towing Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Krikri and I with our friend Snowcruiser started our ride from St-Gabriel de Brandon Saturday morning.It was cold in the night, still -20 °C at start... excellent for trail conditionsThe path of the day turns out to be this:Finally, it was not the century idea to start so much south. They were still on their first groomer shot... not need to say it was very beginning conditionsIn the fields between St-Gabriel and St-Damien. That does not look so bad on the pic but in reality we were continuously scraping frozen earth bumps, it was bad.At the point we wonder if we should come back on the trailer to start norther, because we knew that it would be just worse at the end of the day but we persisted in thinking that trail conditions would be better when got in the mountains in St-Damien.Indeed, it was better. The snow to the ground was enough to have decent conditions but being still on the first grooming shot give a very choppy trail and we had to limit our speed around 25mph... on the other side the scenery was impressiveThe conditions were miserable until a mile past Pouvoirie St-Damien .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Then it was better with the trail on a better base and we could open a bit more while being careful because there were still large holes intermittently.I repeat myself, but the scenery was truly outstandingAnd after we think that the trees were fully loaded with snow, we realized they were even more as we progressedWith the sun shinning it was just magical!We passed Réal Massébetter conditions after, and once we passed the #350, conditions became winter one, beautiful and fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 The trail base has improved alot from the previous week even the skis grinded the bottom sometimes but really better than I expected. The pics speak from themselves to showhow it lookedSay we were certainly not the only ones who took alot pics with those exceptional conditionsI would say they got around 4" of new snow during the week, snow to the ground had packed because mild weather so the total is not much more but it gave a good improvement for the trails conditionIt was so better condition that I had really regretted my starting spot so much south. Here beautiful rapid trails in addition to the incredible sceneryso much better! ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 It was already around 11:45, so we stopped for eating and fuelingAt Cabanon in St-ZenonAfter lunch we took the #23/345 trail to Koubec in the Mastigouche reserveAgain beautiful fast trail.The temperature only raised around -10°C in the afternoon helping the trail to stay strong and even with the traffic the skis were not hitting rocks too oftenoh! someone we know ...Dantheskidoo, the webmaster of PassionBRP.com web site! He was at taking pics of this outstanding scenery! We stopped to talk to him a few seconds but we were in a bad spot in a curve so it was short ... We will take our next chance to talk more Dan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 (edited) At the next junction, we followed the # 345 trail to Koubec and took a break at a safe place a little further. I do not remember what I was speaking about ??? a fishing story perhaps!Another break near KoubecWe then took the #350 towards La Glacière...This section is maintained by St-Charles de Mandeville Snowmobile Club this year. The trail to the village (St-Charles) was closedBut I raise my hat to them because they had made a damned great job on the #350 west trail. Groomed wide and beautifulThey groomed it this year up to the junction with #23 trailAnd we headed back toward St-Gabriel by #23 southAs we expected, the conditions had not improved with the traffic flow of the day and we patiently ride back at slow speed regretting what we misses by having not started further north in the morning. If St-Gabriel re-groom this circuit, it might be good to fair between St-Damien and St-Zenon. For fields between St-Damien and St-Gabriel, it will take more snow to cover them and give acceptable conditionsWe finally returned to our starting point around 5:25 p.m. with 125 miles on the dreammeter. Not a big ride but still very nice sections and incredible pics with perfect weather.Of course, Mother Nature will have the final say on how it will turn out with the trail opening... forecast are not so good actually, hoping they will be wrong. We hope for the best actually because it is already well started and most of the snowmobile clubs in the south began their trails and just a little more snow and cold would enable complete opening and connection of the trail network in our area ...for details: Snowmobile trails in Lanaudière Mauricie - Snowmobile Country in Quebec (Maps, Trails and Snow conditions) - Tourisme LanaudièreWe keep our fingers crossed !!!Alain Edited December 24, 2014 by towing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Great report Alain & pictures Krikri. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your new ride. Once you go long track you won't go back! Happy Holidays! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
800steve Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Nice pics Alain, we all hope the forecast is WRONG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Rider Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 It looks like a beautiful day. Your pics bring us there. How do you like the new machine so far? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerider Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Always enjoy your reports and pictures! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Nice pics and report Alain, what is the forecast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groomer Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 salut alain !!! belles shots !!! slack pas !!! jean-guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Fantastic pics, Alain! We appreciate your sharing the beauty of your rides! Timbo Krissy, Sabra, and I will be at Montagne Coupee in a couple of weeks. Hope to have the pleasure of meeting you and Krikri on the trail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipeman Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Alain you should be getting paid by the Quebec tourism or something you do a fantastic job ! Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccaffrey Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Alain thanks again for the Monday pictures, they were so bright had to put my sunglasses on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MXZ700RIDER Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Great pictures. Hoping it doesn't rain and mess up what little base there is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 A day on the trail is always better than work .... good pics . and yes a little longer trailer ride would have been better. HAPPY HOLIDAYS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
600IQHO Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thanks for the report and great pics. Things are looking up at least for now. I agree the weather does not look to good. I will cross my fingers for snow and no rain. We wanted to head somewhere Friday but the conditions and forcast are just not good enough at this point for us to make a 10.5 hour drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Great report Alain & pictures Krikri. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your new ride. Once you go long track you won't go back! Happy Holidays! Tom You are welcome Tom! Happy Holidays and great time with your family/friends Nice pics Alain, we all hope the forecast is WRONG. Thanks Steve, no damage for now. We had an inch of snow this morning and a timid mist of rain in the late afternoon... keep the fingers crossed for the next 2 days. It looks like a beautiful day. Your pics bring us there. How do you like the new machine so far? Thanks. The scenery was at it's best for sure! The new ride is nice but I will need to put a set of snowtracker under the skis to appreciate the driving, got bad darting... I use olds bergstrom's runners with everlasting hard carbides to grind rocks at season's beginning and when the base is decent I switch back to snowtrackers that are great in all conditions.. except for grinding the ground and rocks at season's beginning! I hope the get back the same easy and precise driving I had on my old one, without any darting Always enjoy your reports and pictures! mike Our pleasure to share our rides Mike! Nice pics and report Alain, what is the forecast? Thanks viper2, You probably already know by now but there some rain pending in the forecast... the amount have been lowered at least. It seems that the wheather channels take the habit to do apocalyptic predictions on thiers forecasts... this is good for theirs audience ratings so... For now we hope for the best, hopefully with few inches of snow for the ending salut alain !!! belles shots !!! slack pas !!! jean-guy Salut Groomer, merci!!! I had so much good shots when I came back home from this ride it was very hard to choose... most of the time I just screen the better one and make my report with them but after the first screening it left me 78 pics!!! Fantastic pics, Alain! We appreciate your sharing the beauty of your rides! Timbo Krissy, Sabra, and I will be at Montagne Coupee in a couple of weeks. Hope to have the pleasure of meeting you and Krikri on the trail. Thank you Timbo! maybe we will cross our path... we have the 3-4 january week-end that we won't be able to ride but we should be on the trails all others one.. Alain you should be getting paid by the Quebec tourism or something you do a fantastic job ! Thank you You are welcome Pipeman! so much people seems to appreciate and use our reports as reference that it keep us to continue... Alain thanks again for the Monday pictures, they were so bright had to put my sunglasses on. You are welcome mccafrey! lolll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towing Posted December 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Great pictures. Hoping it doesn't rain and mess up what little base there is. thank you mxz700rider. The trails can take a certain amount of rain if it keep cold around freezing point and we don't get too much, in fact this can give way better trails with hardpacked base and all the rocks seal down below...a few inches of fresh stuff over that with a grooming pass and you get highways trails. The temperature and how long is the thaw are for much about the results... I have seen a day of much rain doing near no damaged but the following day with no rain but strong mild wind had melt the half of what we had... At this point, we will wait and see... and trying to keep positive, the season is young. A day on the trail is always better than work .... good pics . and yes a little longer trailer ride would have been better. HAPPY HOLIDAYS You bet!!! I usually have a good flair and am pretty lucky with my drop and path choice but I messed on the drop spot this time. Happy Holidays to you too!!! Thanks for the report and great pics. Things are looking up at least for now. I agree the weather does not look to good. I will cross my fingers for snow and no rain. We wanted to head somewhere Friday but the conditions and forcast are just not good enough at this point for us to make a 10.5 hour drive. You are welcome 600IQHO! I understand your point and even myself i'm not sure to be able to ride next week-end but for now let's wait and see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted December 25, 2014 Report Share Posted December 25, 2014 You're one lucky guy Alain, early bird conditions were in your favour. Thanks for sharing Joyeaux Noel JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 well no snow left around here we have to start over...may see you up there Towing... when we get more snow I hope fingers will be ready.. till then i will have to drink more RUM EGGNOG... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasemonkey Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Always look forward to your reports as we usually start our season around the St. Zenon area just to warm up before we plan our long rides. You are very lucky and I agree, the Quebec tourism people should look into your efforts. I believe if your reports actually got seen outside of this forum, it would probably give snowmobilers who never made the journey a glimps of what they are missing. And, the area you ride in is probably the best area to start. Gas availability is easy to find. Plenty of rest stops within easy riding distance. Nice motels. Maybe it gets a little crowded around there but at least you can get a feel for the Canadian adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.