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When anyone mentions fjords, the natural inclination is to think of one place in particular - the rocky coast of Norway, where granite cliffs plunge to the sea and Neptune's watery fingers stretch for miles inland amid spectacular scenery.
As common as fjords are along the Norwegian shore, they also can be found wherever glaciers have carved out ocean-side canyons that are long, steep and deep.
One such spectacular fjord is found along the west side of the Saint Lawrence River in eastern Quebec, where the widening seaway becomes an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. This remarkable waterway is the Saguenay Fjord, a natural feature that extends inland for more than 50 miles as the Saguenay River, with much of that distance characterized by amazing scenic vistas.
The steep cliffs gradually diminish in height as you travel inland, and eventually the shores become rolling land. Cloaked in winter snows, this natural wonderland is even more astounding, and a fabulous backdrop for a Quebec snowmobile adventure!
Fellow snowmobiling enthusiast Todd Schei and I got to enjoy this wonderland last March as guests of Tourisme Saguenay-Lac Saint Jean, whose director, Nancy Donnelly, welcomed us personally to make sure we enjoyed a good taste of the area's riding.
A 3-day tourWe began our 3-day visit by picking up rental sleds at Evasion Sport, the Arctic Cat dealer on the outskirts of Saguenay, the area's largest city. This town, known for its lumber and aluminum processing, is astride the Saguenay River where it becomes the upper reaches of the fjord.
We set off on our Cats for a mid-afternoon tour, planning to ride until sundown before arriving at our overnight stop. There were numerous options thanks to the area's outstanding trail network, but we opted to ride east, where our map showed some deep forest trails.
The first leg was south through Laterriere, a town with a large industrial complex near the trail. Soon we were leaving civilization behind and entering an area of hills and low mountains. The trails were wide, smooth and full of enjoyable turns, dips and rises. It was a cold day, so when we made it to a remote warming hut marked on our map, we were happy. Even though it was a midweek afternoon, plenty of heat was emanating from the wood stove to warm us.
Weather started getting roughWe went on, turning north toward the town of Riviere-Eternite, where we refueled amid falling snow before setting off to Baie Eternite, an inlet on the south shore of the Saguenay Fjord just 5 miles away. When we got there, it was snowing heavily, obscuring the view of the ice shanties in front of us and the sheer rock cliffs towering over both sides of the bay.
Despite the reduced visibility, one thing was obvious from looking up at the vertical stone formations, this was definitely a fjord!
After enjoying the view for a few minutes, we headed back to the main trail and made our way west to our destination, the Auberge des Battures. Our ride had covered 127 miles, and we were happy to see the warm, inviting hotel situated on a hillside overlooking the Baie des Ha! Ha! (yes, that's the actual name), one of the watery arms of the Saguenay Fjord. This hotel, which features a fenced parking area, caters to snowmobilers and is accessible via its own 3-mile-long spur trail.
Day 2: Sunny, "cold"The next morning dawned sunny, but extremely cold (-25 F). Our guide for the day was Arnaud Coiffier, a young, but experienced snowmobiler who worked at the hotel. After we worked to get one of the balky Cats started (it was a kill switch problem), we were on our way. Our first leg was west to Evasion Sport, where the sleds were given a look over as we warmed in the toasty showroom. Because of the severe wind chill, we discussed whether to even make the ride, but decided to give it a try.
Our goal was to tour both sides of the Saguenay River, journeying from the south to the north side of the fjord by going west and making the crossing upstream at the Shipshaw Dam. Arnaud led us through the city of Saguenay, where we passed a large sawmill and the expansive Alcan Aluminum facility, both sending fingers of billowing steam into the blue sky, visible for many miles. The trail through town was smooth and well maintained, leading us over a major bridge and then the "barrage," or dam. Both crossings were on snow-packed sidewalks, giving us a view as we crossed.
Now on the north side of the river, we headed to Saint Ambroise, where we enjoyed lunch at a café along the trail and warmed from the morning chill. From there, we turned east and cruised through a variety of farm and forestlands on wide, well-groomed trails. At one remote road crossing, Arnaud signaled us to stop - just in time to see two dogsled teams bound across the snowmobile trail.
Before long, we were ascending the foothills of the Valin Mountains, with a lot of roller coaster ride elevation changes, twists and turns. Rounding a bend, Arnaud signaled again, and this time we were face to face with an oncoming trail groomer! Fortunately, we skidded to a stop short of its rather imposing plow blade.
We continued, passing south of the Monts Valin National Park before arriving at our destination, the Auberge Cap au Leste, a beautifully situated property with a spectacular view of the fjord. After traveling all day, we had logged 118 miles of riding, and were now on the north side of the fjord, just 6 miles across from our starting point!
Bidding Arnaud goodbye as he headed home, we settled into our deluxe room and took in a beautiful sunset before enjoying a wonderful four-course dinner, the reward for a full day on the trails.
Day 3: Return tripThe next morning, Todd and I retraced our path, but this time with a side trip into the national park. A 7-mile spur trail took us to the top of Pic de la Hutte, the area's highest point. As we approached the peak, the pines became heavily flocked with snow (known as "snow ghosts"), the radio tower was shrouded in ice and it was obvious that the extreme weather had left its mark.
We were there on a pristine morning with a blue sky and unlimited visibility. Before us was a fantastic panorama that included the river valley and the city in the distance, with plumes of steam rising from its numerous industries. After enjoying the view, we descended and made our way back through town, ending our journey at Evasion Sport just before lunch. We ended with another 117 miles on the odometer, bringing the total to 362 miles for the 3 days.
The Saguenay region offers good snow, superb riding and a fabulous network of trails. This area is very snowmobile oriented with plenty of lodging and sled rental options available. If you're considering a trip to Quebec, I highly recommend it. The nearby Lac Saint-Jean area is easily accessible, and together, the two regions boast more than 2,000 miles of trails.
For more info on the region or to request a trail map, contact Tourisme Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean toll free at 877-253-8387, or go to
www.paradiseofsnowmobile.com.