tricky

X2

That is where the incident occurred - where there are only two traffic lanes and the speed limit drops.

A student whose permanent home is in the GTA, but goes to school in Sudbury had a hard time convincing the OPP that she lived for the semester in Sudbury, because she understandably hadn't changed her driver's licence. She was able, on her phone, to find her rental agreement email from her landlord, and only then was she allowed to carry on north. She wasn't the only one stopped. We were told by our medical officer of health to stay home. We were also told not to share a vehicle with people we didn't live with. People were told not to go to their own cottages. There were a lot of rules relaxed in the summer that may be re-introduced.

Regarding plans to sled in Northern Ontario, is anyone concerned that there may be a lockdown edict that basically says "southerners stay home". It happened in the spring and the OPP were out on 69 highway near Pointe Au Baril, turning around northbound drivers who didn't live in the Sudbury area or weren't conducting "essential business" in the area. I know Doug Ford doesn't personally support such measures, but I think he could be convinced that he has to 'shut 'er down'. Is anyone close enough to the OPP to know if such measures are being contemplated now? I have heard third hand that such is the case, but hope not.

Enjoy your stay Eric. There are quite a few of us very curious to hear how the Chimo works out, since we used to stay there 15 to over 20 years ago. Recent years the Westway has become almost unanimously option one, with maybe Thriftlodge in second place. Hope you find great conditions and it doesn't get 'Cochrane cold' on you and your son. I'm envious. I have grown kids and teenaged grandkids, but it seems sledding isn't for everyone. Report please.

Thanks Dan. Late, but still encouraging. As they keep repeating, "there's light at the end of the tunnel".

Blake, you pi$$ me off the way you torment us southerners!

Love that plan. That is similar to how I managed sledding the last 5 or 6 years of work. My large company was happy to have people use up vacation in January and February. We were lucky in that 4 to 6 guys could do a similar thing, and we actually got more trips in while we were working than we have most of the years of retirement. Recent years, with more of us retired, we can't get multiple people to agree on the same days to go away and as a result we were sledding less, trying to accommodate some with less commitment to sledding. When 'John' couldn't make it, because someone had to stay home with the dog, and his wife was going to the spa for two days, blah, blah, blah.....that started to get frustrating. So now when the snow and the forecast are good, I announce that I am going sledding in 3 or 4 days "does anyone want to join me". That worked very well last season - always got 2 - 4 others to join. Hoping for a repeat this season. At least that's my plan!

Thanks Blackstar. That is great news because my daughter lives in Erin close to the rail trail, and sledding from her driveway is the closest thing I have ever done to "sledding from home".

Speaking of riding from home in southern Ontario, has there been any news of trails re-opening this year on conservation authority lands that were closed last year over insurance concerns? Grand River, Conestoga and maybe Credit River authorities were effected close to me.

Each planner two meters apart of course.

But seriously, back to the plans for this winter. I have been a touring sledder since 1994. In the earliest days, we would just head north on a Wednesday or Thursday after work and stage where the driver got tired or the snow got good. Sometimes that was south of 17, sometimes it meant Cochrane. Never did we not find a room. In the 21st century we started to book the staging motel or lodge earlier in the travel week. Until 2019, we almost never pre-booked on route rooms, and then we ended up one cold February Wednesday evening in White River and found nary a room to be had. Miners and construction workers had all the rooms booked Monday through Thursday. Being quick learners, we have started to be a little more aware of where we are heading and book some nights in advance. This winter we will book all nights in advance, but not now for January, February and March. I see OCers have already booked accommodations night by night at various times during the winter. This seems to take some of the adventure out of sledding. Some days the weather is great, conditions are great and the group is in sync, so we doo 600 km in the north or 400 in the south. Other days we are out of sync, stuff happens and we have a tough time doing 250 km. I am really going to miss the spontaneity of booking from the trail at lunch time for that evening. I have stayed in a number of great lodges across the north and near north, that I would not have discovered if not for our now outdated travel routine. The other risk I see in long term planning, is the inability to always sled in the best conditions. Our group watches the two week weather forecast religiously and tend to plan trips no more than 10 days in the future. We go where the chances look best for exceptional conditions. Easy to do now that we are mostly retired, but we operated that way while still working. That's with a mix of self employed, small to medium business owners and large corporation management and union workers. I may get totally shut out this winter, because I can't bare the thought of organizing a trip with dud weather or trail conditions, buy booking now for the unknown. I hope everyone's plans work out and that there are some rooms open somewhere on a week's notice once the white gold covers the ground. Our ace in the whole is that we have learned that there are great sledding opportunities from Cornwall to Kincardine, and Orangeville to Longlac, so as long as the conditions are good we will go anywhere.

Glad I didn't say that! Generally, but not always, I found sledding and dirt bike riding, that younger women will exercise their right to relief tastefully, but surprising close to the trail.

Chickey, many here are uber experienced and sincerely wish to share their trail knowledge and experience. Go Bills highlighted the first caveat. For some sledders, 150 km of Haliburton sledding is a full day. For others 350 km is more to their liking. Generally, I concur with the advice to head east toward Bancroft/Lake St Peter. I have found great trails and less traffic in that direction, but the key factor to enjoying any trails is actual exact condition of the trail. That involves depth of snow, and quality of grooming relative to traffic volume. Haliburton is very rocky and hilly, which requires substantial snow depth to fill all the holes. Research, as best you can, on the ITG and on this forum leading up to your vacation week, and head where conditions are best, not where you decided on New Year's Eve to sled. Sometimes 60 km one direction or the other have a big effect on trail conditions. Know the weather forecast inside out. Some micro areas can handle February warm weather better than others. Know as much as possible what trails are side of the open road trails, and avoid them if there hasn't been recent snow. This might seem like a lot of preparation work, but It pays off in a better sledding experience. OC contributors on this forum will help steer you right regarding trail conditions up to and during your stay. In the right conditions, you are heading to a great sledding destination. Good luck with your week.

Thanks TD for the G4 info. I have only had a brief ride on a friend's 850 very early on. He admitted that he had not yet found the sweet spot for handling set up. That was a '17 and he has bought two more since then. I didn't take a ride on his '19 mostly because I am not a big power guy. I have very poor blood circulation to my hands and feet, so really enjoy the head-to-toe cocoon of still air once I put the taller windshield on my XS. The 2018 TNT that I just bought only has 2K km on it, so I won't buy again for 2 or 3 years.

I don't like the smaller fuel tank for starters. Fortunately I ride primarily with friends with 900 ACE XS sleds. We use the 300 km range and I don't want to loose that. I prefer the cold weather wind protection of the XS. I am not looking for better handling because I'm touring, not racing and I love the handling of my XS chassis. Is the G4 much superior is some aspects? Ox, as TD answered, my 17 is an XS.

My once only frozen relay was on a 2017 XS. I am avoiding the G4, just like I did with the XP, waiting for something better.

Back to the subject relays. If you don't mind holding on to them until I make a winter trip to the family cottage, or my first sledding trip up 11, I will gladly take them off your hands. You can message me thru OC to get my contact info for further follow up. The relay issue can be handled either way - carry spares, or get the better ones and be done with it. In 4 seasons and 20K km, I only had one freeze up on my '17 Blizzard. Took the relay out, warmed and dried it, and carried on. Spares though, is a better strategy. I had a local sledding friend visit Bracebridge Friday, so pick up is doable in a variety of ways. Rick

ToSlow, your question is like asking if the pope is catholic. Many here have done that ride many times, north to south and south to north. Great area. Times have certainly changed. In '99 a pair of us did what we and others called, 'the big loop'. Left GTA after work Thursday with the tow vehicle of that time, a 1990 Dakota V6 pickup, and drove to Iroquois Falls to stage. Our sleds were my '96 Indy 500 and Brian's '97(?) Formula 500. Our Friday day 1 route was to Chapleau, via the old 101 trail which was way tougher and slower than the current trail. Saturday took us to Hearst via the F and D trails, which I believe were also slower then. I recall almost being out of fuel twice that day (carried no spare fuel). We rolled into Hornepayne and both took 45+ litres of gas in our 45 L tanks. Very Close! Got into Hearst and took 43+L. Just close. The last 20 or so km into Hearst, we passed two groups traveling the same direction who had one or more sleds out of fuel. The final day, Sunday, we rode back to the motel at Iroquois Falls. Drove home Monday - a part day. Not sure of the exact total mileage, but we did the minimum the trip offered. I think we had over 1800 km. One of those days was close to 700 or more and we didn't ride in deep darkness. Fast forward to 2020, better sleds, better fuel economy, better gear, GPS and better towing combos and my recent similar trips have taken 4 or 5 (side trip up to the canyon) days on smoother faster trails. Not sure if we are smarter now, just softer or just older. My riding mates have a name for the process that we have undergone, but I don't think I can use it here. ToSlow, for sure get up to District 13,14,15 to ride this winter. It is snowmobiling heaven, and the traffic on any open southern trails will be unbearable and unsafe this winter with all the sleds that have already been purchased this fall. There are damned few new or used sleds available to buy and prices are sky high.

I can't "like" that. I am dreading the day that I give up my outdoor power sports. My toys and toy friends completely define my life. The only other things that I liked were hockey and golf, and medical conditions have already ruled them out. I won't know what to do!

X2 on the 4 stroke Poo. Scott, I can imagine how your Dad and you are looking forward to this winter. It gives me goose bumps thinking about it. Good on you! Your Dad is only a couple years younger than I am, and I know I get really stoked whenever my son or daughter can join me for even a day of sledding or dirt biking. Tough time for them, even with Covid 19 restrictions, to get them away from my grandkids organized puck and ball sports. Meanwhile I am trying to keep enough dirt bikes to outfit the whole extended family just in case there is a day or two that we can ride together before I am TFO. Enjoy the winter and many more to you and Ross.

X2. Its a beauty either way.

He technically ordered no colours, since black is the absence of colour. His 129 (no shocks) is pretty much all black. Her 137 with shocks is black and grey. They weren't too imaginative when it came to colour, IMO. The only thing wrong with my new-to-me 900 TNT is that its all black with a little grey trim. Skidoos should be yellow, Polaris red or blue, Yamahas should be Yamaha blue and Cats green. Simple! Who screwed up the whole colour thing?

Thanks gobills. No more explaining required, but got to be hard on WE, Polaris, dealers and customers. Those shocks are new this year, at least as standard issue on any Polaris model, aren't they? My buddy snow checked 2 VR1 s - one came with shocks, one without. One was ordered by the original date and the second during the Covid (?) extension.

Have any of the Polaris faithful heard of their new snow checked VR1 sleds arriving at the dealer minus the front Walker Evans shocks. The decision to ship short the shocks could not have been made lightly. Sounds kinda '80s ish, but with a $500 promised delivery date penalty staring at them, maybe the decision was easier than would normally have been the case. Somebody's got some splainin' to do.