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More perfect groomingWe met up with Yvon Leclerc, the La Sarre snowmobile club president, on our third day, and he gave us an interesting tour. Leclerc showed us his 1965 homemade groomer and drag with a hydraulic brush cutter attachment. The machine is light enough to go over frozen rivers and frozen lakes, making for perfect trails everywhere.
The La Sarre club's area is groomed by six machines, each covering about 30 miles. All of this adds up to meticulous trials and Leclerc was duly proud of his trails. About 11 a.m. we parted ways with the locals and started our journey further north, 180 miles on Trail 396 to Matagami.
We took the precaution of calling ahead to the James Bay club to make sure the trail was passable. There is fuel at Villebouis, about 40 miles north of La Sarre, and you can buy gas at a logging operation, at about the halfway point. I might add the price was the same as in Toronto, which is amazing. But they take only cash, so have some Canadian currency with you.
The trail was perfect, scenic and there were almost no signs of civilization. We arrived at Matagami at about 3:30 p.m., fueled, had a late lunch and started back south. This time to Amos, and we ran the wide open territory along hydro lines that are cut through a dense, but well cleared, bush. Sled heads with big power will love this relatively flat section and everyone will appreciate these smooth trials, at any speed.
Partway down, just past the 396 junction, we found a warming hut, or cabin, equipped with furniture, stove and plenty of firewood. It's a club feature and I know you could spend a comfortable night if the weather was bad or you had a breakdown. Such cabins are scattered everywhere in this region.
We arrived in Amos at dusk, checking into the Amosphere Resort, a first-class place with good dining, and a great hot tub room, a nice feature. We even had inside heated sled parking with a garage door opener. At dinner our group sat and talked over the day's trip. We'd done 320 miles, not bad for an 11 a.m. start.