Cote Nord Trip 🐳
Trail Day 2 Monday 9 March
Great food and service at the Danube Blue.
Julie at dinner was great. Then Denise this morning at breakfast. On it. It Makes a difference when you have competent people on your restaurant floor. Or anywhere these days i guess, more than ever. Shortage of real customer service.
8:32 start track. Out back of hotel we are only sleds here. Local Trail groomed from here to Junction with TQ3 here groomer went West.
Sad but actually did not need it. We head east first run further up than Forestville in six seasons. Doesn’t seem possible. Last time in 2020 we finished our ride we were in Les Escoumins I call home and Mrs. ice was saying hey there is this Virus and they are talking of closing schools and maybe the border. What?
Crazy train. All aboard.
Well back to it. Happy to be here and riding this section. Trail is very nice. Hard too. This time is almost simultaneous the call from Snohorse and NHmoose “smelling slides”
We deploy one scratcher each it would not ge needed long. Getting warm.
Alot, of all new to me trail here. Like I have never ridden it before because most I haven’t. The big new bypass and reroute is awesome, cannot believe no one mentioned how wicked awesome the views are now, Big mountain views, valleys and lakes. Lots of Poweline gone. Love this new route. Trail is spectacular and private. Have seen no one. We cruise on east. Here the trail is familiar soon we arrive at warming hut Bolide des Ragneau. Trail is mint. But It’s hot getting very sweaty. Decided to change out and remove heavier layer. While i was here. Turned out to be the best thing, so much more comfortable. Leave warming hut and zoom through valley there and almost at the end where trail goes hard right headed east. 5 sleds headed west. First sleds all day. We continue on and arrive at Chute des Outardes. Here the trail is the reroute and is snirty bad here still passable but ugly here on of road on bunny trail. Then need to ride on RT138 to cross bridge.
Typical Quebec, it’s ok 👍 you Can ride on RT138 Baie Comeau Cote Nord, but it’s a no go 👎 requires a trailer service for RT132 in Riviere Madeline in Gaspe. Makes perfect sense.
We gas at the Esso before getting to big bridge. Continue on east and stop to take all the pictures at the famous bridge.
We are all alone.
Time to move on going to explore.
Never been up this 444 trail today that changes. A trail I will return to when here, wow. The beginning is like practice for the roller coaster trail. But the payoff on the other side. Spectacular run up and back. Love the chalets like mini towns and some all alone. Real paradise up here 25-30 miles north of Baie Comeau. We go to Lac Baleine turn and burn. Pass two headed down from chalet towing toboggan. We love this trail. Back track to 443 left turn short orange local back to ski hill in Baie Comeau and TQ3. This here a mini roller coaster trail of its own. Its been getting very grey for and hour now. Big wind and it starts spitting rain. Just enough from Ski Hill and past trail to ferry. Gets us just damp enough. Trail disintegrated here in town. Wow TQ3 is rough in this sector of town. Totally different not far from here. To gas and dep for supplies then right next door up trail to Travel Lodge. Never been here. Seems like it has the required resources. So it’s a wrap on day 2 all good. Fun times had by all. Making it up as we go somewhat. Bingo of the 444 was planned, it was on radar.
Now tomorrow……hearing trail is not spectacular from here to Riviere Penticote 100 miles give or take. Spoke with only two other sleds here. Said not great. They came from Riviere Penticote heading for truck in Tadoussac, from Laval.
We going for it gonna see what it is. After that section should be great all the way to end of grooming at Riviere Moisie our target this run.
Then big storm to deal with and deciding where to hold up if need be. Temperatures looking favorable after tonight.
Stay tuned.
By
iceman ·
