700renegade Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I was contemplating getting a couple guys up to Wawa and beyond for a end of season loop ( Hearst, Cap, and return ). Provided snow and temps hold out for us till this time next week, will the trails still be open or do they have to close on a given date? Here in Wisconsin they close April 1 no matter what. I thought I got hint of April 15 being the last day in another post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dweese Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Yes, an OFSC permit expires May 1st, I believe, at which time the trails close, but I'm not sure if any have been open that long before. Mind you there are still 5000+km of open trails, here in Ontario.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 no specific dates for closure. clubs control opening and closing based on conditions. mind you the loop you are refering to, will have snow and the trails will be covered.... BUT, RIDING THROUGH OR IN TOWN WILL SUCK, GETTING GAS WILL SUCK, you may have to ride ALOT of bare gravel, or pavement to get from one side of a town to another, to get fuel or to get to the trail to connect to the next town. CALL ALL CLUBS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR PLANNED TRAVEL ROUTE PRIOR TO GOING UP, SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. even though the season is extended somewhat this year, it is still spring riding conditions, and day riding out and back, and trailering to the snow is probably a better option in some (most) cases. your results may vary. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
700renegade Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 Thanks for the updates. I'm not worried about a bit of dry pavement thru towns. My '05 Renegade had 30,000 miles on it when I got rid of it and there were many times I got caught on a UP or WI logging road that was nothing but gravel for many miles. Doesn't hurt a thing so long as you can find a puddle here and there to splash thru to keep things cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookster Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 right off of ofsc site. 2012-2013 Seasonal Trail Permit - $260.00. (Seasonal Trail Permit early buy on or before December 1st - $210) - Can be purchased online or contact member club, association or district. The Seasonal Permit expires May 31st. Please review the option for OFSC member benefits when buying this permit. Locate your district and/or local club in the district locator. The district can then provide you with club permit contact. cochrane area still going get up and enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 right off of ofsc site. 2012-2013 Seasonal Trail Permit - $260.00. (Seasonal Trail Permit early buy on or before December 1st - $210) - Can be purchased online or contact member club, association or district. The Seasonal Permit expires May 31st. Please review the option for OFSC member benefits when buying this permit. Locate your district and/or local club in the district locator. The district can then provide you with club permit contact. cochrane area still going get up and enjoy They may still be riding in June in Dub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 no specific dates for closure. clubs control opening and closing based on conditions. mind you the loop you are refering to, will have snow and the trails will be covered.... BUT, RIDING THROUGH OR IN TOWN WILL SUCK, GETTING GAS WILL SUCK, you may have to ride ALOT of bare gravel, or pavement to get from one side of a town to another, to get fuel or to get to the trail to connect to the next town. CALL ALL CLUBS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR PLANNED TRAVEL ROUTE PRIOR TO GOING UP, SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. even though the season is extended somewhat this year, it is still spring riding conditions, and day riding out and back, and trailering to the snow is probably a better option in some (most) cases. your results may vary. Ski Are you sure about no specific date. The permit says May 1 I think. I would bet that the OFSC liability insurance covering the land owners ends May 1. If I was a landowner I wouldn't want anybody riding my property without that protection and if I was a club I wouldn't want the risk exposure should someone get hurt on our trail and blame it on club negligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Are you sure about no specific date. The permit says May 1 I think. I would bet that the OFSC liability insurance covering the land owners ends May 1. If I was a landowner I wouldn't want anybody riding my property without that protection and if I was a club I wouldn't want the risk exposure should someone get hurt on our trail and blame it on club negligence. The permit runs till May 31st. Insurance runs all year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The permit runs till May 31st. Insurance runs all year. So now the dumb question. If the permit ends May 31 why would we have a year round insurance policy. Is there not an opportunity to save some premium money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 So now the dumb question. If the permit ends May 31 why would we have a year round insurance policy. Is there not an opportunity to save some premium money. They are still OFSC trails year round. If there is one sign left out the lawyers identify it as ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Crown land (Algoma and north) is open all yr. You can ride you skidoo in Aug if you really feel the need. You wouldn't even need a tag to doo it either. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther340 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Careful OX...........many complete townships in Algoma are private land : If you have a map that shows townships. Starting in the west just south of Obatanga prov park a band of townships two deep north/ south and spreading east 8 townships wide is private land all the way to Manitowik Lake So West of Hwy 17 to east you have Keating, Legarde,Killins,Levesque,Knicely,Macaskill,Laliberte,Menzies. Leclair,Musquash (directly south of Dubreuiville ) Abotossaway,Corbiere, Aguonie, Cowie,Bird. The town of HawkJunction is also surrounded by private Land townships, with Esquega,Fiddler, Issac,Manness and Michano and for those that drive the trail from the Sault South of Hwy 101 these townships are private: Naveau,Nebonaionquet, Redsky and Restoule. There are also a dozen or so townships halfway between Sault and Wawa that the trails probably cross at least one or two townships. a township is ussually 36 sq miles x 24 =864 sq miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 we JUST got home from the Dub/wawa area. we have had awesome rides since friday. we rode over 100 miles yesterday alone, on PERFECT TRAILS. yet the ofsc and the district are pressuring the clubs to list their trails as closed. these trails have over 2 FEET of BASE. the bush has 3-3.5 FEET of snow still. and more predicted for the next 4 days. i am not happy with the ofsc, and the district wanting to close these trails, when we pay our money to have trails as long as there is rideable snow, and the land use agreements in time are not effected. now i know why the clubs and volunteers are getting fed up with the system. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dweese Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 we JUST got home from the Dub/wawa area. we have had awesome rides since friday. we rode over 100 miles yesterday alone, on PERFECT TRAILS. yet the ofsc and the district are pressuring the clubs to list their trails as closed. these trails have over 2 FEET of BASE. the bush has 3-3.5 FEET of snow still. and more predicted for the next 4 days. i am not happy with the ofsc, and the district wanting to close these trails, when we pay our money to have trails as long as there is rideable snow, and the land use agreements in time are not effected. now i know why the clubs and volunteers are getting fed up with the system. Ski Most likely those clubs are out of money to groom... We know the lop sided permit system hurts a lot of clubs, and riding in to late April is rare. So the only option is to close the trails. Time to put GPS trackers on everyone's sleds and do a pay as you ride to where you ride system. Ok sounds nuts yes, but it's on the mind of some places in the US. With all the hybrid, and electric cars hitting the market, less gas tax is being collected to maintain highways. So there is ideas being floated to equip hybrid and electric cars with GPS loggers, that would download automatically to sensors along roadways which would than bill you for the driving you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 club has enough money to groom again, has more grooming hours alotted (did not meet max groom hours), district and ofsc pressuring club to list trails closed. i'll post a video later you tell me if they should be closed. could it use a groom? maybe alittle but, it isnt neccesary due to the traffic and lateness of the season. i think even if the ofsc "rules" say a club must groom once a week to "remain open" if they dont have the traffic to warrant grooming but, have good snow and the trail is "decent" they should maybe down grade them to limited v.s listing them closed. these areas depend on tourism to influx some funds to their communities... dont prevent them from getting a few late season people to their areas. Dave, when you see the pics and vid, you will be shocked at the snow and conditions, and the club is being "forced" to close trails. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Ofsc is worried about increased insurance costs. Longer trails are open, the more risk there Is and insurance will be higher next year. Same principle if you tell your insurance company you drive 50,000 miles in a year they will drastically raise your rates. Ontario has high insurance costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 so close the trails, even though they have good snow cover and signage?? how is that getting value out of buying a permit for the end user? people want to know they can get value out of their permit. if the districts and the ofsc are forcing trails to be closed to save a few pennies, when there are still GREAT conditions and riding available... i think ALOT OF PERMIT HOLDERS would be upset at finding this out. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Bottom line is, you have to keep the whole system viable. After first weekend of April, the ridership is so Low anyway's. There are no new permit sales coming in this late in the season either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 not my problem, i (and ALOT OF OTHERS) paid for OUR permits to be used as long as the conditions permit. if they dont want to be open that long, they should state this up front and open and close the trails on a certain dates. it really is another reason just not to buy permits. closing when conditions are AWESOME, I MEAN REALLY?????????? we have migrated to riding mostly offtrail, and for fishing access only. i buy my permit to help Dub stay open. district, mto, ofsc, mnr have basicly gave me enough reasons not to support organized snowmobiling, in ontario any further. i am wondering how many others feel this way too. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 video from saturday the 13th, with Nicole and Alain from Chez Gaston B&B, also executive members of the club. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 so close the trails, even though they have good snow cover and signage?? how is that getting value out of buying a permit for the end user? people want to know they can get value out of their permit. if the districts and the ofsc are forcing trails to be closed to save a few pennies, when there are still GREAT conditions and riding available... i think ALOT OF PERMIT HOLDERS would be upset at finding this out. Ski SAVE A FEW PENNIES! Where do you suppose they get the money to pay for the grooming when the wallet is empty... are you suggesting they go into debt to groom perhaps hundreds of miles of trails in an area where they barely sell enough permits in season to keep a club viable just to satisfy the dozen or so die hards that want to keep riding... it just doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I AM NOT SAYING THAT. I AM TELLING YOU THE OFSC AND THE DISTRICT WANT THESE TRAILS ABOVE (SEE THE VIDEO), CLOSED. do you think that trail warrants closing? that video is from 4 days ago, with more snow forcasted. what if you bought a permit and had the option to still ride, and they closed your local trails looking like that... WOULD YOU BE HAPPY? THEY DONT NEED ANYMORE GROOMING, SIGNAGE, OR MAINTAINENCE. THEY JUST NEED TO REMAIN OPEN FOR USE, TO DRAW PEOPLE (SNOWMOBILERS), AND NEEDED REVENUE TO THE REGION. WHEN THEY GET "IFFY", POST THEM AS LIMITED, WHEN THEY GET BAD, POST THEM AS CLOSED. GIVE PERMIT BUYERS THE OPTION TO KEEP RIDING WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOW. THAT IS ALL I AM ASKING. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dweese Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I saw on the Weathernetwork tonight, 20cm more coming tonight. Could be sledding until May.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 i am guessing great riding will be at least until april 27-28th, longer if night time temps help. here is a video from 2 days ago. some subliminal messages may be hidden in the music. Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Groomer Guy Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Having trails open this long in my are IS a PAIN in the ARSE...... we contantly get ask about the trails, having to proove ourselfs, pictures and stuff, I took the risk Management traning so I should know what I'm doing..... I agree with Ski.... I paid a permit there is ton of snow, the trails MUST stay open, I groomed this winter in a mather to keep hours in reserve if ever we had a longer winter, I was alocated an amount of hours for the season and have only use maybe 3/4 off it, enven less, the fuel take is almost full at the shop, locals are riding THAT HAVE PAID FOR PERMITS, I'm looking at organuising a ride this weekend and next weekend. I'm not saying groom every night and every trails, just a quick touch up, THE OFSC it just trying to be cautious, But I just le me do my thing... I chose to live here, I love winter, this is our life, not going to stop the trails because there is now snow south of us, life going on north of french river after the snow melts. this temp up here is Normal weather, we use to have this is the early 90s its snowing as I type this...... I love my snow!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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