A 55 year old man died in the park on sat Dec.30. I just heard it on the news, I was riding there yesterday and am not surprised. It's very sad and is a perfect example of why so many people die every year. When you mix fast wide trails with icey corners and most importantly inexperience it's a recipe for disaster. The way they promote our sport as a safe activity and send tourists out on very crowded dangerous trails is not to smart.

Sorry I was wrong the accident happened today Sunday Dec.31. They don't give any details and I'm sure they won't follow up.

So the gentleman who was killed was a tour guide from St. Donat who was riding as a passenger and was with a group of twelve from France, the S.Q. officer who was interviewed did not mention who was driving the snowmobile but did say that they missed a corner and went off the trail. My condolences to the mans family and let this be a reminder to everyone that snowmobiling is a very dangerous sport and extreme caution must be every riders first priority at all times. Although accidents do happen, 99% of them can be avoided and this is one of them, in my opinion one of two things caused this accident ,inexperience or carelessness. Please lets all be careful.

It can happen even if you are slow and careful, but you can't let it stop you.
RIP for this dude....

I've been riding that park at least once a season since 1989. Big wide trails for the most part. Speed ,maybe,careless ,maybe, RIP brother

Hate to hear it! Sad Shit!

Whats rong Quebec trails are solid ice. I think they want to RENT ROOMS and they don"t give a shit about your life. THAT IS VERY SAD. But they are very sick people. Trees have started to bend over on to the trails. and only a groomer might get through. BAD SHIT.

I'll watch the tv news. They will probably give more info.

Anyhow, the speed limit is 70 km/h. It's not fast but in those crowded area, we have no choice. Secondly, I found that european folks have no experience in driving snowmobile. I would obligate them to get training and a certification for driving a sled in Quebec.

How many times did I see a bunch of europeans parked in the middle of the trail or worst in a curve. And how many Bombardier REVs in the ditch. TOO MANY !

anyway, we lost a sledder, it's really sad.

We don't know where it happened.........the trail is narrow(in some areas) specially on the TQ 63 between relais rouge-mattawin and south entrance near La Macaza.

From what I have heard about the conditions, it was probably due to an icy corner. No matter how good the grooming is, you can't keep ice from forming in the winter. I have been in that park and it is tempting to get up some speed. These things happen, and you can't blame anyone - it is like getting struck by lightning. I feel sorry for the guy and his family.

Very very sad, RIP. But I also have a question regarding riders from Quebec. In general, over the years of riding in Quebec, I noticed that sledders from Quebec do not stud thier sleds? Is there a reason why so many riders from Quebec do not stud thier sleds? Not that this would have made any difference, but it does bring up the question. Again my heart goes out to the family.

Sorry but when people are slow and careful this stuff does not happen, I'm not a cold hearted person I just want you to understand if people were careful 30 to 40 people a year wouldn't be killed on que. trails. unforunatly here in Canada the government pays for everything so basically inexperience and carelessness ruins it for everybody , this is why whithin two years it will cost 1000$ to put a plate on a sport bike. unfortunatly until people are held acountable for there actions the general public will continue to think all snowmobilers are dangerous. Unfortunatly public perception has alot to do with the future of our sport, and as long as inexperience and carelessness continues we will all pay.

I have never had studs and ride anywhere from 4000 to 9000 kms per year though studs are a good idea especially for inexperienced riders. If you adjust your riding to the conditions your just as safe if not more than somebody who thinks studs gives them the ability to ignore icey conditions. I was riding in the park on dec. 30 and the conditions were very icey this made me very nervous because I saw the number of inexperienced riders and experienced cowboys out there, this is why I wasn't surprised when I heard of the fatality.

As long as we don't blame anyone our sport will suffer. It's the attitude you have that is the problem. It's not like getting struck by lightning unless you climb a metal pole in the thunder storm. The guy went off the trail because he couldnt make the corner ,a big hand didn't come out of the sky and kill him. Whoever was driving the sled is at fault and as long as people don't see this things won't change. Like I said in Canada everydody pays for peoples carlesness and this pisses me off.

Two very good posts! I agree 100% with both. :div20:

First of all.....who told you the driver was a Québecer........unfortunately you can't read french but according to this article.It is a French Tourist who lost control of his sled.

SAINT-DONAT (PC) - Un accident de motoneige a fait une victime à Saint-Donat, dans la région de Lanaudière, dimanche aux alentours de midi.
Un groupe de 12 motoneigistes dont plusieurs touristes français circulaient dans un sentier du parc du Mont-Tremblant quand l'un de ceux-ci a perdu le contrôle de son véhicule.

Le passager, Marcel Issa, un guide de 55 ans, a été grièvement blessé et transporté à l'hôpital de Sainte-Agathe, où il est mort de ses blessures un peu plus tard.

Le conducteur a été légèrement blessé lors de l'incident.

It's about time the Québec Government do something about these unexperienced snowmobilers.They are a public danger.By the way.I never had a studded sled of my life.It's all about between the ears.You cannot buy experience.

Well said Mid Range.

the incident must have occurred close to the st-donat park gate. when krissy and i were coming out of the park mid-afternoon yesterday, there were two SQ police cruisers parked at the Mallard Relais just outside the park on the road to st-donat. the tour group must have arrived shorltly thereafter.

when we arrived at the parking lot around 9:00 am, and unloaded our sleds from the trailer, there were about a dozen rental sleds sitting in the first parking lot just inside the park gate, before the st-donat club check point.

we rode all of the park, (including caribou to the gate and back {drew's run to you oldtimers}), except the stretch from the st-michelle relais to macaza, and the corners were really icy at a lot of the usual places. with all the piss poor weather the trails on the majority of strait stretches were pretty decent; it was the corners that were hairy at places. glare ice under little to no snow cover.

so sorry to hear that Mssr. Issa lost his life due to the gross inexperience of the operator of the sled he was a passenger on. Issa was a longtime member of the st-donat snowmobiling community.

10-4 on the earlier posters who mention the need to ensure that the hordes of totally inexperienced pilgrims have some form of mandatory orientation/training before being turned loose on the trails of la belle province at great peril to themselves and all those who may encounter them on the trails.

RIP Mssr. Issa. Condolences to his family.

Perhaps I should post the discussion about the studs under a different topic. I think that studding the sleds actualy helps keep the trails groomed a little longer. Especially in the corners or going up hill. When the sleds are not studded they tend to spin and chew up these spots. I have ridden both ways and I understand it is a mtter of preference. I hope I did not insult anyone, it was not the intention it was just a friendly question, during a very sad start to the season.

I agree that studs do help but only to a small degree. You have to use your head and be responsible out there. There is no substitute for experience but a little common sense goes a long way. We've all seen the guy on our side of the trail in a corner thinking he's Blair Morgan and knowing the last 150 corners were all ice. Accidents happen but most are preventable. I dont know what I'd do if I was on the wrong side of the trail and killed someone that was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully we get some snow soon and we can all get out and enjoy whats left of this season!!

i was riding up there on the 29th and it was icy, i almost had 3 close calls one of them i had to go on the opposite side just to avoid the 95 or so thundercat that was heading towards me (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). people have to just slow down and stay on their side of the trails.and as for studs the do more good than harm thats for sure just for braking its a big improvement. its like having studed tires you could drive with all seasons but studs are better! just one mans opinion . RIP MARCEL

I think studs are a neccessity these days. I would not let my wife or kids ride a sled without studs. Unstudded sleds cause most icy corners and hills. With good studs ice is not a problem

IMO I would never ride without studs. Alot of guy's wont stud their track because they want to get more miles out of the track. To me that's like trying to get more miles out of your vehicle's tires by not replacing them when their usable tread life is done. Granted in Quebec you dont need them 99.9% of the time. Alot of times the ice is not visible under an inch of snow. Alot more pros than cons if you ask me...

Studs go on all my sleds. It is better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them! RIP my brother.

Yes..well said. I couldn't be in more agreement with inexperienced riders on some of these trails..i've come up upon these tour groups in the past and observed them for a few miles at a time...most ride either down the midlle of the trail all the time or ride on the wrong side half the time....its flat out dangerous....add a sled with no studs and worn carbides and you really have the makings for disaster. Its such a shame a passenger had to pay the ultimate price. My condolences to the mans family.

rental machines have to be in the worst conditions on top of it,i saw some arctic cats and the guy had trouble getting them of the trailer no traction wht so ever!

keep your side in corner!!! ice + speed is not a good mix!

I think...with a lot of grooming and riding experience...the biggest contributing fact in icy corners is assholes that come into the corner like they were in a snowcross race and leave the corner wide open, spinning the track wildly! Studs and other traction aids only help when you apply the throttle smoothly and easily keeping traction with the trail surface. Spinning wildly is what rips the studs out of the track and damaging your track and the trail!

What wins drag races? Keeping the tires from spinning, keeping traction gets the low et's!

Thanks for the crash course in the stud or no stud issue :div20: but non studded riders are not the cause of icey corners, weather and snow conditions are . I personally think all inexperienced riders should have studs. I don't run studs and never have. all I can say is whenever I come around a corner I'm on my side of the trail and whether you have studs or not that is one of the most important things in snowmobiling. If everybody respected this simple rule there would be alot less accidents.

I use studs for a reason that no-one has mentioned yet...in the part of the season where you have warm days and the temps fall fast at sunset...the trail "glazes over" just enough to stop snow and water from lubing my sliders and keeping the engine cooled. Before liquid cooled sleds we didn't have as much trouble...we simply clipped the edges of the trail for enough snow to keep sliders lubed. That doesn't seem to work as well for the engine cooling part. Studs chop up enough of the trail to end my problems with heating up.
I agree 100% with the stay to the right thing! 'Cause you're going too fast to stay on your side of the trail...doesn't mean you can use my side! :div20:

You dont have studs because your too god dam cheap ! Studs are a must for todays high powered machines.

a yamaha viper is a high powered machine for you:P.

Only 10 less hp than yours !

Well said, the same for me.

and all can check my "riding since" profile

I may be cheap but at least Im not :fluffy: :fluffy: :fluffy: Watch what you say my little furry friend or I may have to come over there and spank you. :div20:

:cn:
:cn: pictures?

In America everyone pays for people's carelessness as well. It is called litigation. Americans sue so often and most of the time because they were too ignorant to use caution. But it is easier to blame someone else rather than take personal responsibility Americans pay for other's ignorance through increased fees for registrations, increased insurance premiums, etc.

Dude...easy on neighbors.....they sue there cuz they can. Higher registration fee's....ins premiums.....don't think so. I lived there (US) in the upper Midwest from 94 - 01 and still travel back and forth often. Have you priced a sled in the US lately??? Just a little cheaper "EH" same applies for ins and reg fee's in most states. You might want to take a trip through Michigan, Wisconsin, Minn, N or S Dakota or for that matter Montana or Wyoming. You'd be hard pressed to find better people, cheaper fuel, clean affordable accomadations, great food, AWESOME hospitality and better riding anywhere on the planet.

In my experience most of the asshole that like to litigation live in and around major cities....pretty sure the same can be said for us.

I can say without a doubt the people you meet on the trails or while you are travelling anywhere in the regions that I mentioned will be some of the best you'll ever meet.

There's asshole's everywhere....you just gotta step on them!

Sorry buddy but you have no idea!!! I pay over 300$ per year just for the licence plate on my pickup, what do you pay for car registration???? That is just one example, so you really have no idea what stuff costs here. My sister is an American and she can drive a fucking Mercedes for what I pay for a Malibu. I'll say it again, you have no idea!!!

Indeed!

:bitch1:

:drunk:

first off my heart goes out to everyone involved in that accident. second, pointing fingers and blaming people is childish and vey unrespectful. we both live in two great countries who share alot of great opportunities for pleasure and business which includes tourism. i think we should all step back and pay a little respect for what has happened and not turn it into a chewing match.

I have seen this too often over the years. I agree with the guy who says 99% could be avoided - human error is big, especially with people from Europe. They are mostly virgins. Why was the guide riding as a passenger.

Please take a moment to read the safety story I wrote a few weeks ago. You may not agree with what I wrote, but if it makes one person THINK a little, then I have done my job.

click here

Even though it's very sad to read about anybody dying, for me it's a reminder to be careful. I'm happy other people share my views about many of the snowmobile deaths being preventable. :div20: