Jump to content

Tracks to Trails Trips on ACR


revrnd

Recommended Posts

A new thread for this ride.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 65
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Canuck:

 

Dunlop Lake Lodge is where we start/end. Hoping to do the Snow Train north from Sault Ste. Marie this year, and a volunteer at the Sled Show suggested that I drive to Elliot Lake; sled to Sault Ste. marie, hop on the train with sleds, get off in the north (knock knock, Luc) and continue North / East then back south. 

 

Love the trails around Elliot Lake.

 

(too bad about Flame Lake Lodge closing for the season)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canuck, I don't know how the access to the station by sled is. It's right downtown by the locks.


 


When we did the train trip in '06 we stayed @ the Ambassador (trail acess to their backyard). The morning of our departure in the Soo, we drove our truck & trailer to the station, unloaded the sleds/loaded them on the train & took the truck & trailer back to the motel. Bro had pre-arranged a cab ride back to the station.


 


The last day of our ride we rode back into the Ambassador's backyard.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

from dan senior's thread on the soo....Shuttle Service - Catalina Motel

Catalina Motel, in Sault Ste. Marie, is once again offering snowmobile train tour packages and shuttle service to and from the staging area. Catalina Motel also provides International Sled Shuttle service into and out of United States via International Bridge.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our group is looking at doing this trip leaving from Sault to Hearst and taking the train back from Hearst. Buddy is talking to a guy in Sault who will set the whole affair up with hotel rooms and the train ride. He has told my friend that there is a 150 mile stretch with no gas. I have been trying to verify this but the longest I get comes for Dans post of 117 miles. Looks like there is no trail from Chapleau to Timmins by the OFSC site but in a thread I saw someone talking about the trail. Does one exist?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The trail you're thinking of is C101F, which isn't required to ride from Hearst to the Soo.

 

Gas is available in the following locales:

 

Hearst

Calstock

Hornepayne

D'ville

Missinaibi

Chapleau

Aubrey Falls/Black Creek

 

From Aubrey Falls to the Soo is 188 klicks/114 miles (according to 2015 D13 map via D106, D & D130)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like there is no trail from Chapleau to Timmins by the OFSC site but in a thread I saw someone talking about the trail. Does one exist?

As the good Rev says, it isn't needed for a D 13 loop but had you wanted to travel from Chapleau to Timminsthe trail C101F does not exist any more. Shame it was a nice ride - one half tight twisties and one half fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sasquatch, with your location, why not trailer to hearst, ride the train down to the soo, and ride back to hearst on the sleds? a lot less trailering for you guys. then you could decide if you want to run from the soo to Elliot Lake, and keep going east for a larger tour, including Sudbury, timmins, cochrane... or go the straight up route from soo to Aubrey falls, to chapleau, to dubreuilville, to hornepayne to hearst.

 

with your higher mileage tours, I think the short route would be a 2-3 day deal on the sleds for you. might not be your cup of tea, as far as mileage goes but, the topography, and scenic views are hard to beat in the canyons north of the soo.

 

don't limit yourself to one route, until you really research what can be available for your group. take the time to choose the best route before committing to anything.

 

here is an example.... get on the train at hearst. get dropped at searchmont, stay the night. ride to Elliot lake the first day. second day to Aubrey falls, and on to chapleau, staying in chapleau (valentine farms is a great place to stay). last day, chapleau to hornepayne for a 235 mile day. (not many places to stay in hornepayne, check with uncles, and the edc),  with the last day hornepayne to hearst a shortened day, just over 100 miles. or suck it up and ride the 335 to hearst direct, from chapleau.

 

or re route, and drop the Elliot lake stop for a direct route, searchmont, (or soo area) to Aubrey falls direct, and then on to chapleau. or make a stop in dubreuilville for an over night. then you have a little over 200 miles on the last day back to hearst.

 

lots of options and choices. a lot depends on how far you want to ride in a day. best time for this route is early to mid feb, to late feb, early march. it takes them awhile to get the f trail opened from Aubrey to Chapleau.

 

keep us posted, you never know who might show up to tag along on a leg or two.

Ski

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the good Rev says, it isn't needed for a D 13 loop but had you wanted to travel from Chapleau to Timmins the trail C101F does not exist any more. Shame it was a nice ride - one half tight twisties and one half fast.

I sould've said that in my post.

 

I see on the D13 map that they're showing C101F going east of Chapleau for a few miles to the Leblanc lake area. This is several miles past the First nation that has a gas station. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sasquatch, with your location, why not trailer to hearst, ride the train down to the soo, and ride back to hearst on the sleds? a lot less trailering for you guys. then you could decide if you want to run from the soo to Elliot Lake, and keep going east for a larger tour, including Sudbury, timmins, cochrane... or go the straight up route from soo to Aubrey falls, to chapleau, to dubreuilville, to hornepayne to hearst.

 

with your higher mileage tours, I think the short route would be a 2-3 day deal on the sleds for you. might not be your cup of tea, as far as mileage goes but, the topography, and scenic views are hard to beat in the canyons north of the soo.

 

don't limit yourself to one route, until you really research what can be available for your group. take the time to choose the best route before committing to anything.

 

here is an example.... get on the train at hearst. get dropped at searchmont, stay the night. ride to Elliot lake the first day. second day to Aubrey falls, and on to chapleau, staying in chapleau (valentine farms is a great place to stay). last day, chapleau to hornepayne for a 235 mile day. (not many places to stay in hornepayne, check with uncles, and the edc),  with the last day hornepayne to hearst a shortened day, just over 100 miles. or suck it up and ride the 335 to hearst direct, from chapleau.

 

or re route, and drop the Elliot lake stop for a direct route, searchmont, (or soo area) to Aubrey falls direct, and then on to chapleau. or make a stop in dubreuilville for an over night. then you have a little over 200 miles on the last day back to hearst.

 

lots of options and choices. a lot depends on how far you want to ride in a day. best time for this route is early to mid feb, to late feb, early march. it takes them awhile to get the f trail opened from Aubrey to Chapleau.

 

keep us posted, you never know who might show up to tag along on a leg or two.

Ski

 

I suggested Hearst as a starting point and its up for discussion. Its agreed that its way easier to trail to Hearst rather then Sault with a big heavy trailer. Less hills! Some questions I have and I ran by my buddy is Where to park the trucks and trailers in Hearst? Where to stay in Sault that we can sled to and ride to the snow train in the morning? Is Catilina Motel accessible by sled? Is the Snow train accessible from the catalina hotel> Either way we have to stay in Sault one night. Seems everyone wants to ride first by sled then take the train back.

 

In this group 3 four days is the average ride now. Some are getting older and can't do the distance anymore! The other group I ride with likes 6, 7 days.I once rode back to back with both groups and rode 11 days in a row. Total mileage was near 2,000.

 

With Hearst to Hornpane being the first leag leaving from Hearst a Loop trail before leaving Hearst of after getting to Hornpane is the probable option as 105 miles is an easy ride. Depending on the time of arrival there looks to be a couple loops one could take.

 

Anyway thanks for the info and anymore you or others have would be appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good choices and great info. Thx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suggested Hearst as a starting point and its up for discussion. Its agreed that its way easier to trail to Hearst rather then Sault with a big heavy trailer. Less hills! Some questions I have and I ran by my buddy is Where to park the trucks and trailers in Hearst? Where to stay in Sault that we can sled to and ride to the snow train in the morning? Is Catilina Motel accessible by sled? Is the Snow train accessible from the catalina hotel> Either way we have to stay in Sault one night. Seems everyone wants to ride first by sled then take the train back.

 

In this group 3 four days is the average ride now. Some are getting older and can't do the distance anymore! The other group I ride with likes 6, 7 days.I once rode back to back with both groups and rode 11 days in a row. Total mileage was near 2,000.

 

With Hearst to Hornpane being the first leag leaving from Hearst a Loop trail before leaving Hearst of after getting to Hornpane is the probable option as 105 miles is an easy ride. Depending on the time of arrival there looks to be a couple loops one could take.

 

Anyway thanks for the info and anymore you or others have would be appreciated!

I am sure the Companion Inn in Hearst would let you guys leave the truck and trailers there. When we where there last season, the train stopped right in behind the Companion Inn, and was unloading sleds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure the Companion Inn in Hearst would let you guys leave the truck and trailers there. When we where there last season, the train stopped right in behind the Companion Inn, and was unloading sleds.

X2

 

the Queen's Motel is adjacent as well. We've been there for a couple of nights @ the Companion & seen trucks & trailers w/ US plates on them in the lot & no sign of folks around them, so probably ridden away for a few days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

companion, and queens are next to one another, and you can park there in hearst. you cant sled to or from the train station in the Soo due to it's location in downtown, DOWNTOWN Sault Ste Marie. I am sure if you stayed at the water tower or the catalina, they could arrange for transport from the hotel to the train station in the soo. remember there isn't much selection in hornepayne for lodging. they have some GREAT local loops if you want to tack on extra miles. I highly recommend  the ALASKA LOOP (Hornepayne club trail). Ski

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We stayed at Uncles in Hornepayne last year on our trip and I don't think I would stay there again, The rooms were really dirty and the restaurant was marginable at best. I think that the next time I was out that way we would at Ernies in Missinabi instead.

 

Nunz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya that is what I was thinking as well, no way to ride to the train. Buddy is asking the guy that puts this on if there is a way to get trailered to the train. I was also wondering if someone from the local club could make arrangements for a sled lift. A sled taxi is what we are looking for! Only real hickup so far is getting from the hotel to the trail with sleds. Most people leave from Sault not Hearst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you leave from the Soo, you can load the night before and just jump on in the morning.  If you make arrangements, you could even stay in Searchmont and get on there.   You cannot load sleds in Searchmont for some reason.  I guess they don't want to stop for too long at the start of the day and it will be a whole day on the train.  I always load the evening before even in Hearst.  It just makes for a relaxing day of rest on the train.  That is why we always ride first and then take the train back.12009_zps9c5d3b26.jpg100_2216_zpsd2fa6932.jpg

 

Bring some food and beverage along.  The last time I went on the train, the food service had been discontinued.  You are welcome to bring anything you want.  You can walk up through to your sleds anytime to get anything you packed, or carry on coolers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like the Catilina has a shuttle service for sleds from the US (reread thread) so they should be able to shuttle from the hotel to the train. If they do we are doing the ride!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been following this thread because I'd like ot get up there sometime. 

 

What I'd like to do is unload in Sudbury, ride North to TImmins, then West thru Kapuskasing, TImmins and onto Hearst. 

The hop on the train and come down to Soo, then head East back to Suds.

 

Any chance someone one here has done this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read that there is no trail at the Soo station.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, there isn't bud.  Ya'd have to arrange for a ride from the Train Station to the Trails.

 

Catalina Inn provides that.   http://www.catalinamotel.com/FAQ.aspx?cid=6

 

 

 

I read that there is no trail at the Soo station.....

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been following this thread because I'd like ot get up there sometime. 

 

What I'd like to do is unload in Sudbury, ride North to TImmins, then West thru Kapuskasing, TImmins and onto Hearst. 

The hop on the train and come down to Soo, then head East back to Suds.

 

Any chance someone one here has done this?

Yes, you can easily do this by topping off the machines in Hearst before loading and then depart the train in Searchmont.  There are places to stay in Searchmont.  Then the next morning head over to Sudbury via either Blackcreek/Aubrey Falls or head down D along the North Shore.  Either way you will go through Elliot Lake and then further east back to Sudbury.

 

This would give you a day of rest in the middle of the trip.  You could ride into the Soo from Searchmont, but will have to back track out again to head east.

That sounds like a great trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The run from Suds to Timmins is a stretch on fuel. Need to plan that one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, there isn't bud.  Ya'd have to arrange for a ride from the Train Station to the Trails.

 

Catalina Inn provides that.   http://www.catalinamotel.com/FAQ.aspx?cid=6

 Well no where in there does it say they supply shuttle for your sleds to the motel from the train. Reason I have been trying to get conformation of this is the same as yours. How to get the sled across town without a vehicle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...