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THE GRATED FLOOR BRIDGE AT JOACHIMS


PISTON LAKE CRUISER

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I'm planning our yearly saddlebag trip. Would like to start in Mattawa, ride down to Rolphton for fuel and lunch then into Quebec. The only issue at this point is getting  the 4 sleds across the bridge on the Swisha Road with the grated floor . 

Does anyone know of a contact in that area that could put us in touch with someone who could trailer our sleds across the bridge? Don't want to put the carbides our the ski wheelz through that crossing.

Thanks in advance for any help.

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You could make some custom wooden skins out of fence boards and tie then on with some wire. Cross over the bridge and toss them in the woods and use them for the return trip.

 

Jerry

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1 hour ago, grover_yyz said:

You could make some custom wooden skins out of fence boards and tie then on with some wire. Cross over the bridge and toss them in the woods and use them for the return trip.

 

Jerry

Actually you may have put me onto something Jerry. How about old hyfax if I can figure a way to hold them on the carbides.

We are planning to come back into Ontario at Temiscaming so only crossing the bridge once. 

Signfan the bridge is nasty and quite long. Will try to post a picture of it if I can find one. 

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Blake has included a link below that  shows how bad the bridge is. Thanks Blake

 

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1 hour ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Actually you may have put me onto something Jerry. How about old hyfax if I can figure a way to hold them on the carbides.

We are planning to come back into Ontario at Temiscaming so only crossing the bridge once. 

Signfan the bridge is nasty and quite long. Will try to post a picture of it if I can find one. 

I know the bridge. I also have a picture of it somewhere. I tried to cross with the ski wheels down and i thought the wheels would break off so i turned back.

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I drove my truck over it a couple of years ago. I remember thinking that the crossing would be 'iffy' w/ a sled.

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Steel grate bridges like are really hard on studded tracks, had a buddy that ripped a few out on that exact bridge. Didn't notice till he got up to speed and heard and felt something strange with the track, one clear pull out and flapper stud hitting the heat exchanger. He caught it and cut the flapper off before it chiseled right through his exchanger. 

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So the $M question. If this is such a horrendous thing to cross, why would a club even include this as a snowmobile trail route?

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2 minutes ago, 02Sled said:

So the $M question. If this is such a horrendous thing to cross, why would a club even include this as a snowmobile trail route?

it's the only way to cross the Ottawa river into Quebec for miles either way!

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If i remember correctly, theres a bridge crossing in rapide-sept, north east of Belleterre Quebec, and south west of Valdor. It is grated like the bridge at swisha. Also pretty sure the damn crossing at the abitibi canyon is the same. In both instances the club or whoever has placed thing plate steel down for a pathway over it for the sleds. Wonder why they do not do the same here for sleds...

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16 minutes ago, IQ TURBO said:

If i remember correctly, theres a bridge crossing in rapide-sept, north east of Belleterre Quebec, and south west of Valdor. It is grated like the bridge at swisha. Also pretty sure the damn crossing at the abitibi canyon is the same. In both instances the club or whoever has placed thing plate steel down for a pathway over it for the sleds. Wonder why they do not do the same here for sleds...

Jeff, Its a very long bridge that actually looks like 2 separate bridges that meet at the middle abutment. It is an Ontario bridge according to the Quebec trail maps so maybe I'll get Dougie working on it LOL . I do understand why the roads department wouldn't want to cover it as it is self cleaning the way it is.

It will make a nice 300 km. day from Mattawa to Pavillon de Verendrye if we can make it work. Looks like 176 km. from Rapides des Joachims with not no stops between.

 

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38 minutes ago, IQ TURBO said:

If i remember correctly, theres a bridge crossing in rapide-sept, north east of Belleterre Quebec, and south west of Valdor. It is grated like the bridge at swisha. Also pretty sure the damn crossing at the abitibi canyon is the same. In both instances the club or whoever has placed thing plate steel down for a pathway over it for the sleds. Wonder why they do not do the same here for sleds...

Pretty sure that bridge at Rapide-Sept also crosses the Ottawa River Jeff.

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Yes the bridge does cross part of the Ottawa River from the hydro dam near Rolphton. Years ago there was talk that the quebec club was going to put rubber on it but for some reason it did not happen.  The bridge is owned by the federal government and I was lead to believe the bridge is in quebec.

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55 minutes ago, KCC said:

Yes the bridge does cross part of the Ottawa River from the hydro dam near Rolphton. Years ago there was talk that the quebec club was going to put rubber on it but for some reason it did not happen.  The bridge is owned by the federal government and I was lead to believe the bridge is in quebec.

I commented that it was an Ontario bridge because if you zoom in on the Quebec Interactive map which uses Google maps the dotted line for the border is actually on the edge of the island. I'm wondering if that is the case so that Ontario would have the south channel around the island and the north channel would be a Quebec waterway. Map could be incorrect as well. 

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I have been crossing that bridge for decades and never had an issue. We have a house in Stonecliffe and ride to Val Dor etc. crossing that bridge never an issue. It's not as bad as it looks but to each there own as it's nice to have that trail to ourselves since its one of the best rides in the west side of Quebec.

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  • 5 weeks later...

And I thought riding dry roads was hard on the machines...

1975327783_swishardbridge.thumb.JPG.25dca350c3fb8f560c1bd4361f8d7f31.JPG

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Ouch... that's where a set of ski wheels would sure come in handy

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I have a pal who lives in Beachburg, crosses there VERY regularly, (studded track, heavy sled, vicious carbides on Split rail skis) who says he has no issues crossing. 

I'd imagine wheels would drop right into those openings. 

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 You can bypass dam @ Rapide-Sept by taking road around!

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