Abitibi Canyon Loop? Worth it? Opinion?

[slomo]

1 hour ago, tricky said:

Absolutely no need to head to NB/Gaspe.

Unless of course you are the kind of person who likes to do something different and see different places...did the Canyon, French River bridges.....etc. etc.

44 minutes ago, revrnd said:

Same conditions in District 15. 

 

How many hours driving to New Brunswick?

 

Maybe you should be posting on New Brunswick Conditions?

Seven hours driving, good multi-lane highways. You are responding to a post in 2017 - last year. This year, your results may vary.

 

[revrnd]

1 minute ago, slomo said:

Unless of course you are the kind of person who likes to do something different and see different places...did the Canyon, French River bridges.....etc. etc.

 

Very true. I think some people aren't impressed w/ the 'don't bother w/ northern Ontario/nothing to see' mentality of someone's posts.

 

It's been over 10 years since I was in the White River & Greenstone areas. I've never ridden thru Halfway Haven. Still a lot of the province for me to see before I feel the need to venture to NB (not North Bay)...

[GibsonNytro]

We rode it for the 1st time on March 4th. IMO its a ride that sledders should try and do at some point.  The West side is a long haul at top speeds, the East Side was one of my favorite trails we rode up there. Stop in and see the boy at Basecamp, they are good guys.

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

2 hours ago, slomo said:

Unless of course you are the kind of person who likes to do something different and see different places...did the Canyon, French River bridges.....etc. etc.

Seven hours driving, good multi-lane highways. You are responding to a post in 2017 - last year. This year, your results may vary.

 

Slomo, where are you starting from to be in New Brunswick in 7 hours? It takes us 11.5 hours (including 2 fuel stops, one with food ) to get to Riviere du Loup from Guelph running at 115 kph. and that's hitting TO at 6AM. We use the Montreal bypass.

[revrnd]

2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Slomo, where are you starting from to be in New Brunswick in 7 hours? It takes us 11.5 hours (including 2 fuel stops, one with food ) to get to Riviere du Loup from Guelph running at 115 kph. and that's hitting TO at 6AM. We use the Montreal bypass.

X2

I did a quick Google Maps calculation & it was 10+ hours from Apsley to Edmundston. I would think that isnt including stops for food or fuel.

[slomo]

2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Slomo, where are you starting from to be in New Brunswick in 7 hours? It takes us 11.5 hours (including 2 fuel stops, one with food ) to get to Riviere du Loup from Guelph running at 115 kph. and that's hitting TO at 6AM. We use the Montreal bypass.

Long Sault,  Ontario. Get there the night before the big drive usually after work and have a good rest. Yes to the by-pass!! Your results may differ and I know you are a seasoned traveller to the sledding.  Still think it is easier driving east than heading up to northern Ontario and have been to the Atlantic provinces many times in all seasons. I have one gas stop just this side of Levis (not really needed with current vehicle) and eat my lunch in the truck on the roll - lately though those road side stops they have in Quebec every so often comes in handy!

 

Now, don't get the idea I don't like the Northern Corridor - Been in Kap many times, Cochrane and Smooth Rock Falls as well - these before we were able to afford a digital camera unfortunately. Love to take the pictures and see different areas.

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

2 hours ago, slomo said:

Long Sault,  Ontario. Get there the night before the big drive usually after work and have a good rest. Yes to the by-pass!! Your results may differ and I know you are a seasoned traveller to the sledding.  Still think it is easier driving east than heading up to northern Ontario and have been to the Atlantic provinces many times in all seasons. I have one gas stop just this side of Levis (not really needed with current vehicle) and eat my lunch in the truck on the roll - lately though those road side stops they have in Quebec every so often comes in handy!

 

Now, don't get the idea I don't like the Northern Corridor - Been in Kap many times, Cochrane and Smooth Rock Falls as well - these before we were able to afford a digital camera unfortunately. Love to take the pictures and see different areas.

That makes sense. We would be roughly 5 hours into our drive + one stop to get to Long Sault. The drive to RDL has been good to us all but on time. No different than the weather you can get into heading north. Ontario should take a lesson from Quebec on the roadside stops.

[Techdenis007]

I did the canyon this year. It's impressive. I also had the luxury of a guided tour of the West side and groomer garage, courtesy of Blaise Tremblay of Arctic Riders SRF.... a great guy and good friend. 

 

I enjoyed the power line section on the SRF side and stopped at the 2 warmup shacks, chatted with tourists with him ... showed me the bridge that Hydro is currently working on, and the section of trail that they cut and brushed for the club at the top (due to hydro taking back a section of land the trail was on, all at their own expense, freebie for the club). 

 

The canyon itself is impressive. Not so much the hills, but the spillway and power transformer building. Massive. I intend to drive up this spring when the water really gets flowing. 

 

The ride down the East side was much less impressive in my case... absolutely hideous mogulfest all the way to the first warmup shack.... couldn't carry any speed at all ... Blair Morgan would have been right at home on that stretch. After the shack it smoothed out. Besides all that, the trail itself didn't impress me at all .... typical black spruce bush, same old same old. I'd do the West side up and back down instead. To each his own.

 

[revrnd]

2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

That makes sense. We would be roughly 5 hours into our drive + one stop to get to Long Sault. The drive to RDL has been good to us all but on time. No different than the weather you can get into heading north. Ontario should take a lesson from Quebec on the roadside stops.

Hwy 11 has all sorts of them. They're located @ the end of the passing lanes...wait those are snow plow turnarounds.

 

[slomo]

8 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

That makes sense. We would be roughly 5 hours into our drive + one stop to get to Long Sault. The drive to RDL has been good to us all but on(e) time. No different than the weather you can get into heading north.

Got stuck in St. Jean-Port-Joli, QC,  one time for a 3 day blizzard - Seigneurie Motel was on the trail - but was not hauling sled at the time. dang.

 

Just some info while I think of it - two fairly good stops close to the Ontario / Quebec border - Iroquois Motel, in Iroquois - older motel but clean and good to stop for 1 night - $65 - McEwen gas 100 yards away conveniently accessible on access road from 401 as you come in to the motel. Also, Lion Motel, Long Sault, $85 per night, small rooms but clean, good over night, prefer this one as gas, Tim Horton's, Subway (get the vegetarian - keeps you regular on the road) within 100 yards on access road from 401 to motel. There is a good Mexican restaurant close by. Nice stopover in summer as river is right across the road (as is sled trail when open)

 

This past weekend unhooked my trailer from the truck for the first time since December, sled is in drydock for major overhaul, feeling nostalgic....thinking back to my trip to New Brunswick last year when riding these areas...some of the most interesting / different sledding can be had....Bathurst / Beresford area the trails have banks on them as in some car racing tracks you see....riding the ocean coast was neat....

 

 

and also some very scenic sledding along the St. John River valley from Grand Falls north and south- follows the river through the towns and villages....

 

 

They are still grooming as you can see....and me with no holiday time!

 

If a lottery win was to come my way, got trips and maps lined up for Quebec, western Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan (same sled pass for both - saves some money!) Whitecourt, Alberta, and Yukon / Alaska on the Trek Over the Top ride. Hook up and go! Already got the NWT out of the way and the mountain riding (B.C.) doesn't really appeal to me, although I can see how others would enjoy it. Probably a few places in the U.S. as well....Pittsburgh, NH....Maine....Yellowstone....

 

 

added related info: N.B. posts from last year:

http://ontarioconditions.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17676-st-john-river-valley-new-brunswick-march-2017/

 

http://ontarioconditions.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17680-bathurst-new-brunswick-march-2017/

 

 

 

[Basketcase]

23 hours ago, tricky said:

X2. I agree that the canyon trip is not a "be all and end all", but it should be done by all OCers at some point. I am partial to the east side trail, and have the time and fuel range to use it up and back. The west side is really boring unless you are traveling near 100 MPH, which I have no desire to do.

Having said that, Wawa/Dubreuilville/ White River/Hornepayne/ Hearst area is most excellent right now. Absolutely no need to head to NB/Gaspe.

Unless you have any desire to ride some deep snow off trail. We like the west side of the trail for the hydro lines and tree sections you can play in. We went up 3 weeks ago and it was 3-5' deep as soon as you stepped off the trial. 

[tricky]

On 2018-03-26 at 1:06 PM, slomo said:

Unless of course you are the kind of person who likes to do something different and see different places...did the Canyon, French River bridges.....etc. etc.

Seven hours driving, good multi-lane highways. You are responding to a post in 2017 - last year. This year, your results may vary.

 

I  completely agree with slomo, that people like he and I should get out and experience snowmobiling across the continent.

When I said that there was no need to go to New Brunswick or Gaspe, I was reacting to someone's suggestion that you were wasting your time going to northern Ontario. Someone had been looking for advice on squeezing in a late season trip. The "wasting time" comment was a bit off. For most sledders, a trip of a week or more including the drive to and from a staging point, is out of the question. I like to sled with my son and SIL, and lots of working friends who can't take a week+ winter vacation. I also don't want to spend as much time in the truck as I do on the sled for any one trip.

I was just saying that northern Ontario, and in particular the western side of the Corridor and D13 are spectacular when conditions are right. If you research properly and plan properly, you can catch some exceptional sledding somewhere north and east of highway 17, any and every year. Once you have retired or otherwise have time on your side, then certainly expand your boundaries to include the rest of the continent. Until then, you don't need to leave Ontario to enjoy snowmobiling. You could even go now!

[02Sled]

4 minutes ago, tricky said:

I  completely agree with slomo, that people like he and I should get out and experience snowmobiling across the continent.

When I said that there was no need to go to New Brunswick or Gaspe, I was reacting to someone's suggestion that you were wasting your time going to northern Ontario. Someone had been looking for advice on squeezing in a late season trip. The "wasting time" comment was a bit off. For most sledders, a trip of a week or more including the drive to and from a staging point, is out of the question. I like to sled with my son and SIL, and lots of working friends who can't take a week+ winter vacation. I also don't want to spend as much time in the truck as I do on the sled for any one trip.

I was just saying that northern Ontario, and in particular the western side of the Corridor and D13 are spectacular when conditions are right. If you research properly and plan properly, you can catch some exceptional sledding somewhere north and east of highway 17, any and every year. Once you have retired or otherwise have time on your side, then certainly expand your boundaries to include the rest of the continent. Until then, you don't need to leave Ontario to enjoy snowmobiling. You could even go now!

That's part of my situation. I like to sled with my wife and working friends who can't take a week+ winter vacation.

 

The concept of heading north is intriguing and tempting. For me it would likely be a 9 to 10 hour trip from home to Cochrane when I include stopping to pick up the sleds, washroom, food and gas breaks.

 

Call me cheap but when I see people spending $150+ a night for a bed it's more than I really want to pay just to sleep. The OFSC surveys have shown there are limits as to how far people will travel. I'm not sure what my limits would be. I can see Sudbury as viable. How far? I don't know.

 

Then I see people saying how they did 250 - 300 km and some close to 400 a day... not my style either.

[andreyboater]

5 minutes ago, 02Sled said:

Then I see people saying how they did 250 - 300 km and some close to 400 a day... not my style either.

It depends of trail condition, trails up North is like highway so 250km a day easily and you will be at hotel by noon.  Closer to cites trails are abused so mileage will be completely different.   

[02Sled]

3 minutes ago, andreyboater said:

It depends of trail condition, trails up North is like highway so 250km a day easily and you will be at hotel by noon.  Closer to cites trails are abused so mileage will be completely different.   

I understand what you are saying but part of why I go sledding is I like to see the scenery and the wildlife we come across. I have been out in Muskoka and asked people who have racked up high km what they saw along the way... they tell me it was all a blur. We have seen and stopped to watch deer, a beaver (and here I thought they hibernate), owls, moose and others.

 

Still until it comes down to the nitty gritty I don't know how far I want to go sitting behind the wheel. When I was young (late teens early 20's) I would drive to Florida non stop tag teaming 4 hours on 4 hours off with a friend. I'm not that young anymore.

[Xfirecat]

I think the canyon is a must do at least once. Every trail has a piston alley so that’s not a negative of the canyon. You can be broken down anywhere. I have seen FB posts from the northern clubs looking to get a sled and rider to their truck in Timmins or Kap for free or trying to unite a tool bag and rider or a pair of glasses, try to get that elsewhere. If you start off at Smooth Rock with a full tank, you will need to have or buy less fuel to return. I would like to do the Moosonee run too but $850 is a crazy price. I would rather a week in Cuba. Hotel rooms aren’t any cheaper in Cochrane but the people are a lot more friendly and helpful in the north. They will have great conditions with lots of snow into April and although Quebec and New Brunswick have great trails, this is an Ontario Conditions forum isn’t it? Lol. Last year I rode the canyon and there were warming shacks with a fire going and the trails were perfect. I may have to head to Cochrane again this spring! Well worth the drive imho. 

[catinental couch]

53 minutes ago, Xfirecat said:

I think the canyon is a must do at least once. Every trail has a piston alley so that’s not a negative of the canyon. You can be broken down anywhere. I have seen FB posts from the northern clubs looking to get a sled and rider to their truck in Timmins or Kap for free or trying to unite a tool bag and rider or a pair of glasses, try to get that elsewhere. If you start off at Smooth Rock with a full tank, you will need to have or buy less fuel to return. I would like to do the Moosonee run too but $850 is a crazy price. I would rather a week in Cuba. Hotel rooms aren’t any cheaper in Cochrane but the people are a lot more friendly and helpful in the north. They will have great conditions with lots of snow into April and although Quebec and New Brunswick have great trails, this is an Ontario Conditions forum isn’t it? Lol. Last year I rode the canyon and there were warming shacks with a fire going and the trails were perfect. I may have to head to Cochrane again this spring! Well worth the drive imho. 

Well said. Maybe I should make a plan and take O2 to the north so he can see what all the hype is. Then Denis would have two more old fa?ts to contend with. O2, you won't believe it until you see it. My wife is also a sledder who likes to see the scenery and the animals and we still did 250 MILES in a day after a nice breakfast in Wawa and a nice drink and snack at the Quickie Mart and a nice lunch in Hornepayne. We were in Hearst by 6pm.

[Techdenis007]

28 minutes ago, catinental couch said:

Then Denis would have two more old fa?ts to contend with.

 

I'll match the decor perfectly....

 

[catinental couch]

5 minutes ago, Denis007 said:

 

I'll match the decor perfectly....

 

 Compared to me and O2, you are still a young fa?t. You just feel old like all us technicians. ( the word used to be mechanics) lol

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

5 hours ago, 02Sled said:

I understand what you are saying but part of why I go sledding is I like to see the scenery and the wildlife we come across. I have been out in Muskoka and asked people who have racked up high km what they saw along the way... they tell me it was all a blur. We have seen and stopped to watch deer, a beaver (and here I thought they hibernate), owls, moose and others.

 

Still until it comes down to the nitty gritty I don't know how far I want to go sitting behind the wheel. When I was young (late teens early 20's) I would drive to Florida non stop tag teaming 4 hours on 4 hours off with a friend. I'm not that young anymore.

On the majority of trails in the northern corridor you can tailor how many km's you want to do in a day because there are lots of towns and places to stay. You can putter along and watch the scenery, stop for a nice lunch and still easily put 150- 200 km. on before dark if you wish to. A saddlebagging example is riding from Cochrane towards Hearst. You can stay in SRF(45miles), Kapuscasing (100 miles) or Hearst (190 miles). 

Timmins or Cochrane or Kapuscasing are all great spots to do day tripping out of.

Finally, if long drives are an issue, split it into a 2 day trip and if you get to your destination early and feel like it, go for a ride on the local trails. 

I would suggest going in March as the daytime temps. are more suited to us "seasoned" riders.

02, there is just too much fantastic sledding in the Northern Corridor not to go and ride it at least once. I bet if you did it wouldn't be your last time going up #11.

My brother who is in his late 60's said a couple of years ago when we were talking about doing a trip "we better do it because it might not be that long before we can't do it."

[catinental couch]

X2. I don't think the ride up 144 through the  DuPont forest to Wawa is that bad of a truck ride. We could leave the wives at home and do the great northern loop. Even an extended vacation such as that wouldn't cost as much as an all inclusive vacation in the southern islands. We could come back and tell them how it was such a terrible trip that we want to do it again to try to get it right.

[andreyboater]

8 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

My brother who is in his late 60's said a couple of years ago when we were talking about doing a trip "we better do it because it might not be that long before we can't do it."

Right point.

[revrnd]

20 hours ago, 02Sled said:

That's part of my situation. I like to sled with my wife and working friends who can't take a week+ winter vacation.

 

The concept of heading north is intriguing and tempting. For me it would likely be a 9 to 10 hour trip from home to Cochrane when I include stopping to pick up the sleds, washroom, food and gas breaks.

 

Call me cheap but when I see people spending $150+ a night for a bed it's more than I really want to pay just to sleep. The OFSC surveys have shown there are limits as to how far people will travel. I'm not sure what my limits would be. I can see Sudbury as viable. How far? I don't know.

 

Then I see people saying how they did 250 - 300 km and some close to 400 a day... not my style either.

 

I enjoyed staging in Timmins. In the big scheme it's not that much farther than driving to Sudbury. We rode in 3 different directions (rerode 1 section & some local trails). We could've added the trip to Gogama. 

 

The terrain is different in each direction. rolling wooded to the west, hilly/wooded to the south, farm country & woods to the east & flat clay belt to the north.

[revrnd]

18 hours ago, Xfirecat said:

I think the canyon is a must do at least once. Every trail has a piston alley so that’s not a negative of the canyon. You can be broken down anywhere. I have seen FB posts from the northern clubs looking to get a sled and rider to their truck in Timmins or Kap for free or trying to unite a tool bag and rider or a pair of glasses, try to get that elsewhere. If you start off at Smooth Rock with a full tank, you will need to have or buy less fuel to return. I would like to do the Moosonee run too but $850 is a crazy price. I would rather a week in Cuba. Hotel rooms aren’t any cheaper in Cochrane but the people are a lot more friendly and helpful in the north. They will have great conditions with lots of snow into April and although Quebec and New Brunswick have great trails, this is an Ontario Conditions forum isn’t it? Lol. Last year I rode the canyon and there were warming shacks with a fire going and the trails were perfect. I may have to head to Cochrane again this spring! Well worth the drive imho. 

 

I would hope that the OP is planning to do more riding/exploring than just to Faserdale. I can't see driving from the GTA, doing the loop & driving home.

[02Sled]

3 minutes ago, revrnd said:

 

I enjoyed staging in Timmins. In the big scheme it's not that much farther than driving to Sudbury. We rode in 3 different directions (rerode 1 section & some local trails). We could've added the trip to Gogama. 

 

The terrain is different in each direction. rolling wooded to the west, hilly/wooded to the south, farm country & woods to the east & flat clay belt to the north.

I had a couple of opportunities to go north this winter with other people. VERY TEMPTING... VERY. Unfortunately timing and circumstances wouldn't align. Perhaps next year. I suspect if faced with little or no snow locally I will almost feel compelled to travel "north"

 

As for not that much farther than Sudbury.... hmmm.... Home to Sudbury 400km or 4 hours... one tank of gas. Home to Cochrane.  Just shy of 800km and just over 8 .5 hours without stops. Definitely need to stop for gas for Cochrane.