haha, that pic was taken downunder.

 

Screen shot isn't very clear afteri resize so it will download here.

It will be hard to day loop out of Manawaki for 4-5 days. Your a bit south from the main hub at Mont Laurier and to the north.

Any chance you could spend your first night in Manawaki then spend one or ideally 2 nights someplace north of Mont Laurier. This would give you so much more range and options for a different loop each day.

Rabaska Lodge

Mekoos Lodge

or the Motel at St Anne Du Lac would be some suggestions.

The loop on the map is 320 km. That would be a days ride. Will give you a visual idea of the range you might cover from Manawaki.

This region has lots of topography, hills, always going up and down and winding. Some faster winding open trails with some tighter twisty trails. Absoutley beautiful scenic riding.

Our group rides a fairly fast pace but still stay on our side of the trail type of pace. At the end of the day we will think we were really flying today and the GPS will show 50 km for a moving average. Nothing like Cochrane. This is fun, have to be fully engaged type of riding.

300-320 km will be typical day. 400 is doable but will be a really long day.

We did 400 km couple days riding out of Rabaska but we headed north up 13 to Pourvour Cheval and 100 du Lac Lodge then looped south back to Rabaska. More open faster riding as you go north from the loop I have shown on the map.

Devils Mountain and Chute du Windigo (waterfalls) is the 2 sites you will want to see. I can do a detailed map if needed. Neither one is marked very well on the paper map or on the viaexplora site.

Ask if any other questions.

 

http://fcmq.viaexplora.com/i?s=IwGgzArALAHAnGGYQG0C0A2YB2ADAJmWwl2Qhm31wxEIzAF1aYZVgdFcYJbhddQaeNhDBoYKCDRQ4GEWjHZW_KvnlQsuKXwxweC4HCha0_KLAhN0wFXBj5grHCxFhD_ONoywtFeCCh8ci9uGnY

IDFZ4ZDQ8GEEwRAh8KxRPYBpGEC0c7LyUPhAAIlIIuCLwJlychiA&r=2

Hopefully the maps will be more useful if I post as a link.

Yellow Waypoint Balloons:

# 4 Devils Mountain lookout, small resturant here but not always open

# 3 Chute Du Windigo, very neat waterfalls

# 6 Rabaska Lodge, good lunch stop and gas

 

http://fcmq.viaexplora.com/i?s=IwGgzArALAnADBCoDaBaAbMeB2AHCYCOObECXc9fKbAJhgF0R7aRlhhsxc4p0Q_UOAPQJ_qKGCghUtMMRlhatcjMLp0

EJmmDKYdOP3S1c_5tlgwBMDor4kZsbMDBqsMRm2HD2wgERwkOhgfuBM3iA_VsD8YAwMQA&r=2

# 2 Mekoos Lodge, lunch and gas

 

Thanks Fuse.

Were pretty much going with Maniwaki for this year. Travel time for those going are a consideration.

Ill check out the maps......

THANKS!

 

http://fcmq.viaexplora.com/iObECXc9fKbAJhgF0R7aRlhhsxc4p0Q_UOAPQJ_qKGCghUtMMRlhatcjMLp0
EJmmDKYdOP3S1c_5tlgwBMDor4kZsbMDBqsMRm2HD2wgERwkOhgfuBM3iA_VsD8YAwMQA&r=2

# 2 Mekoos Lodge, lunch and gas

Excellent advice as always Steve. The trails in the area are spectacular. In addition to Windigo Falls and Devil's mountain there are also some other cool sights to see - some bridges, and Hydro Dams. Not as impressive as Taureau or Onatchiway but still worth seeing once you're there. One small thing I'll add. Meekos does not serve food all day, or at least they didn't when we were there last year. The place was hopping, lots of riders and staff around, but no food. We did some sight seeing and got in for gas and lunch around 1:30, and they said the kitchen was closed as they stop serving between lunch and supper. We were able to get some chicken wings and drinks, but not a real lunch. We were pretty surprised given how many people were around.
We're clocking about the same average speed as you, or we were last year. If we ever get snow, it will be great to meet up and ride together again. I want to try your 900T, and not in the rain!

 

Our annual sled tip is taking us to Maniwaki this march. Riding for 4/5 days during the week.
Staying at Auberge du Draveur. Which was suggested by a few people.

So, what do we need to know?
Places to avoid?
Places to see?

Can somebody suggest how many KM one can reasonably ride in a day? For example is Maniwaki to Mont Laurier and back easily doable in a day? Half day? I know its hard to know how fast/hard people ride and for how long. Are 400km loops doable in a day for example?

What are good loops? I have the interactive map thing but not knowing how far/fast the trails are in the area I'm at a loss on how far we can roam in say 10/12 hours.

We've ridden from Hearst to SRF to Abitibi Canyon, Cochrane and back to Hearst in a "day" before, so high mileage isn't the issue.
We just don't know how far we can get in a particular duration of time.

Any suggestions? Screen shots on the map guide would be ideal.

Thanks!

I don't know how all of you are doing, but seeing your picture upside down is exactly how I feel! We started off with a very positive November and were sure we'd be riding Christmas. Now we need a Christmas miracle to get some snow, and by some, I mean a lot. The rain has washed away all that we have received in the Laurentians. At least the nights are cold so the lakes should refreeze quickly. It just really sucks to have time off work, a new sled crying to play in the snow and have no snow in "snow country".

BTW, the best way to get your pictures to post in proper orientation is to crop them, even a little bit and then post them. They'll post properly- if you want your sleds on the snow at the bottom of the picture!

 

We need to remember , Outfitters like Meekos are not McDonalds . The main priority typically is the folks that stay overnight with them .

 

True, but if they could make wings, they could have made grilled cheese sandwiches!

 

The Hydro Dam in the area on the way to Meekos was at Kamika

 

The best tasting meal I've had in a while was at 100 lacs last year. Worth the ride up there, lodging was good too. And check out the size of that largemouth bass in the picture inside the lobby!

 

Im on the countdown for out trip. We arrive in Maniwaki March 1st.

Devils Mountain

Chute du Windigo

??? What are other "can't miss" places?

With the warm weather this week, what kind of trails should we expect? Is there lots of snow? Or just "enough" to get by?

I see 20cm expected Wednesday this week and plus temps for the days were riding there. not ideal conditions.

Are the trails like northern Ontario, lots of power lines, pipelines, railheads and roadbeds, out in the open? Or in the bush, shaded from direct heat? I guess like anywhere, terrain varies.

Hopefully the warm temps hold off. Hopefully the weatherman is a liar.

 

The links in the maps above don't work. Can somebody give me an idea of the trail that Devils Mtn is on? and approximate location, "between X and Y"?

 

Im on the countdown for out trip. We arrive in Maniwaki March 1st.

Devils Mountain

Chute du Windigo

??? What are other "can't miss" places?

With the warm weather this week, what kind of trails should we expect? Is there lots of snow? Or just "enough" to get by?

I see 20cm expected Wednesday this week and plus temps for the days were riding there. not ideal conditions.

Are the trails like northern Ontario, lots of power lines, pipelines, railheads and roadbeds, out in the open? Or in the bush, shaded from direct heat? I guess like anywhere, terrain varies.

Hopefully the warm temps hold off. Hopefully the weatherman is a liar.

Just returned on Sunday from Maniwaki, well, we stage there and back pack. Coming back to into town it was 45 degrees and the trails were starting to show it. I'm sure they will be fine after this recent storm and colder temps. As has been mentioned in this thread, you will have a very difficult time making 4-5 days of different riding out of this area, most areas in Quebec are actually this way, exceptions being SMDS for larger day loops. More options for staying in one place if you want to do shorter days (200km). I would guess by the time you head up, it may be difficult to ride much south of where you are staying. Quebec is really set up for perfect back packing. Trails are really quite different from Northern Ontario, yes they are fast, but power line, rail bed, pipelines, etc. are limited riding compared to Ontario. In otherwords, you are not on them for miles upon miles. Fuse made some great suggestions and the further north you go from Maniwaki the better and more awesome it gets. Fer a Cheval, Meekos, 100 du Lacs, all all top notch places to stay, but don't count on food unless you are staying there. My recommendation would be this, which is very easy to do in 4 to 5 days of riding. Load your pack. Park in Maniwaki. Head over towards SMDS and stay a night. We have always liked the cabins at Camp Taureau or Aberge Taureau. You could stay there two nights and two a loop around the Faunique Mastigouche Reserve, very nice ride! Leave there and head north, go around through Parent and either stay at Fer a Cheval or 100 Lacs, both will not disappoint. From either you are about 250km from your truck.

Also, larger towns like SMDS and Mount Laurier are nice as they have a lot of services, however they are also attractants to many people, so they tend to run out of good snow way quicker than any other more remote areas.

Only way to do Quebec in my opinion!

FYI, when you look at the interactive map, Devils Mountain is in the Windigo area and can be easily found by following signage once you get into the Brown Circle of trails that runs around Lake Windigo. So on the map, blue trails are Trans Quebec trails/Main trials. Green are club trails and brown are "local" The local trails are numbered in terms of signage but not numbered on the interactive map. It is very easy to navigate up there if you have the app and signage is good, although this time of the year, some of the signage is buried in the snow.

Feel free to PM if you would like to chat and I will give you my cell. I've spent a lot of time in both Quebec and Ontario over the years.

 

So how was your trip to Maniwaki??? Please give us the run down.

 

It went very well. We started out with 6 guys going, ended up with two of us making it.

One guy missed his flight from Florida, so he didn't make it, and his buddy decided not to attend either because of that.

One was hospitalized two days before with pneumonia.

One guy sold his sled two days prior.

But I digress.

We arrived on Sunday the 1st. Stayed at the Auberge Du Draveur for 5 nights. Had a "meal plan" with our room package, $40 per person per night three course meal voucher and a $8 voucher for the following mornings breakfast.

Day 1 Rode north out of town, up #13, across 255(?, maybe 275?) and around Lac Windigo, to Devils Mtn lookout. Across to Mount Laurier (which has awful signage, especially for fuel), then south to Lac de Iles and west back to Maniwaki.

Day 2 was very warm and sunny, +4 and clear skys. Rode south to Low on fresh groomed, untracked trails, and then back to 311 west to Danford Lake (cool old general store there), then north to Lac Cayamant and back to Gracefield then back up the old rail line to Maniwaki.

Day 3 was warm too, #63 to "The Blanc Ours" warming hut. (with the sleds on the posts). 10" of fresh powder on top of flat perfect trail base. I could power slide almost anywhere I wanted. Had lunch in the little gas station in Grand Ramous. Caught up to the groomer just south of there. HE jumped out to ask us how the trail was, which were "chit" actually. Wasn't packing very well, so he parked the groomer to wait for cooler temps that night.

Day 4, was the same as day 3, because the trail was perfect. We could sell see our tracks from the previous day! 2-3" of powder overnight. Met a group of ladies riding the same loop, as us later on. Ate at the Vert Roof (?) in GR. Food was excellent and very cheap.

IIRC we did 780km. On the sleds by 9:30 am or so and back at the hotel around 5pm. Relaxed with a adult beverage for a couple hours then down to the Pub for dinner. ALL EXCELLENT meals, zero complaints, and HIGHLY recommended.

Interesting to see that SXS and ATV's are used on SOME of the multi use trails. There were even some ATV ONLY trails. I'll try and add some pics, but its a PITA to do it, bear with me.

 

Monstertruck Corvette, lol.

 

Warm up shack

 

...

 

Our groomer buddy "Stephanè". Saw him two days in a row.