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Abitibi Canyon


ravinerat

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Denis007 . Why don't you just lead a trip on the old logging roads from Hearst to Oba. I did a run from Hornepayne to Oba. Virgin powder all the way.

For the rest. Northern Ontario is littered with logging road. You just need to know where they are. We used to be able to get maps off the logging companies but they no longer share the info. I still have some old MNR Topo maps which show lotss of the old roads.

I have left Barrie on snowmobile and run all through Northern Ont doing big loops. I used to have my holidays in the winter. It was getting hard to find someone who wanted to spend 10 days on a sled. No I Don't know if my body can take it.

I guess a Canyon run is in the books.

RR

Try this site. https://www.efmp.lrc.gov.on.ca/eFMP/home.do

It has all Forest Management Plan maps.

Just click on the area (management unit) you're interested in, there should be all kinds of maps.

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I did the Abitibi Canyon as well, and think it's what your expectations are.  I talked to a guy that had been told it was an amazing, not to be missed loop.  He said he wasn't impressed.  I went shortly after hearing that and I thought it was a great experience.  The west side is fast and mostly straight (veers from one side of hydro field to another once in a while), but does have lots of safe spots for going a bit off the trail in some deeper snow.  The view from the dam is really cool with the ice build up, and I've been on some dams before (huge one up in the Austrian alps) but to drive your sled over this dam is an experience I'd never done.  The east side is still fast, and does have more to see, and I must have seen a dozen places where guys blew corners and ended up needing extraction, so hardly a boring ride.  And with regards to expensive gas, whatever, it's not like you need a whole tank (newer sleds probably don't even need to if you filled up at the east side entrance).  The owner. Bill is a nice guy and i was happy to grab some soup and a burger and gas up, I'm just happy that they're able to make the business work and support them.  I totally want to go back and do the whole tour up to James bay Moosonee sometime soon. 

 

So in a nutshell, I'd say it is definitely worth doing.

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Ha,the logging roads thing would fly if I didn't have only short track sleds. No off trail riding for me. ... by choice. I don't mind so much on my hunting roads though .... I know the place like the back of my hand. ....

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Thanks Adam if you go send me a pin and tell me of your adventure

We will be there Jaanuary 8 -13 to hopefully ride some powder.

Once we get the cob webs out we head to Gaspe in Febuary to ride the hills and powder there.

Last year my group did Wawa at end of season.

I did not go and did trail riding from Cochrane to Hearst.Met up with denis07.

Good times great trails

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The Canyon Loop is always a must do for our group when we base out of Cochrane.  Personally, I prefer to ride up the East side in the morning and down the West side to Smooth Rock after a high class boiler dog, soup and soda lunch at the trailer.  Why in the expensive direction you may ask?  Well, because it gives you more options in the afternoon.  After you get to Smooth Rock, you basically have 3 options for the trip back to Cochrane: 

 

1.  If your tired and are ready to call it a day and get back to those cold beers at the hotel, take the direct route back to Cochrane on the A Trail.

2.  If you don't want to add a bunch of miles, but what to sight-see, take the A Trail towards Cochrane, but detour to the Fire Tower.  Only adds about 45 minutes, and if the weather is clear, you can't beat the view from the Tower.

3.  If you want more miles to extend the day, take C Trail towards Timmins, then A106C to Cochrane. 

 

Crossing the ice bridge and Abitibi dam is a cool experience, and I really don't care about the extra few bucks I leave at Extreme Tours' trailer.  I'm glad they are there to provide the fuel and a place to take a break after a 100 mile stretch of scenic trail.  I can see where the West side would be boring with a 600 sled, but with a 250+ horsepower turbo sled, it is far from boring.  Actually, it is the reason I built it.

 

I haven't spent much time in the hills of the Canyon (which is not part of the OFSC trail system) but I can see where it would appeal to the deep powder/mountain rider crowd.  In short, you should do it.

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I would rather ride over to kap! Terrain is more interesting over that way. The canyon loop is like running a flat logging road for 300 kms, I hear. Lots of people do that loop too. I like to get away from the traffic. The trip our on the ice to moose factory would be awesome. You could camp out in your tent. That would be a near experience. Need a polar bear gunmen though.

I did it and enjoyed it . The hydro line side is fast (loved it) and the other side has twist and turns to keep you interested. Drove by a lynx

on the side of the trail , pretty cool to see one that close in the wild. Up at the top you can't get much more scenic than that (awesome).

We went all the way up and didn't see any other sleds till we were on the outskirts of cochrane on the trip down. I would recommend doing the loop at least once and don't listen to the negative comments. Oh yeah the trail conditions were top notch. IMO it would be a

shame not to ride the loop if you were already in the area.

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I did it and enjoyed it . The hydro line side is fast (loved it) and the other side has twist and turns to keep you interested. Drove by a lynx

on the side of the trail , pretty cool to see one that close in the wild. Up at the top you can't get much more scenic than that (awesome).

We went all the way up and didn't see any other sleds till we were on the outskirts of cochrane on the trip down. I would recommend doing the loop at least once and don't listen to the negative comments. Oh yeah the trail conditions were top notch. IMO it would be a

shame not to ride the loop if you were already in the area.

X2, I have done both sides of the canyon the past couple of years and will do it again this year when we get up there...

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We will do the loop if we can get up there. We were planned for Jan 10 but that doesn't give us long to get enough snow down and the rivers to freeze. When ever I have been in the area the Canyon hasn't been open for food and gas. We never had extra gas to venture in. Time will tell this year.

 

 

RR

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Try this site. https://www.efmp.lrc.gov.on.ca/eFMP/home.do

It has all Forest Management Plan maps.

Just click on the area (management unit) you're interested in, there should be all kinds of maps.

Just saw this link. ... awesome page lots of info including the names of all the roads where I hunt. ..... thanks! !!!!

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We went late in the season last year.

Went up the east side and came back down the west.

Great trip and we plan to do it again this year with a few more guys who couldn't make it last year......that is, if winter ever shows up!

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It's a great loop, remote, scenic. In the canyon, the first few hills are well tracked and fairly easy climbs, the deeper you go, the steeper the climb. I can see where a person can get themselves in trouble.......I had some assistance a few times turnen a 121 around on grades it had no business bein on. I had a blast, burnt a full tank of fuel out in there. There is tons of stuff I wanted to climb, but the unknown factor of "whats up there, can I turn around or get down the other side" deterred me, a pair of snow shoes and more time would be awesome. Just my experience.

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BP, I tried that link, and all I get in an error. nice info to have on that site I would imagine. ;) Ski

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I tried this link earlier and it worked. I also get the error message now.

.

Very good maps.

Just tried it myself, from a couple of different directions. Must be a problem with their servers or something. I'm sure it'll be back up soon. I think they do most of their maintenance on weekends.

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It worked this morning

RR

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abitibi is a long day from Cochran, but well worth the run as the trails are wide open and fast. 

I guess it depends on your definition of long and how long you play on the power line. The trip from Cochrane to Fraserdale To Smoothrock to took us about 6 hours including a leisurely lunch at the trailer.

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I guess it depends on your definition of long and how long you play on the power line. The trip from Cochrane to Fraserdale To Smoothrock to took us about 6 hours including a leisurely lunch at the trailer.

 

 

well i guess the group i was riding with was taking the time to enjoy the scenery. cause it was a longer day for us. there was some pics of that trip on here someplace.

 

or they might have been taking it easy cause i was on a 600.lol 

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well i guess the group i was riding with was taking the time to enjoy the scenery. cause it was a longer day for us. there was some pics of that trip on here someplace.

 

or they might have been taking it easy cause i was on a 600.lol 

We typically take it easy through the bush &  twisties but like to go when its open country would have been another hour to complete the loop.

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We have ran from Hearst to smooth rock falls, then ran the canyon and on to Cochrane for the night.

Now that is some serious serious riding no? gotta be riding in the dark a few hours. 

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Now that is some serious serious riding no? gotta be riding in the dark a few hours.

Be about 450 kms! Doable if you ride fast!

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Way to go, IQT.

 

Heck of a ride.

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Left Hearst at 8am sharp! (sledjunk!).HEHE.....Then was at the Westway in Cochrane for 6ish..We did not beat ourselves up that much..

if you folks are heading up again this year and have room for 1 more i would sure like to go and run the big trails again

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