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Looking for Advice on Vallee Bras Du Nord Shannahan

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#21 ·
CptSydor said:
No cell reception for anyone I think.

This is VERY inconvenient when Gilles has sent you a nice, detailed email about a great route to follow and you can't access it at the trail head when you have a map in front of you (and fail to do any pre-ride research).

Consequently, you ride every other trail but Neilson, leaving it until the end. But you are feeling slightly off so you head straight back to the car and call it a day. You get back to your campsite, pull up the email to be reminded that Neilson is THE trail to ride in Shannahan. You ride St. Raymond the next day, intending to return to ride Neilson on day 3, and it's pouring rain :(

My story. The end.
Click to expand...
Still way better than a day at work !
 
#22 ·
CptSydor said:
No cell reception for anyone I think.

This is VERY inconvenient when Gilles has sent you a nice, detailed email about a great route to follow and you can't access it at the trail head when you have a map in front of you (and fail to do any pre-ride research).

Consequently, you ride every other trail but Neilson, leaving it until the end. But you are feeling slightly off so you head straight back to the car and call it a day. You get back to your campsite, pull up the email to be reminded that Neilson is THE trail to ride in Shannahan. You ride St. Raymond the next day, intending to return to ride Neilson on day 3, and it's pouring rain :(

My story. The end.
Click to expand...
Correct ..I'm with Bell and had no coverage at Shannahan.
Jeff, knowing of many of the amazing places you have ridden and are going to be riding, I can't be feeling TOO sorry for you! Questions ...based on the above then, there is cell reception at the campground on the river? Can you save maps from Trailforks to the phone then access them from phone memory? Did you ride David trail and if so was it worth it's 24K ? I read in another thread that it wasn't!!! I didn't get to it on my visit last year
 
#23 ·
BlackCanoeDog said:
Correct ..I'm with Bell and had no coverage at Shannahan.
Jeff, knowing of many of the amazing places you have ridden and are going to be riding, I can't be feeling TOO sorry for you! Questions ...based on the above then, there is cell reception at the campground on the river? Can you save maps from Trailforks to the phone then access them from phone memory? Did you ride David trail and if so was it worth it's 24K ? I read in another thread that it wasn't!!! I didn't get to it on my visit last year
Click to expand...
We got spotty reception at Camping Etsanha. Enough to pull up stuff if patient. We were however not down by the river but rather in their 'RV' camping up top, not sure if there is better or worse reception there (1-2km apart). I have trailforks on my phone, with downloaded maps, but haven't seem to have much luck with it 'offline'. I had picked up a paper map when we bought the pass, just failed to recall what trails Gilles had said was a must do (which was Neilson). So we essentially went clockwise, when Gilles recommended doing the trails counter.

And we didn't do David, it was closed. I should have said we did all the trails centralized around the river, about 30km, without Neilson. Intention was to do it, but I had left a bottle of Eload on my bike, in the back of the truck for a couple days, then for some reason left in on my bike for the ride and drank out of it. By the time we got to Neilson (which we were going to do last) I had a big tummy ache and decided to head back.

Hopefully we'll make it back in the near future to ride there again. We combined that trip with Carrabesset and Edmunston. Good week of riding.
 
#24 ·
Ah that's it I remember now! David was also closed when I was there. Neilson will be getting an extention as I was told while there, and confirmed by Giles in this thread. I don't know if that is via new trail or by linking it to other existing trail
 
#25 ·
I personally wouldn't bother with Trailsforks, for this area. The free offline maps in the Ondago app are awesome.

Should also note if you stay at the Roquemont motel, they also have a secure bike lockup area. You have to request a key from reception and then return it after accessing the room. You can lock your bike to racks in that secured room. Pretty nice for if you want to go do something else and not have to worry about the bike(s).
 
#26 ·
Hi, here's more information about:
CELL PHONE: you guys are addicted to the signal, lol . When you come in the valley, we want you to unplug, free your mind, enter the ride zone, so Ondago offline is your best bet, and checking the e-mail Gilles sent you with trails recommendations :)

If you absolutely need the signal, you go into the Shannahan Welcome center, (on on the stairs when it is closed), we have a cell signal booster which makes it possible to have a basic connection at all times, whoever is your phone supplier.

DAVID TRAIL: It was closed all 2016 season, because it was blocked by a beaver dam and we can't disturb those animals except in major cases. And let's be honest about it, it was added to our network the first years, to add mileage, but now we have enough single track to give you a few days of happiness, and that trail wasn't used enough and nobody requested its return, so we just decided to cancel it for 2017. Same thing for Tomahawk trail. And we are in reflection about Descente aux Enfers, maybe we'll close it, maybe we'll rerun the part that was destructed last spring.

NEILSON: Most of you have ridden Neilson North(#4-5 on the map) and South(#6 on the map). We just added Neilson East (#1,2,3), which will replace the gravel road up to Neilson South. You will instead have to climb/push west coast style the famous "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui", a steep rutted forest road for (at least) 30 minutes, which will make you regret the old time when you had a granny gear. Then you (mostly) descend towards Neilson south trailhead, with the option of climbing even higher with loop#3. After that, you go do Neilson North as usual. Guys who have tried this new section last fall were amazed to say the least. This way, Neilson will become an epic one-day ride. We'll be testing this summer a shuttle on designed days to avoid the "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui climb for the faint at heart.

This summer, we'll be adding single track along section #4 and even upper, to take off the gravel road climb and add a bunch of super-nice waterfalls.
 
#27 ·
DGILZ said:
Hi, here's more information about:
CELL PHONE: you guys are addicted to the signal, lol . When you come in the valley, we want you to unplug, free your mind, enter the ride zone, so Ondago offline is your best bet, and checking the e-mail Gilles sent you with trails recommendations :)

If you absolutely need the signal, you go into the Shannahan Welcome center, (on on the stairs when it is closed), we have a cell signal booster which makes it possible to have a basic connection at all times, whoever is your phone supplier.

DAVID TRAIL: It was closed all 2016 season, because it was blocked by a beaver dam and we can't disturb those animals except in major cases. And let's be honest about it, it was added to our network the first years, to add mileage, but now we have enough single track to give you a few days of happiness, and that trail wasn't used enough and nobody requested its return, so we just decided to cancel it for 2017. Same thing for Tomahawk trail. And we are in reflection about Descente aux Enfers, maybe we'll close it, maybe we'll rerun the part that was destructed last spring.

NEILSON: Most of you have ridden Neilson North(#4-5 on the map) and South(#6 on the map). We just added Neilson East (#1,2,3), which will replace the gravel road up to Neilson South. You will instead have to climb/push west coast style the famous "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui", a steep rutted forest road for (at least) 30 minutes, which will make you regret the old time when you had a granny gear. Then you (mostly) descend towards Neilson south trailhead, with the option of climbing even higher with loop#3. After that, you go do Neilson North as usual. Guys who have tried this new section last fall were amazed to say the least. This way, Neilson will become an epic one-day ride. We'll be testing this summer a shuttle on designed days to avoid the "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui climb for the faint at heart.

This summer, we'll be adding single track along section #4 and even upper, to take off the gravel road climb and add a bunch of super-nice waterfalls. View attachment 1121263
Click to expand...
Holy crap man. I'm excited. Neilson was already great enough!
 
#28 ·
I did the CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui climb in Raid Bras du Nord several years ago. That climb is no joke. Redlining all the way up in granny gear!

I am looking forward to trying out the descent on Neilson East.

Merci! :)
 
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#29 ·
DGILZ said:
Hi, here's more information about:
CELL PHONE: you guys are addicted to the signal, lol . When you come in the valley, we want you to unplug, free your mind, enter the ride zone, so Ondago offline is your best bet, and checking the e-mail Gilles sent you with trails recommendations :)

If you absolutely need the signal, you go into the Shannahan Welcome center, (on on the stairs when it is closed), we have a cell signal booster which makes it possible to have a basic connection at all times, whoever is your phone supplier.

DAVID TRAIL: It was closed all 2016 season, because it was blocked by a beaver dam and we can't disturb those animals except in major cases. And let's be honest about it, it was added to our network the first years, to add mileage, but now we have enough single track to give you a few days of happiness, and that trail wasn't used enough and nobody requested its return, so we just decided to cancel it for 2017. Same thing for Tomahawk trail. And we are in reflection about Descente aux Enfers, maybe we'll close it, maybe we'll rerun the part that was destructed last spring.

NEILSON: Most of you have ridden Neilson North(#4-5 on the map) and South(#6 on the map). We just added Neilson East (#1,2,3), which will replace the gravel road up to Neilson South. You will instead have to climb/push west coast style the famous "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui", a steep rutted forest road for (at least) 30 minutes, which will make you regret the old time when you had a granny gear. Then you (mostly) descend towards Neilson south trailhead, with the option of climbing even higher with loop#3. After that, you go do Neilson North as usual. Guys who have tried this new section last fall were amazed to say the least. This way, Neilson will become an epic one-day ride. We'll be testing this summer a shuttle on designed days to avoid the "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui climb for the faint at heart.

This summer, we'll be adding single track along section #4 and even upper, to take off the gravel road climb and add a bunch of super-nice waterfalls. View attachment 1121263
Click to expand...
Thanks for all your work there Gilles and keeping us up to date. You just convinced me I need to return this summer.
 
#30 ·
"We'll be testing this summer a shuttle on designed days to avoid the "CĂ´te Ă  Ti-Oui climb for the faint at heart.". Plan on coming out for several days with above avg skilled 14 year old rider. Can go all day at Kingdom in VT but certainly don't want to kill him on any epic distances and long rides UP to do the epic shorter trails I read about here. Shuttles if available in parts can open up a lot more area to some who are skilled enough but lack some climbing strength or fitness. Myself at 55 shy away alittle when I Trail one looking at map.thx
 
#31 ·
With your 14 ear old rider, you should indeed try to come on a day where the shuttle will be operating, or if not possible, take him to do only Neilson North and/or Neilson south. CĂ´te Ă  Ti-oui is for adults, or at least 16 like my son. At 58, i'm still able to climb it and you should be. lol

I will try not to forget to post here when we have decided the days the shuttle will be operating. thanks.
 
#32 ·
DGILZ said:
With your 14 ear old rider, you should indeed try to come on a day where the shuttle will be operating, or if not possible, take him to do only Neilson North and/or Neilson south. CĂ´te Ă  Ti-oui is for adults, or at least 16 like my son. At 58, i'm still able to climb it and you should be. lol

I will try not to forget to post here when we have decided the days the shuttle will be operating. thanks.
Click to expand...
Sounds good , Thanks I look forward to Shedule. 👍🏽
 
#33 ·
Thanks to this thread 6 of us are heading to Vallee Bras Du Nord for a week in August. House is rented and I am already stoked after watching videos of Neilson. With five days to ride we are thinking of heading over to Sentiers du Moulin for a day as well.
 
#38 ·
Went to Shanahan yesterday for first time. I've been reading about this place for a few weeks now, and how amazing the Neilson was, well I decided to give it a go, well half of it anyway since I was short on time.
So I'm a newb to mtb, been road riding for years, have been really getting into mtb over the last year.
The climb up cote a ti Oui was amazingly hard but the ride down was great, really well done and really fun, the views were amazing, I found the Neilson south was harder than I can handle just yet and had to walk some parts. I wiped out bad on one of the bridges, the trail kicked my ass, But all in all it was a hell of a challenge, I questioned my sanity while doing it, but will definitely go back to do the full Neilson.

If your up for a challenge. Or are a better rider than me, I reccomend it all the way.
 
#39 ·
I was there on Sunday. It just keeps growing. :)

There's a new climbing route that bypasses a portion of the road if you are biking up to the start of Neilson Nord. There's an extra section tacked onto Le Grand Ourse that passes a feathery waterfall. Very nice. L'Aurore has been extended much further up the mountain side and Le Boreal now starts where it ends. There is another new flow trail (Nutella?) near Delaney falls that we didn't have time to do.

When we arrived there around noon, the parking lot was full, a new parking lot across the road was almost full, and when we returned to the parking lot after our ride, there were cars parked on the road. Despite that, we never felt the trails we rode were crowded at all. I assume most people chose to ride the easier flow trails to the south, or they retreated early to cool off in the river.

So much good riding within an hour of Quebec city! And not just at VBDN. Sentiers du Moulin, Lac Delage, MSA....
 
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