Here's some light reading I found for the enthusiastic snow riders:
Sleds start up in late November and run until late April - yes thats 22 weeks to ride the trails!
Its mid February and my riding partner and her husband Paul and I are busy loading up the truck and trailer, preparing for our next tour in the majestic Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Quebec. A unique destination with 3,300 km of wide groomed trails, and where the snowflakes start falling and they just keep on coming. The region is ideally situated, with spectacular mountain heights that range from 700 to 1100 meters, with panoramic scenery of wilderness and one of Canadas 50 wonders, the majestic Fjoud. The higher elevations and lake effects create endless snowfalls for this Region that average from four to eight feet each season. That means that the sleds start up in late November and run until late April. A typical season is 22 weeks - yes thats 22 weeks to ride the trails.
The 275,000 local residents, many of whom reside in the riverside towns, enjoy sharing tales from the rich historical culture of the area. Saguenay is just 2 ½ hours (210km) North East of Quebec, a travel time from Toronto (GTA) of approximately 11 hours, which is comparable to trailering up into Northern Ontario from the GTA, and likewise for our American riders.
We reached the Hotel Universal which would be our base for the next two days. The hotel is situated in the downtown core of Alma, which is located on the southeast coast of Lac-Saint-Jean where the river flows in to the Saguenay River. We off loaded and checked into our unbelievable suite which went beyond comfort. We secured our sleds in the dedicated parking area and headed down to the renowned restaurant on site Le Bordeaux, where we enjoyed an exquisite meal.
Our first loop was to be a full days riding around Lac-Saint-Jean with our tour guide John Hewitt. John joined us for breakfast and briefed us on the ride. Once we secured our Quebec trail passes to our sleds and did our ride check, we were ready to start our adventure. Generally this loop is best done in two days with an overnighter, but we were up for a long day on great trails. The weather was perfect; brisk, full of sunshine, with a fresh coating of snow overnight to add to the six feet of snow base. As we geared up our sleds, the Polaris 800 Dragon and 600 Shift continued to draw attention and conversation, with no language barrier when discussing snowmobiling! The trails left right from the front door of our downtown hotel and crisscrossed back and forth from parks to roads through this snowmobile friendly city. As we broke out into the trail system and headed for LAscension on the FCMQ-93, I was amazed at how much snow there was. It was truly amazing. John and his wife Denyse, are avid sledders who enjoy living in this winter wonderland. We hit the trails, soaring through the wide open forestry access roads. We ventured over to Sainte-Monique on the Regional Trail (RT)-328, and the local club trail where we all fuelled up and headed to the top end of the lake on the FCMQ-93. The lake effect snow had dumped close to six feet so far this winter, so the trails were wide and wonderfully groomed with great signage. They snaked around the trees, in and out of the woods where the pine trees were encumbered with snow, and draping the ground. It was astounding scenery. We then jumped on to the local club trail to the Center Vauvert tourist area. Its a hub for riders to hook up by trail or trailer, positioning them to take advantage of the many trails that lead to the many villages for winter activities. Its a great spot to stop and take in the awesome view of Lac-Saint-Jean, not to mention the convenience of a well maintained facility, complete with restaurant and cottage rentals. With a full day ahead, we weaved in and around the local club trails through Dolbeau-Mistassini, and over to Saint Felicien where we got on the RT-373 that took us to Roberval, which is located on the southern tip of the lake. Roberval was founded in 1855 on the bank of the Tremblay River. The early settlers built a sawmill which remains today as a main service center for the area, and is directly on the lakeshore. Roberval became famous in 2008 when The Village sur Glace was named the winner of the CBC Kraft Hockeyville contest. As we approached the Village it was incredible to see what 356 little houses looked like, divided into 60 subdivisions, over a one kilometre square. The area was complete with a one kilometre pedestrian and skating pathway both 1 km in size, 3 full size skating rinks, mini golf, snack bars, chalets, skate loan and sharpening, heated trailers, prospector tent rentals, and on site security, not to mention the full calendar of events. Here is a community that embraces winter. The village is set up from January to March on the ice, and run like a municipality. We were so excited to check this place out; it looked like a miniature Christmas set. We parked ours sleds and made our way over to the administration offices where Jacques Dion the Village Mayor and Denise Grandmaison, the communications councillor, where waiting to give us a tour, and then have lunch. During our tour we did the one kilometre walk on the pathway, added our names to the quest for one million kilometres, crashed a party in the rental tents, and shared a hot chocolate with one of the first residents of the village. It was crazy how many people where there, as was the waiting list to get into the influential party subdivisions. The community was so hospitable and is a must to see for anyone visiting. You have to see it to believe it, because it was amazing.
Time was a flying, and with night approaching, we had to hit the trail hard. We were so thankful to have a tour guide like John who knew the area, especially when some of us needed a stop after too much coffee. The local trails on the southwest side of the lake were in great shape, and like their northern counterparts, the winds sometimes create an issue there as they sweep the snow off the farmland terrain as fast as it falls. Remember that its always best to check with the locals for trail conditions. We did a little lake riding on the local trails where we picked up FCMQ-83, then over to the RT-383. Throughout the day it was surprising that we encountered hardly any traffic, yet there were plenty of sleds at the stop areas. This area offers great diversity by allowing you to take advantage of lots of different sized loops where you can extend a ride by saddle bagging it on overnighters or short day trips, or mix it up with both. Well, before we knew it we were back on FCMQ-23 at the front door of our hotel. We secured our sleds for another night in the lock up and I cruised to the Jacuzzi tub in our room where I could watch the last of the NASCAR race on the 50 TV screen, in this awesome hotel. Then it was off for another fabulous meal that the chief had prepared for us. It was a great way to end the day. On day two, John joined us again for breakfast and we discussed our options on doing a Northern loop up to Lamarche for lunch, with a stop in Saint Nazarie. The snow was cascading down, making for another fabulous day of riding. Off we were on the FCMQ-23, over to 93 into Saint Nazaire for a coffee break to meet Myriam Larouche, the owner of LOree des Champs. When we opened the doors of this newly renovated post & beam establishment, we were overwhelmed by the charm. Its wonderful to find such a cultural stop along the trail with the fresh smell of home baking. We enjoyed learning about the area, and how they offer an exceptional menu using fresh and local produce, and only the best local ingredients, right down to the wood used to build the structure, that came from the their farmland.
Before we knew it we were off towards Lac Tchitogama, using local club trails to Lamarche, where we stopped for lunch at Scoobyraid. What a magnificent place; its the gateway to Mount Valin. Now this is where, if youre a real adventurer, youll want to check out the thousands of kilometres of uncut powder snow that Mount Valin has to offer. John, our guide provides extreme tours through the area and I wouldnt recommend heading up there without a guide. Its safer in uncharted areas, and of course they always know the best way in and out, spots to see, and most important, where not to go. We toured the area, taking in the secular valour of Mount Valin before we journeyed back on the local cub trails to RT-328, and FCMQ-23 to the hotel where we loaded up for our 40 minute drive to Jonquiere.
Well, it was suppose to be a 40 minute drive, but the weather had set in as we were loading up and sheets of freezing rain had covered the city like a blanket, instantly. That made for some pretty slick conditions and interesting travels as we attempted to leave Alma. You see, we were downtown so we had to go uptown to the highway, which meant dodging vehicles that were sliding back down the roadway with no control. So after several attempts of getting up that hill, we finally cruised around the obstacles and off to the Holiday Inn in Jonquiere. The joys of Winter!
Here at the Holiday Inn, Nancy Donnelly from Tourism Lac-Saint-Jean who had organized this fabulous tour, and Bill McFarlane our next tour guide, were joining for dinner. Now what a character 71 year old Bill McFarlane is, better known as Saguenay Bill. Every winter Bill and his wife Juliedele, and their dachshund Greta, venture out from their home state of New Hampshire to the Holiday Inn in Jonquiere, which is their home for the next ten weeks. Youll find Bill in the front entrance of the hotel, set up at his kiosk selling permits for the local clubs, Caribou-Conscits & the Saguenay Club, organizing tours, or just sharing his experiences on his post. Bill has such a great overview of experiences to share, as hes been up to this for many years. We had the pleasure of riding with Bill the next day, where he was going to show us some of his favourite spots. We headed out to La Baie on the FCMQ- 83, over to RT-368 to the Fjord. Well, I can see why this was a favourite spot as we stopped on the top of one of the many steep hills to get an immense view. There were thousands of ice huts lining the bay, another must see. You couldnt stop and not be in awe when looking at the fjord. This is where the waters from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence flow into the heart of the Saguenay Kingdom. Its unique in the world by its geographic location and the fantastic history that the shores hold. We had lots of time to take it all in since one of our south of the boarder friends that was riding with us that day had to dig himself out He was very thankful to have gotten a shovel that year for Christmas. We then ventured out across the fjord into La Baie, where we took in The Pyramid, Ha Ha! Its a monument erected in honour of the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean. The pyramid boasts 70 feet in height, and is three dimensional. Its constructed with the latest technology, and contains a central staircase leading to the observation deck which provides a superb view of the fjord. Too cool! Where else can you snowmobile into the center of town to check out the attractions? Since we had planned for a short day, we were appreciative that we had the options with the loop diversities. We connected up with the FCMQ-83, over to local club trail loop onto RT-383 into La Bouleaunière. Here our hosts Sandra and France had a chalet full of riders enjoying themselves. We arrived prior to our companions who had seized the opportunity to explore a larger loop, but must have been making tracks because they werent that much longer in meeting up with us for lunch! We had an amazing lunch and conversation. We embarked on our route back on the RT-383 where I just had to experience going off the trail to really see how deep the snow was. I might have taken that last corner a little too sharp! Oh, it was DEEP! So, if youre headed to the Saguenay area, Google Saguenay Bill and hell hook you up with permits, trail maps, great tours and tales from the trail. We loaded up, thanked our hosts and headed out, back to Barrie.
The Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean region has truly amazing, superb trails that compliment the exceptional culture you can take in along the way, which makes for an outstanding trip. The Region has so much to offer and consistently delivers exceptional results in the snow department. Thank-you to our tour guides John Hewitt, Bill McFarlane, and Nancy Donnelly for putting together a tremendous tour of your region. We cant wait to come back! J
Its mid February and my riding partner and her husband Paul and I are busy loading up the truck and trailer, preparing for our next tour in the majestic Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Quebec. A unique destination with 3,300 km of wide groomed trails, and where the snowflakes start falling and they just keep on coming. The region is ideally situated, with spectacular mountain heights that range from 700 to 1100 meters, with panoramic scenery of wilderness and one of Canadas 50 wonders, the majestic Fjoud. The higher elevations and lake effects create endless snowfalls for this Region that average from four to eight feet each season. That means that the sleds start up in late November and run until late April. A typical season is 22 weeks - yes thats 22 weeks to ride the trails.
