Sevey Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Has anyone been on the Trails close to Sudbury and Garson lately. What is their condition like? A week ago on the 21st, all trails close to town were really beat. Would like to head up and do the full Moose and Wolf loops in good conditions. More snow has fallen since then so what is the status? Thanks guys MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte1214 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Rode out of the Moonlight all last week. Total crap until at least 10-15kms out of there. Once you're out...you're golden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWIGHT RX Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Has anyone been on the Trails close to Sudbury and Garson lately. What is their condition like? A week ago on the 21st, all trails close to town were really beat. Would like to head up and do the full Moose and Wolf loops in good conditions. More snow has fallen since then so what is the status? Thanks guys MS We left on Sunday Feb 20 trails (D111, D Top) were totally beat until Espanola (140 kms out), gave it some condiseration for the rain and warm conditions. However we rode back into Sudbury on Friday February 26 on trails C108D and D111 absolutely the worst trail conditions we have seen! There had been no apparent grooming for at least a week even though there was new snow on the trail. It is too bad as the trails run through some very nice country. My recommendation would be not to ride out of Sudbury but pick an alternate start point, either North or West and avoid STP trails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Late last week most of our groomers where broken down, some longer than others. I believe that the fleet is back up and running . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte1214 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Sorry Soup, but that's a poor excuse. We didn't see any sign of Groomer anywhere with 15kms of those motels. They must have been broken down the week before!!! We were there from Monday @ 11am until Friday, and the only time there was any sign of a Groomer in that area was "late in the week" on Thursday, and he went past us headed in on the Trail to Bob's gas. It was 11am, and as soon as he went by the trail was trashed. There was no time for it to set up! They need to be running at night to allow the trails time to set up. Talked to Owners at Moonlight and Chateau....our money won't be back for a very long time as a result. Alot of folks use those trails to get to the Loops, and they shoudl receive priority. BTW...the Loops were in good shape!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoonerF8 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 The trail heading into Sudbury was pretty bad on Saturday and no better coming out Sunday although trails north were excellent too bad the groomers were down as there was a fair bit of traffic both days. D111 to Ramsey Lake was good and the trail to Bob,s was good also Any groomers we saw were through the day other than Mattawa to Petawawa which were grooming at night. With the amount of traffic the trails will never hold up with daytime grooming . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Doo Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 With the weather we have had, groomer issues that most clubs have had, and all this stuff done by volunteers, it is some times amazing that we get to even ride. I understand frustration towards rough trails guys, but look at the underlying issues. Weather, ALOT of traffic, groomer breakdowns, and then volunteer your time to groom, maintain the groomer, and all that goes into this crazy sport of ours snowmobiling. I just want to thank all the clubs and volunteers for all the hard work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoonerF8 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I agree with you, I am also a club volunteer and groomer operator and understand what is involved and that groomers never break down until you have lots of snow and tons of traffic. Just a bit disappointing when you read about how good the trails are and then ride what we did on Saturday. Other than the trail into town for the most part I have no other complaint with trail quality. Just wish we had half the snow in our area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 In my opinion the type of bone dry snow is the major issue facing all clubs in the northeast whether it be Sudbury, North Bay, wherever. This stuff is so dry it will not pack and set up to form a packed base. Secondly the traffic is much heavier than any other years, especially large touring groups of 10 - 20 riders all going to beat hell. Thirdly, there are way too many aggressive riders that go give a crap what they leave behind them. Absolutely no respect for the trail, fellow Snowmobilers or the Volunteers doing the grooming. Our Ops Mgr. was grooming AD on Sunday and a single sled passed him then pinned the throttle and fish tailed all the way up the trail he groomed an hour earlier. He said he felt like dropping the wheels on the drag and packing it in. Yes, it would be desirable to do all night time grooming, in theory yes, is it practical no. Much too risky to have Operators out after midnight 50 Kms from nowhere and nobody watching their tracks or ready to help them out. Even some Clubs with paid Operators don't groom after midnight. Our Ops Mgr. groomed the D trail around 11:00 p.m. Last week and met groups of 10 and 15 sledders. This is not one Or two Clubs failing, our premier Club ADSC has paid operators, a new Husky, other groomers and have been completely frustrated by trail conditions and complaints. I know that I will be happy to walk away from this responsibility in another month and I truthfully only get a very few complaints but I know some others are taking a lot of mean spirited criticism by social media, phone calls and even at their place of business. One guy complained that our trails were excellent the last 2 years and this year terrible. Well buddy we aren't doing anything any different, it is the late start, terrible dry snow and very heavy traffic. Can you not understand this? Another season like this could be fatal to many Clubs like ours depending on so few people to make it all work. Burnout is real. Brian Baker NBSC President Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte1214 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I'm not disagreeing with anything said. I realize that alot of the Northern Clubs are being stretched to their capabilty. I just wanted the OP to have a true representation of what to expect when heading that way. IMO....I'd go to Pembroke/Deep River Area (similar drive) before Suds. I rode there 2 weeks ago, and their trails were flatter than piss on a plate...and hotels in that area were filled with sledders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Brian I understand your aggravation. I was out a couple of weeks ago and the dry snow was indeed a problem. It was in the afternoon and we came across a groomer on the trail. I could see the flashing light coming our way so pulled over on a wide part of the trail to be sure we could pass each other. He stopped to let us pass. Gave him a big thumbs up and went on our way at a reasonable pace on staying to the edge of the trail. A short time later two sleds rip past us going down the middle of the trail and disappear in the distance. The only problem I had with that was rather than maintain a steady speed. You could see and hear them repeatedly hitting and releasing the throttle leaving all their little mounds of snow behind every time they hammered the throttle. In such a challenging year a big thank you to all the volunteers and clubs who have put so much into the trails with so little to work with. They have worked miracles especially in light of the heavy traffic they have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve c Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Saw this on the Almaguin facebook page, thought it was perfect, should have this made into signs and posted along the trails : Almaguin District Snowmobile Club 21 hrs · I can assure you that all groomers are running as much as possible but the horrendous amount of traffic makes impossible to keep trail in any state of comfortable riding. We are one of the first clubs that are open heading north and take the brunt of the traffic including most of the Muskoka's. If you think the trails are to rough or that we we are not grooming them than please load up you sled and go elsewhere. We are currently doing the best we can as we always have but it is quickly becoming and impossible task! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Saw this on the Almaguin facebook page, thought it was perfect, should have this made into signs and posted along the trails : Almaguin District Snowmobile Club 21 hrs · I can assure you that all groomers are running as much as possible but the horrendous amount of traffic makes impossible to keep trail in any state of comfortable riding. We are one of the first clubs that are open heading north and take the brunt of the traffic including most of the Muskoka's. If you think the trails are to rough or that we we are not grooming them than please load up you sled and go elsewhere. We are currently doing the best we can as we always have but it is quickly becoming and impossible task! I have to agree compleatly !!! I live 10 mins from both the Chateau and Moonlight and have to suffer the same trails when I got out. In all honestly that section of trail is the hardest to groom anytime of the year. rock, hills, swamp, ice, you name it that section has it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pembroke Stratos 285XL Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 IMO....I'd go to Pembroke/Deep River Area (similar drive) before Suds. I rode there 2 weeks ago, and their trails were flatter than piss on a plate...and hotels in that area were filled with sledders. The Pembroke/Petawawa/Deep River area trails are NOT flatter than piss on a plate. With the amount of sled traffic in this area this season, the entitled throttle-jockeys have the trails ripped and rutted up so bad by mid-afternoon Saturday, we have to trailer to go somewhere else. We haven't even been able to go out on a Sunday this season. Hopefully the season ends soon before more volunteers are lost due to these arrogant people coming from out-of-town and spewing their garbage online once they get home, or more landowners shut trails down, due to the insane amount of "freeriding" off-trail. I am hoping for a good snow winter for the south next season... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pembroke Stratos 285XL Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 If you think the trails are to rough or that we we are not grooming them than please load up you sled and go elsewhere. I love it! Well said!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevey Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I feel as though I really stirred the pot on this one....... When I was there a week ago we spoke to people who rode the D towards Espanola and said things were tough. The 111 through Long Lake and Panache was also tough. I dont think there is as much snow in that area as to the north towards Wanapetei which doesn't help. This year Sudbury is shouldering more than her share with traffic from the south. But with all the trails to the south obliterated by warm weather, the burden falls on the Northern clubs, the entire network is on the back of northern clubs. The trails up there are nothing short of spectacular. We came across trail conditions a week ago that were mint - great job by those clubs. All the work is well worth it even despite the b_tching. MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Left Sudbury Saturday am. Thanks to all who worked on the trails. Trip down to Killarney was hit and miss. Some trails groomed; others beat. With the lakes south, (i.e. Long Lake mentioned above) there's always hope that a fresh groom awaits on the other side of the lake. That was often the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 The bitch session will be on tonight at 7 pm. Groomer meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Do you guys have professional mechanics servicing your fleet of STP Groomers? Do they travel around the a district equipped with parts, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonCalling Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Any trail with snow on it is better than what I have at home. Also wondering if the Timmins club or any other club is still working on the C trail south to Sudbury. I am not complaining, merely inquiring. The clubs north have done a spectacular job this year in so many areas, not least of which has been reopening of trail formerly closed. On my March Break I intend to ride as many newly reopened trails as I can and spend what I can. It's not much bet its better than nothing. And no matter how it goes i will be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Do you guys have professional mechanics servicing your fleet of STP Groomers? Do they travel around the a district equipped with parts, etc.? No, We are lucky in one sense that Marc (formerly of the shop) now is a groomer coordinator and operator on the west side of Sudbury. He now works for Vale. We still rely on the shop for a lot of the major repairs, especially the new husky's as there isn't much you can do with them without the software and a computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kered Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Any trail with snow on it is better than what I have at home. Also wondering if the Timmins club or any other club is still working on the C trail south to Sudbury. I am not complaining, merely inquiring. The clubs north have done a spectacular job this year in so many areas, not least of which has been reopening of trail formerly closed. On my March Break I intend to ride as many newly reopened trails as I can and spend what I can. It's not much bet its better than nothing. And no matter how it goes i will be happy. LondonCalling/ C trail South to Sudbury from Timmins still has the bridge out between Post 392 & Tata Chika Pika. It is supposed to be done by this Friday. The trail South of the bridge is already done all the way down to just North of Wahnapitae River bridge North of Subury, that is where Sudbury Trail Plan takes over. The trail will turn green on the interactive map between Shining Tree and Timmins when the bridge is done. That is providing they can react quick enough to the news before the weekend hits. If there is any doubt, contact me, 705 263 2034, I do the trails in this area so I know. Pat does Mattagami Lake & North to Post 392, we talk daily, he is the President of Gogama Club so he knows all of this. The C trail North of the bridge to Post 392 is supposed to have been done by Timmins but can not confirm because there is no way around this big waterway to confirm. Now the other trail north to Timmins, L143, is still being worked on by GEM club but has an excavator in there brushing this week. When that is done the trail has to be broken for the first time with a ski -dozer, that is being used for fuel shuttle to the excavator for now, up to Mount Joy River bridge. Timmins has done down to this point. I will be breaking that trail when they call me when the ski-dozer becomes available. [ Mount Joy Bridge to the Saw Mill if you know the area ]. Timmins will then take it over for grooming & signing, same thing South of that will be GEM. This will all come together when the excavator is done. This could all be done before March break as well, you got my number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Was out for a quick run last night and the trails around garson are pretty good, don't know how long they will last with the traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreezerBurnt Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 trail near Coniston has always been crap Traffic and terrain there , is not the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 We're at Post 392 now. Kered's info is what we're hearing. Trail opens tomorrow (possibly). Doesn't help us today so we're taking a wide right via A trail (Kirkland Lake) gown to Gowganda Lake Lodge tonight. Riding with Akron and buddy from Western New York so "wide right" it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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