Maurice National Park, Quebec - August long weekend

[Bungie]

Some of you have heard me mention my desire to check out Maurice National Park in Quebec, about 50 miles North of Shawinigan (where everybody talks tru da side of der mout.. like our former Prime Minister).

Whats my facination with this place?

Zoom in for awesomeness!

The road through the park is only open in the summer, no trucks allowed. Basically 100Km of pretty serious twisties + good pavement through the Laurentiens (or maybe its the Green mountains?).

With that being said, an open invite for anybody who wants to check it out with us. 'Us' being my buddy Mike, his brother Doug, and I. Plan is to leave Sudbury for Ottawa on Friday July 31. Spend the night in Carelton Place, then ride to Maurice via Gatineau Park and Mont Tremblant then onto Maurice Ntl. Park.

I'm looking at camping in the park, but I think Mike and his brother are looking to hotel it (Doug needs electricity for his Apnea machine). Then head back on Sunday to Ottawa, then home to Sudbury via Calabogie/Madawaska on Monday. This is the August long weekend so it's only one day extra day off.

Oh ya, looking for 'must ride' rides between hear and there!

Sound tasty? Your invited!

 

[BugR]

Let me know how this goes, it's on the list as one of the rides for CFR 2010

I can't make it we should rolling in from CFR\Alaska that weekend

Chris (CFR 2010 RallyMaster)

 

[Bungie]

Let me know how this goes, it's on the list as one of the rides for CFR 2010I can't make it we should rolling in from CFR\Alaska that weekend

Chris (CFR 2010 RallyMaster)

Tom mentioned this to me and its one of the reasons I want to do it. Have a blast in Alaska.. were all watching your Tracker.

 

[Canadian FJR]

Gets my vote for CFR 2010 !!! :yahoo:

Canadian FJR

 

[Bungie]

Let me know how this goes, it's on the list as one of the rides for CFR 2010

If you have access to them, how about firing me off a tentative list of routes for CFR2010. I'm looking for suggestions for other routes between there and here (I have the SNOT routes from last year)

I see you made Hyder and last I checked, were on your way to the Yukon. Go Chris'n Diana!

 

[MEM]

Let me know how this goes, it's on the list as one of the rides for CFR 2010

COOL!

Chris (CFR 2010 RallyMaster)

VERY cool! :yahoo:

 

[wheatonFJR]

They got any "500" roads in Quebec? :yahoo:

 

[Bungie]

They got any "500" roads in Quebec? :yahoo:

There they're 3 series routes.

I've been skunked lately on 5 series roads lately. Last one I turned down I saw a sign that say 'twisty road next 40km' and thought WOOHOO!. About a mile later I saw BIG wood chips all over the place, never a good sign around here.. it means theirs logging trucks running the road - and those bastages are CRAZY.

No matter a kilometer after that it turned to really thick crappy gravel (note: PR2's suck in gravel.. much worse that RS's and Storms). After riding it for about 5km I said piss on this and turned around a the next available spot.

Still, its always a good idea to follow your nose.

About Maurice National Park from advrider.com

"i would HIGHLY recommend doing the route below on your way to the Labrador highway. especially the run through Parc de la Maurice. think nurburgring 77km of pure bliss and INSANE twisties. i've done that park twice already, and both times, its taken days to wipe off the ******* grin off my face "

I'll be rolling video for this ride

 

[MEM]

They got any "500" roads in Quebec? :yahoo:

What's a "500" road ?

 

[dcarver]

I want to see the tracker, PM me the link?

 

[Bungie]

I want to see the tracker, PM me the link?

Will do.

 

[huron52]

They got any "500" roads in Quebec? :yahoo:

What's a "500" road ?

Maryellen you surprise me..... you told me GOOGLE was your friend!

https://www.ontariohighways.org/kings_highways.html

What they don't tell you is generally they are nice twisted roads.... well in eastern Ontario any how.

 

[Bungie]

https://www.ontariohighways.org/kings_highways.html
What they don't tell you is generally they are nice twisted roads.... well in eastern Ontario any how.

Tip, that site if you go deeper than a click or two doesn't work (can't find site).. use this one instead OntHighways.org this ones actually better, even includes pics of all major intersections.

 

[wheatonFJR]

They got any "500" roads in Quebec? :yahoo:

What's a "500" road ?

At the first CFR, BugR took me on a number of 'em...they start with the number 5 and have two digits after that...

...all of them were fun riding roads! :yahoo:

 

[Leskid]

Parc de la Mauricie is one of our regular favorite rides. Still haven't been on it on my FJR that I've only had for a couple of weeks.

NB: it's a provincial park and since it's known by riders all-over, it's heavily patrolled by squid-hunters (yay!) so all you need to do is ride at ~45-50mph, which is waaaay enough to have get the pegs as close as you want to the ground. Non-stop, it's around a 40 minute ride each way so we always go back & forth a couple times.

As importantly, the choice of route from Ottawa to Mauricie can either suck or be fantastic. You're now talking about all my favorite roads, many of which have brand new fresh pavement this season.

Let me know when!

 

[Bungie]

As importantly, the choice of route from Ottawa to Mauricie can either suck or be fantastic. You're now talking about all my favorite roads, many of which have brand new fresh pavement this season.
Let me know when!

I did post the dates!

Stop being such a tease and cough up your favourite rides from Ottawa to Maurice, especially if they have fresh pavement - roads in Quebec are as rough as the roads around here!

 

[Leskid]

I did post the dates! - indeed you did, my bad

Stop being such a tease and cough up your favourite rides from Ottawa to Maurice, especially if they have fresh pavement - roads in Quebec are as rough as the roads around here!

as for which roads to take, there are MANY and depending on how much fun you want to have (and time in the saddle) this will affect the route I'd take. If I'm going from Montreal to Tremblant, we'll never take a single direct route.

For starters, I'll say you shouldn't plan on doing the mauricie ride the same day you leave gatineau. If we met in Ottawa, I could keep you riding easily for 5-8 fun hours before you got anywhere near Mauricie. And I wouldn't want to hit Mauricie tired... be a waste of time.

But..... coming from Gatineau, stay on the quebec side and take the 323 north at Montebello. I haven't been on the 323 yet this season. It's pretty standard riding for the first 20-30 minutes. When you get to St Remi D'Amherst, catch the 364 east and you can resume northward travel on either the 327 or the 329, both of which you don't need to speed to get in some curves. That will spit you out in the tremblant area. From there, the fun part is picking which route you want to take to head 'east'. And if we took the 329 to the top, come down the 125 and go east from after St-Donat, we'll hit a 20-ish KM stretch of road that you'll undoubtedly want to ride back & forth, over & over again......

Again: if we met, to hell with a 'route'. We'd criss-cross & zig-zag around all the best roads & backroads for all kinds of riding.

Point A- point B??? yaaaaaaaawn...... If you're not familiar with the Laurentians, you should take advantage of a tourguide, otherwise, you might as well read tourist brochures on a bus

 

[Leskid]

Steve

copy/paste the monstrosity of a link below and that would be the 'direct route'. As per mapquest: 6 hours 40 minutes Total Estimated Distance: 266.46 miles. That gets you to the park.

Then add minimum 2-3 round trips in the Mauricie (3-ish hours) and there's no way you'll be riding back home in the same day.That's why if you can pull an extra day out of your *** & grab a motel en route, that would be a ride to remember.

NB: As of waypoint C in that route, that's where I'd pull off the route and fart-around in that region on the 329 & sideroads, 364, 327 etc... . This entire route is 99.9% 3-series, or '500' roads and the Mauricie itself, which ROCKS. There's about a 10km stretch of really crappy pavement in there but I rode it last weekend and it's still one of my favorite pieces of that route.

If anyone wants-in, DO it - I'd be happy to make the motel arrangements near Shawinigan

Andre

https://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=St+Donat&a...1:::::f:EN:M:/e

 

[FJRPierre]

i get an error when i run the link; try tinyurl'ing it