largedaryl

They seem to have a whole team of family and volunteers back home helping whenever they need parts and to find lodging night to night. They are down now as I understand waiting on two new driven clutches. Lots of challenges along the way as trails do not exist in many areas... they rely on local that they stumble upon for aid. They are sleeping in tents as last resort... only used once as far as I have read. Very interesting.. and rather extreme!

Fozzy.. was the 43 actually smooth Friday the 10th? I was on it Sunday AM the 12th at the Grande Chute bridge.. we only ran 5 miles on the 43 heading west towards Kipawa and turned around as it was not so nice. Looked good but the moguls were forming. I noticed the QC map is now wrong west of Grande Chute as the chosen logging road changed this year. The 386 is also wrong... seems the computer folks have taken the winter off at FCMQ No harm to me as we were just buzzing around locally for a few hours, but surprised to see the 43 base as rough as it was... usually quite smooth. The local trail from KM4 to KM21 out of Swisha (different groomer than 43) was in similar shape.. and in need of TLC/grooming. No grooming yet this week which is understandable given the warm temps. Note that there is active logging out of Swisha this year Monday - Thursday... at KM8 and headed to KM18 any time soon(maybe already there?) and sharing the road is not really the agreement, and the contractor is free to sand/gravel the road as needed.

Search for "Pensive" on FB... they have been active in reporting sled status this season. Pensive is a gas/food stop at KM 57 up from Hwy 117 on what I think is known as Lepine Rd?? Road is from Clova down to Hwy 117 .. so west of Fer a Cheval

I am based in Swisha.. managed to find a way to cross the Ottawa river last weekend, so the ON side trails are an easy option now as well from camp. Still want to cut more holes to learn the ice though... never want to be over-confident on a river. Only challenge in QC now seems to be still no outside visitors in a private residence/camp... even with next week's updates they don't seem to want to relax that.

Agreed.. I've been doing short rides in QC based out of my own camp, but "with family or alone" was the previous direction. With all my burn downs in past years, and no cell service, I am gun shy on the alone part in remote areas. Getting old I guess. Looking to see if I am legally allowed to ride with a few friends, as 3 of us have camps very close to each other in QC. Just trying to avoid hassle/risk of a stupid fine... I have all the other obvious things as u mention above.

Anyone aware of an update after the Feb. 8th date passed? I understand the nighttime curfew is in place still, but how about sledding with a friend outside the bubble... that legal yet? Nothing under the News section of the FCMQ site where I found this last month. https://fcmq.qc.ca/en/news/press-release-confinement-january-9th-2021-february-8th-2021/

Triple R Outfitters is an option this winter for food/overnight ... well south of Pavillion on the 386, only about 15 miles north of Swisha... and a little older/rustic I am told. Subject to Covid rules of the week of course...

Thx for the info. I guess we will find soon enough how things will turn out on the 386. Grader was on the Dumoine Rd last week.. giving us a smooth base to start with as things are starting to turn white. Two snowfalls back in the Ottawa area this week, about 6 inches on the ground but set to melt in the next few days... which is OK as the ground is soft and warm still.

Thx for the info. Never heard of the early/late season $, but again, I guess it rests on the club volunteers to request that $ and line up an operator. I coordinated a groomer for a dozen years... a tough go most years. I did have a few good years of 7 days a week grooming all line up, but that came to an end as well. I guess it is a wait and see. I am in Swisha now, and yes, local word is the 386 will b groomed from the south, but finding a few reliable operators sounds like it is an endless challenge. Anyone looking for a part time winter job? Looks like the snow season starts in this area on Sunday/Monday. Beauty day today, +12 and no wind until sunset. Got the last of my camp jobs done today before the snow makes it slippery.

What r the odds that the federation can take the $ saved from the 3 closed trails around La Pavillion and that $ put into the 386 south? Two passes a week on the 386 trail would make it sweet! It is 100 miles one way from Swisha to the Pavllion, which means one pass a week, and usually is only good a few days after grooming. One groomer issue and there you go... mogul city. This is a sparsely populated area, and doesn't seem to have the grooming love that other parts of QC get to keep the trail top notch. I bought a pass from that local club ( pingions ) that last two years, and did not touch their trails either year as grooming ended mid-march. Never got a clear answer why, but the brief answers seemed to lean towards volunteer burnout.... which as a 15 yr volunteer club exec I can understand.

Nope.. nothing we saw... perfectly smooth trails all along that section on Tuesday Feb. 25th. Mt Apica Relay was 75% full for lunch, and the sun came out literally as we left the parking lot heading south

So, we ended up taking the 355 up on Monday AM. Fresh groom out of St Raymond area for about an hour... lunch at Lac Edward, and then up to Lac Bouchette was pretty good.. a few bumps. Awesome weather... -5 start and high of +2 or so and sun .. but snow stayed firm. That would be the weather for all 3 days.. we got very lucky on that front. There was next to no snow around Lac St Jean on Monday/Tues before the last storm. We stayed shore side at Les Chalets/Spa Only snow in the hills around it. It was +6 on Monday there so they lost a lot, some fields were 90% mud with the only snow to be found on the sled trails from constant grooming..... yet riding up in the hills it was just fine. The 23 on Tues south of Mt Apica to L'Etape and further south was absolute gold! Sunny blue skies, and not a bump to be found ( other than getting gas in L'Etape). Lots of traffic around Mt Apica area in the AM and at the relay for lunch .. but pretty quiet further south later in the day. As good as it gets!! ... warm but cool enough to have snow dust in the trail still and a flat and open as anyone could ask for. One of the rare trails where I could have used more HP out of my 800 Poo. Toured closer to Quebec City on Wed towards Mt St Anne area.... way too many roads and stop signs for my liking, but a few nice areas as well... then a full day in the truck for the Thursday snowstorm. 100% successful trip and no mechanical issue for the 7 sleds.

Thx all for the feedback.. loaded sleds today, have a spare sled with us just in case( last yr's trip ended on a tow rope for me) , and enjoyed the full sun and +2 C around Ottawa, got a local ride in after that today on sled B, and will take all your advice Monday AM on grooming data. The heat wave looks to be manageable.... with cool temps overnight early this week. Keep the rubber side on the ground ...looks like fun in the forecast with more sun peaking thru early this week.

Comments on these three routes... red, green, yellow? This St Raymond area to Lac St Jean and back. I prefer open riding rather than tight and twisty. All new area to us, so looking for feedback. No major sections of gravel or roads??.. as they will become bad quickly in the warmth. Travel is next Mon/Tues.... in the heat wave... looks like close to record highs temps... not our lucky day on that front. - large

Ottawa west.. ( BEAST ) will go yellow whenever the district office reads their email from Saturday AM and updates the trail guide.