Dan-Senior

Chad and I were in the Aubrey Falls area today clearing trees along the trails. We stopped in at Black Creek Outfitters for an amazing lunch.

Right-On OX. You got it, going right by Johnny's Truckstop. We might snag the powerline run at Domtar km 11 and shoot east, then south. It's pretty scenic and there are 3 long track guys to break trail ahead of me.

Heading to Aubrey Falls with a group tomorrow to break trail and clear trees. Destination, Black Creek Outfitters on highway 129 coming in from the Sault Ste. Marie side via the Domtar.

Here's a video of the Sharpsand River Hill Climb we did yesterday. The mountain was a lot steeper than what the video shows. I got stuck halfway up. Chad with the long track 800 came up from behind and broke the top half of the mountain. After several tries. I finally made it to the top, thanks to studs. I like the old vintage Polaris Super Sport as I can pick it up and toss it around without issues when I get stuck. The sled has a suspension lift kit for deeper snow, the heads have been milled for increased compression, the clutch weights were changed to lighter weights and a heavier spring to keep the engine in the chain-saw powerband and plastic skis were installed to lighten it up even more.

The powerline connects the Aubrey Falls Dam with the Wharncliffe Dam and is on the east side of highway 129. The section from Black Creek Road down to Wakomata Lake is a nice 26 mile endurance get-stuck workout with some very interesting hurdles along the way including open water and some steep hill climbs. We had our belts on fire yesterday on the southside of the Sharpsand River hillclimb. Good think Chad had the long-track 800 to make it to the top. I made it half way, then it hairpins to the right and straight up. After several runs and thanks to studs, I made it to the top. Attached is a photo I took the last time I took this cross-country run. You drop down into the valley, cross the boulder-covered river, then up that mountain. The fog is hiding the top half of the peak. Can't wait to go back for more punishment.

Today, Chad and I trailered to Black Creek Outfitters (Aubrey Falls) on the Chapleau highway 129 in Northern Ontario and we had the opportunity to meet the new owners of Black Creek Outfitters. They are very nice folks with incredible enthusiasm about supporting snowmobiling. They were happy to see snowmobilers arriving at their door today and provided coffee and a nice warm lunch. Snow depth ranged from 14" on the west side of highway 129 down the D106 trail, and 8" down the Kindiogami on the Elliot Lake F trail. Basically, the closer we went to Elliot Lake, the less snow there was. The closer we went towards Sault Ste. Marie, the snow kept getting deeper. Chad and I broke up the day with a variety of riding including some cross-country down the powerline from Black Creek Road to Seymour Lake, then shot out to highway 129 and grabbed the west 129 trail where we hit some deep powder back to Black Creek Outfitters. It was a good day.

I sold my double-wide aluminum to a gentleman for a bargain price, with anticipation of upgrading to a new trailer. Now that supply issues are front-and-center and prices have gone skyward, I'm now on hold. I still have one trailer and will hang on to it like glue.

Sault Ste. Marie - Updates - Wednesday Dec. 22nd We received 15 cms of powder last night within the City Centre. I was up early this morning to blow the driveway and went for a sled run shortly after. Hopefully our new neighbours next door from Southern-Ontario like snowmobiles.

Johnny's Truck Stop - Highway 129 - Aubrey Falls, Ontario Exactly, just like you said OX, check out the parking lot. Looks like most of the property is being used for storage, with a few buildings active for winter activity. The main Lodge is gone.

Yes, new owners. I have yet to meet them, however, they are very enthusiastic about the upcoming winter season based upon our email conversations and their posts. They are open.

Sault Ste. Marie - Updates It's snowing in the Sault today. We don't have a lot of snow in the City Centre itself, however, north of the city is a different story.

Veteran riders from the 1990's will remember this place. I took this photo only a few years back as this truck was parked in the bush north of Batchawana Bay, Ontario, which is quite a hike from it's home of Aubrey Falls, Ontario. Johnny's Truckstop was one of our weekend riding destinations coming in from Sault Ste. Marie or Elliot Lake.

My brief write-up of Sunday's Snowmobile trip north of Sault Ste. Marie. The hyperlink has the full summary. http://sled-x.ca/news/december-2021-report3.html

I'm looking at the 14 day Forecast for the Northern Corridor, its looking reasonable and promising, especially the projected cold temperatures with some snow.

There's a 3200 square mile section (80 x 40) of riding conditions north of the Sault, but snow-depth drops off south of Wawa and just west of Aubrey Falls to the east and Searchmont to the south.

Some photos from yesterday's Snowmobile Trip north of Sault Ste. Marie. Sledders were out-and-about enjoying the day and it was nice to see friends we haven't seen in awhile. There is excellent snow-depth averaging 55 cms in the higher elevations.. We visited an old Abandoned Mine at the 1900' level. It was a good day. Yesterday's Video

Sault Ste. Marie - Updates I added the Rear-View Camera, the Power Supply and the AC-DC Converter today. Instead of twisting backwards to look who is behind or using a hand mirror, the Tablet will work. Chad and I are going to run the mountains north of the City tomorrow and see how the new addition works.

The Feds held an Emergency Meeting yesterday with Province Premiers. Not sure how accurate these media reports are. The comments are worth reading. https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/federal-government-considering-new-travel-bans-to-limit-spread-of-omicron-sources

It's raining in Sault Ste. Marie today. We are not immune to the mild temperatures moving in this afternoon-overnight with a projected high of 7-8 degrees Celsius (44-46F). The good news is there's plenty of snow in the bush north of the city and this will pack nicely making for some decent bush riding. Fresh powder is on the way for Thursday afternoon as winter returns to the region

Sault Ste. Marie - Updates It's been an amazing December here and particularly north of Sault Ste. Marie. So much snow and so early in the season. This could be another stellar winter.

Good write-up and thanks for the info, Ski. Not sure if the story below applies to our American Friends, but on a side of caution, it may be worth reading. A Canadian couple went day-shopping in Michigan, upon their return to Canada, ended up in 14 days quarantine even though they uploaded their vaccine proof to the ArriveCan app and had their passports. What was missing was the QR code. https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/quick-trip-to-the-u-s-results-in-quarantine-nightmare-for-northern-ontario-couple-1.5699184

Snow-depth is good north of Sault Ste. Marie. On average, we were in about 16" of snow (40 cms) in the snowbelt area on Sunday. A good start to a traditional winter.

TD Insurance It was quite the ordeal to add another sled to my TD Insurance policy. The first two reps were trainees and didn't know what there doing. I lucked out on the 3rd call. This years cost $226 x 2 for a couple of old Polaris 440s.

Sault Ste. Marie Updates Some fresh snow overnight in the Sault. We will head out with the sleds tomorrow north of the city and try our luck. Attached is the projected snow map for Sunday afternoon. https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/city-of-sault-ste-marie-declares-significant-weather-event-and-advises-against-unnecessary-travel-4829549 Dan

North of Sault Ste. Marie is looking good. Great for local riders, but not so much for those that need to trailer and spend dollars on fuel and accommodations. Riding is currently limited to bush trails / roads at higher elevations. I was out yesterday and will likely get out again tomorrow.