ecarnell

Headed up north for one last ride with my “little guy”. Turning out to be a big 15 year old! trailered to New Liskeard - on trail 11:23 am. the previous red/crossing (currently yellow) frozen over as of now just before Elgenhart, and we stopped for lunch at Tim Hortons. gassed in Matheson. The 650 was on fumes at 188km. not a ton of snow , crossings starting to be lots of gravel - but overall trails really good. made good time (after stopping and helping two guys load a broken sled into back of a truck ) -arrived at the glorious Travel Lodge of chez Cochrane at 5:36 pm at 296.9km. plan to head west and back to Cochrane tomorrow (without bags).

Ditches are at least open! may have to trailer inland this weekend to ride locally.

DIY , as most rental companies didn’t want to rent a 160 hp 850 cc machine to a 15 year old for some reason???? 🤔🤔🙄 that being said , Saturday we rode by ourselves at Boulder to get use to powder and mountain riding (and the narrow ski stance and 2” tracks!) and Sunday the owner Mike , came out with us on his 850 turbo and took us to Frisby ridge to some spots not easily accessible unless your a local. Was the best day ever. Seriously. Note , my son is better at two things than me already. Fishing and back country snowmobiling !

If you have the opportunity do it. My amazing (15 year old) son and I took a long weekend and headed to Revelstoke to sled this past Sat and Sun. rented basically brand spanking new 2023 850 summits 154’s from Freeriderrentals.com Was an absolute blast. Best time I’ve had on a motorized vehicle. heading back next year for sure (and in better shape!) Views: half the amount of snow this year that last year at this time. getting too hot and cooling down:

Absolutely AAA trails today . So glad we changed up some plans. sorry can’t post any pics. Another 24 hrs up here then heading home. Won’t be much more riding January for us - heading west to Revelstoke to ride in two weeks. Sorry no pics will be available. have a great and safe season.

At snowmobile show this year. that a first ???

I’m still pondering putting a small orange laminated sign on the hitch stating “Apple air tag on trailer” if I were a thief you’d think they would think twice , about stealing a trailer that can be tracked pretty easily? (And go onto the next trailer to steal instead ….)

Got our two. sooo nice not having to worry this year of having sleds arrive before the snow flys (both did NOT last year).

Scott - is that the narrowest offset trailer you can fit two long track /switchbacks /144” in , do you know ?

GP Bikes no tax sale this weekend …. And carry the XPT apparently.

I’d wait for no tax sale at royal distributing and pick them up then. they will have some sales surely this summer / fall I suspect.

Ha ha - never looked at the fine print - but makes sense !

Thanks royal distributing starting spring sale tomorrow I think , so if you need one………

On Tuesday , A103 was a great trail. , very fast . Nice powder on the side. Better than the last three times I’ve been on it actually in last 2 years. given past temps - I’m sure most trails are marginal at best , as most not grooming with positive temps. note: i may have made another ‘ fuel caddy ‘ (as we had two sleds) to avoid stopping in to fill up…. (dumped fuel in at the 85km shack stop)

Are there two tour groups going to Moose Factory now? one From abitibi base camp and other from west (kap / Hearst?)? did the trip back in 1994 (on 1992 polaris RXL’s!!), and thinking doing with son at some point in time.

Well after 322 km today , fat lady has sung for us . Timmins - elk lake - NL left 8:40 am , back at truck 5:09pm 1589 km for the trip took L143 down . Wasn’t the greatest / nor fast - but had fun on the hills , powder and ended up getting stuck the best / worse I ever had . Still lots of snow There was an 8km section of plowed road . We religiously pulled off and kicked snow into track every 1km. We were fine , but met a couple of artic cats overheated on side of trail . Their skids were clean - like brand new clean - don’t think they even tried to hit the side banks at all. Great late late lunch at elk lake Eco Rain finally came earlton to new liskeard . Roads taken a beating compared to 96 hrs earlier . long drive home to kincardine tonight . ps - I have a fantastic little son ( and a great wife for letting us go!) - helped dig me out a couple times . Even road the 850 out from the last hole I dug myself into while I pulled on ski. next year we are going to do half days riding and other half powder playing . He seems to really enjoy it . Pss - saw an old 1988 488 fan Indy trail deluxe at elk lake . That , and a trail model , we’re my dads and I first real trail sleds . Crazy we put 200 mile days on those things decades ago !

Another wonderful day of riding - 369 km Cohrane - abitibi - timmins late start as we slept in from long day yesterday and wanted to call at 9:30 to make sure smoothrock had got gas this am. left 10:00am Canadian tire gas bar after tipping up 3 old oil cans with fuel , and our 12l linq already with premium as plan was to drive through base camp. Stopped and dumped fuel in at 85 km at shack fast ride up. Taking pictures at hydro dam 12:20pm. west side was long !!!!! tons of paying , tipping , digging out. that’s what healthy active 14 year boys want to do! Have some vids but don’t know how to attach them. finally made it down to smooth rock - had GREAT sandwiches at ELLIS bistro , would recommend it . headed south to timmins at 3:20ish- Fast C trail until outskirts of town. I had called ahead at Polaris dealer in timmins to order a jug of oil (underestimated usage with two two-stroke sleds and mileage / consumption) and they left it out front for us to pick up 5:10pm. got second last room at the travel lodge , went out to get gas then cleaned up and locked up sleds. great dinner next door at east side Mario’s. off to elk lake for late lunch then NL then trailering home

570 km today another big day wrapped up. trails were perfect - almost too perfect rode Cochrane to Hearst and back with a lot of hydroline and gas line riding. L155 was really nice . sooo hard to keep up to a fit 14 year old in the powder ! Only dumped her once ! crazy how things have changed up here in a year with Covid . Diner in smoothrock closed , chucks road house in kap closed. smooth rock only had 2,000 l left of regular this aft , and were to get a shipment of reg and premium tomorrow am. I was / am a little worried - as all the locals seem to be filling up their trucks this aft , wonder if they know something we don’t ??

Beautiful ride to kap this am - coffee and soup at Tims right now. note - Smoothrock out of premium apparently .

Was slow and bumpy compared to A around and north of Kirkland this afternoon .

Had another wonderful day riding with my 14 year old buddy. Trialed up to New liskeard , after Harveys and stop into Walmart for some snacks , and finally on the trail heading north at 1:51pm. Late start with time change also it seems! little bumpy on river , open fields great up to Englehart. A108 not the greatest into Kirkland. Slow and bumpy. 😪 North of Kirkland A great.👍 stopped in for Chinese dinner at the small little resultant in matheson , back onto the trail 7pm. made it to gas in Cochrane 9:06pm. 321 km to the hotel. spend a fair bit of time exploring down some of the hydro lines (as free trail turns off) and tons of wheelies in the powder . Son love playing in the softer stuff. the Best Western swan hotel sure is a step up from the Chimo and Thriftlodge last year when we were up! didn’t see a SINGLE sled last 120km tonight . Off to Hearst and back tomorrow . Leaving gear in hotel for for the day so lighter to play around !

Boosted sleds , 900r but still can’t make a plastic gas can for their lock n ride system !!!!! can’t say I’m in love with 2023 colours.

Wow . And probably no discount for snow check , and they will sell every one of them….

Next time we head out for a tour I'm buying 10 $5 Tim’s cards to give the groomers I met along the way. Keep them in my right front pocket easy to get out. crazy people comments .