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St.Raymond Quebec - March 8 - 12


slomo

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We check in....

 

Inspired by ancient snowmobile touring stories by Slow Touring Guy et femme, Irreverent, sledjunk et al, particularly aspects relating to the baronial mansions occupied on such trips, decided to search out similar for this March's vacance and ended up here at

Au Chalet en Bois Rond - (chalets constructed of large round logs) proximate to Saint Raymond, Quebec, about 60 kilometers by trail to Quebec city. It is a village of some very fancy vacation homes with multiple winter activities available.

 

Website - worth looking at:

https://www.auchaletenboisrond.com/en 

 

Not bad as you can see - pica.thumb.JPG.2cff48c1381849b66b71e255e53ad42c.JPG

 

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ms slomo stashes the M&M's frozen entrees collected on sale over the past few weeks - effortless meals...highly recommended (although not by Canada Food Guide)

 

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I pick up a spare gas can for the skidoo in the gift shop while waiting for the 4 pm check in time - French and English service available.

 

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and spend some time figuring how to enter the tours suggested by 'Kilometer Zero - Saint Raymond' onto my phone.

http://motoneigesaintraymond.com/snowmobile-trails-km-zero/?lang=en

 

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which ended up being somewhat a waste of time, as not completely understanding how trail 73 overlaps 23 or trail 3 I was soon lost, which given my particular style of sledding was actually a benefit....a few trail pics from activity on the next day.....

 

The chalet being as comfortable as it is, pulled a Blake and got a late start at 7 am...

 

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There is a well maintained secondary trail from the resort village to the main trail....where I meet the first of possible trail hazards...

 

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onto the main trail -

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The geography in the area leads to trails through St Lawrence river valley plains and flat area, some woods and low rising hills - not as mountainous as Chaudierre Appalache area visited earlier in the year...

 

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Horse races across the trail?

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There is supposed to be blizzard weather here over the next couple of days - hope to get more touring in depending on grooming schedules etc. Plan B in case we get snowed in -

haven't played with these in years....

 

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more later hopefully sledding related.....

 

 

 

.

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Out and away this morning before the scheduled heavy snow begins - expecting 12 inches and high winds over the next 24 hours. Anticipating a possible power outage, it is time to bunker down - got the emergency coleman stove out, filled the bathtub with water for flushes (chalet has pump) and got some food cooked to warm up for later.

 

 

This morning's ride.....sky has a forbidding aspect....

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Cathedral shot for Canuck wherever he may be...

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I think the guy with the rifle has the advantage....

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Part of the trail is a bike path in the summer.....at this place a bike mechanic has set up shop....

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One of those new fangled inflatable portable outhouses outside a rest stop... looks like a few people missed the target...

 

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which was pretty nice inside.....propane fireplace....saves chopping firewood....

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trail side folk art....some sort of gallery at this location but closed for the winter....

 

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It's more than just  the sites you experience on a snowmobile....there's also the aroma of wood smoke as you pass people's wood stoves....the aroma of animals....

 

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and the aroma of decomposing manure waiting next to the irrigation sprinklers for the next growing season...

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We are here until Tuesday when we move to another destination.....hope to get another ride in on trails such as these...

 

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meantime....with the big storm on and a power outage likely, don't want to use up our life saving ammunition all at once....

 

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That fire wood doesn't grow on trees you know! oh wait....

 

 

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Hi Slomo,

Looks like perfect accommodations, especially if you can't ride much for a day due to the storm. Adds so much to a sled trip when you can stay at places like that. Nothing beats a wood fireplace after riding for a day.

I'm only an hour and a half south of you now. Enjoyed my ride in the Chaudiere Applaches two weeks ago came back this week with my wife for a mini saddle bag trip. Started at Princeville, spend last night in Thetford Mine at LaCache Du Maine. It's a new 4+ star hotel/spa. New but modern and sterile. I would trade your cabin in the woods for it in a heart beat. We arrived this afternoon at 3:00 at the Manoir Lac Etchemin Hotel. Was snowing and blowing pretty good by the time we got in. Hopefully doesn't blow to hard tonight so we can still ride tomorrow.

Really enjoy all your pictures, looking forward to more from rest your trip.

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13 hours ago, Fuse6 said:

Hi Slomo,

Looks like perfect accommodations, especially if you can't ride much for a day due to the storm. Adds so much to a sled trip when you can stay at places like that. Nothing beats a wood fireplace after riding for a day.

I'm only an hour and a half south of you now. Enjoyed my ride in the Chaudiere Applaches two weeks ago came back this week with my wife for a mini saddle bag trip. Started at Princeville, spend last night in Thetford Mine at LaCache Du Maine. It's a new 4+ star hotel/spa. New but modern and sterile. I would trade your cabin in the woods for it in a heart beat. We arrived this afternoon at 3:00 at the Manoir Lac Etchemin Hotel. Was snowing and blowing pretty good by the time we got in. Hopefully doesn't blow to hard tonight so we can still ride tomorrow.

Really enjoy all your pictures, looking forward to more from rest your trip.

Power is still on here, so while waiting for sun up had a look at your accommodations - pretty impressive....

 

http://lacachedudomaine.com/en/services/accommodation/

 

Could imagine this one next to Ramsay Lake in Sudbury.....who needs a Science Center anyway....city needs better trail side accommodations..

 

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Modern rooms all right....

 

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at Lac Etchemin...

 

https://manoirlacetchemin.com/en/

 

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Here, ms. slomo so far has driven a dog sled, helped feed some new husky pups, skated on the roundy rink, done the snowshoe path, gone on the tubing hill a few times and got some cross country skiing in. There is also a good selection of locally brewed beer and wine at the convenience store on site. There is almost a foot of new snow with more on the way - still hoping to get out on the sled for a few hours if the wind is not too bad for visibility.

 

I don't like to dwell on a possible end of the sledding season coming up there being so much snow around here, but with melts, rain and run offs you never know how long it will last - but as  I look back one of my best sledding moments was in the area around St. Jean Port Joli - Chaudierre Appalachie region....

 

Lined up to take this scenic....

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Was about to pocket the camera when I heard another machine from behind and was all set to get this...splash of colour added a whole new dimension.

 

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 if you get over to La Pocatiere get yourselves some new sweat shirts - lady at the club says the translation for sweat shirt is chemise....

 

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Good luck today!

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Bought a few of those sweat shirts last year.  We wanted to be owls too.  My wife wears hers all the time.

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8 hours ago, AC+YA said:

Bought a few of those sweat shirts last year.  We wanted to be owls too.  My wife wears hers all the time.

Mine too!

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24 minutes ago, slomo said:

Mine too!

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Perfect place for her, shoveling so you don't have to !!

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A dump of snow....Yep, you could say that  ....pic01a.thumb.JPG.f6228b21989d738504bfb5d97bee1ed8.JPG

 

Got off to a real slow start on our last day here today.....roof let go with a load of snow a few times, had to dig ourselves out, then the vehicles, driveway into the place was deep with snow as well....spotted the snow blowing tractor going by and got his attention.....

 

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Around 10 am ventured out on the sled - not expecting anything to be groomed and poor visibility.....wasn't 100 yards from the village when I stopped to help a woman on a rental sled who lost sight of the trail and took a wrong turn..... as this picture shows.....

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and this is where she got stuck.

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She was travelling with a developmentally challenged individual who was not a lot of help.....neither was that snow bunge I got on sale but misplaced the directions...cell phone worked briefly and was able to contact the rental guys at the village who sent out two guys to help. Machine got out, but all turned back. Later, put about 50 km's in just riding the snow covered roads - saw a half dozen other sleds doing the same.

 

Tried the trails again later in the afternoon before loading the sled on the trailer - snow had stopped by this time and conditions were better....no grooming at first...pic05a.thumb.JPG.d55dce7dccd99a6c9cd9a539eed4ae8e.JPG

 

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But the main trails were in great shape....traffic smoothed them out

 

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Passing the local Saint Raymond groomer garage noticed someone had made a groomer pass and I  just followed it....

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And so after four or so delightful hours, returned back to the cabin.....the roof completely bare by then and smoke from the chimney....pic13.thumb.JPG.da317e90a58ac63f1bb6ea3c265c07c2.JPG

 

And decided it was safe to burn our emergency fire wood after all.....

 

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Off to a more northerly area tomorrow - many of the accommodations have some very restrictive cancellation policies - trails closed? tough break - so split up this holiday thinking that if snow conditions were bad or trails were closed at one point, moving north might afford a better chance at good conditions. Looks like rain all over later in the week, but hope to get a couple more decent sledding days in. Lac Taureau here we come. Will investigate and report on the karaoke apparently there in case IQTurbo is interested.

 

 

 

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Nice pics slomo beautiful area around St Raymond enjoy the trails

Zrtkat

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1 hour ago, slomo said:

A dump of snow....Yep, you could say that  ....pic01a.thumb.JPG.f6228b21989d738504bfb5d97bee1ed8.JPG

 

Got off to a real slow start on our last day here today.....roof let go with a load of snow a few times, had to dig ourselves out, then the vehicles, driveway into the place was deep with snow as well....spotted the snow blowing tractor going by and got his attention.....

 

pic02.thumb.JPG.0fef92e3e66d13d8bf0ac4d9e720304a.JPG

 

Around 10 am ventured out on the sled - not expecting anything to be groomed and poor visibility.....wasn't 100 yards from the village when I stopped to help a woman on a rental sled who lost sight of the trail and took a wrong turn..... as this picture shows.....

pic04.thumb.JPG.ae8ccbdc77186a3d3ca2cd6bd16ce272.JPG

 

and this is where she got stuck.

pic05.thumb.JPG.fc0b5ae3c3d862bc82d388e5a50c6db3.JPG

 

She was travelling with a developmentally challenged individual who was not a lot of help.....neither was that snow bunge I got on sale but misplaced the directions...cell phone worked briefly and was able to contact the rental guys at the village who sent out two guys to help. Machine got out, but all turned back. Later, put about 50 km's in just riding the snow covered roads - saw a half dozen other sleds doing the same.

 

Tried the trails again later in the afternoon before loading the sled on the trailer - snow had stopped by this time and conditions were better....no grooming at first...pic05a.thumb.JPG.d55dce7dccd99a6c9cd9a539eed4ae8e.JPG

 

pic06.thumb.JPG.a8cd862682f9cfe22a51e82a6683fb18.JPG

 

But the main trails were in great shape....traffic smoothed them out

 

pic07.thumb.JPG.350308e79f7fa9d310f3048d775d86cf.JPG

 

Passing the local Saint Raymond groomer garage noticed someone had made a groomer pass and I  just followed it....

pic09.thumb.JPG.35e9912efa4004c08e88289a6c9007ae.JPG

 

pic10.thumb.JPG.1d4783d138da3923a37d640a7acda9ac.JPG

 

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pic12.thumb.JPG.86a8c606c5ba673250fdcfa9c92fe0bb.JPG

 

And so after four or so delightful hours, returned back to the cabin.....the roof completely bare by then and smoke from the chimney....pic13.thumb.JPG.da317e90a58ac63f1bb6ea3c265c07c2.JPG

 

And decided it was safe to burn our emergency fire wood after all.....

 

pic15.thumb.JPG.ede15d377a661cdbeacbbb33ba8e074f.JPG

 

Off to a more northerly area tomorrow - many of the accommodations have some very restrictive cancellation policies - trails closed? tough break - so split up this holiday thinking that if snow conditions were bad or trails were closed at one point, moving north might afford a better chance at good conditions. Looks like rain all over later in the week, but hope to get a couple more decent sledding days in. Lac Taureau here we come. Will investigate and report on the karaoke apparently there in case IQTurbo is interested.

 

 

 

Ask Evil about her karaoke performance in Valdor this year. I have video proof..

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Quebec truly is snowmobiling paradise, looking forward to our 4th visit this season next Wed-Sun. 

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On 3/11/2019 at 10:06 PM, carman80 said:

Quebec truly is snowmobiling paradise, looking forward to our 4th visit this season next Wed-Sun. 

Takes some work and research to get to know the province, tourism regions, trail reporting, accommodations etc. - but well worth it. Hope your trip this weekend is successful!- noticed your post on Quebec Rider forum.

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On 3/14/2019 at 1:08 PM, slomo said:

Takes some work and research to get to know the province, tourism regions, trail reporting, accommodations etc. - but well worth it. Hope your trip this weekend is successful!- noticed your post on Quebec Rider forum.

We leave Wednesday, hopefully the temps drop and the groomers start rolling. 

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