the northeast United States |
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and is comprised of 527,079 |
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square miles , making it |
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nearly the size of the state of |
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Alaska , with a landscape as |
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varied as it is beautiful and |
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French as the official language |
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. Its snowmobile trail |
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system includes a network |
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of more than 20,000 miles of |
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groomed trails maintained |
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by a central body called the |
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Federation de Club Motoneige |
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Quebec ( FCMQ ) in |
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partnership with hundreds |
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of snowmobile clubs . |
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Having never snowmobiled |
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outside of the U . S . |
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before , I was excited to |
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three guides on a trip that would span more 600 miles throughout the scenic yet thrilling Quebec countryside . The sixnight tour featured four full days of riding and included stops each night at local establishments arranged by Bonvoyage .
The province of Quebec is located north of
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see what was ahead . The itinerary and information provided prior to the trip offered suggestions regarding what to pack and , perhaps more importantly , how to pack it . Unlike some tours that have a support truck to ferry gear to each destination , on this trip we would only be bringing what we were able to strap onto the back of our sleds . |
It also gave a glimpse of what would lie ahead – an adventure of sledding on perfectly groomed trails through the pristine Quebec countryside , lodging at locally owned establishments instead of wellknown chains and dining on homemade and locally sourced cuisine . Not bad for a workweek . |
Nearly every trail encountered along the FCMQ system provided challenging routes with scenic views and access to necessities such as food and fuel . The Auberge Carcajou ( bottom ) was the lodging provided on the third night of the trip , offering a good night ’ s sleep at a rustic local inn .
Departing , Delays , Merci My adventure from Minneapolis to Quebec
City was stalled due to my checked luggage
– which had the majority of my gear – being
delayed at the connection in Toronto .
As luck would have it , as I was seeking
information regarding departing flight options
, I heard an unfamiliar voice call me by
|