Canuck Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 C101D - Folyet to Timmins has opened 'Limited'. That means riders who want (are possessed?) to do the Big Northern Loop can ride: Timmins>Cochrane>Kap>Hearst>D'Ville>Wawa>Halfway>Chapleau>Folyet>Timmins (or any start/stop above). Great news for northern Ontario snowmobiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zrtkat Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Thats for sure opens up-some different destinations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrecker Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 C101D - Folyet to Timmins has opened 'Limited'. That means riders who want (are possessed?) to do the Big Northern Loop can ride: Timmins>Cochrane>Kap>Hearst>D'Ville>Wawa>Halfway>Chapleau>Folyet>Timmins (or any start/stop above). Great news for northern Ontario snowmobiling. thats terrific news we leave tomorrow to do that exact trip the big northern loop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 thats terrific news we leave tomorrow to do that exact trip the big northern loop looking forward to a report, with pics of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonCalling Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Is anyone interested in doing this ? I have a week March 12-20.... I think 5 days of riding would be enough to compete it. Drive up Sunday March 13 ride 5 days drive home Saturday March 19. Any takers ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Wrecker, did you complete the big loop? How was it? Where did you stay? Hoping to do it March 9-12. We are thinking Timmins to Hearst, to Dub, to Chapleau and back to Timmins (4 days). Does that work, in your opinion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronOrange Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 We just finished in the area, I've heard Cedar Meadows in Timmins is a nice place. We stayed at Post 392 17 miles south on C trail. Best food anywhere. 212 miles from Timmins to Hearst; 239 from Post 392. Hearst; I've only ever stayed at the Companion, iy nice and has in door heated storage for the machines. Hearst to D'Ville 195 easy miles. Magpie Relay is the place to say there. We didn't go to Chapleau this trip. I don't know the mileage, but Valentine Farms is the place to stay there if he has occupancy. Have a great trip, hope the trails hold up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Thanks Akron Orange for the tips and mileages. We had picked up your report from Gowanda and determined that our plan was sound. Hopefully by not starting until Wednesday, we can avoid most of the rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 We just finished in the area, I've heard Cedar Meadows in Timmins is a nice place. We stayed at Post 392 17 miles south on C trail. Best food anywhere. 212 miles from Timmins to Hearst; 239 from Post 392. Hearst; I've only ever stayed at the Companion, iy nice and has in door heated storage for the machines. Hearst to D'Ville 195 easy miles. Magpie Relay is the place to say there. We didn't go to Chapleau this trip. I don't know the mileage, but Valentine Farms is the place to stay there if he has occupancy. Have a great trip, hope the trails hold up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Valentine Farms leased to a crew for the entire snow season 2nd season in a row. Maybe next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Valentine Farms leased to a crew for the entire snow season 2nd season in a row. Maybe next season? Thanks for the info. I am getting nervous about trails lasting, even on the Northern Corridor, thru this next week. Any day to day updates would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 I am wondering myself about weather. Wading up next Wednesday to see what is left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Cedar Meadows is "high end" when it comes to pricing. Other motels in the city that are trail accessible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunz Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Nice facility but very snotty staff, I'll stay elsewhere in the future. Having to pay to use the hot tub was not impressed. Cedar Meadows is "high end" when it comes to pricing. Other motels in the city that are trail accessible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Follow Sledjunks EOS trip plan for next weekend, I'll report on there what I find on trail conditions mid-week. I'll ride Tues or Wed no matter what the weather, to get a grip on what the trails look like. Ditto on the Cedar Meadows thing, they opened for sledders while we were living in Timmins 10 or so years ago, I've heard the same comments multiple times .... fairly pricey, "snotty" is an accurate term for staff attitude towards the clientelle, not heard a bunch of good about them. Gotta agree on AkronOranges' thoughts on going to Post 392, for the extra 45 minutes it takes. Never been there myself, but I've never heard anyone say Boo about service or food or comfort out there. I'd go there sight unseen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 On Monday March7, I believe I saw just under 23K km of northern trails posted 'available', including 'green' from Timmins to Chapleau for the first time in years. So Tuesday, three of us headed to Timmins to do the Timmins/Chapleau/Dub'ville/Hearst/Cochrane loop. We had planned to take 4 days, but the forecast for very warm weather on the Saturday caused us to compress the ride to 3 days. We rode the loop Wed - Fri, starting with six hours of riding in the rain or drizzle. Didn't get into Wawa until 8:30 PM, when by then the temp had dropped to -8C, the trail was rock hard rutted ice and we had covered just over 500 km. Unknown to us the C101D trail was being closed that day as we rode it. Trail was ploughed down to gravel in spots, and some ice bridges were about to wash away, but luckily for us, the trail was rideable. Thank you very much to the clubs (Timmins and Chapleau for sure) that did all the work to get that trail opened this year. There was obvious extensive re-routing (requiring clearing) between Foleyet and Chapleau compared to the old C101F trail. The new route was not nearly as tight and demanding as the old one. It is a shame that the early warm weather meant that the Chapleau end of the trail was only open for about three weeks. Thursday was amazing once the sun got up and softened the trails. As with the previous day, there was plenty of snow on the groomed trail and in no time we were at the start of the Dub'ville trails. The trail had just been groomed over night, or early that morning. Eventually we passed the northbound groomer (not Luc at the wheel), but the trail remained almost perfect all the way to Hearst. We put in for the night after just under 400 km. Friday was almost as good as Thursday, with just a bit of choppy high-traffic trail in the Smooth Rock area. The highlight of the day came early, on the local loop trails north of Hearst, that Denis gets to ride all the time. We stayed on those as long as we could, passing another groomer and riding east, parallel to the A trail. Even the short time on the A trail, until we picked up the local trails south of Kap, was good. Great lunch at the Moonbeam clubhouse and back on the A, past the C trail turnoff to Timmins. We had the time, so stayed on the A to A106C, I think it was, or may be its 103, that drops south west back to the C trail to Timmins. After all of the Friday afternoon traffic between SRF and Cochrane, that 106(103?) was a treat - smooth as pee on a plate, and only 4 other sleds. Back down to Timmins with just under 450 km for the last riding day of 2016. Thanks to all of the northern clubs that made that excellent three day, 1350 km ride possible. Thanks also to the OCers that provided valuable trail info. Winter 2016/2017 has to be kinder to sledders because this week I snow checked a new sled - first new one since 1999. I will be ready for the early start trails in December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Congrats on the new sled purchase. Great trail report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronOrange Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Nice report! Sounds like a nice ride. It's a great area. I hope to ride the Timmins - Chapleau trail next year as well as the new L143. A trail to Matachaean is also rumored to open as well as a possible connection to the former D16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 My daughter and I started from Dub on that Thursday morning and ran fantastic trails to Timmins. We stopped for fuel in Hornepayne, Hearst, Opaz, and had lunch at the Moonbeam Clubhouse. Then gas at SRF and got to Timmins Microtel as it was getting dark. Great trails almost all the way! It was about 670 Km of great riding that day. We met up with Patrick from The RMR motel in Dub and Carl his friend from Dub who had left on Wednesday and had also added the loop up through Antibi Canyon on Thursday so they had beaten us to the hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Holey cow that's a big day .... trails would have to be perfect for me to do that mileage in a weekend!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white dragon Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 My daughter and I started from Dub on that Thursday morning and ran fantastic trails to Timmins. We stopped for fuel in Hornepayne, Hearst, Opaz, and had lunch at the Moonbeam Clubhouse. Then gas at SRF and got to Timmins Microtel as it was getting dark. Great trails almost all the way! It was about 670 Km of great riding that day. We met up with Patrick from The RMR motel in Dub and Carl his friend from Dub who had left on Wednesday and had also added the loop up through Antibi Canyon on Thursday so they had beaten us to the hotel. very nice,glad you got out again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Continued....... Then Friday Morning we all gassed up and left for Halfway Haven where Sean was making a fantastic dinner as always. The OFSC Trail App still showed the trail open, but limited that morning. Apparently the version found on your PC had already closed the trail, but I was not seeing that. We found less than great trail conditions as soon as we made the turn to go towards Foleyet. Frozen rutted trail that was extreme, but the four of us got used to it. When we stopped for a break, Pat noticed a tree branch caught under Carl's Polaris. As he went to get it, it was found that the rock struck out on a power line near Dub a week earlier had taken it's toll and the lower "A" arm had broken in half and the sway bar connection was bending and breaking what was still connected. No choice we pushed on to Folleyet where the sled and Carl had to remain waiting for a ride to pick them up. The machine went over 100 Km with only half the lower arm which was amazing on those trails and road crossings with many dirt areas trying to rip it apart. Paige, Pat, and I continued toward Chapleau although delayed about 3.5 hours. The trail was not good for about 20 miles, but then opened up into the new route used only the final year before closing the trail. Then the ride was good again and many of the real tight turning areas have been changed so that this trail will be much faster in the future and a friendlier ride for all. After passing about 8 sleds heading toward Folleyet we reached The gas station on Hwy 101 and took a break. The light was fading so we headed off toward Halfway. The shortcut I normally take was all mud and so we got back on the F Trail South which is part of the cut through to the D Trail. We found that long portions of this trail had been ripped down to dirt and we had to just ride the dirt/mud hoping it would lead to snow before the sleds would not run any longer. In the dark it is better because you really can't see how bad it is. Overheating was not an issue for the Cat's but the Doo was starting to not like it when the bulldozer had finally stopped ripping out the trail. Snow was a welcome sight after miles of nothing. The rest of the trail toward the D intersection was really nice! A few water crossings had been cut smaller by the running water, but were no issue at all after the miles of hell we had made it through that day. Once reaching the D Trail we turned north and found it to be smooth, but with very little snow. Seems the last groomer out had cut it deep and made it smooth, but many high areas were dry. The grass and rock showed at every hill crest. Riding into Halfway Haven was great and the dinner even better. What a steak! Saturday we ran the 170 Km back up to Dub and took the shortcut to Hawk Junction to stay in the snow better. It was a nice ride. When we got into the RMR we started to see the group from Hearst who had come cross country all the era with all the gas cans strapped to the machines. Amazing! Good three day loop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 That would be the crew of guys who's sleds I fix every 2nd weekend .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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