Well, last night we cured our hangry (hungry and angry for those not familiar with pop culture) and everybody was in better sprits by the time we sat down to the dinner table. Their was a couple fish choices, salmon or cod, chicken skewers, or a steak and frites. Choice of cesar salad or FRENCH onion soup. A couple adult beverages made the atmosphere jovial, and the empty dining room was filled with 12 guys boisturous conversation.
Today was a warm 10 degrees at our scheduled departure time of 7:30am This was a hard departure time as well, as we had only 60 miles to go to get to the town to catch the ferry, the same ferry we have only been succesfull at catching 33% of the time, but Craig and Action Dan were hell bent to raise our percentage to 50%.
But, alas, it just isn't meant to be, and we are now at only a 25% success rate. Good thing we're not brain surgeons. But more about that later.
We were on the trail 10 minutes late... I may have had something to do with that, but it really doesn't matter now does it. We got down the trail, I'm estimating less than 3 miles, when the 12 man train ground to halt.
I saw the one thing you never want to see...
Yep, that there is our Leader's beloved Yamaha on it's side, on the trail. Leaking green fluid in the pure white snow. Coolant, that is. Apparently there is a pin hole lean in a very short coolant line just above the track, and just below the heat exchanger. Speculated to be caused by a chunk of ice that had built up and came out as we were leaving. After much effort on the trail of trying to rectify the situation, it was determined we would not make the ferry if the group went on without him due to the time on the side of the trail, and that we would just limp it back to town.
We decided to get back to town, find a hotel, and catch the ferry that runs out of here, tomorrow at 5pm.
After one attempt of filling the resorvoir with some coolant Chip had on his sled, and some water out of the water bottles in our gear, the old tow strap came out. We got everybody back to the main road where the trail started, and the phones were busted out with google being flooded for ideas for a repair facility.
The local Yamaha dealer wasn't able to offer assistance on a Saturday. A few more calls of distress were made, when Ron Nicks, standing at the corner of the road and the parking lot like a worn out hooker, flagged down a young lady in a GMC truck and a Ski-doo 800r in the back. She quickly offered assistance, made a few calls, unloaded her sled, Craig loaded his in the back of her truck, and off she whisked him to the local Honda/Arctic Car/ Harley Davidson dealer.
She returned a short time late to retrieve her own sled, and gave us a business card with the address of where we could find Craig. Connecticut Jim loaded the address into his GPS, which I may add has saved the group from a few wrong turns to date, and off we were to meet up.
The current situation is this, there are 3-4 guys in the dealership garage working on his sled. There is another 1 or 2 spectating and taking pictures for me. The situation doesn't look good, and there probably is a rental in his future, if I was a betting man. Further, I have been writing blogs for the last 3.5 hours and I am about DUN. Jamie, Vinnie, and Chip are waiting for me in the lobby of our motel, so we can go get some dinner.
We have until 5pm tomorrow to get him on the trail and catch the 6pm ferry out of Baie Comeau.
You, just like me, will have to wait until my next wifi opportunity to see how this one turns out...
bye for now
Stick