tricky

X2. What's the big secret or non-secret, depending on whether or not you are an active club member, or otherwise in the communications loop?

I have no recent information and am not connected in any way with the region. I just recall information put forward on this forum in the off season last year that efforts were being made to connect Marathon to Manitouwadge, and then a link to Longlac. So mostly just wishful thinking on my part, fuelled by previous banter and my own desire to get back to that area. I recall riding in that area in 2004 or 2005, and it was breath taking.

This is great news! Thanks for sharing it. I sure hope Jean and Don didn't have to give it away. Now, hopefully the Halfway situation can be resolved and the Manitouwadge loop can be completed, and it snows, and.... There is great potential for the northwest as the northeast gets too busy. I needed a pick-me-up today and the Black Creek/HH news hit the spot.

Close enough, although the distance from Top D/Wawa 5 intersection to Halfway is suspect. That stretch on my last three sleds has always been closer to 90 km, maybe 95 (when every map I have used has called it much further), but all the other distances have agreed with my sled. I think that is where some others have come up with 225 to 235 for Wawa to Chapleau. But as 1049, Turbo Doo and others have stated, it isn't fuel for sleds that makes HH a critical fixture. There's all of the grooming logistics, food, shelter and safety considerations that are even more important. Newer sleds almost all

Depends on the sled/sledder. I can.

I was surprised to see the grass at home completely covered Wednesday AM, so about 2 inches. Didn't have to get a shovel out, as it was mostly melted in three hours. Nothing like Ox had. Great motorcycling day today.

Some might say, " the good ole days"

A friend in his fifties recently bought a new Ram pick-up on the 0 percent interest for 7 years promo. The truck could have been had for almost $7K less if cash were payed. But its not just the interest that is problematic, its that all debt, at least in theory has to be re-payed at some time. If you can't pay outright for your toys in your prime income earning years, when the hell are you to pay off all your toy debt? In the same time frame as that new Ram was bought, I bought a 1 year old Ram with 17K km, a 3 year old sled with 2000 km and a 5 year old beauty of a motorcycle with under 8000k

If you can't pay (cash$$$), you shouldn't play. I agree with Turbo Doo on that. Many expressions that light the path to real financial security come to mind when this is discussed, but the best is "Interest is to be earned, not paid." When I heard the numbers from a local dealer, I couldn't believe the percentage of power toys that were financed. F**king crazy. In my life, I have had a mortgage, one car loan and one start-up furniture loan. The latter two were paid off early. Pay with money you have earned and you will finish on top. I guess it all comes with entitlement. My generation is to b

Congratulations, I think and hope, on your choice for 2022. That is no small decision so you obviously considered it carefully. In the last couple of years, I have noticed others making a switch away from Cat and Yamaha to POO or DOO (also some movement to Yamaha in the Yamacat era). I hope not too many make that shift, since I feel we are close to losing one or both of AC and Yamaha from sled production. That couldn't be good for snowmobilers in general, could it? As things stand now, its hard to see how we could lose one of AC or Yam without losing the other, and a two horse race in all

Christy, great recognition idea. Thanks. I used up all my 'likes' for the day, but your post certainly deserved one.

Another model year will come and go without a damned sled from any manufacturer interesting me in the least. The last year that a new model excited me was 2016 and the sled was the Blizzard 900 ACE. I waited a year bought a 2017, kept it for 4 years and 20000+ km, and would buy the same sled if offered new today. Another season(only 4000 km) has passed where only a couple of groups passed me on the trail, so I know I don't need more power as I passed dozens of groups. Having just come back from NCDN, I have reaffirmed that its not my kind of riding over a long haul. Too much straight rid

Last hurrah short tour was a total success, as parts of it have already been described earlier in this thread. Adding some pics now. A highlight of the trip was meeting Volunteer 2 and crew in Kap at the Advantage Motel on Wednesday evening. We discovered that we had basically the same plans for the next three days. Unfortunately one of our new found friends, had a sled go down on Thursday and 2 guys drove home on Friday. Thanks V 2 for the Friday ride on your sled - nice steering set-up with the two different makes of carbides. Now I don't have to worry that I might have to buy a

So glad that you enjoyed the trip and figured out the irrational trail choices that so many make on the NCDN. On Saturday, we only had to return from Hearst to Kap. Even on a good day, using the A trail all the way would not be much fun, but this past Saturday the A trail was like a busy, mushy, washboard highway. But it was packed with sleds, when local loop trails were almost empty. We left Hearst westbound on A, to the western L163 intersection, then took the top of 163, 165, 159, 161 and 153 to Mattice where we had to rejoin the A trail. We road the 40+ km of $hit to Opasatika, then jumped

We weren't past the Apollo until early Saturday PM, when we pulled back into Kap on the L143 to close out the season. There were 3 rigs there, IIRC. There were 9 or 10 rigs at the Advantage Motel. All of the little motels along hwy 11 in Kap had some trailers in their lots. Seemed like everyone had a piece of the pie. I could see how there is a parking problem at the Super 8. It was beyond full Sunday AM when we left town. Thanks revrnd and 1049 for recommending the Advantage, and to Turbo Doo and 1049 for suggesting we stage out of Kap. The 2.5 day and 1000 km ride was literally as good as it