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Saturday April 24th 2004
The harder we here at Zenwaiter.com work to keep our American and Ontario
sledders up to date on the news of riding in Quebec, the more we get attacked.
Is there no end to the oposition we face?
You may have noticed that our nice bulletin
boards are gone. It has been three days now, and we can't figure out what
happened to them. Now I strongly suspect that we have once again been hacked.
It's probably the Bad Man of St-Zenon who has once again paid someone to hack
our web site. That is twice in one month! (If it is him, he has kept his
promise to hack the site whenever he feels like it. I only hope it is costing
him a fortune.)
Oh well, we will just continue struggling.
We will reinstall the bulletin boards which allow you the readers to say whatever
is on your heart to say. This has been a tough time. I just replaced the hard
drive on the main computer as it burned out last week, and now this.
Between the hacking, and the viruses
that attack us constantly, it has not been easy.
The Zen Shack is for rent for the summer
in St-Zenon, only $ 2,000. usd for the entire summer, (includes all utilities).
Rent it and enjoy the fishing and quad riding, you'll have a blast.
I will to return to Quebec in the fall
to do my snowmobile shows, and in the winter to do my reporting and my job
as usual, and we will continue to give our visiting tourists the good heads
up on all the info he should know.
Have a good day. Here in Penticton it
was 20C today and bright. People are on the beaches, and others are still
riding sleds in the mountains!
zw
Great
prices on barely used quads HERE
Need a room this summer? CLICK HERE
Tuesday April 13 2004
Zen's New Blog
This page has basicly been a web log, or "blog" for years, but it
requires a lot of time. I am going to try something easier for the summer.
A blog can be accessed from any computer, anywhere, so, it is easuier for
me this summer, seeing as how my Maxtor hard drive just expired and left me
helpless. It is being repaired and is expensive.
Visit my Zen Blog for the latest news.
Click
here for my new blog.
Penticton serves a population
base of about 40,000 people, a far cry from St-Zenon's 1500. Here there is
everything. All the big box stores on the outskirts, and all the quaint ma
and pa shops in the downtown core. There are several lakes in and around the
city. Kelowna, half an hour to the north, is the boom town generating all
the high real-estate prices. I prefer it here.
I have been busy setting up
my Internet connections and my e-mail. At the same time, I have set up a little
apartment in the heart of downtown. I love it.
I want too explore the snowmobile
industry and the quads too. Both appear top be important in this area. I am
also hoping to pick up a few new Internet clients.
It is +26 C here tonight, and
I have my air conditioner on already! Hope you are all well back east. How
about some e-mail... I am a little lonely, as I haven't had the time to make
friends here. zw.
Check
out BC HERE
Sat March 28 2004
As predicted, it is +8 C, and everything is melting steady. The ground is
appearing out of the white, but my driveway still has three inches of ice!
Spring is on her way.
I will be taking a few days off from the website to concentrate on earing
some money. If you need web site services, please drop me a line. I need to
start earning again. Playing catch up.
Thanks to everyone who made this job great all winter. Thanks to all those
who donated cash and became sponsors. Please pray for me, and I will also
remember you.
I hope some of you will
consider a Canadian Holiday this summer.
I will be working for
one week at Americade if you wanna comes see me, I will be in a big tent,
selling leather jackets and chaps and other bike stuff, in Lake George NY.
It lasts a week. I am not sure of the dates. I will be on the parking lot
of THE LEATHER STORE. They also have a big TEE-PEE, and a big carved BEAR
standing up.
Later!
Want to donate to our web site?
Simply make out your check
to Zenwaiter and mail it to
Zenwaiter
5831 Chemin Brassard
St-Zenon Quebec Canada
J0K 3N0
zw
Thursday Mar 25 2004
As expected, temps got mild today. Up to +5C. Tomorrow same. Sat sunny and
a bit cooler. Spring is a commin!
Check out this cool web site
(still under construction) Built by "Son of Zen 1". The guy has
the cool! He should have it... he is my kid!! right?? hahahahha... He can
build some incredible stuff, and he's still in college. Click below, and crank
up the volume! Needless to say, I'm a very proud Dad! Makes my web site look
like a sloppy second! (which it is!).
"Son
of Zen 1"
zw
Wed Mar 24, 2004
Sunny and -8C this morning. Weatherman calling for rain Friday with milder
temps. Sat and Sun Sunshine with highs of +5. Many still coming up to try
and get a final ride in. It will be an adventure! This is the time of year
to carry extra fuel in case some of your favorite gas stops are closed. Why
not buy a Tour Buddy?
The season is wrapping up and
the Fat Lady is warming up to sing, but cold weather has hung on for the past
few weeks.
Have you enjoyed Zenwaiter
this winter? Do you feel sad that there won't be that much written here through
the summer? Don't worry, I will try to keep interesting stuff on the web site
for you to read.
If you enjoyed the site and
have not donated yet, this would be an excellent time to do so.
HOW
TO DONATE
Simply make out your check
to Zenwaiter and mail it to
Zenwaiter
5831 Chemin Brassard
St-Zenon Quebec Canada
J0K 3N0
or use Pay Pal.
or buy a cap... HERE
Monday Mar 22 2004
- 26 C this morning, and sunny. There was a wind storm all night that kept
waking me up. As a result, we now have new snow drifts all over. Today should
be fun on a sled out there, though they have stopped grooming. You may also
meet surprises such as quads on snowmobile trails, but you won't see much
out there.
zw
Sunday March 21 2004
-5C, 4 inches of new snow, and still snowing. Amazing!
Riding Lake Taurau yesterday was like riding in Siberia... cold and very windy
with poor visibility. Over 80 quads participated in the Quad Poker Run, including
me. It was a ball, especially the wind up party, where I actually won 50 bucks,
for having the worst poker hand! The best hand won a beautiful quad trailer
with a custom paint job. More on this soon, I am processing the photos now.
Photos shd be up by tomorrow.
"Pierre the hare", the Quad maniac in St-Michel
with the big
vision for the future of the sport here, serves Zen a fresh coffee
on the morning of the big day! Starting as a cook here, in this
historic St-Michel Restaurant that doubles as a museum, Pierre
eventually purchased the joint, and maintained its' tradition of
quality food, but more than that, a good time and a warm welcome!
More pics coming soon!
Riders in the Bistro last night,
told me they are doing 100 to 200 miles a day, and apart from the rare dirt
spot, (where they ride on the edge of the trail), the trails to several locations
are very good! Unreal.
More soon.
LAZY ZEN READERS
Are you one of my 'lazy readers'?
You just want the info spoon fed to you on this zencomments page? Are
you too lazy to read through the posts on the bulletin boards, and too lazy
to actually contribute to that board? You say that you have tried reading
the board, and you say there is not much on it in terms of good trail info?
Well guess what? If you got
off your butt after a weekend of riding in Quebec, and spent ten minutes writing
a report for others to enjoy, our boards would be really excellent. Share
what you know.
Do you realize that we go through
the effort and the expense of having two people read all your posts every
day? They remove everything that is evil, you know, swearing, and those creeps
that say nasty things that hurt. Our board is friendly and 'nice'. It's a
nice place to go looking for info.
So let's review shall we?
99% of you do not contribute any money to this site, and you do not bother
to study the board, and you never contribute to the intel on the board.
Some of you have been complaining
of late, that our site doesn't give you enough info!
Hahaha. ... yes buddy boy,
I am talking to you!
Some of you need to get off
your butts, and click below to READ the various posts on my bulletin board!
Then you need to become part of the solution. START WRITING on the board after
each trip. You have no idea how powerful this is!
Next year, you may not be so
spoiled, you actually may need to go onto the board instead of just taking
what you can from this page for free. Also, next year I will probably change
Zenwaiter to a "pay site", a thing I have threatened for
years but have refused to do.
You expect me to get all this
info for you for free. Grow up. Either start contributing money , or start
contributing good reports, or at the very least, stop your complaining.
... lazy lazy lazy!
Bulletin
Board Here.
zw
Thursday March 18
Good evening. My friend Gerrard is a hiker and yesterday he walked with his
wife and daughter, down the 63 near the Glaciere. He walked 16 kilometers
and only saw one vehicle, a quad. The trail was excellent! "How come
there are no snowmobiles" he said. Last night was - 10, tonight it is
-10 again.
Today I enjoyed a drive to
St-Felix with Richard Lane from Delaware to see friends. It was an unexpected
pleasure. We enjoyed a breakfast and a visit with Pierre at the Moulin a Scie,
(the saw mill restaurant), then wen for a drive in the bright sunshine.
I saw crazy Al this evening,
and we both realized that we are exhausted fro the season. We are glad it
is almost over. Al says a big thank you to all his clients at the Refuge..
'Exack!' he said! "no problame!"
The fat lady has not started
singing, but she is warming up her voice a little. Snow is still plentiful
in the trails, but it is slowly disappearing. This weekend may be the last
one. I hear the groomers are all done for the year. Trails are still surprisingly
good.
Got a call tonight from Al
Verkest in Ontario NY, he just bought a new Yamaha sled for next winter, it
sounds real nice. Don't forget, if you want a 2004 Polaris with 1500 miles
or so, call the boys at Polaris in St-Michel-des-Saints. 450-884-1355.
zw
Wed March 17, 2004
Spoke with Richard Lane, he went 200 miles from St-Michel to the Repo yesterday,
then Manawan and back to St-Michel. He said there was more snow up north for
sure, but then added that he also rode to Koubeks, and he said it was pretty
good as well.
zw
Tuesday March 16 2004
-21C this morning and sunny. Remaining cold all week with snow
Wed, Thursday, and Friday. Could be a bonus weekend of riding coming up for
all of God's snowmobiling children!
I didn't connect with Bob yet, and no news from the Kanawata trip yet either,
but I am sure they are getting the spring riding of a lifetime. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained. The spring riders this year have been blessed, and still are.
This has been a wonderful year
for riding in Lanaudiere. I invite you all to come back in the summer with
your ATV quads. The same snowmobile trails that you know and love, become
quad trails in the summer, for the most part, though you need to pick up a
map to be sure. Pierre, owner of the Old Saw Mill Restaurant is in charge
of the club.
He has invited me to participate in the Spring Quad Poker Run, which takes
place this Saturday. There are only 100 tickets, and they are mostly sold
already. I will have photos next Monday if I survive it.
My body has not been a good friend this winter, I spend too much time at this
desk, and then whenever I ride, I am in pain for a week. It's not my body's
fault, it is mine. I have to move more.
I hope you have enjoyed the
web site over the winter. My writing will start to become weekly from here
on in. Many of you will continue to read I know. But this year there will
be some drastic changes, which I will tell you about soon.
In the spring summer and fall, our visitors drop off from an average of 3,000
pr day in January, to about 400 a day in August. I suspect we will get 6 or
700 a day this summer, because our winter hits have almost doubled.
Last year we had almost 5 million
'page views' over twelve months. This year I expect we will total about 9
million by Sept 15th. That is quite amazing I think.
Year end Review
I don't like to publish our
total donation and sponsorship cash totals, but I can tell you that we did
better this year in personal donations, and poorer in corporate sponsorships.
This netted us an overall downturn over last year.
The number of visitors doubled. Page views doubled.
Cooperation with the Police,
improved overall.
Number of Snowmobile Shows
that I attended, three. Malone NY, Big E in Syracuse, New Hampshire Grass
Drags.
No contact with the Federation
of Snowmobile Clubs, I no longer try to communicate with them. A local motel
owner has basically poisoned my name with them forever.
The number of personal threats
to my house and my person doubled, and my home was vandalized one time. Some
threats were made in person, and some on the answering machine. Because of
threats and vandalism, I have put my house up for sale, and I am moving to
a safer location. I feel this is wise. It is also expensive.
Still had absolutely no cooperation
from the local snowmobile 'club' in terms of getting information on what was
groomed and what was not, only continued belligerence.
No cooperation from thelocal
Chamber of Commerce or the Regional tourism board, although I must admit,
I no longer even try to contact them anymore. They have a totally different
approach to tourism than I do, and they don't want to support my work in any
way shape or form. They support, protect, and back their members; I work for
my readers. I suspect they are not pleased that so many people read this site,
as they do not control it's content.
Giving...
If you have not given anything
to ZW this winter, and you have used our forum and our info for your entertainment
and or, for usable info which made your holidays in Quebec just a little bit
better than they otherwise have been, please give to the cause, or become
a business sponsor. Few local businesses contribute, so it is up to people
in America, Ontario, Montreal, and anywhere else that we have readers, to
give.
We are coming into the roughest
part of the year, money wise. I have to switch back to making web sites for
people, (which I enjoy) but...I have no work lined up just yet. I have to
start beating the bushes, but I am tired.
Use
my web site services this summer?... Here
Info
on how to give... Here...
Buy a hat?...Here
Go
contribute your comments to our boards...
thanks... zw
Monday Morning SNOW and -3C
We have almost 2 inches of new snow and a temp of -3C this morning, sure looks
like winter. For those who decided to come up and try their hand at spring
riding, their will be great rewards today. Trails to Manawan and Repo are
groomed and local trails have also been groomed in the past 4 days, though
the dirt has shown it's ugly head on some hills over the past ten days on
the busiest sections.
I will have a report tonight from Bob
Matheison and his crew tonight. Alson this morning Pierre from the Saw Mill
restaurant will ride up to Kanawata with Martin from the Hotel Central and
a few other pals. They will stay the night and return Tuesday. They will no
doubt have a great trip, as their is tons of snow north of St-Michel still,
protected from the sun by the trees. Also remember that we had an excellent
base this winter which helps the trails last longer as well.
If you have been up here of late be
sure to give us a report on the bulletin boards to help others who want to
come up.
zw
Bulletin
B Here
Sunday AM...
-20C, winter is back. Have a bunch of friends up riding this weekend and also
this week. Will be a great week of spring riding. Still grooming from what
I hear. Trails to Lake Repos and Manawan bumpy at places but mostly 8/10,
and further north 10/10 like at Kanawata. Typical for this time of year. My
foundation was making big cracking noises this morning as temps plunged again.
Weather man calling for snow
today and Monday, and Wednesday too. Here we go! We didn't get much snow in
Feb., so this will make things interesting.
Latest rumour around town says that I have been going from table to table,
begging.. no demanding... donations from all the patrons in the local
restaurants! Sounds just like me. You gotta love it when the locals love you
that much eh?? HAHAHA!
Why I don't move my web site
to another area, and bring all my riding friends with me, is beyond me...
or is it?
On a brighter note, I enjoyed
a wonderful meal last night at the Motel Montagnard with Michel and his family.
These are very cool folks with a lot of class. I thoroughly enjoyed getting
to know them better. These are the people that won the Zen security award
this winter because they spent 30,000 building a heated locking garage at
their motel on the golf course in SMdS. (Thanks you Michel!)
Michel
in Motel "M" CLICK HERE
zw
Sat night
Sorry I have been so absent. I am so tired, I think the season has caught
up with me. Al rose 200 miles today to Manawan Indian Village, and to Repo,
everything 7, 8 and 9 out of 10. He had an amazing ride. That was today, yesterday
he rode all over the local trails, said all were good or better, Real Masse
closed, no gas. Riding still good. Amazing but true, But be ready for anything.
Saw hundred or more sleds on trailers heading north today... people grabbing
final rides of the season. zw
Wed Morning:
-18C and sunny! Groomers still out there.
Just received two donations
by mail this morning, man does that feel good. It's not only the money, but
the knowledge that people really appreciate what I do. Here in this village,
the philosophy is different. They really do not get it. They think they understand
me and what I am doing, but they do not. Some have even tried to copy my web
site, thinking they know what I am about, but they do not. They all think
it is about MONEY, but it is not! That is why they cannot copy what I do.
Doing something for love is beyond their comprehension, and that's totally
ok with me. It allows me to be unique!
This web site is all about
love. I want you to have a good time up here, so I give you what little info
I can scratch up. The local club is cloaked in secrecy, they tell no one which
trails are groomed, unless you stay at a particular motel! This is not a secret,
everyone is aware of this.
Anyways, the trails are still
very good, with bits of connecting trails that are poor here and there. Yes
it will be harder on your gear for sure, occasionally having to run a bad
stretch here and there, but the bonus is the sunshine and milder temps.
As I said before, spring riding
is not for the weak, but for the courageous and the adventurous. Once you
get in the snow heading north, adventure untold awaits you, plus some incredible
trails!
You should also call ahead
to be sure your appointed gas pit stop is still open, as some close early.
Real Masse is closed for example. They may still be selling gas, I do not
know. There is still someone there, of this I am sure, and they would probably
want to help if you are stuck.
There will be big and exciting
changes in Zenwaiter.com nex fall, none of which I can talk about just yet.
I can't wait! One things is for certain, I will need alot more input from
you guys out there to bring in the good information. After you go for a ride,
you will need to email me a report asap, with a few photos, so I can build
a page that will inform those heading up of where to ride, eat, sleep etc!
New long sleve shirts coming
in early next week! lg, xlg, 2x,3x,and even 4x! They have the real zenwaiter
logo on the front, printed, and are long sleeve t-shirts. They will cost 30usd
including shipping. I will have a photo up soon.
have a good one!
xxoo
zw
Tuesday Afternoon
Trails still amazingly good, 8 inches fresh snow at Kanawata.
Crazy Al dropped by the Zenshack this afternoon at the same
time as Paul from Michigan. Paul showed us a video of him and his son Alan
Blais, riding at Kanawata. They actually filmed the entire trip, from St-Michel
all the way to Kanawata, on the shortcut, you know, the string of lakes that
take you straight up to the Repo. The video was shot on Sunday, and it was
amazing. There is still tons of snow up here. Crazy Al spoke to his guest
last night that said the trail 33 up to Manawan was 9/10! So, when I hear
people telling me that the only good trail left is in Shawinigan, it just
aint so! We have excellent trails up here yet. Those who know our area are
still riding every day, those that know nothing, believe the jerk on Trail
Conditions that said "Quebec is all done!" . Nothing could be further
from the truth. We still have tons of snow, but ride towards the north. Click
on the photo above to see the pics I took of Pauls son and his group Jan 8th
2004.
zw
Sunday 8 AM
-10C fabulous day! New trail reports tonight. zw
Sat Mar
6th 2004 afternoon...
3 pm. -4C, everything frozen up nice
and hard again, thank God, that mild shot was frightening. Snowed all morning.
Trails still open for the rough & ready! Nervous Nellies stay home! 33
to Manawan very rough needs grooming, but the 345 to Repos still very
good yesterday. That gives you 200 miles of great riding if you leave from
St-Zenon. Also, there are sleds on the lake in front of the Refuge having
fun. Supposed to drop to -12C tonight with snow. Stay tuned!
Sat 8 AM
Mushy and wet outside at +3C. A great day to ride your Quad on our winter
quad trails. Supposed to get cold tomorrow and snow, but highs will rise up
to +1 and +2 C during the days through Wed. with some snow Tues and Wed.
Fri nite... RAINING
Lite Rain since 6 pm
turning the snow to mush. Temp is 0C currently. By morning should be cold
again and snow through Tuesday with -10C temp.
The boys went to Marineaus
(it was smooth all the way) and gassed up at the truck stop. Then they took
the south loop back, which they said was really rough, not groomed. They got
wet in the rain.
zw
Fri Mar 5 2004
Wouldn't
you know it, the snow is coming down like mad all morning, an inch so far,
but it looks like we'll be getting a few more. The weatherman is off his rocker.
Winter seems to be back. Paul Kovak has headed up to the Repos today and will
give us a report with photos tonight. What did I tell you? You never know
in the early spring, just what you're gonna get. If you have an adventurous
bone in that body of yours, and you wanna ride, get up here. Finish off the
year in style!
My Momma says... "Life
is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get!"
PS: Please pray for my Dad's
recovery, he had a leg amputated yesterday due to gangreen, caused by diabetes.
THANKS!
zw
March 4 2004
Possible snow flurries today, risk of rain Friday and Saturday, sunny and
cold on Sunday, with snow on Monday! WOW... typical early spring weather.
Currently 0C. Yesterday was cold, and the slushy streets in town froze up
solid, leaving my driveway a smooth skating rink.
If you come up to ride this weekend, prepare yourself mentaly for just about
anything, that way you will not be disapointed. This is not the time for the
weak of spirit. Yesterday I spoke to someone who went out the one way up to
Repo, he said it was incredible. He saw no traffic. Yes, the one way was chewed
up a little, but he has seen worse.
It's a crap shoot, and there
will be some rough bits, but often, once you get away from the villages the
trails are awesome, and very rewarding. At the very worst, you get way laid
in some nice auberge, have a few beers, and tell lies the the Frech bar tender.
What could be better than that?
zw
March 1 2004
This time of year is my favorite
time for riding. Sure, when you get into the villages, there are sometimes
puddles, and the trails in town get tired and yellow, but the trails in the
bush are amazing , usually until the last week of March. The weather is normally
hovering around - 5C during the sunny days, and drops to -20C at night. The
groomers still ride around and create the best trail they can, in our area
at least.
This next few days will be
mild. Today it is zero under a fabulous blue sky and bright spring sunshine.
High tempos will be slightly above zero all week, with some rain Tuesday (supposedly),
and snow Thursday and Friday. Temps will drop on the weekend again. Still
many good times to be had here in St-Zenon.
I'll let you know tomorrow
if it actually did rain! Personally I have my doubts.
Since I got back from NY, I
have been preoccupied with a combination of spring cleaning, and web site
work for one of my clients. I need income, so I have had to return to web
site work. If I ignore my clients too long, it dries up.
The donations were up this
year, but the sponsorships were way down. The hat sales were ... well, we
sold about five of them! I gave away over thirty. oh well. I have some nice
long sleeve t-shirts arriving this week, and yes, I even had a few 3 X and
4 X made up, seeing as how snowmobilers are not very small people on the whole!
(Even I get bigger every year for some reason)!
The personal donations were
a blessing, thank you so much, but it takes a lot of small gifts to replace
one full sponsor. As the dead spring time approaches, I realize this effort
is pretty much in the hole, and I am broke. (Luckily, this is nothing new
to me. I prefer to call it volountary simplicity!)
On another note, personal threats
were up, I even got vandalized this year, that was a first. I guess the price
of truth and freedom have not gone down.
But overall popularity of the
web site is what brings the biggest smile... Over one million visits were
logged in since September 15th 2003! We cracked that milestone yesterday!
That's double the people we had reading the web site last year, and there's
still a month to go.
If one percent of the people
who enjoy reading zenwaiter.com had sent in a lousy ten bucks, I would be
able to hire a body guard, and not worry about speaking the truth, never mind
filling the oil tank.
Speaking of improvements, it
is really up to you guys to make the site better now. I paid to have the Bulletin
Boards installed, and hardly anyone writes in it. Plenty read it, but it's
not as powerful as it could be. You really must take five minutes, and learn
how to POST your comments on these boards.. Once you know how, it only takes
a minute to do it. You remain anonymous, and you will never get any junk mail.
I am going to start taking
the letters you mail me, and stick them into the bulletin boards, because
I get some fabulous letters full of information that would be helpful to others.
As it is now, I just take some letters, and stick them onto the MAIL page...
which is getting rather overstuffed now.
So, have a nice day, and come
up in March if you dare! Get a tan, ride alone on the groomed trails with
no traffic. WOW. If you have recently been blessed with a windfall of abundant
cash, why not send us some.
zw
PS: The computer appears to
be on it's last legs, or at least the power source, and I can't blame her.
She has been running non stop for almost two years, pumping out this site.
When I turn it on, it takes a full three minutes before it fires up. This
is very strange.
Don't be surprised if the
site disapears alltogether, I have no funds to replace this old box. Hahahaha!
What an unceremonious ending that would be to this peculiar voice in the wilderness
of French speaking Canada! Probably a very fitting end....
just silently slip off the face of the earth.... shhhhhhh.....ker plop.
Read
our MAIL BAG now...
Go to our Bulletin Boards and contribute...
Make cheques out to "Zenwaiter"
& mail to
Zenwaiter
5831 Chemin Brassard
St-Zenon Quebec Canada
J0K 3N0
or buy a hat HERE
FEB
2004 ARCHIVES HERE
Friday Jan 31, 2003
Dinner at the Saw Mill again in ST-Michel, good as
always.
David and Karen just got back from Roberval yesterday
afternoon, and I saw all their photos. They did 1,200 miles in four or five
days. You can see on the photos that there hasn't been a lot of snow this
year, but the groomers have done an excellent job in creating good trail,
just like they do around here.
Dave said things were better on the way up on Monday
morning: it's great when you can follow the groomers, but almost impossible
to predict with accuracy exactly when they will pass. There are so many factors
which determine their actions... temperature, snow fall, money, men's schedules,
break downs, traffic, etc etc. It is not an exact science.
I think the way we ride can determine how long the
trails stay good, (if the weather stays cold that is... and it has this year).
What do you say we all go a little easier in the curves, and preserve the
trails for the next guy.
Another topic that came up was is the warming huts,
or the lack of them. David says..
"Around St-Zenon and St-Michel, there used to
be warming huts every 25 to 50 miles that were maintained, now they're all
trashed, and some of them are gone altogether. The club doesn't maintain them
anymore. But up near Roberval, they have them all over.
"It is a safety thing. If you break down, or if your are freezing to
death, you can at least hold up in a safe place. This week my wife was freezing,
and we used many huts up there to warm up. We'd like to thank those clubs
for their efforts, and encourage the others to get back on track with their
warming huts."
It's been busy here at the Zen Shack. I have so many
photos to work on, and I am sort of burning out. Yesterday I took my old 1990
Lincoln to the dealer, and they have to replace the leaking head gasket, and
timing chain gasket (something like that). I am looking at a bill of $1,800.
to fix it, and I have no choice. The car is very good despite it's age, and
I told them to go ahead.
So lets review shall we? Add that to my list of the
perfect woman... one who can do auto repairs!
Let's see now... under 400 lbs, two legs, some teeth,
under 80 years of age, computer savvy, likes to ride, likes house pets, non
smoker, had a good bit of personal therapy, and... mechanical ability with
full set of tools. PERFECT.
Speak English and French would also be an asset.
If you are a sponsor that has not paid up, this would
be a great time to pay your bill. If you are one of the forty or so people
that have told me this winter that you were going to mail or PAYPAL a donation
to Zenwaiter, why not send it today.It would be a big help.
I appreciate both of you that made a donation this
past week. Thank You!
Thanks dear Reader! Have a good day. Yes I know, Pray
for Snow.
Hey, Don't forget the One Cylinder event on Lake St-Louis
in St-Zenon on Sat Feb 8th. Should be a good time. You can access the lake
on snowmobile, fro behind the Bistro!
zw
BISTRO ST-ZENON STEAK HOUSE
MENU
Wed January 29th, 2003
St-Zenon at noon: - 11C.
I don't have time to chat this morning, sorry. Super
swamped, the phone, the door, the e-mail etc etc.Will be a perfect weekend!
Have a good one. zw
MENU
Tuesday January 28th, 2003
St-Zenon: -34C or -30 F.
St-Zenon: Whew, is it cold today! I am supposed to
ride over to the Refuge to eat breakfast with the four guys we met in the
Bistro last night, to show them the new room and the jet bath, and to talk
Zen stuff.
I just went outside and tried to start the four stroke...
no way. It turned over but that's it. Luckily I noticed a block heater under
the hood the other day, where you plug it in at night to keep it warm. I think
it may start in half an hour. That's great if you are parked ten feet from
the Zen Shack, but what if you are in the woods somewhere, you're obviously
screwed.
Peewee the plumber (husband of the beautiful Blue Eyes,
daughter of the famous Rosey) came over yesterday and got the pump going again,
so now I have water.
I have to use it very sparingly, as there is hardly
any water in the well. I think it's good for about ten gallons a day and no
more. That means one flush a day, a little dish water, and a sixty second
shower. These three items must be spread out through the day, and of course,
we pee outside with Rocky.
Back to diner at the Bistro. It was terrific. When
I walked in and sat down, two of the four young bucks from the table sitting
next to us, got very excited and wanted to shake my hand. Then someone at
the bar, paid for a round of drinks was sent over from the bar.
We got talking, and discovered these six year St-Zenon
veterans loved my web site. The one guy said he's been reading my site since
before I had a site... back in the days when I just mailed out e-mail four
years ago! Now that's a fan! I should be writing novels, I could afford to
buy a snowmobile then eh?
They always consult the site before coming up, to see
how the weather is, and to find out what's happening. Very nice boys, thank
you.
Speaking of new stuff, Don't miss the One Cylinder
rally on Lake St-Louis February the 8th. It should be a gas! That is 2 Saturdays
from now.
Also, there is a week long festival of winter events
going at the annual Shawinigan Grand Prix.
February 1 through 9, there will be Stock car action,
and Oval racing to name just a few. If you like the Shawinigan snowmobile
trails, go to their web site and get all the details. If you need a room,
call Bernard, he'll help get you organized.
PS: Just went out to start to sled, it started perfect!
I just had to plug it in! The Polaris Frontier, perfect sled for the old Zenman,
won't go over 50 mph, and no good for far away in the bush, just good for
around town! 10,000 bucks to run around the village? Hmmm... NOT! I'd rather
have something old and beat up, but that will do 70 mph when needed, and will
start anywhere... right?
But regardless, I appreciate having something to run
around town in to meet you guys and gals. Lest you think I am an unappreciative
swine, I would like to thank Moto Ducharme for lending it to me for a few
days. It was cool. Moto Ducharme sells Polaris products in Joliette, be sure
to stop in when you come up. They have jackets and helmets and all the toys
too.
Four Stroke, the future of snowmobiling!
zw
Shawinigan Grande Prix
Caisse Populaire
Menu
January 27 2003
No water in the Zen Shack again this morning. That's
it, I have to get a guy in here to drill a real artesian well. Thirteen bucks
a foot is the cost these days around here. The old surface well is toast.
Many homes have run out of water this winter, due to
the combination of drought in August and September, and the severe cold that
we had so early this year before the snow came, which caused the frost to
go down deep into the ground.
The old timers say, "If you have water in your
well this winter, you will always have water in your well!"
By the way, the old timers were wrong about this winter...
remember what they said in November? "This early cold and snow means
that it will be mild with rain in January."
Yesterday was interesting, riding around on that 2002
Polaris four stroke. I could have written ten stories just from the people
I met on the trail. I have to get a sled donated or sponsored for the entire
winter, there's just too much good stories out there, and I am stuck in here.
I also need a full time assistant. Any takers?
Surprised that I don't have my own sled? Don't be.
I'm a writer photographer, not a sportsman. This is no secret to my regular
readers. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to write about rocket science.
Having said that, I must add that I do love to ride,
and I live in the best ride zone in Canada!
Writing about St-Zenon every day with no budget to
ride, is like working in a chocolate factory on a no-chocolate diet.
One day we'll have a sled to ride the local trails.
That's a goal. In the meanwhile, we'll just do what we can with what we have
and be thankful!
Have a good Monday...EH?
zw
YESTERDAY'S Photos HERE
Menu HERE
Sunday night Jan 26
St-Zenon; - 15C the past two days, and received 4 inches
of snow. It is currently snowing.
Spent the past two days riding the local trails on
a four stroke Polaris 800 Frontier. Unfortunately, the dealer Ducharme had
no other sled to offer me, and it is not in good running order. Constant backfires,
and top speed is 50 mph.
Being the end of the weekend, our local trails are
tired from the weekend warriors.
The local trails are indeed thin in many spots, but
still ridable. I am talking about the local trails, the other 95 % of the
trails on our big day loops arenear perfect.
Many Americans and Ontarian and Quebecers in the region
enjoying wonderful conditions, plus it is no longer as cold as it was. The
deep cold spell is passed us.
The sun was warm today while riding, and the landscape
fantastic. The rural Quebec countryside all pristine pure white wilderness,
and the mountains as a backdrop. The air revitalized me, and now I have to
sleep!
zen
Friday Jan 24 2003
St-Zenon: -23 C. This super cold spell that has attacked
most of Canada was kinda cool at first, (no pun intended), but after a while,
it ain't so hot. The heater won't work properly in the car, the water pump
froze twice, the well is basically dry, and no one comes to call. They stay
at home, and so do I. I may be suffering from a mild case of cabin fever.
But for snowmobilers, cold temps mean table top surfaces
around here.
The riders I have spoken to are raving about our trail
system this winter, apart from the occasional rock on the busy local trails
on weekends when traffic is at its' peak.
Some people from south of the border have been bragging
to me about all there snow down there, but let's not forget that most of the
trails are bumpety-bump. Our trails are smooth, but admittedly would be better
with a few more inches of snow, which we are supposed to receive presently.
Up here it's a different kind of riding.
When you ride this week, be sure to adjust your helmet
vents properly; the risk of frost bite is real. Also, don't ride alone, and
make sure your sled is tip top before attempting a long loop. Extra gas is
always nice on those trips too.
Why not answer our daily Zen Poll ? (top left).
Have a good weekend.
zw
Send me mail here.
Trails
Thursday Jan 23
St-Zenon: -23C this morning, with two inches of fresh
snow.
Gusty with medium high winds all day yesterday and last night, created snow
drifts, and probably dumped 3 or 4 inches of existing snow into the trails,
which are being groomed up to perfection for the weekend warriors. More snow
and cold coming. It's a good year! zw
Text Forecast from Environment Canada
Parc du Mont-Tremblant - Saint-Michel-des-Saints: Issued 05:00 AM est Thursday
23 January 2003
Today..Cloudy. Chance of some snow. Clearing this evening. High near minus
15.
Tonight..Cloudy periods. Low near minus 26.
Friday..Sunny with cloudy periods. High near minus 15.
Saturday..Scattered snow showers. Low near minus 25. High near minus 15. Probability
of precipitation 40 percent.
Sunday..Scattered snow showers. Low near minus 22. High near minus 13. Probability
of precipitation 40 percent.
Monday..Sunny. Low near minus 23. High near minus 15.
Normals for the period..Low minus 19. High minus 8.
MENU
Wednesday Jan 22
St-Zenon: - 32C and snowing.
Single Cylinder Racing in St-Zenon?
On February 8th there will be one cylinder sled racing
on the Lake St-Louis in St-Zenon. Crazy Al has already been working on the
oval to get it ready. The site is at the south entrance of the village across
from the St-Louis Bar/Motel. This should be a good time. See you there.
Thanks!
Just a word of thanks to the few who have sent in donations.
And also a word of thanks for the letters and the photos. Watch for them on
the front page. Also, thanks for participating on the two bulletin boards.
It helps out everyone that wants to ride in Quebec.
Zenwaiter a Beggar? NOT!
It has been suggested of late, that asking for donations
is begging. I have thought this over, and have come to the conclusion that
this premise is indeed false. Zenwaiter provides an important service that
has value.
To build that value, takes equipment, phone lines,
servers, office expenses and one crazy full time MF to take the photos and
do the work. All of this has value, and those that benefit from it donate
to the effort because they want to see it continue.
In fact, ZW is also very unique! Show me, if you can,
one other web site that is updated daily with current snowmobile information
on Quebec, with real photos, comments, and bulletin boards. There ain't none
dear reader, not a one.
Not Zenwaiter...yet :)
REAL BEGGARS
There are however, some web masters, (people that make web sites) who are
actually real live beggars. It's hilarious... and it's also sad.
I heard about this on TV. They build a web site, offer
nothing but a sad tale and pathetic photo of themselves begging with a can
of pencils on the street corner or whatever. Now THAT is a beggar. Zenwaiter
is not a beggar.
Surprise yourself today... send me a photo of your last weekend ride with
a brief description, and you may become a Zen Star on the Front Page! Better
yet, send me a photo of a friend in a compromising position, and embarrass
the hell out of him/her.
zw
Trail Conditions Here
General Blah Blah Here
Learn to beg on the internet HERE
E-mail your snowmobile photo now! HERE
Buy A Used Sled? Zen's Free Classified Ads
Tuesday Jan 21 2003
St-Zenon: -34 this morning at 7 AM, now - 25C. Bright
and sunny day. Weatherman says remaining cold and sunny with a few flurries
on Wednesday.
Talk around town this week is of the eight morons from
New Jersey who basically terrorized the area Thursday Friday and Saturday,
culminating in the ring leader going to jail in hand cuffs.
These... people with limited mental capacity, did burn
outs, and continuos 360's at Peewee's Depanneur, blasting a stream of ice
and gravel on peoples vehicles and property, , smashed a beer bottle over
someone's head, ( A friend of mine), and destroyed property on someone's farm
land near the village, doing jumps over piles of wood.
They had some rental sleds which they damaged to the
tune of over 3,000 bucks.
Drinking and riding? They must have been drunk, because
they acted like total imbeciles during their entire visit, causing trouble
at all the gas stations, bars, hotels and restaurants.
They are fortunate they didn't kill themselves or someone
else on the trail, and the guy who got injured from the bottle incident, apparently
has a damaged eye.
The farmer where you did your jumping wants the club
to close the trail that runs through his land. After ten years of working
to get people to allow trails, YOU loosers come up and ruin it all.
The worst part is that you really frightened a whole
lot of people here, women and children and the like, but I don't suppose that
bothers your conscience.
We have some of the best trails in the world here,
and you come up to get drunk, threaten the locals, cause damage to property
every where you go, and damage our club's reputation. Unbelievable.
I still can't believe it. You give New Jersey a bad
name.
Your ring leader ended up in jail, and I hope he is
still in there for a month.
Daddy's credit cards might have bailed you out this
time, but with your level of ignorance and disregard for other people, you
will surely reap a whirlwind of misery that no amount of cash will help you
escape.
What goes around, comes around, if you live long enough
you'll find that out. But do us all a favour, don't come back,
you're no longer welcome.
zw
MENU
Monday January 20, 2003
St-Zenon: -20C, or -2 F this morning. Two inches of new snow overnight.
I just spoke to Yanick at Kanawata, north of the Repos,
and he just got in from a ride on their 100 or so miles of trails. He reports
that the trails are excellent, and they just got 6 new inches of snow over
the past few days. You can call Yanick, he does speaka da English a little.
He will be glad to answer any qns you may have. Kanawata Inn 450-819-666-2007.
I read in the "Journal de Montreal", that
the Laval Police are out in full force on the trails with the hidden radar
guns.
This was their first campaign of the year, and they
had helicopter support.
" We do about 4 or 5 of these operations a year",
explains Martin Legare, a safety officer with the Laval Police. "We want
to ensure that snowmobilers are respecting the speed limit, and also, we offer
safety advice. At least once a year, we will set up a surprise trail block
to check for alcohol as well."
There will be twelve volounteers sent out by the Laval
club who will patrol the trails and issue tickets for infractions. "Last
year, explained the officer", the club handed out one ticket to a snowmobiler,
and 35 tickets to quad riders who were riding on the designated snowmobile
trails."
"The new local quad club is a nuisance",
said Alain Roberge, "they use our trails, and they can ride even when
there is no snow."
Last year the quad club had over 1,000 members in Laval,
this year the number is down to 450.
"Our grooming costs are the same as last year,
said Roberge, but we have only half the budget to get the job done."
Translated by ZW
Interesting stuff
for your reading pleasure.
"Snowmobile buzz echoes in White House
Traditionally, the Washington's Birthday weekend is the busiest stretch of
snowmobile-riding in Yellowstone, but this year it has taken on special meaning
as politicians, environmentalists, and tourism-industry officials battle over
the fate of a snowmobile ban scheduled to go into effect here and in Grand
Teton National Park within two years." By Todd Wilkinson
Click Here for Full Story
Sat Jan 18 2003 8 AM
COLD -30 C but it feels like -50.
39,892 people logged onto Zenwaiter.com over the past
30 days, and we have recieved about $ 300.us in donations and sponsorship.
That averages out to $00.0075203 per reader this month.
Let's assume that half of the 39,892 visits were made
by people that read the site every day. We'll take 19,946 visits and divide
it by 30 days. That gives us 664 actual people.
Now lets assume the others only come once a month,
that gives us 19,946 people.
Add the two together, and we can safely assume that
we had 20,610 people who actual read the web site, over the past month.
Lets cut that in half just to be sure... giving us
10,305 actual snowmobilers that read Zenwaiter in the past month. (and on
average they do stay in the site about 30 minutes, requesting about 10 pages
each).
If only 10 % of those had contribute 10 bucks, (which
is the price of a snowmobile magazine), the Zenwaiter office would have received
$10,000. usd.
If only 1 % had sent in 10 bucks, we would have received
1,000.usd.
That would have been nice now wouldn't it?
T-shirts don't work, we can't get the local bars to
stick out donation jars, Pay Pal seems a waste of time, and nothing is coming
in the mail.
Zenwaiter works 12 hours a day for 300. a month, then
has to go out and pay all the expenses with that.
Guess what. It just don't add up. It seems to me that
it could be working extremely well. What do you think?
Tha car won't start today, I should have plugged it
in.
:)
Have a good Saturday. zw
Friday Jan 17
St-Zenon: - 30C at 7 am. OUCH! that's -20 F. These
are the temperatures you love to see because they maintain the snow that we
have. We got a dusting yesterday.
Remaining cold with new snow coming Sunday and Monday.
More weather HERE.
Yesterday we saw dozens of enclosed trailers streaming
up during the day in long parades. Should be a busy weekend.
PS: 'Yummie' my calico cat, has finally earned her keep after three years!
She caught a mouse in the kitchen, killed it, then tossed it into the Rocky's
water dish. Good kitty! :)
So, any single women out there wanna come live with
the Zenman and the Zenmice in the Zenshack? I'm single! LOL (yes, and now
we know why.)
Hey, at least they're not rats!
Trail info HERE
Write Zen Now?
Thursday Jan 16
Good morning. St. Zenon is -30 this morning, and the
sun is brilliant. The trails are fabulous. What more could a snowmobiler ask
for?
David and Steve had breakfast with me, loaded up their
sleds, and have headed back for NH. They left us with some amazing images
of the trails north of the dam heading to Kanawata.
The discussion around the breakfast table at the Casse
Croute des Parkes, was on the "idiots that ride in circles around the
Cabanon." said David.
"The trails get wrecked every day by these idiot
throttle jockeys that ride in circles around on the local trails that go from
the Cabanon to the Bistro to the St-Louis, and to the Glaciere, then back
again. They drive like maniacs, totally out of control, and on the knolls,
they stay right in the middle of the trail as if there was no one else on
the trails. They hit the brakes into the corners and go sideways, then gun
the throttle on the way out, trashing the trails beneath them. After just
one day, the trails are a series on lumps like Tug Hill. When we ride, we
respect the trail, and the hard work and expense that goes into making them."
"The Police should give tickets to people that
ride through curves out of control and do not stay to the right. Instead,
they stick a radar on the straighaway, and hand out tickets for speed, which
is not dangerous." I reminded Dave that the Police enforce the speed
limit. He understands that, but says "they should wait after a curve,
and ticket people for dangerous and reckless riding instead."
Personally I think we should have one course for the
guys that want to hog the trail to themselves. It should be 100 miles of one
way. The trouble is, that as soon as they trash this course, they will run
onto the regular trails and terrify the normal folk.
In any event, half the people that come to this area
have high performance machines with a million studs, and are interested in
riding as fast as they can. The other half do the bigger loops to enjoy the
pristine trails that lie to the north.
Last week there were two snowmobilers that were killed
in a head on accident, neither was on the right side of the trail. I think
this occurred in the US somewhere, though it easily could have happened right
here.
The Police should set up a sting somewhere to nail
people that do not stay on the right in corners, as this is the most dangerous
action a snowmobiler can do. It is a miracle we don't have more accidents.
Anyways, Dave and Steve are gone, and they will be
missed. They did 800 miles in three days of exceptional riding. They went
out at 6 AM every day, and took advantage of perfect grooming done by the
local club. They enjoyed near perfection every day, and are returning here
again next week to do a long treck to Parent, Clova, Seneterre Casey, all
the way to Val D'Or. They will again take photos for us!
Have a good one, and stay to the right!
zw
Trail Conditions Discussion
Trail Condition Links
Menu
Last Minute Room for this Weekend?
Wed Jan 15 2003
St-Zenon: -20C today and grey skies. It was - 30C last
night. Some light snow this week then Sat and Sun heavier snow here, but no,
they never tell you how much you'll get. Also, -30C again tonight, remaining
clod all week. The trails will remain optimal.
No news at all from the local club about trails or
about anything. It's up to you to give reports when you get back home to your
computer.
TRAIL CONDITIONS DISCUSSION BOARD
PLEASE "REFRESH"
I keep meeting people who don't realize that we change
the Index page almost every day, (that is the page you first come to with
the photos on it) as well as this page. You mean we do all this updating work
for nothing? ALWAYS click on refresh when you land on this page and on the
Index page, or else you are reading yesterdays news.
Another thing they don't get, is that every photo on
the Index page has ten or more photos behind it. You just click on the picture!
Hardly any mail this year from you folks, and about
half the donations of last year, yet the site is three times as big, has 50%
more traffic, and the info is more current. I just may have lock this page
up with a code, and charge 25. usd for the key. I don't want to go in the
hole.
And yet.... the info here seems to be important and
valuable to folks. At dinner the other night in the Bistro, a lady from South
New Jersey, explained to me how this web site saved one of her family vacations
last year, and how thankful they were; it saved them a bundle of cash too.
But no donation was forth coming, (she may have mailed one in last year, hard
to tell). Very nice gal.
I didn't remember the phone call, because there were
so many last year, in all that rain. I took a lot of heat for those weather
reports last year, and I am happy to report all the good news this year.
On a brighter note, we have a fan in the IT business
who'll be here Thursday. Jim says he may have some solutions for us on the
server side to make our thing more cost effective. It may also eliminate our
hacker friend who crashes the site every time we talk about rain or theft.
Nick A. from NY is still here at the Glaciere with
a gang of New Yorkers, and has been having a ball on the trails, as is Sexy
Ron, NH Dave with buddy Steve, and hundreds more.
Dave says he rode to St-Come yesterday, and it was
a ten, but on the return trip, it was a 4. He almost got killed by a bunch
of idiot throttle jockeys who were riding in the middle of the trail, almost
out of control. "I can't believe there aren't more deaths up here."
he said.
If you can't stay on your side of the trail kids, please
ride go back to Tug Hill, don't come to St-Zenon. Unfortunately, I realize
that we are preaching to the choir here! Most of you folks are super responsible.
You folks can read! hahaha!
Don't forget to go to the Trail Board to find out what
is happening. Don't just read it, POST ON IT! It's very easy, and no, it is
not dangerous. 500 to 1000 people a day read it, and hardly any posts!
Okay, that's it, I'm going for a limp around the block.
Wait, there is no block. Guess I'll just pace back and forth! Got any Valium?
:)
zw
MENU
Tuesday Jan 14 2003
St-Zenon: -20F or -30C this morning. Five inches of
snow yesterday. Trails outstanding. Photos of yesterdays trails to Repos below..
Breakfast with Nick and the boys yesterday morning
at the Glaciere. Nice gang he has this year from New York.
Probably this will be the best riding in past few years.
Not much traffic during the week. Ate at the Bistro last night with Sexy Ron,
NH Dave, Crazy Al, and a flock of desperadoes from South New Jersey! Nice
folks that. Bistro was full.
New Trail Photos Here
New Race Photos HERE
Menu
Trail Reports HERE
Monday Jan 13 2003
St-Zenon C: -12 C and snowing, with one inch so far.
Finally some snow. Lets hope we get the foot we need.
The weekend was busy here, but not as busy as the week
before. We are getting Quebecers from all over, folks from Ontario, where
there is no snow in many places, and of course our Americans.
Last night I ate at the Saw Mill in St-Michel again,
because David from New Hampshire is back, and that is his favorite place.
The food is good, and has been for 38 years.
My right knee is sore, and worse this morning, because
I went out on the lake yesterday to take photos of the racing sleds. At over
100 miles per hour on a short track, it is wild. Nothing official about it
at all, but the guys do it anyway.
I will try to get the pictures up on the Index page
for tomorrow.
Have a good one. Snowing! zw
Trail Conditions
General Talk
Weather
Sunday Morning January 12th, 2003
- 12 C this morning, and all is quiet. I'll bet a few
bar tenders worked hard last night, as there were sleds everywhere in the
area.
The trails are running good to excellent, depending
on where you ride. We could use more snow for sure, but the cold and the good
base, and the excellent grooming has well maintained the 1,000 km of trails.
The weatherman says snow and continuing cold for the
next three or four days, so lets expect more of the white stuff!
Three experienced riders last night from Vermont, rated
our trails 8.5 out of 10. They have been riding here 15 yrs, and their opinion
does stand for something. (even if they are from Vermont! ) hahaha :) Just
kidding!
zen!
PS: Sexy Ron and NH Dave are both heading up tonight,
that means good trail pictures soon. You had better mail me your photos too
though right?? eh?? Thanks
PS: A lot of you have told me on the phone and in e-mails
that you will bring me a donation here, but that is not working. Only a few
donations came that way so far this winter. You guys come up to ride, then
you leave, and we pass like two ship in the night.
Please mail your donations, because it is almost impossible to track you down
when you get up here, and I don't have the time to try.
This is serious guys! If you like the site, mail a
donation by PAY PAL , just click the button up top, or make your check to
Zenwaiter, mail to
Zenwaiter
5831 Chemin Brassard,
St-Zenon QC,
Canada, J0K 3N0.
No joke, this site does cost money to produce and maintain,
and there's none coming in! I don't want to be forced to switch over to a
pay site format. If it does, it will be 25 usd for the year. Let's keep it
free. zw
zenwaiter@canada.com
Trail Board Here
General Board Here
MENU
Saturday Morning January 11th
-30C this morning and sunny. That's -20F!
Getting more phone calls from Ontario, Cornwall called
to say they have no snow, and that they will be heading our way. St-Zenon
could be a very busy place if this continues! But it is nice to actually have
good trails and cold weather here, real nice.
A few of you have mailed in photos and letters, go
see them on the Mail page! Thanks a lot. I hope more of you will take the
time to write in and send your trip pictures. Everyone appreciates you for
doing this. Scan them, and e-mail them to me..
zenwaiter@canada.com
Menu
Trail Talk
General Talk
PS: We have gone over 100,000 visitors since March
20th 2002! That was our total last year from March to March. This means that
out hit counter should reach 150,000 before March 20 2003! 50% more people
than last year! Not bad for an amateur site eh? Thanks to you people out there.
zw
Friday afternoon/evening.
It was a beautiful cold and sunny day with snow that
goes crunch under foot.
A stream of enclosed snowmobile trailers are parading
past the Zen Den in anxious anticipation of good riding, and no one will be
disappointed this weekend, except those who just bar hop back and forth over
the local trails...but even those trials are in good shape at this moment.
Just had a chat with David Mc. from beautiful downtown
Ottawa.
David, I gotta say, it feels good to talk to a fellow
Anglo Canadian; a rare treat for me up here. Thanks for calling and I am glad
we could find you the room you need. And yes, I will gladly get a few pictures
of you having a good time, and no, that doesn't require a donation. Better
yet, you bring you own digital camera, and shoot TRAIL pictures, which is
what I really want, I will post them.
Now after that nice English chat, I feel really lonely.
Ahhhh... poor Zenman!
Perhaps I'll stroll up the road one kilometer, and
drop in for a Coke at the Lac St-Louis Bar/motel... for a little ahhh, exotic
entertainment. Perhaps they will feel sorry for me eh? Nah... not gonna happen...
I don't feel up for it.... not gonna happen...
I know, I'l'l just take a little nap and wait for the
phone to ring. I'm sure I will be called out to take a picture somewhere,
and meet some new friends!
The sound of modified pipes are in the air all around
my cabin.. This should be a huge weekend up here.
zen
Friday Jan 10 2003
St-Zenon; -15C , sunny. We're set for a great weekend.
Remember, try to venture out on the loops that take you to the edge of our
territory. You'll meet less traffic, and the trails will be better.
Lots of complaints about people using up the entire
trail again this year. Please, stay to the right, or you'll hurt someone.
You are never alone on these trails, and you must share the them with others.
Have a great weekend! zw.
Trail Condition Discussion Board
Thursday Jan 9th, 8 AM
Moscow: - 50C.
St-Zenon: - 26C or -12F
Two inches of new snow yesterday morning. Looks like this weekend is one you
won't wanna miss up here! The trails are running from good to excellent, and
there is more snow on the way, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
We had a nice steak last night at the Bistro St-Zenon
Steak House. The New Hampshire gang left early this morning. Go see their
trail pictures from yesterday HERE.
Giidy-up!
zw
Trail Conditions Discussion Board
Menu
Need Help? Call Zen 450-884-1818
Wed morning Jan 8th, 8 am
St-Zenon: We got two fat inches last night of granular
snow, now this stuff is good as gold for the trail. Inch by inch works, we'll
take it! Currently -10 C. no wind.... AND SNOWING HEAVY! Yeah baybee! It just
started a few minutes ago, but it looks like it means business. With no wind,
does that mean the snow cloud will just sit over our head all day? I hope
so. How exciting!
Yesterday David forgot to take pictures of the 345
up to the Repos, but he assured me it was 8/10. I know him well, and if he
says 8/10, it means perfect to you! He has ridden here for 20 years and is
fussy as hell.
You should be here, that's all there is to it! 1,000
kilometers of trails, and very good conditions. With global warming, it appears
that good conditions are becoming increasingly rare, unless of course the
hole in the ozone is a pile of horse puckie!
One way or the other, they are calling for more snow
Friday and Saturday, with temps remaining steadily cold at - 15 to -17C.
David also said the trail was frozen up nice and hard.
David is strictly honest on this, you can take his work, he's the real deal
on a sled.
(Gosh I love to give out the good news, feels good!)
{I just saw a semi trailer go past the front window, through the snowy highway,
with two full rows of new Polaris snowmobiles in the cases stacked two high.
What a site!}
zen
Please write your trail conditions HERE!
Need A last minute ROOM?
Call the Zen Man Now! 450-884-1818
Tuesday Morning Jan 7 2003
St-Zenon: Sunny and still this morning, and another inch of snow! One inch
at a time, we have accumulated about four new inches, which helps the groomers.
Please participate in our Trail Conditions Discussion
Board, for reports on the St-Zenon area, and on any other area in Quebec as
well. It's up to you to make this a valuable resource of honest trail reports.
Weatherman calling for light snow over the next few
days, 3 cm here 5cm there. We'll take it! It adds up!
Trail Report Discussion HERE
Have a good day. zw
Monday night
The New Hampshire delegation just bought me dinner at the Saw Mill, Dave is
on that Atkins No Carb diet, and has lost
30 pounds. I want to loose some weight too.
He says the trails beyond the dam are nice. Around
town, he says he's seen much better days. He says we need snow. He also said
today was a 9 out of ten for someone who just had to ride! He says it's a
little tough on your carbides. He's riding out again tomorrow.
(He loves to complain 'cause he's used to our trails,
and has been spoiled here for years.) He admits that anyone new to these trails
would still love them.
Just spoke to Dr. C about my bad knee, he says I probably
blew my cartilage while doing those deep knee bends in front of the pool table
last week at the Motel Sportif. He told me to use warm compresses and prescribed
some gentle movements that will help it along. I am in pain. (whine)
Our health care system here in Canada is free, yes,
this is true, but you can die while you're waiting to get results from your
tests. I had a knee x-ray last week and they told me it'll be 10 days before
the Doctor calls me. But if I don't harass him, he'll never call.
So do not feel bad America, when you pay for private
health care. We pay too, big time taxes, and at least you guys get good service.
That's my bitch for the day. On the bright side, it
DID snow flurries all day, which can't hurt. Perhaps another inch.
Good night America and Ontario, and all the people
here in Quebec that also read my gibberish! zw
PS: Almost 2,000 visitors again today. Last week we
hit a new record of 2,600 readers in one day! Woooohooo! Now if everyone just
mailed in one buck, I'd be rich! hahahaha. All kidding aside, it does take
money to run this thing, and we haven't had hardly any donations in weeks.
"cough cough...choke... sputter sputter..."
Why not just mail the old Zenwaiter a New Years Gift??
Make Check Payable to
Zenwaiter
mail it to
Zenwaiter
5831 Ch Brassard
St-Zenon Quebec, Canada
J0K 3N0
Thanks for your support.
PPS: PLEASE send in some stories and some photos of your Quebec or US or Ontario
snowmobile riding, and I will stick you on the front page! You can be a Zen
Star! You and your motely crew of no goods on the Front Page???
Just think of it! You can tell all your friends that
you are famous! Just do it! You guys are getting lazy this year! Send your
photos (2 at most please) to zenwaiter@canada.com
Send in an embarassing photo of a friend, and I'll run it on FRONT!
Plus, over 1,000 people a day have been reading our
new Trail conditions board page, but only 1 or 2 write on it. What's up with
that? Is it too hard to use? I think not!
TrailConditions Board HERE!
General Discussion Board HERE!
Pitter Patter, you best get at 'er!
your pal zen
Memories from last year.
Me and BobPetit on air live, last winter.
I got booted off that show for good, as soon as "they"
found out I tell the truth about the weather! Ooops! We can't have THAT now
can we? If CNN and CBC, and ABC, and CBS can talk about the weather, so can
I. (Not Bob's fault, he loves me!)
zw; still feisty as ever, and proud of it. Fortunately
for me, the trails have been good around here this year, otherwise, I would
have been strung up to dry long ago! Yiha! followed by nervous laughter!
Monday Jan 6 2003
7:40 AM, -10C snowing. We got an inch overnight, making a total of three inches
of snow in the past few days. I realize that doesn't sound like much. New
Hampshire got another 20 inches this week. However, remember, that we have
the steady cold temperatures, and any snow we get, we hang on to, and we groom
it into our trails.
Our trail base is rock solid. This measly three inches
will help alot. We are still looking for a good storm to boost the base, or
a continuous few inches here and there, to maintain what we have.
To learn more, consult the boards.
Trail conditions
General Comments
Book a Room?
Select a Restaurant?
Rent a Sled?
Sunday morning Jan 5th
St-Zenon: We got another inch last night. Temp - 10C.
Need a last minute room? Call my buddies!
REAL MASSE
(450) 884-5502
THE REFUGE INN
(450)884-5050 French)
(450)884-1818 English)
WEATHER
Sat 10:30 pm
Looks like New York Snowmobile Clubs have a major problem
with their Insurance! GO SEE HERE
We got one inch of snow today, more tonite I hope.
Saturday Jan 4
St. Zenon: -8 C Snowing. Got no snow Friday.
(UPDATE!)10AM: Just got a call from Karine, she is
in St-Donat unloading her sleds with Bruce, and says the parking lot is jammed
with sleds everywhere! Looks like St-Donat is happening! Also it is snowing
there too! Praise be! zw
Text Forecast from Environment Canada
Parc du Mont-Tremblant - Saint-Michel-des-Saints: Issued 05:00 AM est Saturday
4 January 2003
Today..Cloudy. Chance of very light flurries. High
near minus 7.
Tonight..Variable cloudiness. Low near minus 14.
Sunday..Variable cloudiness. High near minus 4.
Monday..Snow showers. Low near minus 10. High near minus 8. Probability of
precipitation 60 percent.
Tuesday..Intermittent snow. Low near minus 16. High near minus 7.
Wednesday..Snow. Low near minus 9. High near minus 7. Normals for the period..Low
minus 18. High minus 8.
Last night I dropped by the bar at the St-Louis Hotel
for ten minutes, and took a few photos of owner Nancy, waitress Jennifer,
and Meo the security gaurd.
There were a few boys there from N.Y. having a good
time. "We are staying in St-Donat. The trail over to St-Zenon was smooth
and passable, with a few rocks here and there, but you guys need more snow."
I agreed, but reminded him that many of our loops to
the north are still very nice, as they have had less traffic. Plus, the forecast
says we'll get some snow soon.
Do the snow dance. zw
New Photos
Trail Conditions
PS: Enjoying this web site today? Find Yourself reading
it daily? Why not send us a mini donation of $5.00 usd. It would really help.
Just click on the Pay Pal button here! Why Not? It will help Zen pay for the
server, the computer, the soft ware etc etc.... :) Thanks.
Text Forecast from Environment Canada
Parc du Mont-Tremblant - Saint-Michel-des-Saints: Issued 05:00 AM est Saturday
4 January 2003
Today..Cloudy. Chance of very light flurries. High near minus 7.
Tonight..Variable cloudiness. Low near minus 14.
Sunday..Variable cloudiness. High near minus 4.
Monday..Snow showers. Low near minus 10. High near minus 8. Probability of
precipitation 60 percent.
Tuesday..Intermittent snow. Low near minus 16. High near minus 7.
Wednesday..Snow. Low near minus 9. High near minus 7. Normals for the period..Low
minus 18. High minus 8.
Friday Jan34th
St. Zenon: -10C of +15 F. Some flurries today. In the
region the snow forecast has changed...
Text Forecast from Environment Canada
Parc du Mont-Tremblant - Saint-Michel-des-Saints: Issued 05:00 AM est Friday
3 January 2003
Today..Cloudy. Chance of very light flurries. High near minus 7.
Tonight..A few flurries. Low near minus 13.
Saturday..Very light flurries. High near minus 7.
Sunday..Clear periods. Low near minus 13. High near minus 5.
Monday..Snow. Low near minus 8. High near minus 6.
Tuesday..Sunny. Low near minus 16. High near minus 11. Normals for the period..Low
minus 18. High minus 8.
What is a Perfect Trail...?
I have been getting e-mails that say
" I am waiting for the perfect trails Zen... are
the trails perfect yet?"
But... "perfect trails" are not the same
for everyone, it is a relative term.
For a novice, who lives in Delaware, "perfect
trails" will mean one thing, and for a veteran snowmobiler who lives
in Indian Lake N.Y., it will mean something totally different. For the guys
who prefer grass drags... etc.
So when you ask me if the trails are perfect, and that
you will not come up until they are perfect, well, I can't really answer you.
The state of "Perfect Trails" is one which
resides in the mind of the sledder. And besides, the weather worn snowmobile
veteran knows, that God only gives you that "perfect trail" on special
occasions, that's what makes those days so excellent.
Most of the time, you go through the motions; investigate
the weather, talk to trusted friends about conditions, consult the maps, pack
the trailer, take time off work, negotiate with the family, hit the cash machine
at the bank, drive for hours, and then finally... ride.
Snowmobiling is not for the frightened little guy or
gal who needs perfect trails. It is a sport for the gutsy, ballsy, adventurous
spirits, who abound with optimism, energy, and courage.
Having said all that... allow me to invite you to visit
our region.
We have an excellent base due to the skills of our
local club's groomer, (nine of them), and due to their trail making skills
in the summer months. Over 1,000 kms of trails that roll through small villages,
parks, and vast expanses of logging country.
We do need more snow, and they have promised it. Near
the villages, St-Come, St-Emily, St-Damien, St-Zenon, St-Donat, St-Michel
etc, you may see a few icy spots, and the occasional potatoe, but out their
on the loops, you will find some excellent riding, and by that I mean, well
groomed trails. 150 to 200 miles a day, is easily done.
So, Like St-Donat Sarah always says, Start Prayin'
and do the Snow Dance, and maybe one day, you'll get your Perfect Trails.
Cheers.
A long winded zw.
PS: I enjoyed a wonderful sea food tortiere last night
in the family dining room at Real Masse. The feeling of hospitality I got
there touched me deeply, and I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Mr Masse
and his family.
I have tons of photos for you, and a police report,
but I have to go to the hospital today for x-rays, I have been having trouble
walking. (ouch)?????? Old age creeping eh? Something is wrong with my right
knee. zw
PPS: Over 2,500 unique visitors to ZW yesterday, that's
a record. Thank you!
Index
Menu
Photos
RealMasse
New Bulletin Board on Trail Conditions!
Jan 2 2003
St.:Zenon : 8 AM. I just got a call from the Refuge, everyone is having breakfast
and being served on hand and foot! They are loving it. They were all riding
on the lake last night.
Cold here this morning-20C or -3 F. Sky looks clear.
Shd be another good day. Chance of flurries Friday, then snow Sat, Sun, and
Mon. Pray this comes true!
The Bistro Steak House was packed last night, and I
took the Indiana folks over there for a good feed. Anne works there now and
she was very sweet as usual. It was nice. Have a good one.
zw
Main Menu
Trail Conditions Board
DIscussion Board
Weather
Jan 1 2003
St. Donat. Hi, Sarah has a new report, go see it now.
SARAH HERE
Jan 1 2003
Good Morning
St-Zenon New Years day 1:15 PM
Sunny, - 10 C, some light flurries earlier. Snow is being predicted for Friday
Saturday, and Sunday.
I had breakfast at the old Saw Mill in St-Michel-des-Saints,
with three big guys from Connecticut.
"We spent two nights at Real Masse and two nights
here at the Saw Mill Motel. Both places were excellent, good beds, clean rooms,
and excellent food.
"Real Masse is really a class act. That guy has
class!" said John V. from Glastonbury CT. He has been coming up here
since 1984 and rides about 2,500 miles a year. "Apart from the occasional
potatoe and a few icy spots, the trails are really good, and there are no
bear patches."
"We rode 140, 150 miles a day so far, and now
we have to go back to work this morning!"
They say the 33 is really closed, but they got around it anyways, but got
off the trail to do it. They did several other big loops successfully. Their
group also included Mike W. and Lloyd F., both from South Windor.
Kent at the Refuge says he is very happy riding with
his wife and two kids, there is no traffic, everyone else went home. They
ride every day, and are racking up the miles.
I assume the club is grooming steady, sure would be
nice if they would call me once in a while to give me an update, but they
do not. Good thing all you riders tell me what is happening out there.
And speaking of that, all of you that just went home...
Please go onto the new bulletin board and write your comments so others can
hear about your riding in Quebec! CLICK HERE NOW.
PS: Like this web site? Tell a friend. When you come
to Quebec, be sure to tell the motels and restaurants that serve you, that
you think ZW is a good thing. Who knows, we may even convince a few in the
new year!
Menu Here
Yesterdays photos here.
Real Masse HERE
zw
zenwaiter@canada.com
Dec 2002 Archived Comments HERE
FEB.28, 2003
-26C and sunny today.
NH David called in yesterday afternoon. They rode about
200 miles all around the back of Lake ST-Jean, trails excellent, but sled
running like crap with the second hand track that has no studs. More from
NH David soon.
Last night PA's insatiable King Kat and his crew raised a little hell at Real
Masse's dining room! Here, we see Real trying to restrain Mike's enthusiasm.
More Here.
I just translated Bob Petit's new comments below. zw
Read Bob Petit latest Comments here
Julie is selling her own house on the Lake across the road from the St-Louis
Hotel on the lake. She has always been a huge zen supporter, so I told her
I'd let you all know that this is a good house for an American snowmobiler,
and a good deal. Julie has re-done just about everything, heat, wiring, landscaping,
you name it. If you want to see the house when you come up, contact Zen 450-884-1818.
Thursday FEB. 27th
More Ottawa Riders at the Refuge
Had the distinct pleasure of talking to another English
Canadian, this time from North Gower near Ottawa. English Canadians are very
rare indeed up here at the Zen Shack!
David Mc is his name, ring leader on the notorious
Gower Gang, that includes Jim and Richard, who are here, and the two that
backed out at the last minute, Ian and Frank (weak minded loosers apparently).
Guys that Back Out...
And speaking of loosers, don't you just hate that when your buddies back out
at the very last minute? We should do a contest for the most lame excuse.
"I have to work, my wife says "whatever", my dog need his shots...
etc.
In fact, David Mc tells me that one of the Radio stations
in Ottawa is actually holding a contest for the best excuse to give your wife
when you wanna go out with the boys... (I think that's what he said)... The
prize for the contest is, you get to go to the best girlie bar in Ottawa,
then off to an Ottawa Senators game, then back to the girlie bar! Sounds like
a plan!
But seeing as how our Zen surveys reveal that almost
50% of our readers are women, we here at ZW must disagree with this contest
whole heartedly. How could any radio station give away a prize that includes
a trip to the girlie bar??? DISGUSTING!
Anyways, we pity the two that didn't come. The others
started their day at Lac Simon, and enjoyed 199 miles of heavy powder on flat
trails, with hardly any traffic yesterday. Our trails here now are as perfect
as they can get.
No news from David this morning. If you missed his
adventures yesterday click here.
Karine's Gaspe Adventure HERE
Wed FEB. 26 2003 7AM
Good morning Zen readers! - 32C today and sunny. Saturday and Sunday will
be sunny too, and - 17 C. Perfect weather, not too cold. Trails amazing. Smooth
and hard. Make this your weekend to remember. Bring the camera, and when you
get home, be sure to go on our bulletin board, and share your experience with
the world. See you in St-Zenon this weekend!
Spoke to David in Lake St-Jean. His continuing treck HERE.
Letter of the Day...
Got this
