Canuck

Way to go! Happy 33rd anniversary. It's a lovely place - 'tho I only stayed there with some ruffians from this forum (Domino, 14Snow). Cabin to yourself, short walk to the main lodge for EXCELLENT food and hospitality.

Congratulations, Bill, Jennifer and family. Port Sydney's the first area we 'staged' from - years ago. Pine Lodge, Charlie. Great memories, including Pump and Barrel. Wonderful trails. Look forward to visiting the area again, and as mentioned, last minute opportunities to purchase may be helpful. 2 stroke Arctic cat oil? Even the "Oh heck, where's the balaclava? Wife's releasing her inner Mactier, black balaclava 'omitted' from the wash, pink will have to doo".

...and barbirch. Great idea.

Agree with Spidey and you. Great idea. If I don't have a Quebec trail pass ( as an example ), I'm not surfin the interactive guide. If I'm thinking of buying one, a static ( .pdf ) will let me know if it's worth it. 10 years ago...all we had were maps or magazines.

There was a connection between permit prices and annual sales. Prices rose, permit sales fell. I spoke to this at AGM, years ago. We had some awful winters (southern Ontario) in the ensuing years and I was thankful that prices were in the $190 range. During the ensuing years, I kept asking: a) non permitted sledders (riders stopped at trail, on ofsc trail, without a permit) and b) non sledders (i.e taxi driver in a northern town) what they thought permit cost. Standard answer - $400. We kept permit prices low, and kept riders 'in the game'. But somehow the message about the 'low' permit cost didn't get out (imo). Tread carefully as you proceed north of $200 (plus s & h)'; realize that Ontario riders pay insurance on top of this (unlike quebec's $330 permit that includes $1 million liability and $2 million for club). Would any of us on this forum bail over a $240 permit. NO. Not for one sled. But if we were keeping 2 or 3, for occasional family ride...yes. You might add it up. What's your tipping point? Get the message out re: the bargain Ontario sledding is, from permit price perspective.

Lookin' good. Let it snow, let it snow.

sledwhisperer.....you know you're a snowmobiler when...

Agreed. His time spent behind the scenes is appreciated.

Thanks goodness Halfway Haven is there. It brings sleds in from all around, etc. Preaching to the converted on this forum (most like the place). Enjoyed my visits with Sean.

Wonderful topography - you must have a blast at that hunting camp.

Wonder if you still need to carry 'paper pink insurance slips" while sledding? Automobile exemption in this article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/car-insurance-pink-auto-ontario-electronic-1.5271540 For those of us out of cell phone range ..or backing up to the cloud.. Drivers will be responsible for making sure their phone can display the proof of insurance, even with a poor signal, drained battery or damaged screen. And ... The province is also reverting back to the default benefit of $2 million for those who are catastrophically injured in a collision, after it dropped to $1 million three years ago. Happy (and safe) trails.

Thanks, CV. Well signed and groomed trails in your area. Glad that executive positions are filling up. Happened to chat to some members at a permit 'spot check' along the highway - nice group of people.

Where do they park their cars to use the walking/cycling path. Drive 7 KMS to walk 2 KMS. Wish they allowed sleds. Nice to hear about bicycle use tho. Is it paved? Going to pull over next time I'm in the area..." use it"

Oh yeah...you have a pic of me on a skidoo, possibly thumbs up. I'll behave

Visiting Friday Oct 25. Recall the show being earlier in year's past (as early as October 19th in 2012). Prefer this "last weekend in October" time slot. Lets us get cottage chores done - or if you're in a seasonal business, wrap things up (as best you can) before setting up down here. Now, the OP (IQT) would get a 3 day pass to a sled show in July, LOL.

Also want to say thanks. Bought one after seeing something similar in use on a trip out of D'ville. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Hope we cross path's at a snowmobile show (Malton in October or Peterborough in November).

Thanks, Revrnd. I remember the Esso station, but never visited the Rolphton Motel and Restaurant. Filing that away as a destination from Bonfield, in case we need an alternative to Deep River. The logging road trails (136, 132, 131) are wonderful. Sweeping corners, elevation changes. ( Photo credit - Jeff McGirr, from his excellent article, The Trail Less Travelled https://www.northernontario.travel/snowmobiling/lesser-known-snowmobile-trails )

I dug deeper after asking the 6,500 kg question - some online reports are in pounds ,others just hadvea number - I think your sticker is in pounds (#). If that's the case, you're good to go without a sticker under the new rules. Great set-up on your truck bed for loading Ski-doo's (last winter's "sled down").

Agreed. Look at the Tay trail along Hwy 12 (between Midland and Coldwater). Waste. Multi use trails ( the one in Orillia comes to mind; Port Severn)... benefit many.

Above was from the ofsc website. ---------- Wondering - What pick-up series exceed 6,500 gwvr? "The pickup truck must also have a manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GWVR) of 6,500kg or less"

EThe Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs commends the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) for recent changes to regulations under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) related to personal use trucks and trailers. Effective July 1, 2019, pickup trucks and trailers for personal use are exempt from the requirements of an annual inspection. This includes both the inspection and displaying the yellow decal/sticker. “Once again the MTO has listened to the concerns of snowmobilers and the people of Ontario” said Chief Executive Officer Ryan J. Eickmeier. “These regulatory changes mean more time can be spent on the trails, and less time navigating red tape and regulatory burden.” To qualify for the exemption, a pickup truck and trailer are to be used for personal use without compensation and not carry commercial tools or cargo, or equipment of a type normally used for commercial purposes. The pickup truck must also have a manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GWVR) of 6,500kg or less and have an original unmodified box or unmodified replacement box that duplicates the one originally installed by the manufacturer. ‌ ‌ ‌

It was a good resource for long-distance trip planning ( IMO ). From the study Nunz posted earlier, our " demographic " slants to " mature" ( with the exception of STG ). District guides ( and local club maps ) should be with us for a while.

....but family members own paving companies. ( Kidding!) That was a local joke when another township went on a paving spree years ago. Nobody could make sense of why infrequently used gravel roads were paved.

Congrats on the new sleds, gents. If anyone wants to meet with IQT at the sled show ...visit the northern corridor booth .....like a bee to honey ...

Thanks, Nunz! I always find the permit sales vs insured sleds data interesting. Glad the insurance bureau shares information. "The OFSC sold approximately 105,000 permits for Ontario trails in 2018‐2019.  It is estimated that 43,000 snowmobiles were used without a trail permit. The Insurance Bureau of Canada confirmed that 148,000 snow vehicles were insured in 2018‐ 2019. This is an increase from 141,600 snow vehicles insured in 2013‐2014." So .. more sleds out there than during the prior study. We're also getting close to understanding how many more potential permit buyers there are (of the 43,000...how many fish, trap, sled on the back 40 or only traverse roads / crown land?).