Aptly named the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour, this circle tour takes six days of riding to cover its minimum distance of 1,355 kilometres (840 miles) between Lévis and Baie-Comeau. But the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour didn’t happen overnight or by chance. From an idea that took seed almost a decade ago, this impressive ride blossomed into the first officially named, multi-region loop in La Belle Province.

Participating Tourism Regions

Whereas other Quebec loops are all within one tourism region, organizing the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour required the collaboration of several neighbouring regions – Charlevoix, Chaudière-Appalaches and Quebec Maritime (which includes Bas-Saint-Laurent, Cote-Nord and Gaspésie). Their idea is to provide snowmobilers with a must-do loop that samples some of the best sledding available in each of their regions. This unique circuit stages from Lévis, a convenient location for many riders trailering to Quebec to access snow sooner with more trail time.

Without much fanfare, these regional partners introduced the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour for the 2024 season. This lowkey debut provided an opportunity for their new product to be tried, tested and assessed in a real world situation, before being widely promoted to snowmobilers everywhere.

Getting Ready

As the first snowmobiling media to experience the new loop, our mission was to give snowmobilers the scoop on how to do it, what to expect, and to provide valuable feedback for tour organizers to help make it even better. Effectively, we were the guinea pigs for the tour’s soft launch – and test riders for you!

With that goal in mind, we spent many hours studying, pre-planning, and reviewing our proposed tour itinerary to nail down the details that can make or break a good ride. Afterwards, we fine-tuned the itinerary again, so that snowmobilers would have the most complete template possible to plan their own Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour.

Of course, it helps that I’ve previously snowmobiled in each one of the regions participating in the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour on other fondly remembered tours. So, I quickly agreed that this new loop brings some of La Belle Province’s best riding and scenery together in one outstanding tour…

Both Sides Now

The Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour is also the first and only Quebec loop routed on both sides of the St. Lawrence. Making this happen involved overcoming an immutable fact of Quebec geography: this mighty river divides La Belle Province in two: north and south of the St. Lawrence.

Perhaps nothing speaks better to this geographic reality than the designation of FCMQ Trans Quebec (TQ) and Regional Trails (RT). From their trail numbers, snowmobilers know automatically which side of the river they’re on, because trails on the north side include a “3” in their number, while those on the south side are indicated by a “5”. It’s almost like having two distinct trail networks across the waterway from each another – in fact, no FCMQ trails continue from one side of St. Lawrence to the other with the same number.

On the north side of the St. Lawrence, this tour takes in the elevations of the Charlevoix Mountains (part of the Laurentian chain) and panoramic lookouts at Montagne de la Croix (Local Trail 64), Mont à Peine (TQ 3), Mont Thérèse-Casgrain (Local Trail 54) and Lac-Gravel (RT 378) all located between La Malbaie and the mouth of the Saguenay River. Then, it’s on to the rugged ups and downs of TQ 3 through Canadian Shield terrain in Cote-Nord, from Tadoussac to Baie-Comeau. On the south side regions of Gaspésie, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Chaudière-Appalaches, you can either ride closer to the river on TQ 5 to enjoy the St. Lawrence lowlands, or head inland to travel TQ 35 through the foothills of the Appalachians.

Favourably Located

Location is also a special advantage of the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour. Its northerly positioning and elevated terrain deliver a long riding season with abundant snow and cold for awesome trail riding. No wonder, because the eastern half of the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour on both sides of the river is actually as far north as Monts-Valin!

What’s more, the loop is positioned east of Quebec’s main population centres. Thus, most trails on the loop avoid the wear & tear of daily traffic around the big cities. Instead, they run through more rural areas, where services are plentiful in snowmobile-friendly coastal towns and villages that really cater to winter lovers.

The Scoop On River Crossings

All of this is possible because safe river crossings are an integrated part of the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour. At its west end, this loop includes an enclosed snowmobile shuttle across the bridge between Lévis (south side) and Quebec City (north side). 535km (465mi) farther east, the widest crossing is via the winter ferry running 61km (38mi) between Baie-Comeau and Matane. In between, the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour also includes a short ferry ride across the Saguenay River from Baie-Sainte-Catherine in the Charlevoix Region to Tadoussac in the Cote-Nord Region (see river crossing sidebar for more info).

I quickly realized that the Baie Comeau/Matane winter ferry schedule would actually determine our entire tour itinerary, and here’s why: we’d decided to snowmobile the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour clockwise, staging from Lévis to do the north side first. So, given the ferry schedule and the six days we had available to ride, our staging from Lévis had to start on a Sunday morning if we were going to make the Wednesday ferry from Baie-Comeau at 11am (departure time is 5pm on other days).

While the Baie-Comeau to Matane ferry is the primary, reliable and year-round connector between the two shores for locals, stormy weather occasionally disrupts its schedule. To account for this remote possibility, I added a “spare” day to the end of our itinerary, allowing us to move our drive home a day later if necessary. The key takeaway here is that regardless of whether you want to do this loop clockwise or counter-clockwise, be sure to start your itinerary by checking the winter ferry schedule first and plan accordingly.

Ferrying Tips

These ferry rides are a key part of what makes the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour special. The whole ferry experience is extraordinary – where else can you find a ferry that transports sleds and offers lunch on board? Suddenly, you’re briefly transformed from a landlubber to a seafarer with incomparable views of the river, the ice, the coasts – and if you’re lucky, a seal or two. Plus, the Baie-Comeau-Matane ferry, with all its passenger amenities and comforts, is more like a cruise ship! Even the embarking and disembarking is memorable.

But ferries are made for cars and trucks, not sleds, so I recommend doing this loop with Rollerskis from Qualipieces on every sled. These easily installed ski wheels not only provide easier steering at gas stations, restaurants and lodgings. They also made traversing the many paved access areas and metal ramps/floors of ferries a breeze by lifting our runners above any damaging contact. And that meant a better ride overall thanks to our sharp carbides!

Extend Your Loop

Want to ride more than the minimum loop distance? The Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour also offers snowmobilers routing options. The 1,355 km (840 mi.) basic distance of the six-day loop can easily be extended by several hundred kilometres. Simply select alternative and more roundabout trails, especially in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Chaudière-Appalaches south shore regions.

Riders who want to add days or distance can also consider taking the opportunity to go farther east than Baie-Comeau in Cote-Nord by adding the two-day return ride on TQ 3 to Sept-Iles (282km/175mi each way), or taking TQ 55 through the middle of Chaudiére-Appalaches to check out incredible views around Massif South Park (RT 547), then returning to the Lévis staging point from the south via TQ 35.

Whatever your itinerary preference, the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour is an epic bucket-list adventure that’s also a great couples tour and will make many thumbs-up memories. So why not be among the first to give it a go by planning your own Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour loop ride this winter?

Loop Contacts

• Tourisme Chaudière-Appalaches
• Tourisme Charlevoix
• Le Quebec Maritime (Regions – Côte-Nord, Gaspésie & Bas-Saint-Laurent)
• Trail Permits & Interactive Trail Map

Clockwise Loop Lodgings

• Chaudière-Appalaches Region:
  Hotel & Suites Normandin, Lévis (418) 831-3119 or 1-800-749-3119
  Charlevoix Region:
  Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, La Malbaie (418) 665-7303 or 1-800-441-1414
  Le Quebec Maritime – Cote-Nord Region:
  Complexe hôtelier Escoumins, Les Escoumins (418) 233-2401 or 1-888-225-3463
  Hotel Le Manoir, Baie-Comeau (418) 296-1435 or 1-866-996-3391
  Le Quebec Maritime – Bas-Saint-Laurent Region:
  Hôtel L’Empress, Rimouski (418) 723-6944 or 1-866-305-6944
  Auberge Cap Martin, La Pocatière (418) 856-4450 or 1-866-995-6922

River Crossing Info

Lévis to Quebec City: Despite the recent and unexpected cancellation of the privately operated Sled Shuttle, touring riders still have good do-it-yourself options for crossing the St. Lawrence River. 
Saguenay Ferry: (418) 235-4395. Free. Runs 24/7. No reservations needed. Crossing time: 15 min.
Baie-Comeau to Matane Ferry: Advance reservations recommended by calling 1-877-787-7483. Arrive for boarding at least 45 min. prior to ferry departure time. Cost: #38.05/sled. Refreshments & indoors lounge available on board. Crossing time: 2 hours + embarking & disembarking time.

Going on tour means encountering many factors that can make or break your ride. Variables include weather and snow conditions, trail routing and status, sled reliability, and the availability of appropriate services and accommodations when and wherever they’re needed.

Sure, good advance planning and preparedness helps, but even the most popular destinations can still be a bit of a gamble, especially for less experienced snowmobilers. So what if there was one place that provided remarkable peace of mind by eliminating most of the uncertainties?

That’s what we found in the Upper Laurentians, an area that sets a special benchmark that other destinations would be wise to emulate.

Staging From Mont Laurier

The Laurentides Region runs northwest from Montreal and the Lower Ottawa River almost to Clova and Parent. If you’re so inclined, you could ride all of its 2,411 kilometres (1,498 miles) of snowmobile trails, most of which meander through the snowy Laurentian Mountains. For our 4-day couples tour, we staged out of Mont Laurier (pop. 13,799), the gateway to the Upper Laurentians (Haute-Laurentides).

It’s a convenient staging hub for any Laurentides Region tour, with an outstanding network of trails spoking out in every direction. From there, multiple day rides and several loops are available so your sledding getaway can be as long or short as you choose.

Mont Laurier is also a real snowmobiling town, known for its many sled-accessible services and amenities, and for allowing snowmobiles to travel on snow along the south side of its main street (Hwy 117) that’s actually part of Local Trail 223. For those trailering in, Mont Laurier is only 187 miles from Massena, NY and 238 miles from Burlington VT. It’s also 250 km (160 miles) northwest of Montreal and 216 km (134 miles) north of Ottawa, most of it uphill as the elevation increases north of the Ottawa River.

About The Wood Runner Trails & Loop

We chose Mont Laurier because I’d been wondering about something called the Wood Runner Loop (Le Tour Coureurs des Bois) that had caught my eye on the Laurentides Region snowmobile trail map. Turns out Le Tour Coureurs des Bois is an outstanding 464-kilometre (288 mile) circuit into the Upper Laurentians, north of Mont Laurier, that’s the showcase ride of the Wood Runner Trails (Les Sentiers Coureurs des Bois). As we quickly appreciated, unlike many loops marked on other trail guides, the Wood Runner Loop is much more than just a line highlighted on a map.

Each is named after the famous “coureurs des bois”, independent French fur traders from the 17th and 18th centuries. These “wood runners” ventured into the most remote areas, pushing the boundaries of the great unknown. Like its pioneering namesakes, the Wood Runner Trails explore a vast wilderness, taking adventurous snowmobilers on what for many becomes the ride of a lifetime.

The Wood Runner Backstory

So what makes the Wood Runner Trails so unique? It’s one of the only existing destination rides I’m aware of that’s initiated and championed by its hospitality providers, the area’s pourvoiries. The word “pourvoirie” is usually translated into English as “outfitter”. In winter, these Upper Laurentians outfitters cater to snowmobilers; the rest of the year, to hunters, anglers, ATV riders and vacationing families.

The best way to describe the pourvoiries associated with the Wood Runner Trails is authentic wilderness lodges with tasteful accommodations, modern amenities and gourmet cuisine for outdoor enthusiasts. Many snowmobilers prefer these pourvoiries to regular motels for a more special, enjoyable and memorable experience – one that they look forward to every night.

Almost twenty-five years ago, a few of these pourvoirie owners began attending American snowmobile shows to promote their area. Many stateside riders said that the Québec trail system was so big they hardly knew where to get started.

These Upper Laurentians outfitters also heard show attendees express uncertainty about trying an unfamiliar place, including such worries as finding reliable places to stay, being sure of good snow and trail conditions, getting lost, running out of gas, not speaking the language, or keeping their trucks and trailers secure.

Motivated by addressing these concerns, a group of independent forest innkeepers and outfitters decided to establish a unique network of snowmobile trails in the Upper Laurentians they named “Les Sentiers Coureurs des Bois”.

Over the years, they’ve enhanced their Wood Runner Trails concept with the cooperation of local economic development and tourism offices. They’ve also partnered with local snowmobile clubs for regular grooming, merged their trails into the FCMQ system, attracted visiting winter lovers from overseas, included a Mont Laurier staging hotel and sled rental partner, added reliable internet, and engaged in co-operative purchasing to provide the highest quality meals at each pourvoirie. Recently, they’ve also expanded the Wood Runner Trails to ATV, Side X Side and dual sport bike tours in other seasons.

The key to their long-term success stems from the continuing alliance of like-minded hospitality providers. Natural competitors, their ongoing cooperation has resulted in a more robust winter business for all, while attracting many more visiting snowmobilers to their entire region.

They’ve succeeded in delivering a one of a kind snowmobiling experience with reliable and secure access to their wilderness backyard, combined with unrivalled pourvoirie hospitality. Talk about a win-win for everyone!

What You Can Expect From The Wood Runner Loop

The benefits of Le Tour Coureurs des Bois for snowmobilers are numerous. While each establishment is uniquely authentic in its own way, the pourvoirie accommodations, meals, service and amenities are all reliably excellent and consistent, including multi-bedroom chalets that can easily accommodate larger groups.

Most of these include living areas where our entire group relaxed comfortably together at the end of each day’s ride. My best advice: book your reservations early for the entire loop!

Each pourvoirie is also located close enough to the next that there’s no worry about running out of gas because fill-ups are available at each location. Each is also open for lunch and as rest stops for touring riders.

What’s more, the outfitters have installed 50 signage stations throughout their loop, with maps boards and arrowed destination/distance signs so wayfinding is a breeze and because these owners work together, visiting riders benefit from knowing that their hosts are used to keeping track of guests riding between their pourvoiries – and that help is available if needed.

Meanwhile, their easy-riding Wood Runner Loop travels through beautiful forests, with few public road crossings or ice travel. Numerous secondary trails within and around the main loop provide alternate routes for longer or shorter ride distances. Cell service can be spotty on remote trails, but trail signs indicate a few points where service is available, in addition to each of the pourvoiries.

Then there are the special attractions. Le Tour Coureurs des Bois accesses the famous Montagne du Diable (Devil’s Mountain) lookout with its new “dare-to-climb” panoramic tower view from the Laurentians second-highest peak.

Nearby, the picturesque Chute de Windigo (Windigo Falls) with a height of 55 metres and width of 18, is well worth a look in its scenic setting. And just to the west of these points of interest is the massive Baskatong Reservoir, where a staked Regional Trail 322 takes you for a quick, 12-km, staked ice crossing to a Sentiers Coureurs des Bois member located on the other side.

Home Away From Home

There’s one intangible benefit that’s equally responsible for bringing satisfied snowmobilers back to visit the Upper Laurentians again and again. Les Sentiers Coureurs des Bois members give everyone a warm, personal welcome and can cater to every need in English.

Each pourvoirie specializes in making your stay and ride as easy, comfortable and enjoyable as possible, starting with several choices for secure trucks and trailer parking (see list). We even had our sleds cleared of snow in the morning by staff using a leaf blower!

Their hospitality also results from working together for continuous improvement and plain-spoken honesty with guests about snow and trail status, even going so far as to advise sledders with reservations if necessary. And nothing compares to the scrumptious meals that are part of every snowmobile package: high cuisine that’s artistically plated by gourmet chefs, then served by super friendly pourvoirie staff.

Yes, when you stay with these go-above-and-beyond outfitters, you’ll feel right at home, make enduring friendships, and keep coming back for more because it just doesn’t get any better than this on every day – and every night – of any other tour!

That’s why Le Tour Coureurs des Bois is now on my list of “Fav Québec Snowmobile Destinations” – and is a perfect choice for riders of all ages and experience levels, and especially for a couples tour like ours. Another plus is that due to its northerly location, the Wood Runner Loop is normally available to ride both before and after the season ends in many other places.

Consequently, and because it’s much closer to Ontario and several border states than some other Québec locations, I’ve also added it to my short list of early and late season riding possibilities.

For me, all of this is what makes Le Tour Coureurs des Bois a new dimension in Québec trail riding, one that may even change trailering patterns for avid snow-seekers looking for unbeatable first and last rides.

So along with everything else that Mont Laurier and the Upper Laurentians have to offer touring snowmobilers, why not try the Wood Runner Trails for your next ride?

Certainly my Intrepid Snowmobiler crew, hard to impress after years of visiting many popular snowmobiling destinations, were blown away by the ultimate ride experience we enjoyed in the Laurentides Region, thanks to the Wood Runner Loop and its amazing pourvoiries!

SENTIERS COUREURS DES BOIS MEMBERS

ON WOOD RUNNER LOOP

Comfort Inn, Mont Laurier (secure parking)- comfortinn-ml.ca/comfort/en/home
Pourvoirie Club Fontbrune (secure parking) – fontbrune.ca
Rabaska Lodge (secure parking) – lerabaska.com
Club Notawissi – notawissi.com
Pourvoirie Fer á Cheval – feracheval.ca
Pourvoirie des 100 Lacs Sud – pourvoirie100lacs.com
Pourvoirie Meekos (secure parking) – mekoos.com
F. Constantineau & Fils (sled rentals), Mont Laurier – fconstantineau.com

ON OTHER WOOD RUNNER TRAILS

La Pointe á David – pointedavid.com
Hotel Central Parent – hotelcentralparent.com

TOUR INFO

Tourisme Laurentides – laurentides.com/fr/quoi-faire/motoneige
Wood Runner Trails – woodrunnertrail.ca/snowmobile-trails
Tourisme Québec – bonjourquebec.com
FCMQ – fcmq.qc.ca
Intrepid Snowmobiler (tour itinerary)
– intrepidsnowmobiler.com/upper-laurentians-quebec-snowmobile

Last March, our crew trailered to Edmundston, staging from there for a four-day, saddlebag tour. We’d heard that the Christmas Mountains are fast becoming a New Brunswick go-to destination and wanted to see what it is has to offer.

Dreaming The Ride

Little did we know that there’s much more to the Christmas Mountains than first meets the eye. The project had a soft launch for the winter of 2021, just in time to mark the 40th Anniversary of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (NBFSC). But there’s also a remarkable backstory to the Christmas Mountains – a real eye opener about how to create an extraordinary snowmobiling destination. Here’s the story behind the story…

Ross Antworth, now retired General Manager of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (NBFSC), wanted to bring the Black Hills of South Dakota home. After a 2007 visit to this iconic snowmobiling area, Antworth envisioned transforming a series of north-central New Brunswick peaks in the remote interior, into a must-visit destination in Eastern Canada. But along with the NBFSC, it took a host of committed partners and stakeholders, including First Nations and all levels of government, about 15 years to bring the Christmas Mountains dream to life.

Christmas Mountains Assets

That achievement couldn’t have happened without a confluence of prior events. Topography provided a solid foundation thousands of years ago, positioning Northern New Brunswick as far north as Saguenay Quebec or Cochrane Ontario. Geology contributed a sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains so the New Brunswick interior benefits from the colder climate of higher elevation. Both of these factors combine to deliver a must-have for a great snowmobiling destination: long, cold, snowy winters for early and late riding, often to the end of April.

The forestry industry added its own important contribution in the mid-nineties, when it began building logging roads in these north-central mountains. The resulting network of corridors and bridges, engineered to support the weight of logging trucks, provided an invaluable trail framework for the newly envisioned snowmobile destination.

Then around 2010, the “Northern Odyssey Tour” was introduced as a new snowmobiling experience in Northern New Brunswick. It’s an exceptional snowmobile adventure anchored by Edmundston, Campbellton, Bathurst and Acadian Peninsula. Still going strong, the Northern Odyssey provided a network of trans-provincial trails with numerous connections to towns, services and amenities, that helped open the remote interior access for trail riders.

What’s In A Name?

Let’s not forget Arthur Wightman. A New Brunswick member on the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, Wightman was also a major contributor to the Christmas Mountains project. In 1964, he named ten previously unidentified peaks in north-central New Brunswick. Somewhat whimsically, Wightman dubbed them with Santa and his reindeer in mind: Mount Dasher, Mount Dancer, Mount Prancer, Mount Vixen, Mount Comet, Mount Cupid, Mount Donder and Mount Blitzen, plus Mount St. Nicholas and Mount North Pole.

Wightman’s naming was inspired by the 1823 poem quoted at the outset of this article, whose memorable first line is “‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…”. Apparently, Rudolph, who wasn’t popularized until 1939 in the holiday season song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” missed out on a summit of his own. Located near Mount Carleton, the highest in the province, these peaks soon became collectively known as the “Christmas Mountains”. Little did Wightman know that his fanciful monikers were destined to become a very special snowmobiling brand 57 years later.

The Hub Concept

Fast forward to more recent times. Many important building blocks for a “Black Hills” style destination were already in place in New Brunswick. But the question was: How to bring them together and optimize their collective value? A great place to start was with some of the attributes that have helped make the Black Hills successful. So in 2013, the NBFSC commissioned renown Trails Work Consultant, Kim Raap, to write a report called the “Snowmobile Trails Development Plan”.

That plan described how snowmobile operations in the Black Hills revolve around the Hardy Work Center. Run by the US Forest service, this historic collection of two log cabins, one logshop/garage and two modern garages, is located in the remote heart of the Black Hills. It’s used by employees of the State of South Dakota in the winter to maintain snowmobile trails.

The centralized concept in a remote area enables a more effective and efficient grooming operation with dedicated groomers and paid operators stationed on site. From this hub, groomers can spoke out regularly, doing one-way passes on runs that loop back to base. And with groomers & operators centrally located, grooming surrounding trails is their only priority and occurs more frequently.

If the machines were individually based miles away at various towns, keeping these remote trails smooth wouldn’t happen as often. Also, it’s much easier for groomers at a central base, closer to their grooming runs, to undertake early and late season grooming, when surrounding access trails at lower elevations don’t have enough snow.

Show Us The Money

Several years later, the province recognized project progress when the proposed “Christmas Mountains Snowmobile Network” was designated a “Signature Trail” attraction in the New Brunswick Trail Action Plan. This document rated the Christmas Mountains project as 90% ready to meet the Signature Trail criteria of being strategically located, safe to ride and sustainable into the future.

Soon after, a multi-million investment transformed the existing operational base for the staff of Mount Carleton Provincial Park into a contemporary New Brunswick equivalent of the Black Hills’ Hardy Work Center. The New Brunswick government funded two new groomers located at this new hub, and trained staff to operate them for the winter months to take the grooming load off area snowmobile clubs.

A new fuel depot now keeps the groomers running (and provides gas daily for visiting sleds), while a magnificent new warm up facility is open daily (until 11 pm) with bathrooms and WIFI for winter visitors, plus store & snacks (open Thurs. to Sun). Several new park bridges were built to accommodate the new groomers, while new warm up shelters now offer rest stops on Christmas Mountain trails.

Gateways & Access

As our crew did, riders can access the Christmas Mountains from several gateway staging locations: In the west, from Edmundston (180 km via NB12 & 19) or Plaster Rock (115 km via NB23); from the east via Bathurst (129 km via NB19 or 23); or to the south from Doaktown-McNamee (184 km via NB58) or Miramichi (212 km via NB52 & NB23). And true to their Christmas theme, several hundred kilometres of new trails are shown in red on NBFSC print and online maps. The trails are named Prancer, Dancer, Vixen, Comet Cupid, Candy Cane and North Pole (once again, latecomer Rudolph didn’t make the cut).

Meanwhile, ride-in lodgings for the Christmas Mountains are located in Saint-Quentin (53 km northwest on NB19), Nictau (50 km west on NB23), Roger’s Lake (80 km east on NB23) or north at Island Lake Lodge (60 km on NB19) & Sugar Camp (80 km on Trail 301). The closest accommodations to Christmas Mountains trails are Serpentine Lake Lodge (on NB58) and Governor’s Wilderness Resort (on NB23).

A Work In Progress

The Christmas Mountains is a dream coming true. But it’s still a work in progress. Developing Mount Carleton Lodge into a 7-day a week winter operation for food service and winterizing existing their accommodations, would be beneficial. Having both a Christmas Mountains trail map and background info mounted on wallboards at Mount Carleton Lodge would help build visitor interest. So would “Welcome to the Christmas Mountains” billboards on every trail leading into the area to promote its status as a go-to destination and let visiting riders know they’re arrived.

One other valuable asset of the Black Hills hasn’t yet been officially realized in the Christmas Mountains – an integrated backcountry riding component. With Crown Land prevalent throughout the 52,000 acres of Christmas Mountains, plenty of legal opportunities exist for powder riding. Remember all those logging roads I mentioned earlier? Many are now unmaintained, endless corridors where local backcountry enthusiasts already get their ya-ya’s out. But so far, visiting riders are left to discover backcountry opportunities on their own, whereas designated and promoted areas (and guided rides) would solidify the Christmas Mountains’ growing reputation as powder central.

Riding The Dream

Regardless, 15 years after Ross Antworth brought a dream back from the Black Hills, the Christmas Mountains now provides an outstanding trail riding experience – early, late or anytime in between. It’s a natural complement to the Northern Odyssey, albeit a destination all its own. Areas towns and remote operators are already reaping the rewards from a notable increase in ridership to the area.

Many other snowmobiling regions could use the New Brunswick playbook to help create their own special destinations. Yes, it’s truly Christmas all winter long in Northern New Brunswick – so now’s the time to start planning your Christmas Mountains adventure ride this winter!

STAGING LODGINGS:

Grey Rock Quality Inn, Edmundston
greyrockqualityhotel.com
(506) 737-2000

Atlantic Host Hotel, Bathurst
atlantichost.com
(506) 548-3335

Wilson’s Sporting Lodge, McNamee
wilsonscamps.nb.ca
(506) 365-7962

Settler’s Inn & Motel, Plaster Rock
settlersinn.com
(506) 356-9000

WHO TO CONTACT:

Tourism New Brunswick
tourismnewbrunswick.ca/winter-snowmobile

Northern Odyssey
northernodyssey.ca

New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs
(online permits & trail map)
nbfsc.com

This good news averts the looming closure or disruption of almost 1,000 kilometres of the last remaining Algoma Country trail link between Sault Ste Marie and Hearst. It’s a link well-known to American snowmobilers as their gateway to the rest of Northeastern Ontario, and the Halfway Haven re-opening coincides with the re-opening of the international border, just in time to welcome American snowmobilers back to Ontario for the coming winter.

Halfway Haven is located north of Sault Ste. Marie, on a remote stretch of Trans Ontario Provincial (TOP) Trail D between Searchmont and Wawa. The fuel, food and lodgings available at Halfway Haven make it possible for groomers coming from Searchmont, Wawa and Chapleau (on TOP C101D) to do their long runs through this vast territory. Stopping at this iconic midway point also provides touring riders with the fuel essential to complete this breathtaking section of trail.

The closure of Halfway Haven, announced on their Facebook page last April 30th, would have resulted in trail closures this winter due to no gas availability in the area. It would also have cut off snowmobile access to many communities north of Halfway Haven.

Readers of Supertrax Magazine and viewers of SnowTrax TV are familiar of this amazing trail between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst from previous coverage. If you need a reminder, check out their tour article and television episodes. They provide many good reasons why this remains a favourite Northern Ontario ride. So now that Halfway Haven is open, why not plan your own Algoma Country tour for this winter?

But the announced re-opening is only a stop-gap measure for the coming winter. It postpones a potential future closing of Halfway Haven by only a year. Hopefully, that will buy enough time for area stakeholders to champion a more permanent solution that takes the season to season guesswork out of Halfway’s shaky existence as the only viable service operation on this trail.

To help this happen and keep trails open, Supertrax Media is covering the story and has produced the Halfway Haven video below to emphasize its importance to snowmobiling in Northern Ontario. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Halfway Haven survives beyond this winter and is with us for many more years to come!

Somewhere in the back of my lizard brain, another closed trail registered. But frankly, it didn’t really hit home until I was planning a tour to re-visit a favourite destination and discovered a major connecting trail missing from their online map. With that trail gone, I’d either have to re-route far out of my way or go someplace else. What a pain!

Then I noticed more social media posts from snowmobile clubs and other riders alerting about recent trail closures in various parts of the snowbelt. Most occurred because snowmobilers had wandered off trail to track fresh powder, ignored signs, cut corners, taken shortcuts, run down stake lines, broken through fences and closed gates, damaged crops, or harassed livestock. Some shut downs were even caused by noisy pipes.

Among this elite handful, the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is second to none.

My Kind of Place

I well remember my first visit to Le Manoir Richelieu by snowmobile. We cruised along a tabletop Local Trail 124 until we glimpsed the St. Lawrence. But our surroundings remained as wild and remote as if we were still riding Charlevoix’s backcountry highlands.

Then without warning, we rounded a corner and were astonished to see a massive castle-like structure ahead, dominating the cliff ahead. This is my lasting, larger-than life impression of Le Manoir Richelieu, the world class hotel that’s become a very special home-away-from-home for many snowmobilers.

Where It’s At

The Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is located in the heart of Charlevoix, a region equally impressive for its abundant snow, superb trails and long-lasting winters. What’s more, eons ago a gigantic meteor-strike gave Charlevoix mountainous terrain whose panoramic views are the perfect backdrop for this stunning hotel.

The best way to get to the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is by snowmobile. Trans Quebec Trail 3 parallels the St. Lawrence and runs the length of the Charlevoix Region. As the halfway point, La Malbaie is surrounded by local trails that combine with Regional Trail 378 to make several good day loops for staging from this remarkable hotel.

Meanwhile, the regions of Saguenay (to the north) and Quebec (to the southwest) offer extended riding opportunities connected to Charlevoix. So visiting snowmobilers have the option of basing out of Le Manoir Richelieu for multiple day rides, or stopping there overnight on a saddlebag tour. But don’t short-change yourself…

Great Facilities

I’d highly recommend at least a two-night stay for the full Manoir Richelieu experience – you simply can’t take it all in during a single night! Amenities include a heated outdoor saltwater pool and hot tub, plus indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, and Moment Spa. Additionally, there’s gourmet dining in several restaurants, ice skating, snowshoeing, acres of property to explore and, connected by a tunnel, the Casino de Charlevoix. And don’t forget the snowmobile rentals, direct trail access to heated and secure indoor sled parking! And, although there’s no on site fuel, a gas station on Local Trail 64 at nearby Clermont is handy to all the rides we did.

Charlevoix Trail Riding

So I as we rode on that Border Trail between Maine and New Brunswick, I had visions of being pounced on by both U.S. and Canadian Customs & Immigration officers waiting in the woods.

That’s because Maine’s Trail 81, the “Border Trail”, travels through the forest directly along the International boundary between our two nations.

If you’re heading north, you’re mostly on the Canadian side of these three-foot high border markers, but you’re on the American side when travelling south. Fortunately, other than a few cameras, no one was lurking in the trees to stop us.

BANNER SNOW

Just as well, because last winter, snowmobilers flocked to Aroostook County Maine thanks to more than 12 feet of snow that fell – and stayed – from November to April. Our Supertrax crew heard rumours in January that this popular snowmobile New England destination was already on track for a banner season, so we planned a visit in March to enjoy their long riding season for ourselves. We certainly weren’t disappointed!

I’d also heard about the nearby Montagne du Diable, Devil’s Mountain. So when the time came last winter for a Supertrax destination article about staging day rides from a Quebec location, Mont-Laurier was a top choice.

The Town of Mont-Laurier (pop. 13,799) is located centrally in the Province of Quebec in what’s known as the Upper Laurentians. The Laurentian Mountain range extends from the Adirondacks in New York State and runs north of and parallel to the St. Lawrence River.

For those trailering in, Mont-Laurier is only 187 miles from Massena, NY and 238 miles from Burlington VT. It’s also 160 miles (250 km) northwest of Montreal and 134 miles (216 km) north of Ottawa, most of it uphill.

ABOUT THE TRAILS

Northern New Brunswick is typically blessed with the most snow in the Maritimes. Here, many miles of local and connector trails intersperse with over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of trans-provincial trails – more than enough to keep riders grinning from ear to ear on hundreds of old logging roads crisscross the region.

GETTING AROUND

Many of these man-made corridors are groomed as part of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ (NBFSC) maintained trail system. Others are simply available for riders to explore off the beaten track.

Trail navigation is good. In fact, New Brunswick has the best trail signage system I’ve seen. On trail maps and signs, blue and 2-digit numbers denote provincial trails. Local and connector trails are green marked with three digits. All of this makes for generally excellent riding and it’s easy getting from one place to another.

However, one sign was conspicuous by its absence. There was no posted provincial speed limit. That’s because there isn’t one for snowmobiles on most trails, except for slow zones posted by some municipalities.

With so many outstanding trail choices, it’s hard to know where to get started and even tougher to know when to quit. Best of all, most of their trails either avoid water crossings or are bridged, so spring riding in the northern New Brunswick interior continues even when ice goes bad elsewhere.

Discover Midwestern Ontario

Midwestern Ontario is the northern half of what’s typically known as “Southwestern Ontario”. American snowmobilers trailering into Canada at Detroit (bridge or tunnel) or Port Huron need look no farther for a memorable experience than Midwestern Ontario.

Same goes for any Ontario riders living along the 401 Highway corridor or throughout the Golden Horseshoe who want to “ride more, drive less.” In fact, with less than a couple of hours drive, these visitors can be on the snow and on the trails in this region that includes what’s commonly referred to as “the Grey-Bruce”.

But Midwestern Ontario is much more than that. Sandwiched between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, it also includes a large chunk of the famous Niagara Escarpment, which forms the scenic spine of the Bruce Peninsula all the way north to Tobermory. Meanwhile, Its largest centre is The City of Owen Sound (pop. 21,341).