I’m pleased to join the Raven Media team to share my passion with you. Many of you know me, some less well, some not at all. So the purpose of my first column is to introduce myself.
Introduction to snowmobiling
Like many when I started out, I was a passenger. No one in my family was a snowmobiler. During this exploratory period, I had the opportunity to ride and rent snowmobiles on several occasions to familiarize myself with the sport before taking the plunge.
Purchase of my first snowmobile
In the summer of 2002, I decided to buy my first snowmobile, along with a small covered trailer. I lived in the city, with no access to the trails, so it was essential for me. At the time, very few women rode their own snowmobiles, and even fewer were completely on their own.
This first season gave me the opportunity to meet new people and make a circle of friends with whom I could share my passion for snowmobiling. In the end, I covered just over 10,000 km in winter 2003, including 5,000 km alone. The main regions visited were Quebec City, Charlevoix, Portneuf, Réserve faunique des Laurentides, the south shore of Quebec City and Gaspésie.
Looking back over the years, I realize that it wasn’t wise for me to go off on long treks alone. To be on the safe side, I always left my itinerary and an estimated time of return with friends. If they didn’t hear from me by the scheduled time, we had a little protocol established. I can assure you, I’m always back and able to confirm my return as agreed.
Implications
The lack of volunteers working with clubs is not a recent problem. I’ve been involved with a few clubs over the years. I’ve been involved in management, signposting, activities and so on, as well as taking part in rides and fund-raising events.
I’ve also carried out trials in collaboration with product manufacturers. For several years I was the administrator of a discussion forum, and in 2008 co-founded a discussion forum dedicated solely to a snowmobile manufacturer.
For 6 consecutive seasons, I had my snowmobile trail conditions chronicle on the radio, in addition to 2 seasons of pre-recorded podcasts on trail conditions. These capsules were in collaboration with a former association and were broadcast throughout the province.
Long-term snowmobile tests
As early as the 2008 season, I was in contact with a BRP dealer to promote a partnership and create the “Long-Term snowmobile tests” theme. The concept behind the idea is to give feedback and appreciation of snowmobiles being tested over a long period of time. Since 2015, the “Long-Term Tests” have continued in collaboration with Polaris. I’ve had the chance to test several engines and various platforms. It’s always a pleasure to write the mid- and end-of-season reports to share my experience with snowmobilers.
17 consecutive seasons covering between 10,000 and 14,000 km. Highly appreciated by snowmobile manufacturers, as it allows them to put their products to the test and recover certain components and/or data for expert analysis.
Organizing events and activities
I’ve organized various activities, rides, gatherings, dinners and more. It was during one of these activities that I met my future husband. We’ve been sharing this passion together for nearly 20 years.
In collaboration with other enthusiasts, I have organized snowmobile mechanics classes on 3 occasions.
The idea was not to turn participants into mechanics, but to give them a basic grounding in maintenance (changing slides, belts, rails, etc.), ski and suspension adjustments, and basic mechanics for troubleshooting on the trail. This activity was greatly appreciated, I still hear about it and almost every year I receive requests to find out if it’s still on or will be back.
One of the most popular events is certainly the “Short Sleeve Ride”. This activity is difficult to predict in advance, and is always subject to weather and other conditions. In the early days we were 6 friends, and as the seasons passed the number of participants increased.
Although some years have been more difficult, the people who have had the opportunity to participate at least once in the event are unanimous: it’s a great end-of-season event that brings people together. More than 300 snowmobiles have passed through the gathering place during some editions. The concept behind the activity is that everyone chooses their own starting point, and we all meet at the same place.
Maine (USA), expanding the playground
Living not far from the U.S. border, my partner and I began our escapades south of the border in the winter of 2007-2008. There are few seasons when we haven’t taken our right of access. This allows us to expand our playground right from the house.
Some seasons we’ve traveled up to 5,000 km in Maine. But traveling in the U.S. is not without its challenges, especially when it comes to signposting. Although there have been improvements in recent years, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Changing times
We’re all aware that the seasons are getting tougher and shorter. In the past, we were able to snowmobile 6 months of the year. By mid-October or early November at the latest, we were covering our first kilometers. That’s now very unlikely, and we’re less and less likely to be able to ride in late April and early May. Still, it’s hard to resist the idea of a few spring outings, even if we have to use the trailer.
Hardly a day goes by when we don’t talk about snowmobiling. Over the years, we’ve covered almost 250,000 km on snowmobiles, almost exclusively during the day on weekends, with the exception of one week’s vacation each winter. Even though the winters are tougher and shorter, the passion is still there.
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you an excellent 2024-2025 season, and look forward to seeing you!
