JGG6

Steve F6 - thanks for clarifying , I know exactly the spot you are referring to (Fred's Place) .....in fact I rode by "Fred's " Place last Saturday...and surprisingly the trails south of Port Sydney to Baysville had held up really well ....and very few sleds were out ....

Question for Steve F6 - I know the 102/103 trails quite well and especially the area around Purbrook road . Who is Fred? ... is that a nick name for a restaurant or store in Baysville?

which beach are you referring to ? The Beach are on Mary Lake ( Port Sydney) .....

Anybody know if the groomer found on trail 76 ( near 101B ) is still there ? Have the trails in the area had a chance to be groomed ( possibly by another groomer)?

Mr Pink Bunny ....I too had three close calls on the same stretch of trail ( south of Dorset) in the span of 30 minutes on this past saturday! I just don't understand the mentality of some who come around corners either way too fast or not in control (or both). Isn't it obvious when the oncoming lead sled comes around a sharp corner on one ski that he ( or she) is going too fast ? Like others above, I ride tight to the right 90% of time. It scares the hell out of me when that's still not enough and I'm forced to ride one ski off the trail to avoid getting hit! Sometimes I get lucky and the lead sled gets by, but then comes the "rabbits" behind him trying to catch up and in even less control ! I applaud the effort by clubs adopting the "Ride Your Side" awareness sign ....I can only help .... I really hope it does ...stupidity needs to end

Thanks for the update steve F6 - I guess the club updated the ITG sometime yesterday in the afternoon ...either way this is great news for our group . we'll be travelling through that section of trail tomorrow morning en-route to check out the Ice Caves north of Kearney .

Blake - Thanks for the update - I think we'll still make the ice caves our goal/destination tomorrow and simply deal with the road running as best we can .

I see that as of today the "ITG" shows that not only the swampy section of D102B just west of Bayville to be "closed" , but also D103B south of West of Baysville all the way to Healy lake . This is certainly not a good sign. Curious what has caused the expansion of the closed area?

Stoney : Thanks for confirming the logging section on D101B. Would you happen to know the condition of D101B where it uses the road Camp "Billy Bear" is on? If memory serves me correctly it is stretch of trail when you share the road for about 5kms. In the past this section can be challenging when the snow is "thin" . I'm contemplating heading from my my cottage east of Bracebridge to the "Ice Caves " east of sand lake to check them out ....never been there before .

If you hear of this crossing being "fixed" please share on this forum . This is my only way to access trails east of Baysville form my cottage which is south of baysville by 10 kms . Thanks

I agree with the two previous posts , I've used Tem Rose as our staging area for 3 years, works great , reasonable rates , decent food, close to feeder trail and ample storage for truck n trailers.

Yukon / Stoney : Thanks for your ideas on places / directions to explore . If i Had time i'd try all of your recommendations ! These forums are great for just these purposes . Getting advice, insight and recommendations. Stoney: The logging on D101B you're referring to... is that indicated on the Interactive Map as the section where D101B meets Livingstone lake road (beside McFadden Lake) and north for what looks to be 2.5KMs?...OR is logging occurring in another section of D101B?

Thanks for sharing your pics and experience from Saturday morning. Unfortunately, none of it positive. Sled fires+ sleds cornering sideways + fire trucks= Crazy ! Between your warning(s) in the Mary Lake area, Groomer failures in both the Highland Rovers (Emsdale area) & along the Hydro lines from Halliburton to Whitney and the Swamp wash out near Baysville ...I'm running out of destinations to go this coming Saturday ( Feb 8th)!!!!! Coming from East of Bracebridge...I'm not sure which direction I can sled ?

Your picture shows the area in question to be much more serious then when I crossed it on Jan 25th.. I can now see why that section of the trail is showing as "Closed". Just another indication of just how challenging this snowmobile season has ( and continues to ) be this year .... I've never seen that swamp bust through the trail in all the years i traveled over it For anyone who is "in the know" please use this forum to post any updates on the section. * I never investigated but does moving further right or left ( 30 -50 ft) help to make the crossing

I crossed that section on Jan 25th ( at 10am ) the swampy section in question was just a deep depression , upon return 2 hours later the water had broken through and gouged out a wide water filled rut. only the most inexperienced would have an issue getting across.

Dan; I've made Temicaming QC the launch point for a few trips over the past few years. I've been told by locals that that trail 63 is plagued with challenges : 1) The Jocko area is a tough area with creeks and hills and the conditions need to be near perfect to groom 2) The area just around and including the bridge over the Ottawa River is dry road running with would deter me from crossing on a sled I've considered crossing by sled, but the trail never seems to open on any consistent manner that you can plan on. I know from YouTube vids and DooTalk posts that you have crossed at New Liskard, I wouldn't recommend trying to cross at Temicaming , but you find yourself coming from the other direction Pembroke you can cross at Beachburg Rail Bridge OR at Rolphton Ont but be careful once on in Quebec . YOU MUST FILL THE TANK at the local gas station in Rapides des Joachims and keep an eye on trail #43 conditions if you want to go to Temicaming ( poor signage and no fuel stops ) can make for an uneasy experience

thanks for sharing the groomer being down..if someone could share when the things are back up and running it would be appreciated

Thanks for sharing ...As a long time rider of the area...I noticed trail 36 was extended right to the "round about " at Taylor road ....what a great idea! to now have Gas, Tims and Boston Pizza accessible really opens up options rather than going all the way to the centre of Bracebridge for those same things.

Steve F6 - Thank you for the update - I hope the packing is a sign grooming is to follow shortly . like you, I'm keen to get riding and frustrated by being botttled up / cut off with no access to the trails east of baysville that have been open and groomed ( staus "green" for a couple of weeks now. Motorhead - like you, I show my contribution by directing my pass purchases to the Happy Wanderers Club, and look forward to the time when I can dedicate more time as a volunteer to help them. For me the "B" trail is our gateway to Haliburton trails ( and beyond) so I REALLY hope this trail opens up this year . Question for you.... for the past couple years the "B" trail by Big Wind Prov park has been closed. Have you found a reliable access point to get on Big Wind lake to skirt around the 5KM sectionof the trail that is closed? years ago we'd try to create a trail at most west end of Big win where we'd follow a small creek to where it joins D103B ( west of bird lake) , but this is really tough sledding as we've gotten stuck more times than we've gotten through ...curious of you know of an easier access point ( maybe from one of the cottage lake roads that parallel Big Win Lake)?

metro - thanks for the update -do you know if this was the reason why the B Trail ( towards Ox Narrows) is showing as CLosed ( as per the sign posted in a previous picture above) I see form your profile that you spend time sledding in Happy Wanderers territory ( as I mainly do) . Do you know if the trail east and south of Baysville will open soon ( D103B) ?

Hi - I'm new to this forum , but it looks like this thread discusses topics closest to where I sled . Two things: First - Thanks for the update on the B trail towards Ox Narrow, I'm sad to see the Trail Closed sign posted . Is this a temporary thing ? of victim of another trespassing/ATV closure? Second - Not sure I'll get a response, but I'm curious if anyone knows if the trail south and west of Baysville will open soon Trail D103B?The trails east and south have been open for two weeks). I saw the Happy Wander's Club crew scouting and clearing recent dead fall on Saturday and was told the crew came from Baysville and only reported a few " wet spots " , but nothing too serious to contend with. I can't seem to find any contact info on the web to reach out the the club directly .