Chandos_rob Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 If the trail is open one of the requirements for it to be open is gas available. You're correct, I forgot about that. Although I'd check just in case ofsc website not updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Voyant Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 You're correct, I forgot about that. Although I'd check just in case ofsc website not updated. The best source for info on gas availability and trail conditions/closures for the canyon is ALWAYS going to be the Polar Bear Riders Facebook page. (Arctic Rider's, too, if you are a "friend") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Blake let's try to do lunch the following week. Sounds good, Nunz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I've done the Canyon once already this year, but if I make it up I'll ride up with you if you want. Have to check if they're still be gas at the top. So you're driving up Monday, coming back when? Just checking with a buddy to see if he can make it. So depending on him, may be driving up myself, with one spot left on my trailer. Rob, right now it kind of looks as though Sledjunk will be leaving Pefferlaw with his truck and trailer around 830 Monday, and driving to my place in Gravenhurst. I prefer to take my own pickup truck with my sled in the back, so we will convoy together, and likely get to Cochrane in the mid to late afternoon Monday. Taking two trucks is a waste of gas, but I don't trust my back 100%, and I want the flexibility of being able to leave Cochrane when I want, without potentially cutting Sledjunk's trip short. I think he'd like to stay up there until the flowers bloom....but at this point it seems probable that I will return from Cochrane on Thursday and Sledjunk may return on Friday. Other folks have expressed some interest.....it's not my place to state their plans......but from what I've seen online so far..... OntarioF7 is considering driving up on Monday and returning Wednesday night, or maybe later.... Meanwhile, White Dragon and three others are contemplating driving up together in a truck and 3 place trailer on Tuesday afternoon/evening. I would predict they will return Fridayish. Others are also making noises about going up in the next few days....Muskoka Cat Guy is thinking of going up Monday....Muldar is already up there and thinking about staying into next week....Mark Reynolds from Highland Rovers Club is going up with one or two buddies on Sunday and maybe returning to Kearney approximately Tuesday..... There will be others.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mossy Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Love to see you in Hearst .... bring spare carbides and scratchers ... freaking thin around here, despite what the ITG indicates. Remember, the old boys club wants the tourist $, and I haven't seen or heard of a groomer being out in 2 weeks. I'd rather you knew ahead what you're facing. That's green in D5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka cat guy Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 What's the place called for gas in the canyon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandos_rob Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 What's the place called for gas in the canyon Extreme Tours. http://extremetourscochrane.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COLD BEER Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Just got back from the canyon and the trails are still pretty good. Going up the east side this morning the trail was smooth and hard with a few bare spots on the inside corners. At the ice bridge you will have to run a hundred metres of gravel on each side of the bridge. Before and after base camp you will have to run a single wide ungroomed path in the ditch for a few km to avoid the plowed road. This is the yellow section on the OFSC site. Coming back down the west side was smooth, hard and fast with a few bare spots to watch out for. Heading back to Cochrane from Smoothrock was smooth but starting to get soft with the afternoon sun and several bare spots in the corners. We passed the groomer 20 km east of Smoothrock. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I found a number (cell phone) for Bill of Extreme Tours. Talked with him for ten minutes. Very nice fellow. He's in Cochrane and is a sledder too. He has staff running the gas pumps up in the Canyon. Bill said, at this point, he is 90% sure they will have gas next week - - but it depends on the A103 trail being open. He asked me how many guys would be going up from our 'group' but this was a question I couldn't really answer. I said maybe between 4 and 10 sleds, and he said "OK. We'll have gas for sure then." I had to back-pedal and say it was too early for me to state any actual numbers. His response was to ask me to call him Sunday night, by which time he will have spoken with the Polar Bear Riders about trail conditions and sled traffic volume, and with his staff about fuel levels. At that point he will give a definitive answer about fuel plans going forward. He seemed to be very accommodating and interested in having the gas available, if there will be sledders. My sense is that Bill will determine from his phone calls that there will still be sledders heading up the A103 next week, even if the OC Optimists don't go. I plan to call him Sunday night for an update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Just got back from the canyon and the trails are still pretty good. Going up the east side this morning the trail was smooth and hard with a few bare spots on the inside corners. At the ice bridge you will have to run a hundred metres of gravel on each side of the bridge. Before and after base camp you will have to run a single wide ungroomed path in the ditch for a few km to avoid the plowed road. This is the yellow section on the OFSC site. Coming back down the west side was smooth, hard and fast with a few bare spots to watch out for. Heading back to Cochrane from Smoothrock was smooth but starting to get soft with the afternoon sun and several bare spots in the corners. We passed the groomer 20 km east of Smoothrock. Hope this helps. A very timely report, and immensely helpful. Thank you. PS: I find a bit of gravel is good for knocking the ice balls off the back of the tunnel. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Interesting side note: Golden Corridors Snowdrifters (Kirkland Lake & Area) reopened a couple of trails this evening as Limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Interesting side note: Golden Corridors Snowdrifters (Kirkland Lake & Area) reopened a couple of trails this evening as Limited. 943841_1576645935984595_5926617347286685153_n.jpg Good one Blake... I am sure there are some like that. The ice break up on Simcoe this year was so quick I believe there were very few if any rescues of people finding themselves adrift like there have been in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 From today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Just posted on FB: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupkids Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Winter is OVER !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muldar Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 We are in Cochrane now at the Thriftlodge, we just had dinner at Terry's. A few guys ran the canyon today and the ,3 kms of passable gravel just killed their carbides. They really have lost a lot snow. I will let you know more tomorrow on trail conditions. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyr Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I was up there last weekend and the canyon is a great run but getting across the dam and to the gas pumps is absolutely terrible. If I was going to go to the Canyon again, I would just go up the longer way from Cochrane, get gas at Extreme and go back the same way you came. Its a great trail and you dont have to worry about crossing the dam or running any gravel. I wouldnt bother going west of SRF either. The snow gets thin as you get closer to Kap and some other guys told us that the trails from Kap to Hearst were crappy. The C trail loop from Cochrane south is awesome. Its 104 miles from Cochrane to SRF and back to Cochrane on the C and its smooth and fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muldar Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 I found a number (cell phone) for Bill of Extreme Tours. Talked with him for ten minutes. Very nice fellow. He's in Cochrane and is a sledder too. He has staff running the gas pumps up in the Canyon. Bill said, at this point, he is 90% sure they will have gas next week - - but it depends on the A103 trail being open. He asked me how many guys would be going up from our 'group' but this was a question I couldn't really answer. I said maybe between 4 and 10 sleds, and he said "OK. We'll have gas for sure then." I had to back-pedal and say it was too early for me to state any actual numbers. His response was to ask me to call him Sunday night, by which time he will have spoken with the Polar Bear Riders about trail conditions and sled traffic volume, and with his staff about fuel levels. At that point he will give a definitive answer about fuel plans going forward. He seemed to be very accommodating and interested in having the gas available, if there will be sledders. My sense is that Bill will determine from his phone calls that there will still be sledders heading up the A103 next week, even if the OC Optimists don't go. I plan to call him Sunday night for an update. Blake the chap who runs the base camp name is Brad. He is a real card. The last time me and wifey went there,I was last in a line of about 20 sleds for fuel. About 30 mins or so , long enough Joanie came out from the cabin wondering where I was. When I got to the pump , I asked if we could buy some soup after he was done fueling. Brad replied he was not cooking anymore that day, as he had been to busy. When I explained my wife was hungry, he asked he name and said he did not want any hungry women. He told me to fill up my self and yelled to Joanie to follow him and he would rustle us up some lunch. Good thing I had my wife with me that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Brad's still there? It's him (alone) and the wolves most nights. Glad he's enjoying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake G Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thanks, guys, for the real-time updates and advice about trail conditions. We will plan accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Brad's still there? It's him (alone) and the wolves most nights. Glad he's enjoying it. I chatted with Brad last weekend. He said last year he was not going to return unless they started to sell premium gas, he said he was tired of everyone complaining about it. BUT said they were stuck for help this year and he is a friend of the owner and is helping him out again. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunz Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Shouldn't you be at your Anger Management classes ? Lol... Have fun trip guys!! What is with you Poo guys?? Always bailing on the end of season rides. "I would love to, but the deal is done for my trade in", "I would love to, but the sleds are in at the dealer", "I would love to, but I have to wash my hair" :poke2: Looking forward to the ride and I hope to see some others join us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledjunk Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Shouldn't you be at your Anger Management classes ? Lol... Have fun trip guys!! No need since I retired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandos_rob Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Dohhh, Thursday's 20cm replaced by rain!?! Fingers crossed this forecast changes as this might put the nail in the coffin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muldar Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Well sadly looks we are done for the season. About 15 mins out of Cochrane wifey sled made a funny noise so she stopped and when I came back and tried it would not budge, bestnI can tell the chain broke and jammed the sprocket. Both dealerships are closed until Monday, looks like we limp to St Onge and call it a season. Really sucks after a 8 hour drive!!!!!!. The trails are soft and not to bad, a few bare spots. Cheers all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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