Well, after a one year hiatus, Stick, your biographer of this band of snowmobiling degenerates and violators is back in the writing chair. Not without much protest I might add. I was really hoping to just be like the rest of the crew and enjoy my evenings in the bar/lounge with a cold adult beverage, but after much brow beating, peer pressure and threats, here we are.
We have the usual group of banditos, with a couple NFG’s in the group as well. Most of us left MIchigan on Monday the 17th of February for the approximate 650 mile ride to Auberge Le Cabanon in St-Zenon Quebec. We did our usual 1/2 way lay over in Kingston Ontario, and evening at the Boston’s Pizza to get reacquainted.
The Truck Ride on Monday was mostly uneventful, for most of us anyway. For the majority of the ride we had good roads and decent weather. Except when we didn’t. There was about a 30 mile stretch on the 401 where we encountered white out conditions. The truck with the NFG’s (new effing guys) were behind a semi truck and trailer when it jack knifed in front of them, and they had to do a quick 2 lane maneuver to avoid disaster. They made it thru unscathed, and had a story to share.
We arrived at the Auberge Le Cabanon at a decent hour on Tuesday the 18th of February, probably around 2:30pm if I recall correctly. We unloaded the trucks and gear close to the lodge, then had to park the trucks and trailers out in the back 40 parking for such vehicles. To make the trip from the trucks more expedient in the cold northern temps, we had a couple guys on sleds giving rides back and forth to the lodge.
We enjoyed a few hours of quality time in the lodge lounge, waiting for the Vermont Crew of Connecticut Jim, Dylan, Rob and Chip Nasty to make their arrival. Not having much to eat on the road that day, one of our NFG’s Brandon, now referred to on the trail as Baby Boy, son of Truck Driver Brian from Indiana, ordered us some appetizers to tide us over. He went a bit overboard, as we soon had two pizzas, 3 orders of Mozzarella cheese sticks and 3 orders of potato skins in front of us. With dinner in about 30 minutes.
Probably just as well. While our old launching facility, the Bon Air with the best FRENCH Onion Soup I have found in Quebec has been sold and demolished, we have now found, unaminously the UNbest FRENCH Onion soup (1.75 stars) in Quebec ( I am supposed to be positive with my writings in this blog, and that is the best I can do). The spaghetti was not my flavor as well, reminded me of the Ohio chili with cinnamon and some other spice I don’t know how to identify in it. I’m sure many like it, I don’t.
Launch time was set for 9am Wednesday February 19, 2025. After a buffet snowmobiler’s breakfast, eggs bacon, sausage and toast, we were ready for the trail. It was cold, but not bone numbing, probably about -7 degrees. I don’t recall any issues with our take off, so we will just move along.
The only real trouble we had on Day 1 was Ski Doo Matt’s Expedition had an air leak on his adjustable air ride suspension. When the rest of the group stopped for lunch around 1:30pm, the Indiana crew stayed on the trail and hustled into the Ski Doo dealer in St Raymond, our overnight stay. Apparently, the dealer back home that had provided some maintenance before our departure, forgot to reinstall one of the aluminum wrapped rubber hose into the correct housing and was left free to rub against the muffler and melted the end of the connector. The dealer in St Raymond, was able to make a quick fix to get him back on the trail, but he will try and find a dealer to do the proper repair somewhere along the trail, hopefully. We shall see.
Wednesday night’s stay was at the Hotel Roquemont, in Saint-Raymond. We actually have a bit of history at this place. Long time readers may recall a visit back in 2016 to this area. We had reservations for our large group of misfits, and when Craig went in to check us in, they did not have a reservation for us. Thru the english/french translation, it was finally determined that Orange Helmet Craig made an incorrect reservation and we were due to arrive the NEXT night! ON that occasions, we left our sleds there, and took taxi’s to the downtown district to a much older hotel that had vacancy for 1/2 our group, and the other 1/2 stayed in a literal rent by the hour facility. Stories about that place still comes up every trip! Well, he did it right this time, and it was quite a nice place with what I rated a 4.4 star shower. And dinner was excellent as well. There was calamari and escargot appetizers and I had the duck entree and I saw quite a few steaks come out, as well as a hamburger all dressed for Yamaha Kevin.
This morning, the call time was 8:30am for ski’s up. We had about 25 miles to go back up the trail to fuel the sleds, and get back on track heading north on trail 73 to Relaise 22. But first, I’d be amiss if I didn’t bring up the rookie error of Yamaha Kevin… Apparently last evening when putting his riding gear up for the night, so, you know, it would be dry and warm for the next day, he placed his boots under the table where his helmet and gear was resting, the accumulated snow on the gear melted, and dripped/ran into one of his boots. This morning he woke up to about an inch of warm water in his boot. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. He did his best to dry out his boot, but the clock was ticking. When I gently asked him mid day how his wet foot was, he just replied “it’s about 4 degrees colder than the other one”.
Around the 35 mile mark, we came upon a trail groomer, and Action Dan, our bullet catcher, point man, made it past on the side of the groomed trail without incident. Orange Helmet Craig, not so much. The groomer was stopped on the trail to let our group of 16 sleds go by, and where he parked, there was a 8” log sticking into the edge of the trail on our right. As Craig was attempting to navigate the tight quarters, not hitting the grooming device on the left, and the protruding log on the right, he got sucked into the unpacked 4 foot of snow off the trail and was stuck on his side. After the obligatory photo op, the team unstuck him from his predicament, and onward we rolled.
We made a stop for lunch in La Tuque, a place we have an overnight stay in the past. The last time we overnight stayed here, we ordered in pizzas, got a few cases of adult beverages, and proceeded to have an outdoor picnic on the side walk in front of our rooms! After Ski Doo Matt slammed down a quick lunch, he and Truck Driver Brian, and Baby Boy headed down the road to the local Ski Doo dealer to see if they could get the booger rigged air suspension line repaired correctly. They called before lunch was over and said, go ahead on down the trail, in about an hour his repair will be complete, and they will catch up. On we rolled.
Around the 120 mile mark, the group got backed up when Robere’, with his head in the clouds, veered off trail, requiring a rescue. I should mention that Robere’ has been alcohol free for about the last 6 months, but I don’t see how he his benefiting from it. We shall see.
We arrived at the Relaise 22 around 4:45pm and about 170 ski doo miles. Relaise 22 is a favorite of mine. It’s been about 10 years since our last overnight stay here, and it’s the kinda place I love! No cellular service, a horse shoe bar in the main lodge/building with an open dining room wing off to the side. The best seat in the house is the old velour rocking recliner next to the wood burning stove, near the bar! The real treat, however, is the room set up, an L shaped building with rooms on each side of the corridor. While there is pedestal sink in each room, the bathrooms and showers are communal. At the beginning of each hallway, there is mens room on one side, and women’s across the hall. Each communal rest room has I think 3 toilet stalls, and across from those are the 2 shower stalls with public restroom doors for privacy! I love this place, Truck Driver Brian, not so much, he’s a Holiday Inn Express type. Maybe tomorrow Brian, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Ok, we are in for the evening, I’m needing refreshments and relaxation. Like I thought I was going to enjoy each evening. I was dead set on not doing this stupid effing blog, but again, I was threatened with bodily harm if I didn’t comply. Not to mention, Orange Helmet Craig called me the “D” word if I didn’t comply, and I can assure you, it’s not the D word you may first think, but if you know, you know. So while I started this trip happy go lucky, without a care in the world, they will now get the familiar, grumpy, bitching up a storm Stick that they must really adore. There’s just no other explanation for it.
Bye for now,
Cheers,
Stick