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Michigan's UP or Wawa


Yamatario

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Planning to leave Monday for 4 days of sledding. Originally planned dropping by Searchmont heading out towards Wawa and beyond. We are leaving from SW Ontario and someone suggested the UP area and save a few hours of driving. I know conditions are excellent by Wawa. Does anybody know the conditions in the UP?

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depending on where you are trailering to the UP of mich, you really are not saving much time if any by going to the UP. yes they (we), have snow but, mich by itself has 350,000 registered snowmobiles. LOTS OF TRAFFIC ON THE TRAILS. we rode 100 miles today and never saw another sled in the dubreuilville area. we have been riding here all week, and have saw less than 25 sleds in 8+ days of riding. the riders are here, don't get me wrong, the area is just soooo large, you don't have everyone crammed into one small pocket of snow. 

 

my vote for you would be trailer to searchmont, stay or leave your rig at driftwood valley chalets with carl, he will watch your stuff. and ride the first day from searchmont, to halfway haven, wawa, dubreuilville,(stay at the relais magpie), then day ride to white river or even marathon and back on day two, ride to hornepayne, and back on day 3, and back to the trucks on day 4.  snow is still "fluffyish" for playing, and the trails have nice loose top for cooling and hyfax lube. 

 

good luck in your choice, I know what I would do. Ski

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Stick to Ontario. You’d have to drive to far west in the UP for decent conditions this time of year. 

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Hey, thanks for the input. Wanted to be able to reason with the others as to why we should do Ontario. Getting excited, less than 12 hours now and we will be heading out.

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3 minutes ago, Yamatario said:

Hey, thanks for the input. Wanted to be able to reason with the others as to why we should do Ontario. Getting excited, less than 12 hours now and we will be heading out.

We are you going I am heading up as well. Two skidoo grand touring, one orange, one black can't miss us. 

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5 minutes ago, Viperules700 said:

We are you going I am heading up as well. Two skidoo grand touring, one orange, one black can't miss us. 

Probably going to drop in Searchmont and head to Wawa Monday. then see where we head Tuesday...Probably White River and then maybe back to Relais Magpie.

It looks like just two of us both driving Anniversary Sidewinders.

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13 minutes ago, Yamatario said:

Probably going to drop in Searchmont and head to Wawa Monday. then see where we head Tuesday...Probably White River and then maybe back to Relais Magpie.

It looks like just two of us both driving Anniversary Sidewinders.

We have the same plan for Friday. If you boys can, send a report on the stretch from Searchmont to Wawa. Thanks in advance. Ride safe.

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2 hours ago, Viperules700 said:

We are you going I am heading up as well. Two skidoo grand touring, one orange, one black can't miss us. 

 

2 hours ago, Yamatario said:

Probably going to drop in Searchmont and head to Wawa Monday. then see where we head Tuesday...Probably White River and then maybe back to Relais Magpie.

It looks like just two of us both driving Anniversary Sidewinders.

Our group of 4, on three 900 Aces, yellow, luminous yellow and red, and a red Apex, riders ages 48 to 79, are leaving Searchmont Tues AM for Dubreuilville, then Wed to Marathon, Thur back to Dub, and Friday return to Searchmont. This trip has only been made possible from the valuable input from OCers. Thanks a ton, and I trust that you know who you are - what great people! The only reason I don't list those who helped me orchestrate this is that I might miss someone who offered advice going back over a month to our first failed attempt. If you see us on the trail, please stop and say "hi". 

Ski, if you are at your Dub place this week, I would love to meet you. Same with Luc, The Groomer Guy.  We will be at the Magpie Tues and Thurs evenings and dining at the restaurant those nights. We are sledders, dirt bikers and touring motorcycle riders so we could likely swap some lies.

Enjoy the rest of the season, boys and girls - its ending better than we expected. 

 

 

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30 minutes ago, tricky said:

 

Our group of 4, on three 900 Aces, yellow, luminous yellow and red, and a red Apex, riders ages 48 to 79, are leaving Searchmont Tues AM for Dubreuilville, then Wed to Marathon, Thur back to Dub, and Friday return to Searchmont. This trip has only been made possible from the valuable input from OCers. Thanks a ton, and I trust that you know who you are - what great people! The only reason I don't list those who helped me orchestrate this is that I might miss someone who offered advice going back over a month to our first failed attempt. If you see us on the trail, please stop and say "hi". 

Ski, if you are at your Dub place this week, I would love to meet you. Same with Luc, The Groomer Guy.  We will be at the Magpie Tues and Thurs evenings and dining at the restaurant those nights. We are sledders, dirt bikers and touring motorcycle riders so we could likely swap some lies.

Enjoy the rest of the season, boys and girls - its ending better than we expected. 

 

 

Missing you by a day. Will be in dub Wednesday. Doing big loop this time. Have a great trip too. Maybe join you next time. 

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4 hours ago, Yamatario said:

..Probably White River ..

 

Do it! 

 

Got off that trail 5:30 today....truly one if my favourite Ontario trails. Great views, natural sweeping corners 

 

There's a groomer operator running a store / restaurant right off the trail. FISHING MOOSE LODGE.. Fresh cut fries, coffee . Just past the emergency shelter as you travel north.  Worth stopping.

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tricky, we wont be in town this week, just got back home in Michigan last night. UP unless you are RIGHT ON THE LAKE, IS TOAST. no need to waste your time. hope YOU ALL, HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!! Ski

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9 hours ago, yamirider said:

Tricky, we rode from WAWA to Marathon on Friday.  The trails are in great shape and table top flat.  The trail from White River to Marathon is amazing.  Some great views and scenery.  Have a fun and safe ride.

I did Dubreuilville to White River on Sunday with Canuk, wish we had had the time to go Marathon.

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This is to anyone thinking of heading up to Wawa or beyond. Simply Amazing! We got o Searchmont and on the trail about by 1:00 and got to Dubreuilville about 5:30. Trails were great on our side but a little washboard on the other side and then passed groomer doing other side. They are table top so we decided to do the big loop and ran from Dubreuilville and are now in Cochrane. It is not often that trails are this pristine. Tomorrow down to Timmins and over to Chapleau. Then Thursday over to Halfway Haven, for fuel and back to the truck. Make sure you bring your thermals as it was to be -17C this morning but I recorded actual air at -27C.

A few shots for the skeptics and those who can't make it. 20180320_120455.jpg.771cf692ed4304e3de74697d8f728a75.jpgIMG_20180320_1203497.jpg.09f58d86d5ecea41d26690ce0ac9a84e.jpgIMG_20180319_1526535.jpg.d67466ed65861a824c35ec2514df66ae.jpgIMG_20180320_0935175.jpg.88d1b21e985f9eff4887a2a8f7d4e584.jpgIMG_20180320_0934468.jpg.7498b801405f8ef1f46e9045b3a98587.jpgIMG_20180320_1204443.jpg.5488a5115e3f57c672ccd14e61c86bb2.jpgIMG_20180319_1341551.jpg.294f8178f466a55d478282e9c3950957.jpg20180319_124223.jpg.ce2e25483ed7203820fe886dd9092ca3.jpg

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Christ it's still two days before I get up there. Looking at those pics is killing me. Sleds are loaded and saddlebags packed ready for tomorrow night's drive north. Tic....................................................Toc.................................................................Tic................................................................Toc.

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Great pics thanks for sharing!!

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Tic........................................................................Toc.....................................................................Tic..................................................................Toc

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Another great day, Cochrane to Chapleau. Trails still awesome. Staying at Moose Horn Lodge. I think we found our new favourite place. From Timmins to Chapleau we passed 2 sleds.IMG_20180321_1756421.jpg.b311d7fbf1db3711ee7ccb65ef89c6b9.jpgIMG_20180321_1633384.jpg.e4cb5f16b6125976e0704f808593e539.jpg5ab2f7f614379_IMG_20180321_1544320(1).jpg.dd32eec7169cec726fabe90555f44bbe.jpgIMG_20180321_1543450.jpg.572b9231c1fddba70ed464f0a3b49ee5.jpgIMG_20180321_1801416-panorama.jpg.e4fac5ad76aa6c5bccec5d9bf3bf862d.jpgIMG_20180321_1912522.jpg.04f89df304af74aa6357a54db188ef01.jpgIMG_20180321_1933512.jpg.646b1a3c4d08d847f3eba3aeebb6beac.jpg

 

IMG_20180321_1544320.jpg

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:rolleyes: 

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On 3/21/2018 at 9:02 PM, slomo said:

Looks great! Thanks for posting!

 

X2

 

Wonderful!

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On ‎2018‎-‎03‎-‎21 at 8:27 PM, Yamatario said:

Another great day, Cochrane to Chapleau. Trails still awesome. Staying at Moose Horn Lodge. I think we found our new favourite place. From Timmins to Chapleau we passed 2 sleds.IMG_20180321_1756421.jpg.b311d7fbf1db3711ee7ccb65ef89c6b9.jpgIMG_20180321_1633384.jpg.e4cb5f16b6125976e0704f808593e539.jpg5ab2f7f614379_IMG_20180321_1544320(1).jpg.dd32eec7169cec726fabe90555f44bbe.jpgIMG_20180321_1543450.jpg.572b9231c1fddba70ed464f0a3b49ee5.jpgIMG_20180321_1801416-panorama.jpg.e4fac5ad76aa6c5bccec5d9bf3bf862d.jpgIMG_20180321_1912522.jpg.04f89df304af74aa6357a54db188ef01.jpgIMG_20180321_1933512.jpg.646b1a3c4d08d847f3eba3aeebb6beac.jpg

 

IMG_20180321_1544320.jpg

Did they make you undress in the door at Moose Horne Lodge?  lol  I head funny stories last weekend.  head it was a nice place.

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Moose Horn Lodge was very nice.  $175/night/person.  Included dinner and breakfast.  Think one of the cabins might have a better feel than staying with the owners in the main house.  I like to feel like it is my place for the stay.  Going to the main house for meals is not a problem, and they will provide gas if you call ahead.  Once they get to know you they seem to open up a bit.  Since they sat with us all night, they kind of got to know us.

 

It had been a cold ride and was late in the evening when we finally arrived from Halfway where we had stayed too long listening to Sean and being educated about how search & rescue works out in the northern parts of Ontario.  That was the night he was instrumental in getting a U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter from Traverse City. Michigan to rescue a guy from the states who had crashed in the Hydro Lines about 30 miles south of Halfway.  It seems the Canadian Copters will not fly at night?

 

We got off to a bad start when the guy at Moose Horn Lodge insisted we all take our boots off before coming in.  There was snow and ice frozen to my boots and bibs, but not a bit of "dirt".  It was a big group and there was no place to lay our bags and coats and helmets and gloves and once my boots were off there was no way I could carry everything to the basement where he insisted everyone put all there gear in a small boiler room with wires strung across and sagging such that once things were hung, it was not easy to egress.  This had to be done before going to your rooms.  A strained and strange beginning to our overnight stay in the main house.  His wife finally just said for everyone to come into the house rather than those at the back holding the door open standing out in the cold as those in the front of the line tried to comply with the orders coming from the her husband.

 

Nice place and he is going to keep it nice!

 

I still prefer Valentines!

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13 minutes ago, AC+YA said:

Moose Horn Lodge was very nice.  $175/night/person.  Included dinner and breakfast.  Think one of the cabins might have a better feel than staying with the owners in the main house.  I like to feel like it is my place for the stay.  Going to the main house for meals is not a problem, and they will provide gas if you call ahead.  Once they get to know you they seem to open up a bit.  Since they sat with us all night, they kind of got to know us.

 

It had been a cold ride and was late in the evening when we finally arrived from Halfway where we had stayed too long listening to Sean and being educated about how search & rescue works out in the northern parts of Ontario.  That was the night he was instrumental in getting a U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter from Traverse City. Michigan to rescue a guy from the states who had crashed in the Hydro Lines about 30 miles south of Halfway.  It seems the Canadian Copters will not fly at night?

 

We got off to a bad start when the guy at Moose Horn Lodge insisted we all take our boots off before coming in.  There was snow and ice frozen to my boots and bibs, but not a bit of "dirt".  It was a big group and there was no place to lay our bags and coats and helmets and gloves and once my boots were off there was no way I could carry everything to the basement where he insisted everyone put all there gear in a small boiler room with wires strung across and sagging such that once things were hung, it was not easy to egress.  This had to be done before going to your rooms.  A strained and strange beginning to our overnight stay in the main house.  His wife finally just said for everyone to come into the house rather than those at the back holding the door open standing out in the cold as those in the front of the line tried to comply with the orders coming from the her husband.

 

Nice place and he is going to keep it nice!

 

I still prefer Valentines!

 

Who knows? AFAIK, SAR for Ontario (& a lot of central Canada) is based out of Trenton (east of Toronto). Probably easier to contact, faster response time to have the USCG effect the evac'. 'Agent Orange' medevac choppers don't do rescue work either. The patient has to be transported to the helicopter (on a closed portion of highway or field) for transport to medical facilities.

 

How you describe the lodge reminds me a bit of Tata Chika Pika. We had read about the vibe their prior to our stay in 2010. It took the hosts a while to 'warm up' to our group of 4. Mind you there was no request to remove our boots @ the door.

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