slomo Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Been keeping an eye on the weather and conditions in this part of Quebec - blizzard blew across west to east yesterday, gave them some time to clean up the roads and surface the trails - arrived this afternoon. Beaucoup de neige. Last time I went through here, the rain had pretty well beaten everything down. From my location in Ontario, this area is a shorter and much better drive than to Cochrane and environs and a four lane highway the entire route as well. Once again, my Prime Ministerial command of the French language came in handy as the lady at the motel check in did not speak English. This included having to change rooms as "mon cle ne march pas" as the door lock did not work. Got settled in and out for about 20 kilometer initiation tour before dark and get the cob webs out of the sled. Here's a few pics: And that is the mighty St. Lawrence in the background Looking forward to some good sun rise shots in the am..... Meantime to return briefly to the Lanaudierre area in which I was sledding at last report.....here's some info that might make judging trail conditions easier....they give a list of "sectors" on the trail reports, but this doesn't really make sense unless you actually follow the link to the map and use the little links to determine where each sector is as in the example below: Did not know this before starting out this last trip. Will be smarted next time. Tough work though and takes time to get used to it. As Slow Touring Guy used to say.............................................................Slow Touring Guy said a lot of things..... I think I will head to the hills tomorrow.....more later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Must'a been a "mini' blizzard? Are those "mits" on your handlebars? I have an old set of Doo mits that I have used for years, and they are just plain shot. Mine are just foam, not the big heavy ones that are better suited for touring. It looks like yours may be similar. ??? I like your rack. Don't see many go that route anymore, but that makes things SO much better for stowing. Toss a bungee net over the top and drive on! edit: What's the wheel on your ski(s?) Does that somehow facilitate garage use, or use as a disk blade to act like a scratcher? Sure hope those fields turn into bush roads soon! edit II: Seems pretty far N for dairy farms? . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobills Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Looks good have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme600 Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Awesome info Slomo. Can't wait for more of your reports. Agree with you on STG also. LOL Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigfish Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 17 hours ago, Ox said: I like your rack. I usually get in trouble saying that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobills Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 6 hours ago, Bigfish said: I usually get in trouble saying that Or a slap LOL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomo Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Day 2 Got up a little later on day 2 and was over cast so didn't get the sun rise shots I was hoping for, but temps were up to a comfortable -14 to start so that was an improvement....headed south from the motel to ride some of the major trails easterly.....over all mid winter conditions with a few thin spots on trails shared with camp roads and on some road running and way better than snow here passing through on Boxing Day...... here are a few pictures representative of the various terrain.... Not sure what horse sh*t excuse is being used in Ontario to prevent better signage, but I sure like the ones they use here.... Get a few of these with winter wheat pictures on them.... Expresses dangerous crossing over road and then over the bridge to meet trail....good language lesson as well....beaucoup les temps quand je nai pas compris, je dit "lentement ci vous plait!" Icey condition On this long steep trail for which there was no vantage point for a good picture detailing just how high and long it was, my ears popped due to altitude change! During the course of my travels, dropped in to the Hiboux clubhouse out by La Pocatiere for a quick coffee .....way back in a time long ago and in a land far away ....Lethbridge, Alberta .....we visited the Birds of Prey in nearby Coaldale.....where ms. slomo realized she had a liking for owls.... An excellent place to visit if you're in the area.....you get to hold the birds and feed them.... http://www.burrowingowl.com/learn/profiles.php So figured I'd surprise ms. slomo with a New Year's gift - although we Druids follow a different calendar.... Loosely translated..... moé cht'un hiboux Я сова toé té tu un hiboux? Ты сова? Off again today.....more later probably in a westerly direction..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomo Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 On 1/2/2019 at 7:44 PM, Ox said: I like your rack. Don't see many go that route anymore, but that makes things SO much better for stowing. Toss a bungee net over the top and drive on! I no longer carry the large emergency bear skin rug due to your advice about it being heavy when waterlogged. Thanks! Quote edit: What's the wheel on your ski(s?) Does that somehow facilitate garage use, or use as a disk blade to act like a scratcher? They work well on pavement.....the Super 8 Kapuskasing lot in March....sorry picture won't flip... Quote edit II: Seems pretty far N for dairy farms? Udderly tough cows around here... (channeling Wild Bill) Quote can't delete this box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobills Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Looks great, and yes they do have way better signage there i agree with you 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomo Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Accomodation tip.... Before the big rain around Xmas, I had originally booked at Auberge Cap Martin in La Pocatiere.....nice motel, restaurant, gas next door. However, this time when I was planning noticed that trail 553 was closed while all other trails in the area were open. During yesterday's venture, realized that the physical geography down to La Pocatiere made it difficult to open the trail with marginal snow.... So making sure that any connecting trail to accomodation is open or else you won't be able to access the trail system. Ended up staying in St. Jean Port Joli - motel is in an area of 2 gas stations, Tim Hortons, McDonalds, and a few other things and the trail to the main system is more physically compatible for low snow use. Motel could use some work though. Conditions posted today - nothing to worry about! https://chaudiereappalaches.com/en/snowmobile/snowmobile-trail-conditions/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledjunk Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Great report, slomo. Keep 'em coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Re "signage": Personally I hate all the signs. I ride a trail in the bush and I want it to look like wilderness bush! Plus all those signs take time and money. Is there an overabundance of those ? Then - in stead of not over-riding your line of sight - you are counting on signs, and then when one sign is missing and you pile it up - the club is responsible? You could tare them all down other than turn signs at the concessions so we know which way to go, and stop signs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PISTON LAKE CRUISER Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 18 minutes ago, Ox said: Re "signage": Personally I hate all the signs. I ride a trail in the bush and I want it to look like wilderness bush! Plus all those signs take time and money. Is there an overabundance of those ? Then - in stead of not over-riding your line of sight - you are counting on signs, and then when one sign is missing and you pile it up - the club is responsible? You could tare them all down other than turn signs at the concessions so we know which way to go, and stop signs. The signs are on the trails for 3 reasons. To lessen liability to the OFSC in case of lawsuits, the presence of some of the signs is demanded by the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario for the trail to be legal and they make the ride safer for sledders. I'd hate to think what the insurance bill would be without signs present if the OFSC could even get insurance coverage in that case. There are approx. 13 approved cautionary and regulatory trail signs on OFSC trails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka1 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said: The signs are on the trails for 3 reasons. To lessen liability to the OFSC in case of lawsuits, the presence of some of the signs is demanded by the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario for the trail to be legal and they make the ride safer for sledders. I'd hate to think what the insurance bill would be without signs present if the OFSC could even get insurance coverage in that case. There are approx. 13 approved cautionary and regulatory trail signs on OFSC trails. Correct-we had a trail closed up here a couple of years ago/someone went down it and got injured and we still got sued! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 USE TRAIL AT YOUR OWN RISK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, Ox said: USE TRAIL AT YOUR OWN RISK meaningless.... people still sue and if there was any negligence on the part of the club the OFSC is liable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Define negligence? If it was decided that they didn't need to doo any more than the basics, then not signing the rest would not be negligent. Other than aesthetics, all the signage starts down a rabbit hole. Now every Gomer is expecting that any little dip in the trail coming up will be signed. And if it's not? If a hole opens up? Then what? The precedent's has been set that they can expect anything other than the Corridor Du Norde to have every curve signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 "Sue" I have a CNC lathe that was retrofitted somewhere down the 401 corridor several years ago. (before I bought it) I forget what it was that I didn't like about it, but I asked them if they would edit the ladder to opperate like I wanted. "Sure, we can doo that!" .. .. "Uh, you're state-side eh? ... Uh, I think we will pass...." "What?" "Yanks like to sue over everything." . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PISTON LAKE CRUISER Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 13 minutes ago, Ox said: Define negligence? If it was decided that they didn't need to doo any more than the basics, then not signing the rest would not be negligent. Other than aesthetics, all the signage starts down a rabbit hole. Now every Gomer is expecting that any little dip in the trail coming up will be signed. And if it's not? If a hole opens up? Then what? The precedent's has been set that they can expect anything other than the Corridor Du Norde to have every curve signed. A slow sign for a hazard ahead such as a sharp turn or bridge is installed 100- 120 metres before the hazard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Ox said: Define negligence? If it was decided that they didn't need to doo any more than the basics, then not signing the rest would not be negligent. Other than aesthetics, all the signage starts down a rabbit hole. Now every Gomer is expecting that any little dip in the trail coming up will be signed. And if it's not? If a hole opens up? Then what? The precedent's has been set that they can expect anything other than the Corridor Du Norde to have every curve signed. That's where a judge comes in. The plaintiff says negligent the defendant say not. In today's world so many people will sue for all kinds of things. Things like people scalding themselves on hot coffee. Why do you think those coffee cups now have warnings on them that the contents are hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I could have lived in the 50's so much easier.... But the best sleds of the day were old Model T's, so .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinental couch Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 My mother said she lived in the best generation. Not so many rules and licences. Nobody had any money back then but we were happier I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 16 minutes ago, catinental couch said: My mother said she lived in the best generation. Not so many rules and licences. Nobody had any money back then but we were happier I believe. looking back I would say I would have liked to have been born about 10 - 15 years sooner. I would have been in my 30's during the 70's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka1 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 3 hours ago, 02Sled said: meaningless.... people still sue and if there was any negligence on the part of the club the OFSC is liable. Exactly-lawyers know the OFSC has a big policy and they try to go after their piece of pie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 minute ago, Muskoka1 said: Exactly-lawyers know the OFSC has a big policy and they try to go after their piece of pie! In so many instances it is driven by greed from the people who see an opportunity to get something for nothing. They exaggerate their situation and hope for an out of court settlement. Essentially the insurance company is paying you to go away and stop bothering them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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