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Northern Odyssey Ride


signfan

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Having a look at this for a possible trip this winter.  Any advice on it (where to stay, trails to ride, etc.)?  Never ridden New Brunswick, but it's getting a lot of good reviews.  Just fishing for info if anyone has any advice they can share.

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Signfan we did NB in 2018. Picture below is our Spot tracks from Gaspe in 2017, NB 2018. 

Gaspe was 5 days riding 1,600 km.

NB 5 days riding 1,900 km

We will definitely go back to NB, doing Gaspe again this winter, likely back to NB 2021.

NB is not quite as scenic as the Gaspe but still great riding. NB is fast, mostly logging roads and park roads. Gaspe lucky to average 50 kmph moving average on the GPS. In NB think moving average was 65-70 kmph couple days. So averaged 400 km per day vs 300 for Gaspe.

NB was cruising at speed like you would in western Quebec, except instead of being flat and straight you are always going up and down and around wide sweeping curves so you have to be engaged. Makes it fun.

We started in Edmunston, rode to Bathurst first day, spend 2 nights at Danny’s Hotel. Atlantic host is the other popular hotel in Bathurst. Did a day loop from Bathurst out to the east to the ocean. Believe call that the Acadian coast. Next time would skip that ride. Main trail is an old rail bed, lots of driveways to slow down for, flat and not much to see. 

Next day south to Maramichi, then headed west and Spend 2 nights in Riley Brook at the Bears Liar hunt camp. 

From there we rode south down to Hartland which has the long covered bridge,think something like 1,300 feet long. Beautiful country and riding down in that area. Then back up to Edmunston to complete our loop.

 

Next time we go will likely start from Rivière du Loop or someplace in Quebec then ride south into NB making Moose Valley Lodge first night stop. There’s several lodges in the mid part of the loop, I would need a map in front of me to refresh memory of the names and possible itinerary. Gas wasn’t an issue but you have to hit the spots mid province, usually gas at the lodges. Northern NB is remote, really not much there except logging and moose hunting so you need to be packing safety gear, tools etc.

lf you have already done the Gaspe and most of Quebec then NB is a great trip.05F37336-496B-4404-8BC7-A66B3F91C9F3.png.294148ae880fb01b36978e31e7548806.png

 

 

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Edited by Fuse6
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Fuse6, thanks for the info.

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10 hours ago, gobills said:

I think slomo has a ton of info about NB, hopefully he chimes in.

fuse6 covers it pretty well for the saddle bagging crowd - my usual thing is riding from a central spot on day trips. In actual fact I did enjoy the riding out around techdenis007's ancestral area around Tracadie area, but it was a nice sunny March day - did get off the main trails down roads etc. to see a few of the villages along the coast. Trail 12, which runs north and south of the province is also interesting in that you go through towns and villages along the St. John River. Trail conditions did not allow me to get much south of Woodstock, but next time I would push further south, perhaps even around St. Andrew's area if trails were available. The longest covered bridge in the world at Hartland is available on trail 44 - watch closely or you miss the turn off from trail 12. ( I did not see fuse6's longest covered bride - but did okay with the ladies while living in Fredericton years ago - brings back fond memories) No speed limit on New Brunswick trails, although this is being considered.

 

Trail reporting is a major sore point with me - shows last grooming, as opposed to open or closed, so be flexible. The map shares the same useless map backing as used in Ontario. Two years ago, New Brunswick realized that snowmobiling was their only viable winter tourism option and decided to put some money into it, (reported two years later in a 'you heard it here first' announcement by Craig Nicholson) but getting  better trail reporting doesn't seem part of the plan. I have in the past had conversations both with the provincial body and tourism New Brunswick  hoping for some changes - they seemed to be amused by my trail reports on the forum here - but, like Ontario, same old, same old.

 

Email the head office and they will send you a paper map.

 

I liked these guys tour:

 

https://sledmagazine.com/actions/page?docId=9008&ctx=&p=Snowmobile Tour in New Brunswick&request_locale=en

 

In Edmundston, check out either location of the Pirate restaurant - lobster rolls all year round. If really planning for the future, research the retirement community set up on old military property in Miramichi - kind of like  the Elliot Lake retirement community.

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Motorhead said:

Try to incorporate the Serpentine Lodge in your N.B. plan. It's a bit rustic but warm and welcome. Great back country riding.

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What a character the owner of the Serpentine Lodge is. He was entertaining us during lunch, someone was taking a picture because his beautiful dog was inside with him . Said "don't take my picture l'm on unemployment " 

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Yes he is a entertaining fellow. Food is good and he can hussle around. He had to go out the evening we arrived to plow his 100km rd  out and back to insure his fuel delivery would make it. Came back at 3am and was up for 6am. Some rig he used as well.

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Signfan, I'm going to Gateway later this week, I should have 4 new New Brunswick maps in my  mailbox I ordered a couple weeks ago. Can drop one off there if you would like.

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12 hours ago, Fuse6 said:

Signfan, I'm going to Gateway later this week, I should have 4 new New Brunswick maps in my  mailbox I ordered a couple weeks ago. Can drop one off there if you would like.

Tell them to hurry up with my ATV, been in there for almost 3 weeks now!

Had to borrow one from a neighbour, just to plow the driveway this week.

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7 hours ago, Bigfish said:

Tell them to hurry up with my ATV, been in there for almost 3 weeks now!

Had to borrow one from a neighbour, just to plow the driveway this week.

They keep putting me off on picking up my new sled also.

l think Someone that rides a new 900NA, hauls it in a new Triton trailer and wears a flawless Oxygen helmet is getting priority service. 

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2 minutes ago, Fuse6 said:

They keep putting me off on picking up my new sled also.

l think Someone that rides a new 900NA, hauls it in a new Triton trailer and wears a flawless Oxygen helmet is getting priority service. 

The excuse I got was they are too busy wrapping boats!

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bathursttrails.com

Above is the web site for the Nepisguit Snowmobile Club, Bathurst NB

Anyone interested in NB just follow this club. They have the most informative club site I have ever seen.

Updated daily with grooming and weather details. 

Good source for maps etc.

Follow it for awhile and you will soon have a feel for what the weather and trail conditions are for much northern NB

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