Cote Nord Trip 🐳
Trail Day 4 Wednesday March 11
7am breakfast downstairs at Hotel. Nothing fancy but did the job.
Plan is simple we are running to the trucks now.
Les Escoumins tonight. Out on sleds rolling at 8am trying to beat heavier snow and stronger winds forecast later this afternoon.
Maxim (Max) manager at Travel Lodge him, along with Mia and Macey very helpful super friendly and speak English too. Great option in Baie Comeau, with by far easiest access. Very snowmobile friendly. Ski Doo Dealer on same trail.
Its still real icy not alot of crumbs or anything some real glare ice in many spots. Scratchers are working. Just before big reroute to go on road over bridge in Chute Outardes, Along the road incoming from Snowhorse’s radio “cop” huh?
I glance left and he is pacing us alongside on road. We are barely doing 60km its pure ice we are just trying to get out of town. He drives off.
We pass the earthen dam at Manic 1 (I think that is it) and come to where the detour really starts. Right where you go out and down to the road over bridge. All on the single track trail.
Cop is parked here waiting. Seeing us jumps out walks over, seen him from far. Pull up and shut it down. Asking where we going I tell him. He takes quick look probably for mirrors then says to the guys where are you from, the usual. Then asks for paperwork but quickly changes his mind once we begin reaching for it. Maybe a test to see our reactions to his request? Anyway he said in English to us nevermind, have a safe ride. I told him thank you and you be safe as well out there. We went our separate ways. But our shadow watched to make sure we made full stops at the road crossings there and the Employees parking lot you cross also.
There is a sign in French at road over bridge says only one snowmobile at a time on the bridge. alternating sides if necessary.
Interesting. Must be a gong show on weekends in season. We did the one at a time, as our shadow was parked up the hill looking I am sure.
Apex hot now, showing Yellow light. Can’t scratch up frozen mud to aid cooling. All before bridge here its bare. I roll on and it took longer than I would have liked but light went off never saw it again.
Once clear of town and past Club House Bolides Ragneau, this trail improves quite a bit still hard but some snow dust here. Its a start we are heading back towards snowmobiling not icemobiling.
Absolutely love this new TQ3 configuration with the Pessamitt bypass. So great the trail and the views. We roll on two sleds pass other way going north, we exchange bonjours but they were anglophones like us. Heard them talking on radios before seeing them.
Just at 10:30 snow begins here outside Forestville.
Snowy in Forestville
Gas and call to Les Escoumins to secure the exact rooms we want.
We roll. There is new snow here, scratchers are finished. (Thank you for all you did for me, without you I would be nowhere far.)
Direction Portneuf sur mer, we take by pass and cut corner. TQ3 now to Escoumins, more frosting here trail still slippery under. We make great time
2hr 50 minutes to Forrestville from Baie Comeau
Then 1hr 35 minutes to Les Escoumins.
Arrive at trucks it’s blowing good now. Not the worst I seen here as storms go. But it’s a good one.
John and I make the run to Grocery store and are well provisioned.
Will evaluate in morning. Snohorse and I are very interested to wait a day if necessary to see some purple. NHmoose is looking for weather window to extricate himself from up here its 10 hrs to home for him easy. We have hard stop for this run as I really need to be back on Sunday latest at home.
Looking like Friday and Sunday are two black trail days, to drive out of here. When sleds are in box behind truck if I have choice it’s gonna be a black trail not a white one.
No pictures today. Sorry.
Will see what happens.
Stay Tuned……
By
iceman ·
