GTC

What a joke, $20 k for a sled and you have to worry about that crap I currently drive a 16 Apex and will be my last Yamaha

Planning on lunch there tomorrow I can find out

Should be good, it was groomed from Snow Rd up Monday I believe Sharbot Lake to Snow Rd was done Saturday night, it’s been rough due to excessive traffic . There’s a section that’s plowed north of the E104 turn to Ompah I haven’t been that far up but they say it’s good ice base where plowed loop trails around Snow Road will be good

I understand that, its the whole sue sue society that has us in the state we are in with risk management and insurance, nobody takes responsibility for their own bad decisions.

The blame goes to the people that sue, they need to take responsibility for their own actions, our trails are getting busy and Ive already seen a few spots where someone has missed a corner. For no reason, lay off the throttle and drive to what you see

Ok thanks, we have done up to 500 a day, not by choice just wrong mileage . We are trying to cut back to 350 max per day, Last couple years we have rolled into our rooms in the dark on a couple nights. Not fun, I like sitting down having a refreshment by 4or 5

Yes we are hoping to take the 78, save us some miles, and do the bigger loop on the way back .Never been on the C from Suds up to Timmins, that i remember! Thanks for your info

I have no problem with doing 12 hrs shifts, my route this week was 14 with openning gates and cutting trees, Im in construction its normal to me. Its finding other people to do more, they have other jobs during the day so they cant do 12 hours. Your professional truck drivers, do they do their 13 hrs and then go jump in a groomer for 12? Cant see it It was from our executive that wanted 8 hr shifts and I understood that came from above. As far as the driver abstact, the clubs should be able to figure out if the guy is capable to operate the groomer or not, we dont just take a stranger off the street and say away you go. It is not a requirement from insurance, we only require a copy of our employees license, its just more paper work for nothing, the cowboys you refer to are on the 180 hp turbo sidewinder or 850 freeride. They are the ones with weapons, not the 10km/h tractors. They are the ones that require abstacts

How can they have the power or authority to cut or decide groomer numbers, but their hands are tied when it comes to CP or MTO, Funny crap right there. What are we paying these people for Should not be discussed on this forum but I really dont care anymore

Change of plans Soup, we are still going to stage out of Sportsmans, but going to head north to Timmins and up to Hearst and back, I see a closed section just north of Sportsmans, forcing us to do the loop to the east, Do you think that little section might open soon. Thanks

Yep, Im close to walking, it started for me with the reduction of the groomer fleet, they practically gave away good equipment that clubs could have used. They want us to do 8 hr shifts max, we struggle to do some routes in 12, because we went from 4 -5 machines. We have to meet up in our own vehicles to spare each other off at our own cost. We cant make up a normal schedule because the groomers dont have a stationary post. I m tired of hearing you are the OFSC, sorry to say I Am not,

They are too busy getting driver abstracts for volunteers to be bothered with real trail issues, Ive been in this game for a long time and I am sick and tired of the crap that comes down the pipeline. They do a great job of passing the buck when it counts though!

The people at the top are too worried about drivers abstracts and creating new regulations and more paperwork, they are way out of touch with the real problems. I understand risk management but they went too far with the driver abstract. As Crow said the main guys and gals doing the real work are getting tired, myself included.

No worries, its all good stuff to read as we sit and wait for snow

Will do, and I know what you ride, have seen many of your photos and videos, We should be at Dunlop Lake LOdge on the 4th. We have never stayed there. Looking forward to this trip we havent been through Elliot Lake since 2005, thanks and cheers!

We are thinking the first week of Feb, weather dependant Thanks for the response

Me and the boys got together today and planned our annual trip. Our plan is leave from Sportsmans Lodge, 1st day to Windy Lake Motel. 2nd day to Dunlop Lake Lodge (Elliot Lake) 3rd to Wawa. And so on around to Timmins and back to Sudbury. There was a washout on the D201F a couple years ago and I dont remember if it was ever was fixed or resolved, and also is Black Creek Oufitters open. One other question, is Elliot Lake to Wawa too far for 1 day, it shows 385 km on the ITG which isnt too bad. Last time we were up that way we took the F trail straight to Chapleau from Elliot Lake.

Its early, we have a couple inches of ice base here( West of Ottawa) So far i think this years weather is similar to last, we were late Jan 25 I think. But we groomed almost until the end of March. Its rare that we groom around the holidays.

We have been told by a local OPP, all we need to do is take a pic of the val tag and he will have them charged. This was on the matter of pipes and no permit.

For sure, It seems like they start in Oct, but as long as they are happy and dont complain about our sled addiction, which runs all year. Weve caught ourselves many times out in the boat cruising talking about sledding in July!

Thanks for the report and pics, better then any tv show or netflix. Especially when we are so far away from sledding down here. Send us more!

Most of these offenders in our area are out at night, and are unlikely permit holders. I do agree permit prices need to go up but it wont stop the ignorance. Convicted thieves get nothing but a free meal or 2, so what are they going to do with some idiot trespassers. Nothing Only answer is Baseball Bat Balaclava treatment

Almost 30 years in, started out grooming brushing etc. Been pres, currently vice pres and sign co-ordinator. Co-ordinate one of our 4 machines and still groom once or twice a week. My wife is treasure for the club. If it wasn't for all us hard working volunteers we would not have the trail network here in Ontario. Thanks and cheers to all, good thread!

We have had that same scenario a few times, just send in a couple 4-5 ton excavators with thumbs to clean it up. Worry about the bill after, thats too much for volunteers We usually will donate our Kubotas for cost or less for these types of emergencies.

A good bud of mine text me asking if the free weekend was still going, I said no its dead and I hope it stays that way, he was planning on the free weekend and maybe a couple weekend passes. So now he is going to buy 4 passes for his family, instead of the freeride. I m sure this is not the only scenario for this type of planning. And hes been riding for years, just dam cheap. LEAVE IT DEAD