[kgallis]

Hello all,

I guess this question is for Bill, or anyone else that spends a lot of time riding in the Lac St Jean area. My bro and I make several trips a year to QC and this year we are planning on taking one of them to Lac St Jean. Would it be better staying at one hotel for the week and making a different loop every day, or staying at a different location (town) every night. Is there enough riding in the area to hit a different location every day if we stay in the same hotel for the week? We made two of our three trips last year to the St Donet region (a cabin in Notre Dame de la Merci) and found ourselves riding parts of the same trails each day. Also, is the HI in Jonquere the best place to stay?

Many thanks in advance.

Karl

 

[Early Rider]

I don't ride the area as much as bill, but i log 5000 miles a year around that area.
It all depends on the person, if you stay at the HI you will have to ride alot of the same trails in and out. Even more so if you ride the north side of the river. The only trail to cross the river gets alot of traffic.
If it were me, i wuold pack out and loop the lake south to north (if there is good snow on the south end) then head for the mountains and end up back in Jonuere.

My first ride to the mountain is in 76 days, 6th annual ride
Early Rider
Here's a pic from Nov 18th 2005 at Lac Jalbert

 

[Saguenay Bill1]

You can make 250 mile loops each day from the HI for 6days. There are 4 ways to cross the river, so you don't have to go the same way everyday. Then there is a lot of riding on the south side of the river. I make these loops and then the next 6 days go the opposite way. There is a lot of great riding in this area. E-mail the tourism people at [email protected] and they will send you info. Also if you have any questions that I can help you with e-mail me. glad to help you.

There is a lot of neat things to see that i have found over the years. Examples are:

1. The cave where the John Travolta's movie Broken Arrow was filmed at.

2. The Parc Saguenay where the rocks from the fjord come down into the river

3. The ice fishing village where there are mega fishing huts and ocean going ships are on the same body of water.

4. A look out where you can see the channel that the ice breaker makes for the ocean going ships that come up the Saguenay.

5. The spot where the water freezes on a rock that is probably 500 ft above the lake.

6. You pass Alcan plants where they convert bauxite to aluminum and Ford and GM get there aluminum car parts from, like the aluminum oil pans.

7. Mont Valin where they ride from Nov til May.

8. Bras Louis, a 15 mile road where you back off to 70 for one curve.

The list goes on.

You can also make overnighters if that's what you would like to do.

I don't refer to it as "Paridise" for no reason. But to each his own. It's your money, spend it the way you want to.

Bill

 

[kgallis]

Thanks for the info Bill and Early rider. I'm glad to hear "Paradise" is so vast that there are so many choices for daily rides on a week long trip. Personally, I would perfer to ride out of the same hotel/cabin for the week. It's easier and we would also have access to our backup rev incase we have any problems with the sleds. I will send you a note if I have additional questions.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[arubenstein]

Originally posted by kgallis@Aug 30 2005, 11:04 AM
Hello all,

Would it be better staying at one hotel for the week and making a different loop every day, or staying at a different location (town) every night. Karl
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[/quote]

My personal opinion is that there is more adventure in not staying in the same town every night. When we come up, we park somewhere south (Shawinigan, Mekinac, St. Raymond, etc.) and do a large 800 to 1500 mile loop over the course of several days. As I said, I like the adventure aspect of this more than anything else.

Last year, for instance, we did several loops, and on one trip, we did such random riding that we hit a couple towns (La Tuque, Roberval, etc.) twice in the same trip, with hundreds of miles in between.

We're always looking for good riders to sled with; if you are interested, PM me.

 

[Early Rider]

Bill ther are four ways to cross the river in Jonuere??
I only know of the crossings
The dam in Chicoutimi
Alma
Tadoussac
And Mistassini
Or are these the four your refering to?
If not can you elabrate on the other crossings in Jonuere-Chicoutimi always looking for new info

Thanks
Early Rider
75 Days to first ride

P.S.
Dont forget the park
and Ice Glacers

 

[kgallis]

Originally posted by arubenstein@Aug 30 2005, 11:14 PM
My personal opinion is that there is more adventure in not staying in the same town every night. When we come up, we park somewhere south (Shawinigan, Mekinac, St. Raymond, etc.) and do a large 800 to 1500 mile loop over the course of several days. As I said, I like the adventure aspect of this more than anything else.

Last year, for instance, we did several loops, and on one trip, we did such random riding that we hit a couple towns (La Tuque, Roberval, etc.) twice in the same trip, with hundreds of miles in between.

We're always looking for good riders to sled with; if you are interested, PM me.
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Do you guys make reservations for your trips ahead of time, or do you just see where the trail takes you?

 

[Early Rider]

See where we end up!

You will love the area it great sledding

 

[WILDONE]

BILL ACTUALLY I DIDN'T THINK WE BACKED OFF TO 70 MPH ON THE BRAS LOUIS ROAD LAST YEAR WITH EARLY RIDER IT WAS MORE LIKE 95,! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ROAD THAT IS.

 

[arubenstein]

Originally posted by kgallis@Aug 31 2005, 10:23 AM
Do you guys make reservations for your trips ahead of time, or do you just see where the trail takes you?
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[/quote]

Each day, we kind of plan out the days worth of trail. Sometimes we know where we want to go, and sometimes we get there and don't want to stop, and sometimes we don't make it. Only in times of very remote areas do we make a plan and stick with it. It's very rare that we are not able to get a place to stay.

Again, I like this, because it allows me to ride as much, or little, in a day as I please. Some people can't live with this lack of planning

And, on some trips, we know the general idea of what we want to do (like, a loop from Shawinigan - Roberval - Chibougamou - Senneterre - Latuque - home, or Mekinac - Roberval - Le Malbaie - St. Raymond - Mekinac), and we get as close as we can. Of course, weather, trail conditions, and who you ride with shape a lot of the trip.

 

[mid range]

Be aware fellow Americans that trails in the '' Réserve faunique des Laurentides '' between Quebec city or St-Raymond area and Lac St-Jean might not be opened this winter as the ''Séminaire de Québec '' is apparently asking 20,000 dollars to the http://pages.videotron.com/motoarrp/index.htm for trespassing right.

Saint-Raymond might not groom also toward the Tourilli as well.I saw this info on the http://www.motoneigeauquebec.com/forum/index.php.

 

[rob]

Originally posted by Mid-Range@Sep 1 2005, 08:09 PM
Be aware fellow Americans that trails in the '' Réserve faunique des Laurentides '' between Quebec city or St-Raymond area and Lac St-Jean might not be opened  this winter as the ''Séminaire de Québec '' is apparently asking 20,000 dollars to the  http://pages.videotron.com/motoarrp/index.htm  for trespassing right.

  Saint-Raymond might not groom also toward the Tourilli as well.I saw this info on the http://www.motoneigeauquebec.com/forum/index.php.
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that is terrible! Please keep us posted on this problem.

 

[Saguenay Bill1]

Hi Easy Rider

The 4 are Alma, Jonquiere, the ferry and across the Saguenay River at St Charles- de-Bourgetes. I use the last one everytime I'm not going up to Monts Valin. This use to be the only way before they opened the Aluminum Bridge and Alma was a trailer ride.

Bill

 

[Saguenay Bill1]

Originally posted by WILDONE@Aug 31 2005, 07:29 PM
BILL ACTUALLY I DIDN'T THINK WE BACKED OFF TO 70 MPH ON THE BRAS LOUIS ROAD LAST YEAR WITH EARLY RIDER IT WAS MORE LIKE 95,! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ROAD THAT IS.
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You got a bigger pair than I have. At 67, 70 is fast enough for me.

 

[Saguenay Bill1]

Originally posted by arubenstein@Aug 31 2005, 11:48 PM
Each day, we kind of plan out the days worth of trail. Sometimes we know where we want to go, and sometimes we get there and don't want to stop, and sometimes we don't make it. Only in times of very remote areas do we make a plan and stick with it. It's very rare that we are not able to get a place to stay.

Again, I like this, because it allows me to ride as much, or little, in a day as I please. Some people can't live with this lack of planning

And, on some trips, we know the general idea of what we want to do (like, a loop from Shawinigan - Roberval - Chibougamou - Senneterre - Latuque - home, or Mekinac - Roberval - Le Malbaie - St. Raymond - Mekinac), and we get as close as we can. Of course, weather, trail conditions, and who you ride with shape a lot of the trip.
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I always make reservations ahead of time. I like to know where I'm going to be spending the night. I've done the other and I didn't like sleeping and eating a place that was not to my liking. The HI has about 150 rooms and I've seen it full many nights and I've seen guys come in and there are no rooms left. I guess I'm just too old and I don't need those kinds of "adventures". Been there and done that.

 

[kgallis]

Originally posted by rob@Sep 1 2005, 07:14 PM
that is terrible! Please keep us posted on this problem.
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Wow, that does suck. With gas prices going through the roof and all of the threats of trail closures, we have been really lucky the past few years. With the lawsuit settlement from the section of trail closed above Ste Agathe, everyone is out to get the $$. Hopefully this matter will get settled before snow flies.

 

[Early Rider]

Until people start having more respect for land owner's and others in the area's we all ride in, we are all going to pay with trail closers.

Early

 

[Saguenay Bill1]

Sled Rider you are absolutely right. I see signs all the time, "Stay on the Trail" and what happens, some A Hole decides he is going to ride off the trail. Absolutely pisses me off. Last year I had a guy from PA come up with a friend of mine. This guy has a big 800 with a loud pipe. I tell hiom about the trail closure because of the loud pipes. Guess what, I should have shut my mouth from the git go. It made no difference to him. I told my friend next time leave this A Hole home. I could go on but I'm from a different generation. It ain't "all about me".

 

[kgallis]

Originally posted by Saguenay Bill1@Sep 2 2005, 06:26 PM
Sled Rider you are absolutely right. I see signs all the time, "Stay on the Trail" and what happens, some A Hole decides he is going to ride off the trail. Absolutely pisses me off. Last year I had a guy from PA come up with a friend of mine. This guy has a big 800 with a loud pipe. I tell hiom about the trail closure because of the loud pipes. Guess what, I should have shut my mouth from the git go. It made no difference to him. I told my friend next time leave this A Hole home. I could go on but I'm from a different generation. It ain't "all about me".
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I agree 100 %. It only takes one A hole to give us all a bad reputation. We are very selective who we ride with for that very reason. You guys seem like a great bunch of guys and I hope I get a chance to meet you on the trails this winter. After the day of riding is finished, beers are on me!

 

[Early Rider]

Bill,
they keep coming north
where are we going to go now?
That was the best part of Canada
Maybe the passport thing will slow it down for a couple of years

Early