tricky

I would definitely wait another week or two also, except that I have important family medical appointments to keep in both weeks. And, winter is short as we are seeing. Thanks for the feedback PLC and Blackstar. That handle and photo still don't look right.

Can anyone give a first hand report on current trail conditions from Iroquois Falls to Hearst? Hoping to enjoy the area this coming Tuesday thru Friday. Is anyone else heading there this week?

Maybe not! Those wanting out are going to have to give their sleds away. There are already hundreds of good sleds at great prices for sale in southern Ontario. Adding more on the supply side can only further hurt resale prices. Might be better to just keep the sled(s) and adjust your sledding expectations. A rider who has been sledding 4-6000 km per year, might only only get 2-2500 km this year. Similar ratio applies to the more casual low km rider. I had an enjoyable warm up of 70 km out of Fergus last Friday afternoon. Yesterday, out of Elmira, I got another 160 km in decent trail conditions down your way with Mr and Mrs Woodsy. Must embrace small victories like that and stop griping. I guess that's a lot easier to do when I'm not over invested in equipment or emotional anticipation. I will get north a couple of times and that might be all she wrote, but sign me up for the 2025 trail pass as soon as its available. We have always heard that diversification is the key to a financial portfolio. Same for powersports - have something ready to play with come April and use it. Key to happiness!

Sudbury area options would include: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiGjuTst-eDAxV7DHkGHde_CFQQjBB6BAgOEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmanslodge.net%2FBlog%2Fwinter-activities-at-sportsmans-lodge-wilderness-resort-kukagami-lake&usg=AOvVaw0WbIRA2aYbRnEeCnpFag2L&opi=89978449 Our group has had great trips out of both the North Bay and Sudbury areas in the past, but we have settled on greater Sudbury as the better sledding experience primarily because of better trail access. I haven't stayed at the Sportsman since the fairly recent ownership change, but its hard to beat the location on a main trail. We have stayed there in the past and been well served, but I know others haven't felt the same. Our more recent 'go to' staging accommodation in the near north has been Windy Lake Motel, northwest of Sudbury near Levack. I can't say enough about this two generation family business. Their motel is just a basic motel, but they have a provincial highway to the door, fuel pumps on site, loads of parking for trucks and trailers, excellent local trails and access to the major trails to get on with the trip that you have planned (minus NB). Food has always been good, and when we have had mechanical issues, they have been most helpful. We have staged from Windy Lake up thru Gogama and Timmins to Cochrane, then back south via Kirkland Lake, Gowganda and back. That might be a little longer than you had planned, but it was all good. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjfr_qvuueDAxWqBDQIHfmKAOEQFnoECAcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windylakemotel.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw1ThCBuZX5N87u_Hb28VGzb&opi=89978449 Wherever you stage, have a great trip and let us all know how it goes.

Seriously, I don't know exactly where you want to go on the trip, but I would never again use North Bay as my trip staging point. Most accommodations are a convoluted lousy sled ride to the good trails. Proper snow coverage is usually iffy until late in the season. Sudbury or even Sturgeon Falls offer much better good trail access. Just my opinion, of course, based on 30 years riding in the area.

I hear you with the hockey and I am just a grandfather. Hard to be an avid sledder and a hockey parent. Grandson has Ontario Winter Games tournament in Thunder Bay in late February. Might be an opportunity to see some hockey and ride somewhere totally new.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about what happened to District 8 and why, but it always seemed to me that there was one too many districts in that Simcoe County/Muskoka area.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiK-_-JqN6DAxVpOTQIHU8zCNUQFnoECA8QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnorthernontario.ctvnews.ca%2Ffatal-snowmobile-crash-on-closed-trail-near-sudbury-1.6725390%23%3A~%3Atext%3DA%2051%2Dyear%2Dold%20resident%2Cabout%20six%20kilometres%20from%20Cartier.&usg=AOvVaw2pVvFq4UAa5rFg8yS5arzF&opi=89978449 So sad, and so avoidable. Condolences to the family left behibd.

We got our 2"here in Milton. Now it has stopped snowing and is warming up again. Any further precipitation tonight will be rain. 9 or 10 AM Saturday its forecast to get cold again. What a crap show!

Thanks , Scott. Non-current '23 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro. Needed something lighter and a bit lower. Its been a long convoluted trip and somewhere along the way I lost 2" in height and most of my strength. I am almost afraid of what this sledding season is going to Doo to me.

Nothing here to make me drive 7 - 10 hours for a teaser. I am a much more relaxed sledder since I accepted that the OFSC snowmobiling season is from the end of January until the middle of March, and mostly north (east) of 17. For current entertainment, I am buying a new street bike tomorrow. Same price as a sled and I get 7 months use out of it.

Regarding the post below, I am thankful to the Broomhead family for the help and hospitality provided on our stays over the past decade or so - service well beyond the expected. I am relieved that some arrangement has been reached that keeps the business open. I was hoping that the entire property could be sold, but I am not certain that such is the case. Tough time to be selling such a property. If you never stayed there, you missed out on a gem, if you aren't the 5 star accommodations type. Best wishes to the new management. I sure hope they get a decent sled season, even if a bit late starting. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj067Latb2DAxWLDTQIHY38CuQQFnoECAgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FValentineFarmsBB%2F&usg=AOvVaw1h1GgCQ_RYjfsjHj-60RTX&opi=89978449

Big Time Truth. I hope all the dealers can survive 2024, but I suspect some will fail if we don't get cold very soon, followed by snow in January. February will be too late for some dealers if the OEMs don't offer some cost of inventory help. Hope I am wrong. With Yamaha departing the show, I can see the remaining three retailing sleds directly shortly.

But, but..... the Apex is a real Yamaha! Unfair Comparison!😉

Great place to ride, including C114 and C102D, when there is sufficient snow. I am fussy about snow coverage so haven't ridden those trails in the past five years. Please don't blow up at me, but most of my very positive rides from multiple trips on those trails tend to be over 10 years ago when they got more snow and I was less fussy.

Thanks ski. I didn't think the river could still be open from the other reports I had heard from the area.

Precisely why I wanted to know about Opaz. Thanks PLC. Travelling with a fuel worrier this week. Drives me crazy. We are traveling the opposite direction later this week.

ITG doesn't show fuel available at Opasatika on A trail. Is that the case???

Those are the ones not selling, unless they adjust the price appropriately. My riding buddy paid $2500 less than asking price on used Doo three weeks ago. Seller realized that he was getting out of sledding and didn't want to store the sled until next fall. Buddy's offer was the only one he had in two weeks on Kijiji. Ergo, sold. The worst beating happens with the 800/850 2 strokes. Like smoking, I am glad I never took those up. There are at least two ways of advertising in play - Scott's fair price listing and hold firm, and the dreamer's 'aim for the sky' and see what you can get.

Hey Scott, do you save much canceling insurance this time of year? I keep 4 stroke sleds now for years, but when I sold my 2015 sled in the spring of 2017, canceling the insurance only got me about a $20 refund. State Farm said that the insurance was pro rated with 90% used up Dec - March inclusive.

Yes, but.....It might work on a few buyers, but most want more than BNG for that price. To each his own.

You just want to be kissed first. Your momma brought you up proper!

Yup. I am sure the ice crossing will still be open on A112. And Mike is always conservative when playing the 'yellow' card for Mattawa trails. Their yellow often equal NB and ML 'green'. I have been on my way to Golf and Ski, when it is lightly raining in Mattawa but snowing at Golf and Ski. If you can get in there, that is the best sledding south of 17. Head east and ride the Missing Link 197 and 195m and the North Renfrew 130 series trails. That can be 1 or 2 days of riding. another day can be A112, BF 201 Talon Lake to A and back. If you can't get in at Golf and Ski, they can likely suggest other accommodations. Good point PLC. I have found that road section to survive better than similar road trails in the spring because the township ploughs seem to leave a little snow for sleds. Maybe I have just been lucky.

Last week, Mar 8-10, we rode a lot of what you have planned. We staged out of the Dinner Bell in Bonfield to avoid the NB trails close to the city. The trails in general were very good but the closer to NB we got the worse the trails were. I see that you plan to use the D trail south of Trout Lake on two days. I would avoid that if at all possible. As PLC advised, this 20 km stretch of 'trail' south to west end of Lake Nosbonsing is in serious need of snow. Like a dummy, I had forgotten how bad that long stretch can get in low snow conditions. I had told myself 5 years ago that I would only ever ride that section of trail after a snowfall. There were 6-8 km of bare paved road/ gravel shoulder to ride. I learned last time to just get up on the pavement and ride at speed rather than grind it out on the shoulder. It's over faster that way - less sled wear. PLC also warned of NB308. A portion of it was great, but last week the log haul was very active and portions of the road was ploughed down to ice/gravel mix. In other parts of Ontario those two trails would have been red. We need the fourth colour (purple works) to indicate ploughed trails without snow. We met several sledders who were staying in NB, but after one day in and out from the strip, they decided to trailer out of town for their loops. Favourite parking was the one on highway 11 where the AD trail crossed. It's a very large lot right off the main trail. Trails further west were excellent last week in the Field, Verner, Hagar, River Valley area, with the exception of the road trail through Warren, which can be avoided on local trails. I just see that the weather forecast is a bummer for the start of the weekend. I stay positive though, by always driving the shortest distance to good conditions. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Took six days, in which time a new phone was purchased and activated, but there has been a development in the 'missing' phone case. Seems there has been a senior's moment involved. Last week was my buddy's first ride on his new-to-him Skidoo which came with a different Linq tail bag than he had on his previous sled. Seems this new bag has a small zipped compartment on the underside of the lid. That is where he found his phone today, hidden by a spare balaclava. And my wife thinks I am bad when I 'lose' a pair of drug-store reading glasses for a day or two.