PISTON LAKE CRUISER

Times 2. The Westway is the right spot but book really early.

Yes, our trail boss is still dealing with the Region on the railbed from west of Guelph to Millbank since last April. It involves 3 District 5 clubs. The Wellesley club stakes and signs to the railbed at the Millbank end. Gates are all closed and locked on our section of the railbed at present. We may have to look at alternative routes PDQ.

The new MOU's are a requirement by the OFSC's Insurance Company. It requires every piece of land that OFSC trails cross in Ontario have a signed MOU or acceptable(to the insurer) substitute. So even just a trail crossing an unused railbed need to be dealt with. Clubs were warned it was going to happen a few years ago. The holdups that aren't signed are I'm sure, from all types of landowner's but it seems Municipalities and government entities would likely be the ones that take the longest time to deal with. I know of one that has been in process since last April and is still not completed. Very time consuming and frustrating for club volunteers.

I heard that your groomer is on loan to replace the Elmira, St. Clements & Wellesley area groomer which broke a king pin a week ago last Saturday. There must have been some collateral damage to be down this long or waiting for parts. The St. Clements trail at my place has 6+ inches of snow on it so we are impatiently waiting for some grooming.

I don't know how they could regulate that now. I belong to a club but I can / have chosen a different club I want to support when buying permits. If no one chose an existing club it would be odd but could happen. It used to be years ago that a club had to sell 50 permits to maintain club status but that was when each club was actually selling the permits.

I'm pretty sure that clicking on a club when buying a permit no longer means a % of the permit money goes directly to the club. Money flows to the District and they pay the bills. Clicking on a club is used for sharing volunteer opportunities.

My guess is the club(s) are still working on getting MOU's signed.

This was a very big job covering all landowners that trails cross in Ontario. Many municipalities hava a complicated procedure for approvals that includes their legal department and they take a long time especially when you run into things like the municipal contact retiring and the replacement knowing little about snowmobiling and nothing about sled trails. Then sometimes it has to go to council after that. If one property on a trail doesn't have a signed MOU the trail from the closest intersection in either direction can't even be staked or signed until that MOU is signed and put through the District office then the trail will show back up on the map and the other work starts. The people doing all this work are volunteers with jobs, families and a life away from snowmobiling. Some clubs started the process of getting the MOU's signed well over a year ago and still aren't finished..

Companion Motel is a very good spot. It has a good restaurant and bar, sauna, gym and steam room as well as a heated sled garage for a small fee. The main floor rear rooms have outside doors so you can park the sleds and go straight into your rooms. They have some adjoining rooms. If I remember correctly, we always get room 129 and 131 which are adjoining and at the end of the hall so not to much hall noise. The owner of the Companion also owns the Super 8 motel right next door across the driveway which has a pool and there is a convenient door to the restaurant at the Companion. It also has outside doors from the rooms and I am told is very nice. You can Google Expedia.ca Lodging in Hearst for pics and info. Note: Book very early as the rooms go quick at these 2.

If they can get the signed MOU then the trails will most likely show up on the ITG again.

It is definitely Mono Twp.

Ellis Swampers and Science Hill clubs have opened some by the look of it.

You are correct, it is the western part of Mono Cliffs P.P. Would this area have been part of the District that was quietly dismantled a year or to ago?

Thanks Dan. I always enjoy reading about your rides with the map out to see just where you were.

Welcome to the forum Berford Guy. You will find lots of good information and a sprinkling of fun around here. Have a look at the ONLINE MAP? thread in the main forum. It has good information about the likely reason that the trail doesn't show on the ITG.

The Candy Store!

Yes they are. That said the trails west of Elmira now have a lot of dirt showing and should likely close tonight. It will probably take longer to get them going again. Trails in the St. Clements area have about 4" of snow on them. Snow is a little deeper east of there.

My son just told me the Lions park lot is full and overflow onto the church parking lot 1/2 hour ago.There isn't a lot of open trail to go to. Just Conestoga Lake trails and every thing else is closed but likely available to the entitled.

In one sense it doesn't matter at this time because there is no trail or closed trail at the north end of the empty stretch and closed trail to the south.. That said, I'm trying to remember if the south part of that section is on railway property as the trail runs between Monahan road and the railway tracks for a few km. If it is on railway property that may be the issue. If there is snow on the roads it is very easy to ride sideroads to the currently closed trail north of Val Gagne. I know not so long ago I read that Timmins was still having MOU issues on part of the trail to the A trail. A101C I think is its name .

That is not exactly what the notice from the MFD stated. Besides the fact that you are responding to Tricky who was involved in the discussion from the get go and thus knows all about it.

Brussels area is now open connecting to the open Listowel trails and west as far as Blyth and south to Seaforth

I don't know how long the restaurant or its owners have owned the parking area across the sideroad. It was a bulk fuel depot at one time many years ago.

Interestingly enough, below is a Mount Forest Drifters S.C. F/B post from 2 hours ago about the parking lot across from The Spot Restaurant: Sorry everyone! Parking at The Spot Restaurant is for Patrons only! Yes there was a parking Icon from years ago on the ITG. This will be removed. We apologize for the misunderstanding. Go in and have a meal or throw some cash in the donation Jar! That parking lot doesn't miraculousy plow itself! Please make sure you have permission to park here and anywhere else. On behalf of the club, I would like to apologize for our lack of trailside parking, but we do trails, not parking lots. Signs have been posted and vehicles will be ticketed or towed.

Their Facebook page post from 19 hours ago says they had to close a section of trail due to flooding but doesn't say what section. If it was flooding west of Hwy 6, the parking area across from the Spot restaurant could be included in the closure because I believe closures on the ITG are usually from the closest trail intersection on one side of the flooded area to closest trail intersection on the opposite side of the flooded area. In this case if the flooded area is west of Hwy. 6 the trail from the Spot southeast to the next trail intersection may be included but could be still passable. I'm not saying this is the case but this is how closures are usually shown on the ITG. The trail into the No Frills is because they have gas out front. I've never noticed sled trailers parked on that lot but wasn't particularly looking for them. That said there are now 2 trails coming in to the area of the No Frills. I think the north trail may be to get into the A&W and the south is for No Frills gas. Sorry, I'm not a lot of help for alternative parking.

The main reason most clubs are going to Facebook to communicate is the cost savings.