[How much snow do you have?]

Sorry. About +20” or so in the Thunder Bay - Geraldton region. Strictly off trail/back woods/pipeline runs around here. Lots of slush on the lakes makes for sloppy fishing. 

[Superior Snow Challenge]

1 hour ago, signfan said:

Why bother with Hornepayne? Just get a link from Marathon through Manitouwadge to Longlac and maybe a local loop in the Manitouwadge area for locals.  That should be enough.  If one lesson from the past should be learned it's not to overdo it.  What gets put in place needs to be sustainable.

 

Curious to see if there is any local support.  Will the help and the sale of 50 trail permits occur in Manitouwadge.  The town has to actually want this to ever make it a success.

Your first paragraph is why there will likely be little local support from individual local snowmobilers. As a touring snowmobiler, I get it, you want to get somewhere.  However, most locals just want to ride, well, locally, do some day loops.  We ran into this problem in Nipigon.  As the permit price went up, and the local loops were closed, to concentrate resources on the TOP trails, folks lost interest. How many times can you ride the same trail out and back again?   Gets pretty boring.  Also, since there have been no formal trails in years, everybody who rides has moved to off trail sleds. I wish these folks nothing but well, but as mentioned before, they’re pushing uphill. 

[Coldest Temp 2019/2020 Thread]

-25 here in beautiful downtown Lappe this morning.

[Canadian Tire Snowmobile Ramp On Sale....]

On 11/27/2019 at 8:43 PM, revrnd said:

How do you guys stow these during the trip?

This on my trailer, but you get the idea...

Untitled 3.pdf

[Canadian Tire Snowmobile Ramp On Sale....]

4 minutes ago, revrnd said:

How do you guys stow these during the trip?

Mine lies flat (folded of course), beside the sled, with one end on the ski.  I replace the useless wire holder oners with cam lock tie down straps, and wrap one around the ski spindle. Doesn’t move an inch. For a little more security, I put a bungee through the lower end and pass it around any part of the skid.  Sorry no pics. 

[B trail washout]

10 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Good point about the groomer+ snow weights. In this washout case, it had/has a culvert in it. If the damage was properly fixed with a new culvert then why would that be an issue? The fish habitat is already long past destroyed by the washout. I'm pretty sure if this was a traveled sideroad or highway it would get fixed the same way very quickly by the municipality or MTO contractor.

Agreed.  This one SHOULD be a fairly quick fix.   Unfortunately, many structures that have been in place for a long time do not meet today’s standards, and when they do fail, need to be replaced with a larger structure.  Flood events are getting worse and more frequent, whether you accept climate change or not, and it’s just prudent to install a crossing that’s not going to fail again next spring.  I’m vaguely familiar with this road, and am pretty sure it’s been around forever. I’m sure the water crossings ( even though they’ve lasted this long) do not meet current standards, and should be upgraded so they don’t blow out again and cause more damage, and end up costing even more money. 

[B trail washout]

Both good points, however, placing a camper frame or other ad-hoc structures over a creek, while it may work for a short term, for a snowmobile, is not engineered to hold the weight of a groomer + snow, never mind what some joker might try to use it for in the off season.   If it fails, the MNRF is on the hook, liability wise, because it’s on Crown Land.  That’s why they’re so anal about it.  I’m aware of a similar situation that occurred north of Nipigon.  The club installed an old truck frame across a river.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t long enough, so the contractor pushed the banks into the river until it fit. It was not pretty.  I can assure you that asking forgiveness later didn’t work, and it was expensive to fix.  

[B trail washout]

10 minutes ago, Ox said:

 

For the most part - I live that mentality, BUT....

 

One club (?) in District 16 tossed a clean, used, one owner mobile home frame over a crick. Cheap and works fine...

 

Someone reported it and District 16 had to git an excavator in there as soon as it semi froze, to lift it back out.

Had to edge prep the shore on both sides, and doo God knows what paperwork study on the resulting health of the speckled trout known to be in the crick.

 

I just don't understand the BS!

 

Now - this was in the late 90's mind you.

I'm sure it's only gotten worster since then. 

 

 

So, your saying it’s ok to off a population of speckled trout (or whatever), so you can snowmobile?  This is exactly why the regulations and “BS” is in place.  Why destroy the environment when a well planned crossing can work better and probably last longer? 

[Open or Closed Businesses]

Hello. Some info for your lists.  

 

NIPIGON: Maple Leaf Motel, 1st St. - closed

SCHREIBER: Barrel Inn Motel/Cliffside Motel, 106 Quebec St. - Closed

RED ROCK: Roadhouse Bar & Grill, -Closed

JELLICOE: Travelair Motel, on Hwy. #11 - Closed

 

BP

[A105Q Trail Closed]

And as it happens, some of the adopted clubs from the old D16 are trying to resurrect some of those old trails. Funny how it all works out sometimes.

Yes, and I hope they're successful at it.   The Three clubs in question (Marathon, Greenstone and Thunder Bay) have all been adopted into other regions, as you say.  Since they were, to one degree or another still active, their infrastructure is probably in reasonably good shape.  I am aware that MNR is concerned about the OFSC bridges here in the Nipigon and Terrace Bay areas that have not been inspected or maintained in 4 or 5 years.  I know of two that have collapsed and others that would likely be hazardous to use.  I think that will be the big issue in trying to resurrect many of these trails over here, especially since it sounds like the OFSC is already cash strapped.  Bridges are expensive.   

[A105Q Trail Closed]

I believe the club must decommision the trail before it can be closed permanently. As long as there are any club/OFSC signage out there it is still considered an OFSC trail. 138km is a lot of trail to inspect and decommission. Maybe the club can generate some interest in volunteers coming out to help if the trail is still on the books. It would be nice if things could change once some of the dust settles on all the changes going on.

There are still loads of signs, bridges and other infrastructure all over D16. Different circumstances, but no one inspected any of it when it disappeared.

[Open or Closed Businesses]

I've seen it, but don't recall ever seeing it open, or what it was called.