze leak problem that interrupt your fun... but it's part of the game! seems you managed to get out of the trouble nicely 👍

Wish your old girl will be back on the trail soon 💪

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8 hours ago, iceman said:

i got a spare bullet in the garage at home (if the wife let’s me ride it she has adopted my second apex as her own)

What's better/worse?...

Seeing the Mrs. in the mirror, lifting the beast's inside ski coming out of a turn?

Or seeing the Mrs. out front, lifting the beast's inside ski coming out of a turn? 

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2 minutes ago, PLAYHARD said:

What's better/worse?...

Seeing the Mrs. in the mirror, lifting the beast's inside ski coming out of a turn?

Or seeing the Mrs. out front, lifting the beast's inside ski coming out of a turn? 

Mrs. out front not sure. Not if I can help it. She follows I lead. 

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That sucks for sure Don, not a good way to start the season. Hopefully not much damage is done and the rest of the year will we trouble free. Our group is planning to launch a Gaspe  trip from the Universal in RDL. Hope to be there Sunday night heading out Monday  

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6 hours ago, viper2 said:

That sucks for sure Don, not a good way to start the season. Hopefully not much damage is done and the rest of the year will we trouble free. Our group is planning to launch a Gaspe  trip from the Universal in RDL. Hope to be there Sunday night heading out Monday  

It’s All part of the game. 

Trails perfect for you here, go and get it.

i’ll be back

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7 minutes ago, Fozzy said:

Leaking antifreeze...  sounds like a loose clamp on a hose or cracked heat exchanger. Good thing you shut her down before all destruction of your wallet.

I will let you know

i don’t think heat exchanger, i think plastic reservoir has crack and pissed it out slowly or bad clamp somewhere.

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