..ALOT has happened since our last edition. It's Tuesday the 3rd of February and we are currently back in Chicoutimi at the Hotel de Congress, the same hotel we left yesterday morning (Monday 2-2-15).
To pick up where Big Al left off Sunday night, Ole's sled had electrical issues Sunday upon our arrival into Chicoutimi. It literally died on the trail in front of the gas station, about a mile from our hotel. The rest of the riders fueled up for the next morning, and we put Ole's sled in the corner of the parking lot to work on the next morning (Bad decision, as you will see, but it was -22 degrees, 8pm and 11 hours on the frosty trail, we were ready to get in vs. towing it back to the hotel).
We got into the hotel about 8:30 pm, just in time for the Super Bowl half time. We had dinner, a couple drinks, and finished watching the game in the hotel restaurant/bar. We were all pretty tuckered out, so we all retired shortly after the game.
The next morning, Ole and Big Al took a taxi to the Ski Doo dealer (Big Al's heated helmet shield wasn't working so he got a new one) to get Ole a new battery for his sled. We were hoping it was just a battery. The taxi brought Big Al and Ole back to the hotel after their shopping excursion, and Ole had the taxi take him to his sled back at the gas station to replace his battery and solve all our problems. It's never that easy.
The Darkside Team was ready to leave the hotel by 930 am. However, Ole returned to the hotel via the same taxi he departed in? Whatsup Ole? The local police department saw his "abandoned" sled in the gas station parking, and promptly had it towed to their double secret impound lot, thinking it was stolen and abandoned. The Team decided to leave Ole to his own devices, get his sled outa hock, and he made arrangements to transport it and himself to the next overnight, Auberge 31, an outfitter in the middle of nowhere that is powered by a generator. Problem solved. Recall: It's never that easy.
Our ride yesterday was 194 Ski Doo miles, through some beautiful mountain terrain, and a ferry ride across the Saugenay river. We arrived at the ferry station at 4 pm, just as they were loading the ferry for it's next trip across the river. There was a couple semis, a few passenger vehicles and our 10 sleds on the open deck ferry, that took about 10-15 minutes to cross the river.
We arrived at Auberge 31 around 7:30pm. Ole had arrived with his sled, via transporter, around 4:30, and he was well oiled at the bar by the time we got there. However, his sled was still having issues. Apparently the stator was DUN (that's like an alternator on a car) and his sled was just running off the battery until the battery dies. It's never easy, you recall.
Today was supposed to be another day/overnight at the Auberge 31. We were just going to do some local riding, and explore the beautiful terrain, and let Video Mike get some footage for SnowTrailsTV.com ( I was going to stay at the lodge and have a pajama day, but that didn't work out). Instead, around 11am this morning, the decision was made to head back to Chicoutimi, and take his sled to the Ski Doo dealer for a proper repair, as we've got alot of miles to go still. We departed the lodge at around 1:15 today. Craiger, one of our leaders, said it was about a 100 miles back to the Ski Doo dealer. Uh? It took 194 miles and 10 hours yesterday, how is it only 100 back? Because we took the long way to ride the ferry and make a day out of it!
We arrived at the Ski Doo dealer around 3pm today. Pleasantly surprised that it was only about 45 miles! (next time when it's -20 all friggin day, how bout we just take the 45 mile route, make a couple wrong turns, turn it into a 120 mile day and call it good, Craig?). They started working on his sled right away, and hopefully it's ready by 10am tomorrow (Wednesday 2/4/15) But remember, it's never that easy. At the ski doo dealer, we found out that we couldn't ride our sleds back to the hotel, because there was no way to cross the river in town. We called 3 taxis, and crammed our gear, and ourselves in full riding gear, in to the small taxis, left our sleds at the dealer, and will reverse this procedure tomorrow.
We are now back in the restaurant where we watched the Super Bowl Sunday evening, and getting ready for dinner. Some of the guys got lucky and hot tubbed while I diligently wrote this evening's edition. (I hope a tourists 5 kids peed in that tub before you got in.)
Before closing, I would like to wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful wife Julie, back at home! Happy B'day, sorry I missed it, but keep watching the mail, I tried to prepare before I left.
I think I heard somebody order a bottle of wine... I'm outa here.
Until the next internet connection... Cheers!
"Stick"
BTW: Big Al is currently doing International Relations with an attractive blonde that he met in the hot tub, as she is now at the dinner table with us. Tune in tomorrow to see if there is an international incident.