Connecticut Jim and Wiki Rob wrap their Yamaha’s in Ski Doo blankets each night
All riders are safe and have arrived safely at our overnight destination of Pourvoirie du lac Moreau, in Saint-Urban, QC. We arrived around 5pm, after 187 miles on the trail. But let’s back up to where we left off last night…
Upon arrival yesterday at the Auberge 31, we got checked in by the Manager Pierre’, and he was very welcoming. He even pointed out our Darkside Sticker on the side of his cooler, behind the bar, and said he was looking forward to our arrival, and that he follows our blog. I must now have 8 followers! He even offered to swap us Auberge 31 stickers for more Darkside stickers, and we were all over that proposition.
Last nights dinner, at Auberge du 31, was top notch, and is probably my new favorite dinner location on the trail. The Onion soup was a super duper 4.3, and since my former favorite Onion soup at the Bon Air is no longer available, this is now the standard. Dinner was extraordinaire! The two most popular dishes I saw at the table was the whole BBQ chicken leg with 1/2 slab of BBQ ribs, with your choice of rice, baked potato or frites. The 2nd most popular option I saw, was the Surf and Turf, which was a 4oz Filet with a skewer of 6 grilled shrimp, which is what Robere’ and I chose with baked potato. It was the best meal on the trail we have had in a long time, and Robere’ exclaimed it was the best steak he has had. We shared our compliments to the chef with Pierre.
There was a surprise for Stick in his chalet, last night. Farmer, having recalled that I typically order vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce (basically Hershey’s syrup) kept his suck up skills sharp, and apparently bought a couple pints of vanilla ice cream and a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce for me. I politely accepted but asked that he continue to carry the prized package further down the trail for when we get to a location that doesn’t have a desert, and we will share it with the entire team. I’m trying to find a polite way to share some advice my old friend Big Al has stated, “Suck your way to the top, not the middle”; and I’m just a middleman around here, at the end of the trip.
This morning’s breakfast was the standard snowmobiler breakfast, at 7am. Our ski’s up time was scheduled for 8:30am. It was a brisk -2 degrees on the engine temperature gauge of my Ski Doo. Our sleds were warmed up, and we were headed down the trail at 8:50am. Hey, if we hit 100%, you’d expect it every day.
We got about 10 miles down the trail, when we stopped for our first old man stop on the side of the trail. Typical first thing routine every morning. At about the 4 mile mark, prior to this, the recollection hit me that I forgot the ice cream and chocolate sauce in the chalet freezer. I was dreading walking to the back of the sled pack, and having to tell Farmer my error. I started the conversation with “you’re going to be upset with me”. He politely asked why that would be, and I responded with the truth, he forgot to remind me to get the ice cream and chocolate sauce out of the fridge! He laughed and said, “ I got it! You told me last night to remind you, and I just went and got it this morning!” Good job Farmer, your suck up skills are strong.
Super Duper Groomer right there.
Another blue bird day on the trail. Haven’t seen a cloud, day or night, since our departure on sleds. The first 60 miles of the day were the fast smooth trails we appreciate, and a nice way to start our 187 mile day. Our fuel stop was at the 65 mile mark. Just prior to the fuel stop, we were traversing some hilly trails, and Stick was standing up, stretching his legs going down the trail, and when I adjusted my grip on my throttle hand, the movement shifted the gauntlet on my handle bars and hit the kill button. I am 1/2 way up the hill and my sled has shut off, and I know I have 5 sleds that are going to be coming up hot into my snow flap. I grab the brake handle with my left hand, simultaneously pulling the kill switch up with my right hand, trying not to roll down dead, back down the hill into oncoming traffic. While my left hand is pulling the brake handle, I am trying to maneuver my left thumb to hit the start button, but I overreached and kept hitting the bright light button, just below the start button. What a fubar situation. The 5 sleds behind me reacted quickly, did a Crazy Ivan left swing around me to avoid me, while I fiddle effed around and got my Ski Doo restarted. No harm no foul, just the question from the peanut gallery if I was going to write this up in the blog. That’s the biggest concern around here, what’s going to make the blog.
After fueling, we headed about another 20 miles to Tadouassc, for a quick lunch, and a break before we catch the open flat deck ferry that will take us across a tributary river of the St Lawrence seaway. I have a few memories of being in Tadouassc, the most recent being when the Toxic Twins The Wanderer and Robere’ had a late night adventure on the town. You’ll have to go back a few issues of the Frost Bytes to read up on that one.
We caught the ferry without issue, surprisingly. After we debarked the ferry we had about 20 miles of technical, twisty curvey trails. I felt like it was Gound Hogs day for the 20 mile jaunt. Up a hill, turn right, down a hill, turn left, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, forever it seemed.
That finally over, we got back on some trails that were a mix of twisty/curvy, and trails we could make time on. We took a few breaks over the afternoon, and at the last break with about 30 miles to go, around 4pm, we said, ok, let’s get in.
Everyone got in fine. Except Farmer. I just found out he ran out of gas on his Arctic Cat about 3 miles away from our destination. Fortunately, he has a jerry can for a couple gallons of fuel on his sled and finally got in after a short delay.
It is now about 7pm, we are gathered around the bar, watching the replay of USA vs Canada Mens Olympic Hockey game. We know the results, but we will act surprised when the USA wins. We need to be humble guests. It is cold outside.
I have no reports on the projected mileage for tomorrow, nor the destination. Check the website, you’ll know more than me.
I am looking forward to dinner, this is fine place and the chef is very creative. I usually order something outside my wheelhouse. I have to, the menu is in French.
We shall see.
Bye for now,
Stick