The Gaspé Peninsula is undoubtedly one of Quebec’s most popular destinations. Every snowmobiler should treat themselves to the experience of a true Gaspé adventure at least once. In my opinion, it is simply the most beautiful corner of our province. The meeting of the sea and the mountains, the rich local cuisine—especially for fish and seafood lovers—and the warm welcome from the locals make every visit a unique experience.
Although we’ve completed over 20 tours and know the region well, we knew surprises awaited us. We decided to postpone our trip by a week, given the storm forecast for the previous week.
Our way of traveling is simple: we prefer a day-to-day approach rather than rigid planning in advance. The weather can be unpredictable, and we prefer to adapt our itinerary based on Mother Nature, the amount of snow on the ground, and the condition of the trails. Very often, the decision about where we’ll spend the night is made at lunchtime. Of course, this approach isn’t for everyone; it’s harder to manage when the group is large. For our part, we ideally travel with a maximum of four snowmobilers.
We didn’t have a specific goal, other than to ride for several consecutive days and enjoy it to the fullest. Under ideal conditions, we hoped to cover around 2,000 kilometers or more.
DAY 1: From St-Modeste to Amqui
We left Beauceville on March 15, heading to St-Modeste to leave the trucks and trailers there. First stop: lunch at Relais L’Étang du Moulin in St-Eugène-de-Ladrière. The day looked perfect: the sky was clear, the temperature pleasant, and the trails simply impeccable.
When we set out for several days—and since we all have snowmobiles equipped with 2-stroke engines—we bring oil in our gas cans and share it. As the trip progresses, we replace the oil with gas. This way, we have enough oil for the entire trip, and usually we have enough range to avoid using the gas. It’s, however, an extra safety measure.
Less than 5 km from the gas station, one of our partners ran out of gas. Unfortunately, his tank wasn’t quite full when we set out. We continued to the gas station, and our other partner went back to meet him with 4 liters of gas.
We arrived in Amqui at the end of the day after about 275 km.
DAY 2: From Amqui to New Richmond
When we woke up, nearly 15 centimeters of fresh snow covered the ground, and flakes were still falling. However, the forecast predicted a change; rain was expected later in the day.
Our destination was Chandler, but we abandoned that plan to shorten the hike and head to New Richmond. Since the distance between Carleton and New Richmond is about 50 km, we still stopped for lunch in Carleton. I suggested to my companions that we continue on to New Richmond and have lunch there. They preferred that we stop now to eat since the rain was supposed to start around 4 p.m. We hadn’t even finished our meal when the rain kicked in. A downpour! We made the trip from Carleton to New Richmond in the pouring rain. We were hoping it would let up, and we knew the distance wasn’t long; otherwise, we would have stayed in Carleton for the night.
When we arrived in New Richmond early in the afternoon, our pants and coats were soaked on the outside only; our clothes, however, were dry. We did have to unpack our bags, though, since water had seeped in.
The day ended with less than 300 kilometers covered. There was no way we were going to keep riding in such conditions. The heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds, had actually caused significant damage in the region.
DAY 3: From New Richmond to Rivière-au-Renard
Drizzle and fog at our departure; the weather forecast predicted clearing skies, so we were hopeful things would improve.
We stopped in Pabos for lunch, planning to head to Rocher Percé for the traditional photos. The sky was clear, and we were optimistic until we reached a recently scraped section of road.
Thinking the problematic section would be short, we pressed on… We drove through a brownish mud puddle about 60 meters long and roughly 40 cm deep. We continued a bit further before finally turning back and driving through the mud puddle again.
The surprises didn’t end there. Upon our arrival in Rivière-au-Renard, four large puddles awaited us before the hotel. The result: wet feet and, once again, luggage to dry.
A difficult day covering over 350 km; we encountered only 4 snowmobiles.
DAY 4: From Rivière-au-Renard to Mont-St-Pierre
The night had been particularly cold, turning the soggy trails from the day before into a veritable ice rink. We knew the day would be difficult. We set off without a specific destination, but with one certainty: there was no way we were going back through the four puddles from the day before.
We briefly took Route 132 to try to rejoin the trail at another location. A friendly man came out to meet us and invited us to cross his property.
The damage caused by the rain and winds was impressive: collapsed rock outcrops, trees and branches littering the trails. At one point, a small tree even fell right in front of one of our partners.
We had planned to fill up on gas in Mont-Louis. The gas station is closed. We head to Mont-St-Pierre to assess the situation. We had enough gas to get to La Martre. But given the trail conditions, we decided to make it a half-day ride.
We head to the motel to check in and have lunch. The restaurant is closed, but we were able to get rooms. There’s a grocery store nearby; it was easy to pick up some supplies there, at least for lunch. The grocery store was closed; they’re in the process of refinishing the floor. So we went to the other motel-restaurant right next door. We had lunch and made reservations for dinner and breakfast the next day. That’s when we learned that the gas station in La Martre was also closed; it had been damaged by the high winds storm. Of course, that’s where we had planned to fill up, which caused yet another setback.
Some snowmobilers staying at the same motel as us had gone to retrieve their trucks and trailers. They were able to help us out by selling us some gas. This meant we’d be able to make it to Murdochville the next day.
It was a short day of just under 200 km during which we passed two snowmobiles and encountered only two others.
During dinner, we met a friendly couple from Magog, Martin and Martine. We didn’t know at the time that they would play a key role in the rest of our adventure.
DAY 5: From Mont St-Pierre to St-Adelme
Right from the start, we knew the day would be tough: icy trails, numerous fallen trees. While trying to avoid one of them, I misjudged the maneuver and my right shoulder hit the top of the tree. The pain was intense but short-lived. It left a bruise, accompanied by some discomfort for a few days.
Before reaching Murdochville, one of our partners broke an ice scraper. Although we had a replacement, we didn’t have the extension tool needed to install it. We drove to Murdochville to get it repaired and fill up on gas. I needed to go to the pharmacy and thought of the one right next to the gas station. Well, it was closed that morning.
We finally headed to La Cache, refueled, and had lunch. We ran into Martin and Martine again. Conditions were so extreme that our group broke five ice scrapers. The idea that we might not be able to reach our trucks via the trails was starting to look very real.
We decided to head to St-Adelme to reassess the situation. That’s where we discovered Motel M and its owner Steve, accompanied by his faithful dog Brutus. Accessible via the trail, just a short walk from the St-Adelme rest stop, the gas station, and the convenience store, the location is perfect.
Faced with the dreadful conditions that show no sign of improving, the idea of ending the journey begins to take root in our minds. While chatting with the owner, Steve, we share our thoughts with him. Without hesitation, he offered to let us use his truck to go retrieve ours. We thanked him and told him we’d keep that option in mind.
Steve provides guests with a barn for storage, and it’s also possible to park a truck and trailer there. He also welcomes ATV and side-by-side enthusiasts. This was the highlight of our trip: a very clean, comfortable place, and the cost is more than affordable. I highly recommend it.
During dinner, the decision was made: the trip would end within 1,500 kilometers.
A call for help on Facebook quickly paid off. But the simplest solution was right next door: Martin and Martine were our neighbors in the next room; their truck and trailer were on site. They offered us two spots so we could retrieve our vehicles in St-Modeste, our starting point.
DAY 6: From St-Adelme to Beauceville
Shortly after 8 a.m., my partner and a friend left with Martin and Martine for St-Modeste. They were back by mid-afternoon. Steve, the owner of Motel M, agreed to let us use the rooms during that time. I suggested we move all the luggage into a single room. He didn’t want us to pay him extra, so we left him a generous tip. He came out to watch us load the snowmobiles and say hello. We finally arrived home around 8:45 p.m.
CONCLUSION OF THE TRIP
Going on a multi-day snowmobile trek requires resilience, perseverance, resourcefulness, and a good dose of organization. Although this trip was, without a doubt, the most difficult we’ve ever experienced in the Gaspé Peninsula, it will remain etched in our memories.
Because, deep down, that’s also part of the charm of the Gaspé Peninsula: the unpredictable, the challenges… and the stories we’ll be telling long after.
