Chapleau Grooming?

[DWIGHT RX]

Curious silence from the Chapleau area. Is there any grooming happening? North-South, East-West? Luc has the Dubreville end shaping up nicely ( way to go Luc!). Trying to do some trip planning and would like to go through Chapleau. Have some new riding pals that have not experienced the Wilderness between Chapleau and Dubreville/Missinabi. Any information would be helpful. Also, is there any fuel at Flame Lake or between Aubrey Falls and Chapleau? Thanks for the help

[AC+YA]

Last I knew no fuel between Chapleau and Aubrey Falls, but I never had an issue with it last season. May have to carry extra fuel for some sleds.

Looks like lots of trails still red. That trail takes lots of snow and lots of work to open.

From Dog Lake to Chapleau is mostly roads and easier to open. Seems it opens before the north-south each year.

[zrtkat]

Dwight RX

Here is a email I sent to chapleau snowmobile club and their responce

 

Hello from Ohio

we are wondering how the trails are shaping up in your area ???????, we are coming up snowmobiling 2nd week of February and we are hoping things are opened up by then.

Thank -You

Greg

 

well we hope to have trails open by then...the guys are getting out there and preparing...message me again...maybe end of Jan and I will let you know how things are progressing!!! Thanks


Chapleau Club

[DWIGHT RX]

Dwight RX

Here is a email I sent to chapleau snowmobile club and their responce

 

Hello from Ohio

we are wondering how the trails are shaping up in your area ???????, we are coming up snowmobiling 2nd week of February and we are hoping things are opened up by then.

Thank -You

Greg

 

well we hope to have trails open by then...the guys are getting out there and preparing...message me again...maybe end of Jan and I will let you know how things are progressing!!! Thanks

Chapleau Club

Thank you for the information it is very helpful.

[Gadgetman]

Chapleau club was closed down again with a long letter posted as to the challenge’s being faced by the club as insurmountable. They have a Facebook page with the letter.

I've extracted and pasted here. 

This letter is to inform the citizens of Chapleau that as of January 20th, 2015 the Chapleau Arctic Watershed Snowmobile (CAWS) Club, District 13, has voted unanimously to close our club. This is as a result of on-going and insurmountable challenges

 

The board members have quickly developed an appreciation of the challenges facing the club. These challenges include but are not limited to:

 

• Our trails are remote, cover distances in excess of 300 kilometers that are some of the most difficult swampy terrain in the district with the limited resources to do so;

• Up until recently, we had been operating with shoddy grooming equipment. Both of our experienced groomer operators quit last year;

• We do not have the industry base to support contract bidding. It is nearly impossible to get 3 quotes for anything. OFSC funding policies are prohibitive in this regard as they require 3 bids for any trail work;

• MNRF’s work permit process requires extensive up-front planning.

• We have very few volunteers who have the time or ability to do trail preparation, repair, inspection, maintenance, rerouting and planning;

• We do not have adequate funding to undertake the significant improvements that would be required to bring the current F trail up to standard; This would require a conservative estimate of $250,000.00 to repair our trails

• We have a reduced availability of fuel with closures of fueling stations along our trail systems which has resulted in a serious decline in snowmobile tourism.

• Our grooming runs are far too long. Operators have to go out on runs that are 12-14 hours in one direction. Our operators are working under uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous, conditions.

• Many water crossings need to be installed, as we have at least 25 water crossing and water issues between Chapleau and Aubrey Falls where we have a hard time establishing the trail base due to flowing water (even in mid-winter). For a number of reasons, ad-hoc trail patching from year to year must end, as it is illegal in many cases according to MNRF regulations.

We submitted a proposal in the summer of 2014 to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs as has been done year after year and the requested funding during a call for proposals and year over year we were denied. Along with the numerous areas of issues known last year we have several new major issues including a 45 foot washout on the Austin road that has severed the F trail.

 

Without the adequate financing to repair the trails members of CAWS will be unable to sustain this club. Out of respect to those who purchased snowmobile trail passes this year we did get out on the trails to try to make it work. However, based on the current trail conditions there aren’t enough volunteers or hours available to make it work. We have spent weekend after weekend in training and out on the trails. We have only been able to access less than 80 kilometers of our trail systems because of huge trail issues we have encountered with limited alternative access. Of the trails we have assessed the conditions beyond our local borders are very poor.

 

Algoma Snow Plan Affiliation, our district lead, has asked if we could continue to groom our local loops this season which would include the local, in town trails, and the Devon and Bordon Loops. We are in talks with the District to try to make this happen for those local trail pass owners and riders. We will keep you posted