Well, after living up here (nonconsecutively) for 4 years, I finally bought a skidoo. Theyre superfun. Not quite as fun as a fast dirtbike in the woods, but close. I got a 2010 Ski-Doo Grand Touring LE. This is a two seater model so that the GF and I can go out together. Its a pretty impressive machine: it makes 120hp from a 2-cylinder 2-stroke engine and supposedly gets 23mpg. It`s top speed is supposed to be somewhere around 200km/h.
You know what’s weird though? I feel really nervous going out just the two of us. I’m scared of getting lost or getting stuck or having the machine break down in the middle of nowhere. The environment is pretty hostile up here and I definitely don’t have the survival skills to make it longer than an afternoon if the shit really hit the fan.
It’s possible to snowmobile here for probably another couple of weeks, however the conditions on the sea ice are getting weird. We took it out across the bay (approx 20km) and when I stopped and got off I was up to my knees in slush. This is ok, it’s just melting snow on top of the ice sheet (or so I’m told) but it was enough to put the fear of god in me and we high tailed it back home.
So anyways, it’s lonely and weird out on the land, but also forbiddingly beautiful, much like how the moon would be. Any other snowmobilers out there? Here is a picutre of me on it.
Only 22 more to go and then you’ll really be moving.
Nice. I haven’t been ski-dooing since I was a kid. My aunt used to work for Bombardier (before the split to form BRP) and they used to have cheap (or free…I don’t recall) Ski-doo rentals for employees out in Valcourt. I think we only had to pay the gasoline and clothing rentals. My family would go out once or twice a winter and make our way up to a restaurant for a nice meal, and then back to the rental place.
We always followed well-groomed trails and were always in a group, not to mention the fact that that area of Québec has several villages and farms, so survival skills weren’t that big of a concern. Just looking at that photo you posted…it looks so easy to get lost!
There must be companies or just locals you can go to for winter survival courses? It might be a good idea to get some training before next winter rolls around and the temptation to take the Ski-doo out for a ride gets too big!
Well, we’re always taking a GPS out with us when we go out alone and so far we’ve always stuck to trails near enough to town that the town is still visible. Of course, if bad weather rolls in fast, we’d be screwed. Unfortunately unless we want to hitch a sleigh to the back there’s not enough cargo space to carry much in the way of survival gear (which would include a tent, food, stove, flare gun, rifle + ammo). We’ve mostly gone out with people who’ve been doing this for years, but since we’re new to this they’re not as into joyriding everyday as we are. You must’ve had some fun times when you were a kid…I would’ve killed for a relative that worked for a snowmobile company!
