skidooboy

I have saw all I need to on the forums with broken/damaged rails, very few track options, track failures, tunnels buckling, and the reports of terrible trail manners. with as much trail as we ride to get to our play areas, balancing on a single rail doesnt sound appealing. I will stick to my dual rails, thank you. Ski

as Bartles & James used to say... "Thank you, for your support". Ski

non riotX has trail spindles skis, and track too to get the offtrail front end geometry, track, gearing, chaincase, you have to go with the alpha rail set up. hence, my statement. Ski

Been on Cat's since 2009, have had good luck with them, for the most part, unless it was self inflicted. once they took their Mountain, and then Crossover platforms, to the single rail (Alpha) suspension, I was out as a new sled buyer. just not a fan. I will probably ride and rebuild my 2018 XF High Country, until the dual rail comes back, or I quit sledding. Ski

man that fb post is something else. one or two people (locals by their profile) supporting the camp, and the rest just piling on, story after story of bad stuff. the clubs, district, and the ofsc should just stop grooming it. problem solved. Ski

as long as you are vaxed @Ox, you can cross now... no pre-testing to come into Canada anymore, since Friday April 1st. guessing they will drop the vax mandate, but, ask for pre-cross testing to prove you are not sick, sometime in the near future. Ski

holy 3 year old thread revival Batman! Ski

looking at the forecast, I may have some huge fresh snow pics for you on weds, or thursday. calling for over a foot between tomorrow night and thursday. gives us some fresh to play with, to get one last chance at fishing, from town, without trailering. Ski

learned not to leave them down going across tracks. they will make it over, or do what yours did, only to snap at the bend a few klicks down the trail. the hard snap they get hitting the steel, makes them brittle, and they will break very soon after hitting an rr track. sorry for your luck. Ski

Goin fast. hoping the cooler temps, and some snow in the forecast will allow us to ride from town for the last weeks of walleye season. maybe denis can chime in on trail conditions, he is there in town right now. Ski

you will want, and need a guide. to route you around, and through dangers, and haul the fuel required for this trip. this is for experienced riders with at least cross over sleds, for track length, depth for floatation. there are pics on FB from Pat Dubreuil doing this a few weeks ago. there are several portages around water areas, one looks to be a nasty side hill, donkey trail. there is a young lady in Hearst with her father guiding right from the companion. Ski

the thing is with warm ups, the snow is still there but, the clubs cant groom. they will do more damage than good. you need below freezing temps to groom, and then to set the trail up. the warmer it is, the more snow sticks in the drag and to the pan, not making for a good final product. add in, we wont stop riding, and not totally whoop out a trail... then even when it gets colder... the groomers cant fix what we destroyed. most of the time by that time, especially a heavy volume trail, is beyond repair. the best case scenario is the clubs close the trail and we honor it a day before the warm up. one groom before the warm up to set things up for after the warm up. when the temps drop again, the trail can open again. then the system will survive longer, and be smoother. I can hear it now, those complaining the trails are not being groomed, or the trails are so whooped they are rattling their teeth out. happens every year. Ski

this will help... https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-government-to-drop-pre-departure-testing-1.6386763?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar&fbclid=IwAR3trbQknZVblYciZ4t1IWxptqSvLmuf0Rl3yTQ96Mqw6J8U0jscA1udSc4 still need to be vaxed, for now, still need to use the arrivecan ap (easy) but, the pre-testing is coming to an end. Ski

Big Lake Effect is correct @Ox... last day for fluffy stuff, the warm up starts tomorrow. beginning of the end. had a great day in the back country yesterday. Ski

as always, enjoy your trip adventure stories. we are heading up this morning for a week. if you have the time, and want to head north, let me know. Ski

fat lady is warming up her pipes. weds starts 7 days of above zero, up there. get at it! snow wont dissolve but, it will settle a bunch. enjoy your trip. say high to the group for us. Ski

what day(s) will you be in Hearst? send me a PM if you wish to keep it "secret". lynne and I are heading up Sunday or Monday, for a week or so. I need to "fix" the belt drive. wouldnt mind a trail ride to Hearst to meet with you and Denis. Ski

it was the older unit from dubreuilville, when they had 2 units. they only have one now. Ski

@Ox there is more than enough snow, some rocks are just bigger than others. Ski

Hydro corridor, hidden gem, under 4 feet or more of snow. think rock cut's. this snow has no real base, just fluff, and bottomless powder. Ski

our choice is the Sena 20s units. blue tooth, no separate battery, cell compatible, communications are good. battery lasts 8+ hours, even at -30. has noise cancelling communications, you can even take a cell call, and they cant hear you are on sled, bike, pwc, etc... Ski

at the time of the F trail debacle, from Missanabi, to Chapleau, and Chapleau to Aubrey Falls/Black Creek area, they were not. remember this was over 10 years ago now. the last year we went up the old F trail to Flame Lake lodge was the winter of 2008-2009. I think it might have tried to be open the following year. and if I remember right, Ernie's trail to Chapleau was already closed at that time. I understand the groomers are "paid" now but, I dont think it is enough, to lure people away from their personal job, business, family, or fun. look at what happened with Covid, hardly anyone wants to work. (if you are trying to get new blood in to the groomer/clubs) But, this is the conversation that needs to take place, within the algoma district, the adjoining districts, the ofsc, and the clubs. there could be a solution. Ski

the problem lies in the distance between Missanabi, and Chapleau. if I remember right, it is 90 miles one way (and was not that rugged of terrain). and Chapleau, hated to groom their side. getting operators, to run the whole thing was tough, due to the distance alone. the last year or 2 they put a groomer at Ernie's in Missanabi, to cut the distance, and Kenny (ernie's son) was going out, and doing their end, and did a great job but, in the end, from what I hear, the owner of Aux Trois Moulin's motel, (and the club president of chapleau at the time), put up a tremendous fuss, to get that trail closed, so he could get the trail from halfway opened, and the old F trail closed, to get more touring riders from the soo into his community, via the trail. Politics, involved hurting the sport in that region, yet again. the old F trail from Black creek/Aubrey falls, to Flame lake lodge, was pretty rugged but, fairly close to the paved hwy 129. from flame lake to chapleau via trail was either 50 or 60 miles. then to black creek was another 50 or so. one way it was 110 miles, or more and again, a tough sell to a volunteer groomer, not getting paid, with their own family, and full time job or business to tend to as well. Ski

it was a suggestion, that the clubs and ofsc should get a monetary guarantee from halfway, if the trail is being brought to them, they are responsible for the groomer fuel bill, if the business closes, during the grooming season. the ofsc, and clubs cant keep maintaining that section of trail, for that one business, without a guarantee, they will be there to provide food, shelter, fuel service for the groomer, and the sledders. and for those that think you can make it with a can or two, of fuel... maybe when it is groomed but, with no grooming and 4-6 feet of snow in there... no, you are not going to do that! the liability for the ofsc for the distance, weather, terrain, shelter, fuel, and services, for the average sledder (not the hard core explorers), is too much to take on for any entity. forget halfway, re-open up the trail from Misanabbi, to Chapleau, re connect the Big loop from there. leave the roads, hydro line, from south of wawa, to searchmont to the off trailers. people in the states can still start in the Soo, you just have to head east to elliot lake, then to sudbury, to go north. Ski Ski

the trail runs just south of that, from the hydro line, to Chapleau. grooming their road still doesnt give access to the fuel truck, to bring in thousands of gallons of fuel a week. it all boils down to the clubs, district, and the ofsc has put boat loads of money and time into that trail, to offer the trail to the riders, with a monetary benefit to that business... and it has repeatedly failed. when it fails, all that prep, signing, brushing, grooming maps, planning etc... is all for nothing, and money up in smoke. Halfway has to put some big work into it to reap the benefit, from this trail, they are seeking. I am not saying they dont work hard there but, there comes a limit at what the ofsc should do to bring a trail to a business. Ski