tricky

I was with you until the last bit. You weren't smoking that newly legalized stuff after supper, were you?

Rich, Zertrider and Johnny_5oh, thanks for the Tree Bears recommendations. Couldn't get the night that we wanted there, but have reconfigured our trip so that we are there on a different night, and that got us in. Will have report next week.

Thanks gobills for poking the bear. Your post brought about a flurry of activity. This being Family Day weekend, after a positive snow conditions rebound, hopefully there will be plenty of trail reports tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday.

So my Learned Friend, who normally gives me good information, was wrong about Gowganda Lake Lodge. They returned my email and are still catering to sledders, ATVers and bikers. Great place to stay, winter or summer.

Thanks Zertrider. Auld Reekie is certainly still nice, but I am frugal and $175 per night per person plus tax plus drinks is freaking expensive. last time I stayed there (4 years ago), one guy's bill was over $300. Mine was $200 with just 2 beers - 4 years ago! At that price every night, I would have to give up sledding.

What everyone above has said. Best wishes to your friend and his family.

Thanks Rich. Much appreciated. Information like that is why I am on this forum. Love it. Gas is still available off site.

I have heard that Gowganda Lake Lodge is no longer catering to sledders because they are fully booked by Hydro workers and resources work crews. Is that true? is their restaurant and gas still available? I have phoned, left a message and emailed hoping that what I have been told by a fellow sledder is incorrect. Have any of you stayed at Tree Bears Camp recently? How much accommodation do they have? I suppose if I would just forget my principles and join Facebook, I could get all my questions answered in minutes! HaHa.

Thank you DRJ for the very useful report. Glad that you had a good day.

X2

Does anyone know how/if the trails survived around Elliot Lake/ Bruce Mines area?

If its worth the drive to Cochrane, then IMO, its worth driving right on past to Kap. Everybody and his brother is going to be trying to get to Cochrane next week. It will be a zoo. Kap to Geraldton and back is looking good, using as many local loop trails as possible along the way.

Thanks Dan. Good to know.

Nunz, I hope the trails recover by then. A friend who lives in Azilda said they lost a ton of snow Tuesday and Wednesday, and also didn't get as much so last night as was forecast. Maybe Soup and other locals could comment. I assume the closing of the entire STP was preventative since it was done Tuesday PM when some trails were still good.

Thanks so much for the real time trail reports. Good information will hopefully help make a good decision on where to sled next week.

That damned making a living gets in the way of fun too much. Thanks anyway. If conditions held up anywhere in the south, it would be Mattawa and to the east.

Signfan, did you ride the Mattawa area earlier this week? If si, how was it?

What about a back-up to the back-up? I am already on plan 3 for next week. If anyone knows where, in Ontario, the base has survived and new snow is faling or will fall before Tuesday, please share.

Thanks ski, for the hard news. Might be better in the Sudbury area next week. At least they are supposed to get some snow in these next few days. Save Algoma until some more snow falls???

Dan, how much snow did SSM lose in the past 2 days? What's left? I am hearing horror stories from Sudbury, North Bay and north to Timmins. The temperatures are cold enough next week, but where will there be snow?

Thanks OX and Dan. The friends that I have mentioned this option to are coming from Dunlop Lake on the F trail. I have used the short cut both, successfully (like Dan's video), and with brutal results (as Ox suggests is likely) in Marches past. Unfortunately there isn't as much snow forecast there in the next few days as there is in Sudbury thru to Mattawa along highway 17. Damned strange weather this year.

If scheduling permits, it's best to review the status as of Friday or even Saturday, after the hoped for Thursday night snow.

Have a question to ask for friends: If taking D201F northwest from highway 129 to the D Trail, is it currently possible to use the Ranger Lake Road detour to chop roughly 20 KM off the trip to Wawa. I know that is not very specific, but I also know that anyone who could answer the question, knows where and what I mean. My friends would appreciate some advice prior to Tuesday. Thanks in advance.

Go for it. Haven't been there for two weeks, but trails were good then and weather has been cooperating there for those two weeks. I am sure that you know to ride the Missing Link trails to the west as well, in particular 197, but all the local trails up there. Hidden Gems!

Lots of different 4s motors in Polaris ATVs and SxSs, not to mention Victory and Indian motorcycles. Majority of these have been good engines. I am a little suspicious of a 1000 cc twin vs my current 3 cylinder, but I don't think that Polaris would risk introducing a dog.