QUEBEC
The Taureau Reservoir on the Matawin River.
Le Cabanon: great for a break or for lunch.
stop for snowmobilers. This was our morning stop and restroom break. From there we headed north for another 34 miles on Trail 23 which goes through the Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve and took us to the dam.
It snowed lightly all morning, resulting in a visually appealing white coating on the pine tree branches. The trail from Le Cabanon up was a mix of open roads groomed to perfection and then in and out of the woods on winding trails. At the top we crossed the dam and then the trail opened up to a magnificent view of the reservoir.
We shut down the machines, taking a break to soak in dramatic scenery and take group photos with the dam and reservoir as the backdrop. One rider in our party launched a drone and took overhead shots of the group.
After our break we headed back down to Le Cabanon for lunch and then back to the Auberge. The total for the day was 138 miles.
On Wednesday morning, we woke up to a crisp temperature of minus 10 degrees, with the temperature forecast to go up to maybe 10 degrees above. This day’ s planned ride was a little different than other days. It would be a 200-plus mile adventure – longer and faster than usual. The tour gave women the option to stay at the lodge for a spa day with massages.
All but one of the women chose the rest day: They got their massages, went to the indoor pool and spas, visited the animals they have at the lodge, tried out some snowshoes and enjoyed a quiet day socializing.
The smaller riding group left the Auberge once again heading south on Trail 63 and using Trail 343 to cut over to Trail 33. North on 33, we hooked back up to 63 which then took us west through Mont-Tremblant National Park and over to Riviere-Rouge.
The trail going through the park was in very good condition, scenic, varying between big wide, fast trails and small winding trails through the woods. We passed many seasonal camps and cottages on the lakes, leading us to believe this area was most likely very beautiful and very busy in the summer months.
Lunch was at the Airport Relais near the Mont-Tremblant Airport, which offered the basics – burgers, sandwiches, poutine and pizza. After lunch we retraced our route back to the Auberge and once again hit the hot tubs before getting ready for dinner.
Fresh Snow for Festival Day
On Thursday morning we woke up to 12 degrees, snow and a bit of wind. When we headed out, there was about 6 inches of new snow on the ground, and it continued to fall all day. The plan for the day was to first head down to Saint-Come to see the ice sculptures.
We headed south on Trail 63 to Trail 343, which took us into Saint-Come. With the new snow, the edges of the trail were at times difficult to see, and we had one mishap where one sled cut the corner too close and ended up in a ditch. Unfortunately, the sled following did the same.
We had to spend some time clearing around the sleds before Cody could pull them out with his Ski-Doo Expedition. He is well prepared with tools, tow ropes and whatever else he needs to handle these and many other situations. Once all were back on the trail, we continued to our destination with no further issues.
The annual Saint-Come Ice Festival invites local and international artists to carve beautiful ice sculptures, and we were lucky enough to time our visit to see it.
We parked the sleds at a gas station and walked around town to view the sculptures. The fresh snow covered several of them, but crews were out with leaf blowers cleaning them off. It’ s a magical feeling walking around this quaint little town with the snow falling. After spending some time in town,
38 / FEBRUARY 2026 / SNOWGOER. COM