Ox

A) I would like to think that ANYone that comes upon a down rider will stop to help. We're not all Jewish priests or Levites. B] They are looking for witnesses, not congratulations.

I find that those first day rides - I end up with a sore neck from bobbing around all day with a helmet on..

Good grief, those are SO far back there! UGH!

I just heard this evening on ONN (Ohio News Network) that Intel and someone else (?) are looking to start construction on a $20B (that's a "B") facility down in Columbus to manufacture computor chips. I wonder if that means that the shortage issue will continue until that is up and running!

One (not ours) got taken from the lot outside the bar at The Companion Inn in Hearst while we were there.

I don't have a dog in this fight as I don't have that kind of trailer. All I really have is a 30' gooseneck, so - I really don't have these issues. It rusts b/c it is steel and old, not from dissimilar. But not likely coming apart anytime soon either. But my word of caution here, and I imagine that I may have posted this before, but as I said - I only pull a goose for the most part, but I doo have a 2" out the back door at the ready. But it's most used app is to capture a snatch strap, and as a step. (flatbed, no tailgate) Anyhow, one day my BIL got the forktruck stuck, and he hooked onto it with a chain (no stretch) and barely tugged on it, and the 2" plug broke right in 2. Inspection showed that it had rotted out - all the way around the OD of the plug - right at the intersection of the receiver. It was at least 1/2 way through, but it seems like it was more like 2/3. Kind'a put you in the mind of a tube cutter, as it was basically just a ring all the way around it that was rotted. The scary part is that not more than 6 months prior, we had picked up my buddy's buddy's trailer in Colorado, drug it up to Dubois, Wyoming, and then home. Prolly a good 1500+ miles with ... just one sled in it? So, for those of you that leave your plugs in all the time, and they are not overly new, THAT would be my recommendation to inspect THAT!

That would be bad if there was $35G in new machines in there eh?

You've been to Hornepayne?

Did you drive that down the road with the door up maybe?

LOL!

OK, so the APC's were used to break trail and tow as needed. Got it. Just wasn't seeing how a rig like that that has no plow ability was helping. But I have now seen the light. In '78, out here in the corn fields, our roads got opened up by farmers with loader tractors, bulldozers, and payloaders. Nothing wrong with calling in outside help, just wasn't seeing the value in something that couldn't move snow.

Well, I have spent a cpl of days in a warm-up shack once, and I dare say - I was glad for a cpl empty beer cans to rip up and melt snow in. I don't carry my own, so I rely on others to leave their Schidt anywhere I might need one.

Well, I'll tell yuh... I have a customer that is aboot 200 yards over the Michigan line, and their town has allowed Grow Houses in. Now they are inundated with new buildings going up all around them. I have heard Mrs. O saying how it really stunk when she delivered one particular time at least, but I never noticed it. But then a cpl weeks ago I was pulling in there, and as I went past the first facility, instantly as I passed, I could smell the place. In December, with winders up! As soon as I got passed tho, it went away. But they say that it can get really bad - especially in the summer. One guy says he doesn't park in the garage anymore. Etc... My customer is hoping to one day sell his building to one of them and move away, but ???? IDK what it would take to convert an older fab building to a grow house? It may make sense for them to just build new? IDK. I know they have a LOT of infrastructure inside the first building as I watched them just keep taking stuff inside time after time, and no more often than I was there too... The others are around the corner and I have only driven past those recently for the first time. It's all new enough that it doesn't show up on the online maps.

Hard to believe that they are actually settling this that quickly. Usually it seems that they allow a bit of time to see if it pops up first? Unless they just know from experience that if these doo pop up, it will be a year from now or more on average?

Blame the consumer only! If 2 trailers are setting side by side, and look aboot the same, that cheaper one will go first 90% of the time. Most consumers can't even quantify the differences in the products to begin with. And if they make it better, then someone is fussing b/c it's too heavy. You want strong and light - we can build it out of 7075. ($) But then it's expensive. You want it strong and cheap, we can build it out of 6061. But then it's heavy. So it ends up git'n built out of the lightest cross section of 6061 that can doo the job, and then folks fuss when it starts failing prematurely.

It looks like - in your first pic, that you went straight accrost the road at the Domtar? I sniffed around over there last (2 now) year. I guess I don't recall what I found for sure. Apparently you was able to git through in the summer? I think it looked tight, and git'n turned around back in there by myself didn't seem like a good idea?

Boy, and it don't take long for the bush to reclaim either! A few yrs ago ... hmmm .... well maybe 4 or 5... anyhow - we was running up the Domtar, only to hit the hydro line WAY too soon. I knew that this was not right, but they had been clear cutting that area, and so nothing looked right anyhow... "New Road!" Backtracked a few klicks, and found where this new road split off from The Domtar at a turn and just went straight. It took quite a while to actually decide that THAT was The Domtar! It had been a few years since we were there last - for whatever reasons... Well, I guess mostly b/c Halfway was closed... DUH! What should be a 35' wide hole in the bush, was nearly rubbing elbows with saplings! They did not have the trail on The Domtar yet at that time.

Well, after looking at Google Maps, I'm guessing that he just skipped a few clicks of F trail. Or rather, since I didn't see anything going N there, then maybe they were detouring that section of F and just puting it on the road? I doubt that they were logging up the Domtar at that time, but I can't say fer sure.

If they are hauling out of The Domtar - like they had been the last few yrs, then Ranger Lake Rd can be kind'a sketchy from there out to 129 as they will sand the hills for the trucks. BUT - I'm thinkin' that they already shortcut-ed it maybe? I guess IDK when this was, but I remember chasing a groomer down Ranger South some years ago. I think that he came out of The Domtar, but then went east on Ranger South, and then ducked into the bush on the S side just past the next bridge east. So that would likely head out to Black Crick Lodge? (again - never been)

I bet it's all of 100 smiles from Black Crick to Halfway. Actually - I bet it's better'n that. Maybe 115. Not saving anything gas wise even if Flame Lake's not there. Now I understand that keeping The Domtar open is likely less work/cost than a bush trail, and it seems that most trail riders prefer the roads as they are faster. I prefer a slow ride through the bush. I would rather ride the 2 track as I-75/401, but that's me... I remember one night in the mid 90's we come in O'Dark:30 and crashed on a buddies couch in the UP, and we both could see trees flying by on both sides when we shut our eyes. LOL! Not gunna see that riding Ranger North!

OH! Apparently from 556 up to Chap? I guess that's why (when?) they opened up that trail from Johnny's, up through the campground, and over to The Domtar eh? We ran that for a few years many years ago, and then one day recently I see that they had that all opened up and groomed, and was running up the Domtar to Whitman Dam Rd. But that is listed as a connector trail, not a Top trail. (F) So they must be leaving the north end of the old F designation intact - hoping to one day open it aggin? How's come did they close that? (I never ran F more than a few clicks @ Johnny's) Shirley not a gas thing - as the distance from Black/Aubrey to Chap kan't be much different (and I would guess closer) than Halfway, so ??? And going the other way, yuh're gunna have a low tank by the time that you would reach Searchmont, making getting all the way to Heyden (Soo) risky business as well. ???

Does F ever git much traffic? I've seldom heard of folks running it. On the other hand, why on Earth would someone not want the skidoo trail running right through the lot of their gas/carry-out business?

So, other than maybe 10 weeks in winter, apparently this guy and friends live there all year? Is there anything going on up there the rest of the year? He doesn't seem to be advertising for bear or moose hunts. Doo ATV's make it up there? We only got several klicks N of Gardiner on wheels when we were there. I'm sure that you can jist run up the hydro line now? Or doo some folks trailer up there and ... is there somewhere to ride from there? I s'pose you can git to the next dam, [something or other "Rapids" w/o gitt'n my map out] but not likely beyond that eh? I know that is all scrub pine and muskeg north of that. (Flat swamp for hundreds of clicks) Need to go to the Q-bec side to find a road further north.

I forgot to mention: I searched Facebook and Google for extreme tours, but couldn't find anything. Anyone wunna post up some links?

I find some of the comments here quite cornfusing.... Some wish it was still the remote designation that it once was. Others think that the place should be ran jist like the 711 a 2 block walk from their house in the city. Well, I aint from no city, that's fer sure, but I would want, and expect some bush camp ran joint way off the beaten path to be "Cowboyish". If I wanted something other, I would likely be in Miami in stead. Now I would expect the owner(s) of a place like this to be hands on in regards to gitt'n the trail cleared and whatnot. And from here it would seem not responsible on their part to have the accomodations ready for the groomer opperator. Also, I am gitt'n the picture that the groomer opperators are not volunteering to make the run north. If it's not open, and the operator doesn't need to be there, then that soul could have his butt in a groomer too. The "Volunteers" in these apps should be those that benefit from it directly. Motels and such, and places like this.