ZRTKAT & CREW started booking our reservations

[zrtkat]

Well we are in the planning stages of our snowmobiling trip this winter in Ontario/Quebec we did not make it last year snowmobiling but we are coming for sure this winter , yesterday we ordered our 3 trail permits from Dubreilville snowmobile club Luc is very helpful giving me the contac numbers for our permits.

 

So far we have 2 nights booked  New Liskeard, valdor Quebec, for the open house weekend we will leave New Liskeard to VALDOR,next day head to Cochrane.

We are having a problem where we are going to stage our trip from , here is what I have been thinking about ,give me your thoughts on this and suggestions.

w

we would like to start at maybe Elliot lake and head towards New Liskeard ,(where would be a good place to stay the night ) and go to new liskeard

new liskeard to valdor quebec

valdor to cochrane

cochrane to hearst

hearst to wawa

wawa to chapleau

chapleau to elliot lake.

 

Now I know the weather has a lot to do with this trip we will have to wait till we get closer to February and see if this is possible

also if the weather is good we could start at the soo and start our trip ?????

 how far to drive from the soo to elliot lake ??????

Ordered a new Inline 3 place trailer should be in soon

 

looking forward to coming back to Ontario riding , have a new snowmobile that just came in have to pick it up next week

My goodness this snowmobiling is expensive

zrtkat

 

 

 

[slomo]

Looking forward to your trip reports! Good to see you're coming back. People with more touring experience will chime in, but here is a post that might be useful for you in New Liskeard - there are 3 hotels - Holiday Inn, Quality Inn. Econo Lodge and 1 motel (Auberge Country Inn the cheapest)all within yards of each other and the trails go through the parking lots. Gas right next door as are restaurants. Canuck gets credit for the pictures, I later drew a few directional lines (and some airplanes).

 

http://ontarioconditions.com/forums/index.php?/topic/11365-new-liskeard-hotel-section-navigation/

 

There are also a couple of nice motels in downtown Haileybury, the Halieybury Beach Motel and Leisure Inn   just a few miles south of Liskeard - both are 'downtown', proximate to the lake and trails, as well as close to restaurants. Revrnds motel guide will help you out here.

 

Weather a concern, but don't forget the various tournaments in the north that fill accomodations completely.

 

It is roughly 90 miles from the Sault to Elliot Lake. The Hampton Inn in Elliot Lake looked like a good spot when we visited there this summer. (two nights free if you pretend you are going to retire in the community and take a tour)

[Viperules700]

The soo would be tough since the d trail isn't open heading north. You could take the F but it is to early to tell if it will be open! Know one knows if the trail from chapleau to Timmins, will be open either because of the foylet snowmobile club folding! Wait and see! You might be better trailing to wawa or dub to stage! Ask luc, I am sure he can find you a spot to park truck and trailer for a week!

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

The soo would be tough since the d trail isn't open heading north. You could take the F but it is to early to tell if it will be open! Know one knows if the trail from chapleau to Timmins, will be open either because of the foylet snowmobile club folding! Wait and see! You might be better trailing to wawa or dub to stage! Ask luc, I am sure he can find you a spot to park truck and trailer for a week!

 

They aren't going to need the trail from Chapleau to Timmins if they are going to Elliot Lake from Chapleau. Key will  be if the F trail is open. It did open last year but I  don't believe it was open two years ago. Needs alot of snow for the clubs to get it open due to the terrain.

[skidooboy]

viper, read his post again, he knows the D trail is closed, he is planning on the F trail from chapleau to elliot lake.

 

Kat, if you wanted to start in the soo, talk to ac/ya about starting at blueberry hill in Goulais river, just north of the soo. take that over to searchmont, then on to elliot lake, sudbury, ect... and then up and around your loop plan. (plan on a BIG LOOP).

 

Elliot Lake to the soo is about 2 hours or alittle more depending on weather in the truck. as piston lake cruiser said... the F trail from chapleau to aubrey falls (large portion before elliot lake) is a hit or miss opener. but with the c101f closed this year, i am guessing Chapleau will want to get the F trail open to Dub and aubrey falls so they can get some of the tourists in town.

 

 

love your updates, keep us in the loop on preplans ect... Ski

[Ox]

Cochrane to Hearst was only about 7 hours for us at -40* on decent trails.

Smooth, but at that temp - hard as concrete! My skis were squeaking enough to about drive me nuts! I wanted to grease something!

Not sure how to edit your roster to come out better tho. 

Maybe just dink around on your may accrost the top that day?

Find some local trails to loop somewhere?

 

 

As for the Soo area, we have staged at Blueberry Hill before. It is a campground 1 mile N of "the hill" (You will know it when you come to it) so there is LOTS of parking room with no-one around. They have a few motel rooms upstairs in the main building.

 

You could stage from Carls in Searchmont too. He has a cpl cabins that he rents out and you can leave your truck and trailer there for a small fee. Here is a link to all B&B's in Searchmont. (I just stumbled on it when googling Carl and Susan)

 

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/SearchmontTourist/

 

We have stayed at Elna's "Dads Place" before too. Actually she gave my chumm a ride to Michigan one day to fetch a rental car when my tranny went out there. (There happened to be a casino down there.... so she was game.) I believe that AC/YA has staged at Wabos many years. 

 

Dads Place has a LOT of beds. But I think only one bathroom. So you can house a whole crew, but it could take a little extra time getting around in the morning if there is a lot of you.

 

The folks in Searchmont may be hesitant to pre-season schedule a Saturday night tho, as they are all hoping to rent out two nights for the ski hill. As the date gets closer - and it's still open - then they will be more inclined. But they may be pretty open to an early schedule for a Friday night.

 

The alarm clock at Dads Place is the snow making machinery at the ski hill that is just on the other side of the river since they are drawing water out of the river.

 

 

.

[Canuck]

We staged from the Dunlop Lake Lodge. 8 miles north of Elliot Lake and right on the trail.

 

Parking lot was filled with snowmobile trailers - mostly 3 and 4 place. 

 

A great place to start. However, F trail was slow to open that year (Valentine's Weekend - Feb 14th - and the trail just opened).

 

I glanced at the Tripadvisor reviews since it's been a few years since we've been there. Some good reviews/some bad. We found the rooms 'basic' but clean; the food delicious and the effort put forth by the owners outstanding. I think it runs on all cylinders in the winter and recommend you start there.

[AC+YA]

Wabos in Searchmont has been closed for some years now and The Driftwood is where I leave my trailer when starting from Searchmont.

 

I think Blueberry Hill Motel & Campgrounds would be best if staging from or looping through the Soo Trails. 

 

If Elliot Lake is where you are starting, I think that Dunlop Lake is good.  The Hampton in Elliot is wonderful to spend the night and have the nicest rooms and choice of night life, but I like to be off the beaten path where I know someone watch's my stuff when staging for multiple day trips.

 

With the groomers being staged at Flame Lake and also Black Creek Outfitters, the F Trail may be open earlier and stay groomed if conditions are there!  Now this may be a trail that you can count on.  From  Chapleau to Aubrey Falls to Blueberry would be a good day ride.  Then the next day a ride back to Elliot Lake would be great. Count on an additional day if you were to make that loop throuh the Soo Trails and back to Black Creek/Aubrey Falls and then to Elliot.

 

All great trails with the new D201F at the top of the loop.

[zrtkat]

Hi

we are thinking of starting at searchmont then heading to elliot lake if trails are open

here is my problem we need to get to new liskeard from elliot lake so we can get into Quebec for the free weekend

is it possible to make shining tree out of Elliot Lake in 1 days ride ????????????

might be too big of a day for ZRTKAT

would rather start in searchmont and ride on snowmobiles than in the truck

zrtkat

[revrnd]

TOP D might be an issue w/ snow. Some years the North Shore is iffy for snow. We left Blind River & headed for the Soo. Even w/ towing a sled 10 or so miles into Heyden, it was still daylight when we got to the Soo. I think you could make it to Elliot Lake in a day.

 

We left our truck & trailer @ the Ambassador Motel on the north side of the Soo. Direct access to the trail behind their location.

 

The 2nd weekend in Feb' is bad for room availability due to an annual hockey tournament in New Liskeard.

 

Not sure if you've been thru A105Q or not, so here's a link that might be helpful:

 

http://ontarioconditions.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9403-riding-a105q-gas-in-quebec/?hl=dupuy

 

You might want to keep an eye on this thread as well:

 

http://www.quebecrider.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2753&p=35941

 

Looking forward to your planning & trip reports.

[zrtkat]

revrnd

 

The 2nd weekend in Feb' is bad for room availability due to an annual hockey tournament in New Liskeard.

Thanks revrnd for the info,I already made reservations in new liskeard because of room availability is always a problem there.

We have been on the trail going to cochrane from Quebec, we had no problem with fuel ,thanks for the info on gas 

will keep u posted

zrtkat

[zrtkat]

viper, read his post again, he knows the D trail is closed, he is planning on the F trail from chapleau to elliot lake.

 

Kat, if you wanted to start in the soo, talk to ac/ya about starting at blueberry hill in Goulais river, just north of the soo. take that over to searchmont, then on to elliot lake, sudbury, ect... and then up and around your loop plan. (plan on a BIG LOOP).

 

Elliot Lake to the soo is about 2 hours or alittle more depending on weather in the truck. as piston lake cruiser said... the F trail from chapleau to aubrey falls (large portion before elliot lake) is a hit or miss opener. but with the c101f closed this year, i am guessing Chapleau will want to get the F trail open to Dub and aubrey falls so they can get some of the tourists in town.

 

 

love your updates, keep us in the loop on preplans ect... Ski

skidooboy

will check that out in the planning stages now hoping to maybe start out at searchmont and head to Elliot Lake we have done that trip one time before, would rather be riding the snowmobile instead of driving the truck 

thanks for the information

zrtkat

[AC+YA]

Hi

we are thinking of starting at searchmont then heading to elliot lake if trails are open

here is my problem we need to get to new liskeard from elliot lake so we can get into Quebec for the free weekend

is it possible to make shining tree out of Elliot Lake in 1 days ride ????????????

might be too big of a day for ZRTKAT

would rather start in searchmont and ride on snowmobiles than in the truck

zrtkat

 

Hi ZRTKat,

The first day from Searchmont to Black Creek is about 2.75 hours using the new D201F and then about 2.0 hours to Elliot Lake.  These are ride times and then you need to add for getting a bite and gas at Black Creek.  This is the fastest way.  If you go the lower loop D106F add a half hour or take D all the way down by the lake, add a couple hours.  Either way you have to go through Elliot Lake as the lakeside trail to the east has gone away after Blind River. 

 

Then you can go on to Massey in another 3 hours and spend the night.  (If you stay in Elliot Lake (great place to stay) it will be a shorter day, but the next day will be real really long bust butt day.  I would stay in Massey and then you can go to Shinning Tree the next day.  It will be A LONG DAY ANYWAY, and i know because I have gone from Massey to Gowgonda in a day which is about the same.

 

If you get up super early, you might be able to go all the way from Elliot Lake, but I say do the Massey stop the first day. 

 

Sounds like a great trip!

[Ox]

ZRT - Have you gone up through The Soo before?

 

It seems like your trips all go up through the other side of the lake. \

 

???

 

 

.

[zrtkat]

ZRT - Have you gone up through The Soo before?

 

It seems like your trips all go up through the other side of the lake. \

 

???

 

 

.

Ox

yes we have started in the soo a few times when the trail was open to wawa we used to stay at a little motel right outside of the soo and launch from there cannot remember the name of the place.Skidooboy has seen my trailer parked there he might remember the name.

another time we stayed at the water tower inn and left from there to Elliot lake to chapleau.

last time we where up there we launched from new liskeard because we where heading into Quebec the next day

The crew they like different trails to ride and different places to visit LOL

we are going to be riding for about 10 days so we will adjust our plans as we get closer to February.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ZRTKAT&CREW

 

 

 

 

 

[zrtkat]

Hi ZRTKat,

The first day from Searchmont to Black Creek is about 2.75 hours using the new D201F and then about 2.0 hours to Elliot Lake.  These are ride times and then you need to add for getting a bite and gas at Black Creek.  This is the fastest way.  If you go the lower loop D106F add a half hour or take D all the way down by the lake, add a couple hours.  Either way you have to go through Elliot Lake as the lakeside trail to the east has gone away after Blind River. 

 

Then you can go on to Massey in another 3 hours and spend the night.  (If you stay in Elliot Lake (great place to stay) it will be a shorter day, but the next day will be real really long bust butt day.  I would stay in Massey and then you can go to Shinning Tree the next day.  It will be A LONG DAY ANYWAY, and i know because I have gone from Massey to Gowgonda in a day which is about the same.

 

If you get up super early, you might be able to go all the way from Elliot Lake, but I say do the Massey stop the first day. 

 

Sounds like a great trip!

 

 

Thanks for all the information that has really helped me try to figure out our plans for our trip ,

will see how the trail conditions are as we get closer to February. and adjust our trip

thanks again

where would be a good place to stay in massey if we decide to do that trip ?????

we would have 2 big days to shining tree

then a short day to New Liskeard

before heading into Quebec

zrtkat

[revrnd]

The 2 main motels in Massey are the Mohawk & the Massey. Both are in town close to services. Not sure what trail access is like though.

[zrtkat]

The 2 main motels in Massey are the Mohawk & the Massey. Both are in town close to services. Not sure what trail access is like though.

thanks revrnd

will check them out need easy trail access

zrtkat is getting older and gets lost quick LOL

[slomo]

Mohawk is closer to 'downtown' and vehicle traffic. Massey Motel on outskirts, easier run to trail on back block. Appears to be restaurant (street view) about 50 yards away.

 

 

 

[skidooboy]

Ox

yes we have started in the soo a few times when the trail was open to wawa we used to stay at a little motel right outside of the soo and launch from there cannot remember the name of the place.Skidooboy has seen my trailer parked there he might remember the name.

 

i believe we saw that in Heyden, at the Mountain Ash Inn (now closed).

 

Ski

 

 

 

 

[zrtkat]

 

Ox

yes we have started in the soo a few times when the trail was open to wawa we used to stay at a little motel right outside of the soo and launch from there cannot remember the name of the place.Skidooboy has seen my trailer parked there he might remember the name.

 

i believe we saw that in Heyden, at the Mountain Ash Inn (now closed).

 

Ski

 

 

 

 

 

Ski

that was the place we stayed at could not remember the name

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

[skidooboy]

you as well, Lynne bought our permits from dubreuilville yesterday. hoping the dub and wawa area both at least sell the minimum to stay in the ofsc's good graces. Ski

[Shivesy]

is it possible to make shining tree out of Elliot Lake in 1 days ride ????????????

might be too big of a day for ZRTKAT

Anything is possible but that is a long haul in a day. I like those types of challenges but even I would pass on that idea. If you know the trails by heart and live riding those trails then yes it can be done. But for sleeders like me that rely on signs, trail marker, ect. then there is to many things to go wrong and chew up valuable time. The trail is somewhat slow heading north out of Sudbury. Powerline if I'm not mistaken. I did this loop last year but never made it to Quebec though.

We staged out of Echo Bay and stayed at Espanola for the night. We rode sleds from 10am until after dark. Nothing fast about those trails.

I did a day to day ride report in this section last year and maybe there is some info from those reports that might be helpful.

[zrtkat]

is it possible to make shining tree out of Elliot Lake in 1 days ride ????????????

might be too big of a day for ZRTKAT

Anything is possible but that is a long haul in a day. I like those types of challenges but even I would pass on that idea. If you know the trails by heart and live riding those trails then yes it can be done. But for sleeders like me that rely on signs, trail marker, ect. then there is to many things to go wrong and chew up valuable time. The trail is somewhat slow heading north out of Sudbury. Powerline if I'm not mistaken. I did this loop last year but never made it to Quebec though.

We staged out of Echo Bay and stayed at Espanola for the night. We rode sleds from 10am until after dark. Nothing fast about those trails.

I did a day to day ride report in this section last year and maybe there is some info from those reports that might be helpful.

Shivesy

thanks for the info we might just take a extra day of riding to get to new liskeard , we have 2 new machines that are breaking in and that sounds like too long of a day for zrtkat he likes to be in the hotel early evening too many things can happen when you are rushing to get to your next overnight spot.

[AC+YA]

Thanks for all the information that has really helped me try to figure out our plans for our trip ,

will see how the trail conditions are as we get closer to February. and adjust our trip

thanks again

where would be a good place to stay in massey if we decide to do that trip ?????

we would have 2 big days to shining tree

then a short day to New Liskeard

before heading into Quebec

zrtkat

 

I would stay at the Massey Motel and just walk over to the Dragonfly Restaurant (100 meters east to the corner on Hwy17) which is a great place to have a drink and eat real good food.  If you get there and for some reason they are closed, just south on that side street you can walk 200 meters to a carry-out diner/store and take it back to the room.  Had to do that last year because we got in real late.  Good stuff. 

 

The trail runs almost right into the motel when you cut accross the tracks and then run down through the gravel pit drive which was a trail last year.  The Mohawk Motel is in the middle of town and not as easy to ride to.

 

Elliot Lake to Shinning Tree is too big a day for me because it seems the trails are not always marked great and is just too far. 

 

Gas station on east end of town on your way out.