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In my case, the line between self-confidence and recklessness is a fine one.\u00a0Rouyn-Noranda\u2013Amos return is a long trip for a novice. And since it was a first for me, I was okay with being a lone warrior.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s Saturday, March 7, 2015, the day after my birthday (so now you know), and it\u2019s 10 a.m. I get up, and gather my boots, mitts, helmet and luggage bags to prepare for the longest snowmobile trek of my life.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have a rendezvous with a bunch of people for an afternoon of ice fishing.\u00a0A few days ago, I made a point of telling my friends about my plan: leave from home (Rouyn-Noranda) to meet up with the gang in Saint-Marc-de-Figuery. And every time, I got the same reaction: \u201cSo dude, you gonna unload your snowmobile in Amos or St-Mathieu-d\u2019Harricana?\u201d Me: \u201cNo, no…! I\u2019m leaving on my Ski-Doo from Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue!\u201d<\/p>\n
I tried to coax my girlfriend to come. I admit I wasn\u2019t exactly convincing in reassuring her about the trip:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know where you\u2019re going? Which way to go?\u201d
\nMe: \u201cMore or less…\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon, it\u2019ll be seven years that we\u2019ve been together, and she\u2019s never once seen me on a snowmobile. In a car, I have a reputation for managing the gas badly. When I was trying to convince her to come, I was aware she doubted my skills… And really I wasn\u2019t so sure myself!<\/p>\n
In my case, the line between self-confidence and recklessness is a fine one.\u00a0Rouyn-Noranda\u2013Amos return is a long trip for a novice. And since it was a first for me, I was okay with being a lone warrior.<\/p>\n
So now it\u2019s a pleasant -7\u00baC, and I\u2019m as ready as I\u2019ll ever be…\u00a0I\u2019ve made sure I\u2019ve got warm clothes and a lunch for the road. I took a quick look at my route, and everything looks okay. For the rest, I\u2019m putting my faith in the signage.\u00a0At 11:15 a.m., I hit the trail!<\/p>\n
The trails are awesome, and the day looks like it\u2019s going to be great. I turn off the Tour de l\u2019\u00eele trail and take the 83 North, toward Cl\u00e9ricy. A bit worried about my gear, I try to keep my eyes on the trail ahead…<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a dog\u2019s age since I drove a snowmobile last. I\u2019m not going to risk a crash with the company snowmobile trying to shoot a video. Better to stop and take a selfie with my cheeks all squashed.<\/p>\n Cl\u00e9ricy wears its name well: clair<\/em> \u2013 clear, ici<\/em> \u2013 here. Cheap pun aside, it is pretty clear here! White light is illuminating the greying sky for an especially dramatic effect.<\/p>\n I leave the hills and plunge into the forest with the pure glee. The trail closes in, the trees hugging me tightly in welcome.<\/p>\n Several observation towers adorn the trails. It seems there are a lot of hunters out chasing moose. If I were sure I wouldn\u2019t be late for my fishing date, I\u2019d stop and climb every tower.<\/p>\n In Preissac, I gas up quickly and get back on the trail, heading toward the junction of 83 and 307. Just then, a huge spray of millions of snowflakes flies up at me. It\u2019s like a science-fiction movie… Speed with a capital \u201cS\u201d. And I wasn\u2019t even going that fast!<\/p>\n I travel along the esker near lac des Hauteurs, one of my top spots in all of Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue. Just after Saint-Mathieu-d\u2019Harricana, I take a fork toward the east that will bring me to the lac Figuery recreational area on the rivi\u00e8re Harricana. Ice-fishing huts are scattered about. Carefully, I make my way to my gang waiting on the other shore. My family and friends are all there, gathered for my brother-in-law\u2019s birthday. I\u2019m just a little jealous…<\/p>\n Barely minutes later, my nephew Alexandre gets his first catch.<\/p>\n For a short while, I watch the fishing lines out of the corner of my eye, then this passive fishing gets to me. I tease my brother-in-law. The windows in his fishing hut are newer than those in my house! Inside, I have a go at my niece:<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s the huge roll of toilet paper for?!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Three hours later, the sun is off to bed. But that won\u2019t stop the fishers from partying. My brother-in-law has chopped wood, and everyone gathers around the fire.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s already time for me to go. I have an appointment in Amos at La Vir\u00e9e l\u00e9gendaire for a night of tall tales and outdoor fun! (see page bottom<\/a>)<\/p>\n The brief twilight has the best light. And the trails between Saint-Mathieu-d\u2019Harricana and Amos offer vistas that steal your breath. In an hour, I\u2019ll be soaking in stories that will shape the night\u2019s dreams…<\/p>\n Arriving in Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, I already have a lot of kilometres under my tail. But there\u2019s no question of heading to bed… I have a lot of lost time to make up with the sister and brother-in-law who are putting me up.<\/p>\n I take the opportunity to crack open the flask of scotch I\u2019ve been carrying around in the bottom of my bag (I hadn\u2019t touched it all day). Like my bag of chips (crushed to crumbs), the flask is in rough shape. The good news: the contents are frosty! So I put on dry clothes and plunk down in front of the TV. We howl at some film with Steven Seagal (playing himself, as usual). I\u2019m a bit drunk…<\/p>\n Sunday morning, I\u2019d promised myself I\u2019d leave early to make the most of the light. It\u2019s already 8:30! I say goodbye to my hosts and hit the trail. It\u2019s a balmy -20\u00b0 with bright sunshine.<\/p>\n On the way to Mont-Brun, clear-cuts have left tangles of trees forming huge mounds of snow along the sides of the trails. If I were filming a scene from Star Wars<\/em>, this would be the place. No doubt you\u2019ll see them in the pictures I took.<\/p>\n On the way to Mont-Brun, clear-cuts have left tangles of trees forming huge mounds of snow along the sides of the trails. If I were filming a scene from Star Wars<\/em>, this would be the place. No doubt you\u2019ll see them in the pictures I took.<\/p>\n In Cl\u00e9ricy, I meet Claude and Bernard Parent.<\/p>\n I travel a piece with them. A bit later, we stop… My camera batteries are dead. And Claude has to swap the new snowmobile with Bernard (and vice versa). That\u2019s when the two brothers told me their story.<\/p>\n Their parents migrated to Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue when the region was barely teething. It was the Great Depression in Montr\u00e9al. \u201cGrinding poverty,\u201d as Claude said so well.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been in Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue for ages. I\u2019m surprised to learn that, only about a generation ago, men and women came here to clear land around Mont-Brun. That was in 1935. The village was founded in 1936. Their father, who was 18, arrived along with other men to build cabins. His wife, aged 17, came that fall with their first kid.<\/p>\n A lot has changed in a century!<\/strong> We\u2019re a long way from there today…<\/strong><\/p>\n Still, meeting up with these two guys has an impact on me. I wish I\u2019d met them at the start of my trip. I feel like they have a whole lot more to tell me…<\/p>\n But Bernard has to leave. And I have to get home. Claude and I agree to continue on together for a while until we reach Rouyn-Noranda. We say goodbye around Lac Rouyn. On the horizon are many ice-fishing huts scattered over the lake. Walkers are out catching a bit of sun. The town is teeming.<\/p>\n Along the way, the temperature has had time to inch up a good notch. It\u2019s -5\u00b0. My odometer shows 450 km (no mistake). I\u2019m proud of myself.\u00a0I feel totally happy as I make my way through town.\u00a0I wave at people and have one last laugh with the patrol officers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a busy two days!<\/strong> But the weekend isn\u2019t over yet…<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve missed my dog. So we\u2019re going for a walk in the fresh air together.![\"Conditions](\"https:\/\/abitibi-temiscamingue.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/20150307_115618_Burst02.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\nA quick side-trip to Amos to fill up, and I\u2019m on my way! I head off again toward lac des Hauteurs. Before turning toward Preissac, I take a few minutes to zoom up and down the esker to catch the view out over Rivi\u00e8re-H\u00e9va.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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