A Guiding Life

Cody and his fully loaded snowmobile.

The second type of trip is the saddlebag trip. These are multi-day trips, riding a loop starting in one location and returning to that location after several days of riding to other lodges. The trick with saddlebag trips is learning what to pack for a week-long excursion and how to pack it. Snowmobiles offer limited luggage space, so riders need to use it wisely.

I tell people not to pack bulky clothes like jeans and sweatshirts or big shoes. I recommend thin nylon / polyester running pants and tops because they pack tightly. Water shoes that compress tightly or slippers also compress well. Really, it’ s just a dinner outfit that you’ ll wear for about two hours each night. You don’ t need a change for every day— just don’ t drip mustard on your shirt on day one. Use most of the space for clean underwear,

Cody puts his more than 10 years of Quebec experiences into his guiding business.

socks and toiletries and not multiple dinner outfits. Saddlebag trips have some challenges: the weather, the trail conditions, equipment failures and just overall fatigue towards the end of a week. An experienced guide knows how to handle these circumstances.

Weathering a Storm

Last season, I took a group to the Gaspé Peninsula, which has the most volatile weather patterns in Quebec. When we woke up to start our first day of our trip, it had snowed 16 inches overnight. I adjusted our route to stay on all the main trails to cut back on the mileage, knowing it could be a difficult one. Our second day included some trail breaking since I decided to take a secondary trail.

Then the forecast changed to two days of solid rain. I bought rain suits for the guys who wanted them; the ones who said no wished they had them. We had a one-day break in the weather and then a major blizzard hit. The blizzard closed the trails and highway for a 200-mile stretch. My decision at that point was to stay put.

We had motel rooms and a restaurant. No one else could get there so we were

EXPERIENCE WINTER AT FULL THROTTLE.

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