13 WINTER 2022 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 03 SNOWGOER . COM
14
OH , CANADA ! ONE AMAZING TRIP ACROSS THE QUEBEC COUNTRYSIDE my first name . Little did I know , Max Bassett , who was a member of our group , must have spotted my FXR coat and connected the dots , because we were supposed to be on the same flight had my bag not been delayed .
Max recently retired after 25 years in the U . S . Navy as a naval flight officer on an EP-3 Aries II Reconnaissance Aircraft , and eight years as a navy region southeast deputy safety program director overseeing 17 bases all across the southeast as well as Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . As a cancer survivor , he vowed to start checking off his “ bucket list ” and making the most of every day – number one on the list being for he and his son , James , or “ Jamie ” to experience the snowmobile trails of eastern Canada .
I made my second flight as scheduled , but unfortunately the delay parlayed into forcing the group I would soon be meeting into a later than expected dinner that night – sorry , guys . When I did arrive , the group didn ’ t seem to mind and I was welcomed with open arms . After a delicious three-course meal featuring fresh bread , soup , beef tips and fried cheese fondue we agreed on a meeting time of 7 a . m . the following morning for breakfast and a brief run-through of what to expect on the first day of riding .
A new day brings new adventures , and “ departure day ” began with a complimen-
The Gourmet Trip arranged by Bonvoyage included nightly stays at local establishments such as the Relais des Hautes Gorge ( pictured above ), and rides throughout Québec ’ s FCMQ trail system , which local partners pride in maintaining .