amcan tour

With Mother Nature blessing the Northeast last season, we were able to let the trailers collect dust (snow dust that is) and get in some great riding in our own backyards. Still the thought of just taking off with no timetable or destination weighed heavy on the minds of many of our club members, that club being the Weare Winter Wanderers, Inc. based in Weare, New Hampshire.

Having been able to ride from home up through Maine and into Quebec last year with minimal snow, the decision was made to do it all over again, but this time with great snow cover and hopes of fantastic trails. Thus, with a peck on the cheek, we told our wives and girlfriends that we were going for a short putt and would be back soon- the "we" being club members Bill Bolton, Bill (Billy) Dodge, John Strong and myself, Bucky Buxton.

After tossing a few essentials into our travel bags, we were up early and on our way at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9. We met at Lanctot's Plaza on Rt. 114 since it was a short distance from all of our homes. Heading up through New Hampshire, the trails were great. After a short lunch break in Lincoln, we were underway again. The trails continued to be fantastic through Jefferson, Gorham and on to Errol. We arrived in Errol around 4:00 p.m., which was too early to stop, so we pressed on to Rangeley, Maine, this being the first mistake of many to come.

Taking a shortcut or so, we thought, we soon became disoriented (we never get lost) and finally reached the Rangeley Inn around 8:00 p.m., much later than anticipated. We covered 274 miles, which was not bad for the first day. Also along the way ,we encountered nine moose and too many deer to count.

Up before sunrise it was on to Millinocket and Bill's camp. First however, a wake up call to a large moose sleeping in the middle of the trail had to be made. He sure was stubborn- guess the thought of someone running over his bed didn't settle well. Through Jackman, Rockwood and into Kokadjo for lunch we found great trails. The Maine trail system has to be one of the best in the country. Give them snow and you just know you can look forward to some great sledding. We arrived in Millinocket at 4 p.m. with 225 miles under our belts. After paying a short visit to our good friends Dick and Jayne Goodrich, it was early to bed for all of us.

Friday morning brought chilly temps around -5 F. Fort Kent was our chosen destination for the day, ITS 85 our chosen route. Heading northward toward Shin Pond, we stopped for fuel for both man and machine. Bowlin Camps has to be one of the prettiest areas of the Pine Tree State- a remote setting of log cabins set on a hillside, overlooking a gorge and large suspension bridge give it a postcard look. All this and the food is fabulous.

I could have used a nap, but it was back to the trails once again. Through Oxbow, Portage, Eagle Lake and on into Fort Kent the trails were wonderful. Having made many trips to this area, we've always found it maintained to perfection.

We had not thought of Fort Kent's annual winter carnival; we were glad we had reservations. While enjoying our dinner, we were to be treated to a fantastic snowmobile parade down Main Street. Dozens of new, old and vintage sleds of every make and color, and great costumes. This is snowmobile country and these people sure put their hearts and souls into it. Our daily mileage rolled up to 215, with temperatures in the single digits and sunshine. Just right for sledding.

Saturday morning brought with it something that never happens (yeah right) to a snowmobile: a breakdown. After leaving Fort Kent and crossing the border into New Brunswick, John's Mach I cooked a piston and had to be towed back to Fort Kent (since it was carnival weekend, there was no service being offered at the dealer). They did, however, offer the use of their tools and whatever we needed to get us underway again. With the help of Steve's Motorcycle Shop and a new piston from the dealer, we were soon back on the trail.

Back on the trail at around noon, it was across the border again and on to Edmonton, New Brunswick, and into Degelis, Quebec. From there to the junction on Trail 5 in Rimouski was some of the best trail we had from the start.

After our arrival at the Hotel Normandie about 8:00 p.m., it was supper and off to bed. Considering we lost most of the day to repairs, our 216 mile total was not too bad. Sunday brought with it snow showers with temps in the low teens.

With an 8:00 a.m. start, we arrived- 273 miles later- in New Richmond at 6:00 a.m. Trails were fantastic and we began to experience the scenery for which Gaspe is known. In New Richmond we put up at the Sir Francis Motel, located right on the trail. Nice place with 24-hour restaurants close

Monday was to be one of our least mileage days. It was snowing like heck and, with the really cold temperatures, we were off to a late start. The trails, however, were great, until entering a park outside of Chandler, where we found drifted snow, and the trails had not been groomed recently. Busting through five to six-foot drifts made for some tough going. It was sort of like Columbus searching for the new world, with just a post here and there, and many of these were covered with snow.

Stopping for gas, we met up with two men from around the Quebec City area who advised us that the trail to Perce was almost impossible because of the drifts. We followed them back to Perce, traveling on the side of Route 132, which is the main roadway around Gaspe Peninsula. In the States this sure would have been a no-no. Quebec, however, caters to snowmobilers and allows road use in many areas.

In Perce at 2:00 p.m. with only 166 miles logged, we tucked in our sleds and tried to take in some of the great scenery, except the fog was so thick seeing the person next to you was almost impossible.

But on Tuesday morning we awoke to clear skies and warmer temperatures, and upon opening the shades, the eighth wonder of the world appeared before our eyes. Approximately one mile out in the bay and directly in front of us loomed the monstrous rock formation Perce is famous for. This mammoth rock with a large tunnel through it just sort of rests out in the frozen bay like a tombstone.

In Perce we stayed at the Motel Manoir Perce, a real nice place nestled in the shadow of the Rock. Our restaurant selection didn't cause us much confusion as there's only one open during the winter season. Some day I've got to return during the summer months to take in the beauty of this picture postcard scenery in its green state.

Tuesday also turned out to be our longest distance day with 295 miles rolling up on the tripometer as we reached our destination at the Monaco-des-Monts Motel in Ste. Anne-des-Monts at 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday brought warmer temperatures and bright sun, making for some great riding. Trail #5 was in such great shape that we arrived in Riviere du Loup at 5:30 p.m. We stayed at the Journey's End Motel on the east side of town. A great bunch of guys at Pomerleau Marine & Arctic Cat let us put our sleds inside for the night to thaw out and also let us use part of their shop most of the next day to do our routine maintenance and some much-needed suspension work on John's Mach I.

Much to our surprise we met up with three good friends from home- Al Jones from Warner, New Hampshire, Jim Holstrein from Hopkinton and another of our club members, Paul Berube, out of Weare. They also rode out of New Hampshire, starting at Al's place in Warner and were doing the Gaspe loop and then back through Maine and home. We must have ESP, because they were staying just down the hall in the same motel.

Leaving Riviere du Loup at 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning, we went only a short distance and wouldn't you know it, John was in trouble again. Seems his track decided it had enough of the cold weather and proceeded to disintegrate into small pieces. Thanks to the Ski-Doo dealer in Montmagny and people at the clubhouse in St. Eugene, we were soon back on the trail, new track installed, and on our way to Quebec City.

At Quebec City, we took a trailer ride across the bridge to Ste. Foy. Our transporter was right on the ball and little time was lost getting across the St. Lawrence. We checked in at the Colibri Motel at 6:30 p.m., had a quick dinner and were off to never-never land.

The next day our destination was St. Felicien on the west side of Lac St. Jean. We arrived at 5:00 p.m. after 264 miles of rich, beautiful trails and great riding up through the Laurentian mountains and passes. Our only problem today was that the temperatures were rising and by the time we got to St. Felicien, it was in the 50's (Fahrenheit, that is). There's plenty of snow but it's disappearing fast. At St. Felicien we stayed at the La Valliere Motel; I would have to say it wasn't the classiest place we stayed, but the rooms were clean and the food was good.

We awoke to a surprise on Sunday morning. It was as if we had been in heaven for a week and a half and now we must be headed straight for hell. Saturday night we were off to bed with two feet of white ground cover. Sunday morning everything was brown. In many years of riding, I've never seen so much snow disappear so fast. Luckily there were a few patches of snow and ice left on what the day before had been great trails. Surely most riders would have called for a trailer.

Being stubborn Yankees, not wanting to give up without a fight (and improvising garbage bags for rain suits), we were off into the warm, summer-like rain that was falling. Surely, if we could get over all the open fields and around the upper portion of the lake and back into the mountains and woods, things would get better. Wrong. As every snowmobiler knows, when snow melts it has to go somewhere. Many of the rivers were flooded over with many of them opening quickly. These crossings were a little scary but nothing to compare to what we were soon to encounter.

Reaching Delisle, we came upon a portion of Lac St. Jean that empties into the Riviere Saguenay. The fog had settled in and visibility was down to about 50 feet. At this point, Trail #3 crosses a portion of the lake for about a mile. With much water visible on top of the ice and not being able to see what was ahead, we had to make a decision. Since the trail wasn't blocked off and there was a clubhouse nearby, the trail had to be passable, or so we thought. Strike two. Wrong once again. Everything was looking great until the last 100 yards to shore. Here a brook had opened up to river size and was almost completely wide open. Luckily everyone was up to maximum speed and somehow we all made it to shore safely. Note: Never do this.

More open fields and many hours later we were to enter Jonquiere only to find the trail completely flooded. Using snowbanks and streets, we managed to detour and arrive at the Motel Richelieu at 5:00 p.m. after 212 grueling miles.

Monday morning arrived much too quickly, but did bring with it sunny skies and, happily, no rain. With the Laurentides Reserve and mountains looming in the distance, great riding had to be only moments away. Wrong again- first we had to cover many more miles of open farm land and even less snow (ice) then we had been getting accustomed to.

On the outskirts of Jonquiere, John and Billy were to pose graciously for photos. Seems they were trying to turn their snowmobiles into Sea-Doo's or so it looked in the watery trails. Back on the trail, it was off to Ferland for our first gas stop of the day. Even after entering the mountain region, the trail was in terrible condition as much of the area had been logged and was wide open. Rocks, stumps and mud was the order of the day for the next few miles.

Reaching the tree line, white gold started to appear which made for good riding on into Baie St. Paul. Sure seemed good to have something other than cow manure to lubricate the sliders.

The last 30 or 40 miles of trail through the reserve land is known locally as the Grand Valley; it runs on CALL the Riviere Malbaie, offering some of the best scenery in Quebec. After only 156, the view of Baie St. Paul was surely a sight for sore eyes.

After a good night sleep at the Motel du Gulf, it was back to the homeward trek with St. Foy and the end of the Lac St. Jean loop in the distance. Outside of Baie St. Paul the trails were really nice, as its high elevation had helped to preserve the snow. As we approached Quebec City and the power line, however, the snow quickly began to diminish and the trails became very rough.

Next surprise. Completing the loop back at the Colibri Motel, Henry, the transport driver, advised us to pack up and trailer home as all trails south of the St. Lawrence were closed for lack of snow or flooding. Our Yankee stubbornness began to show again. We just had to try- what the heck, couldn't be any worse than what we had already been through. Enter maps and multiple opinions as to what direction we should undertake; Trail #75 to #5 to #105 and on to Thetford Mines was the winning combination. Shortly after debarking, we quickly realized that Henry was right, but it was too late to give up now. It was more rocks, stumps, grass, open water and plowed fields. Thetford was a welcome sight after 204 hard miles.

We left Thetford at 7:15 AM, and we were soon to change direction once again. Advised of completely bare ground in the Sherbrooke - Sawyerville areas, a we made a quick, easterly turn toward the Armstrong - St. George area. Again conditions were terrible. We put on as many miles circling fields in search of machine-cooling patches of snow as we did going down the trail.
Approaching the St. Theophile clubhouse the river became a stop sign. We detoured via a bridge and arrived at the clubhouse around 2 p.m., only to learn that two crazy men had crossed the river the day before. (It just happened to be our own Bill Boisvert and Glen Davis from our home town.)

After a quick lunch, it was off to Jackman for an early afternoon arrival. With just over 3,000 miles under our belts, it was time again for a little preventative maintenance. Here we had the use of a nice warm and dry shop thanks to a good friend, Reggie Griffith, who owns Griffith's Logging & Chipping based in Jackman.

Again, Thetford to Jackman was one of our shorter days, covering only 181 miles. Also here in Jackman, we were to meet up with two other club members, Neil Chapman and Ted Hilliard, who had ridden up from Pittsburg, New Hampshire to meet us. We spent the night at Bill's camp.

After an early breakfast in town, it was onto ITS 89 to Rangeley, and then to Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and Neil's father-in-law's camp after a daily total of 203 miles.

Awaking at daybreak on Friday, we were to find Neil slaving over a hot stove preparing breakfast. Guess he thought that after two weeks on the trail it was time for a good home-cooked meal.

After breakfast it was down Trail 18 to Colebrook, where we were to meet up with other club members for our annual club trip. Didn't get much riding in for the two-day stay, only 85 miles on Friday and 108 on Saturday. Someone made the statement that Saturday night the barmaid turned more miles than we had in two days. Guess he was probably right, but hell, you have to stop and unwind sometime, and with the sleds all tucked in for the night, there's no better time to do it. With this party, the end of a fabulous trip was fast approaching and it seemed everyone seemed to be a little sad to see it all come to an end.
For myself, I have to say it was a great experience. To have the opportunity to take a trip like this along side a great bunch of guys is a once in a lifetime dream.

As for the riding, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec have some of the best trails and most beautiful scenery to be found anywhere. It surely is a winter wonderland.
Quebec itself has possibly the best trail system in the world. The loss of so much snow in such a short period of time is unheard of in this vast northern frontier, so let's hope Mother Nature doesn't ever let it happen again- especially if we are up there.
And, thus our fabulous journey comes to a close- 3,568 miles from Heaven to Hell and almost back again.

Authors Notes

Each rider on the Weare Wanderer Expedition carried the following:

Clothing
• 4 sets of outer clothing
• 2 pairs of gloves
• 10 sets of underwear
• 3 sets of thermal underwear
• 5 sets each, inner and outer socks

In addition, one day was set aside at mid-trip for maintenance and a trip to the laundromat.

Tools
• 2 complete sets standard and metric sockets
• 3 sets standard and metric wrenches in three tool boxes stocked with various tools, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, hacksaws, punches, micrometers, etc. Note: To rebuild the engine the only tools we had to borrow were a torque wrench and cylinder hone.

Parts
Each sled carried extra carbides, belts, bearings, wheels, suspension springs, bulbs. Also taken were two dozen spark plugs, two spare shocks and approximately 20 pounds of assorted nuts, bolts, washers, cotterpins, duct tape, rope, wire and highway fuses.

Lubricants
Total of 83 quarts of injection oil, 36 bottles of dry gas, a grease gun with five tubes of grease, three bottles of clutch lube, loctite, never-seez, penetrating oil, a tube of hand cleaner and rags.

First Aid
• 2 first aid kits
• various types of tape
• 2 half-gallon jugs of snake-bite medicine (For after-sledding hours only. Note: Next trip we would bring more, as we ran short and had to buy a half-gallon of vodka in Canada at a cost of $45.)