Trail observations --some good, some bad

[AceRacer]

Got up to the cottage Thursday night to ride Friday before the big thaw--rode from Penetang to Bala, back via Big Chute to Coldwater.

 

GBSR (Georgian Bay Snowriders).  Great grooming.  Saw a groomer in Midland 10am.  Saw a groomer on the way back around 5:30 around Victoria Harbour.  Trails groomed by the club (303 railbed trail, 305 from Penetang to Midland, C trail to Coldwater) were immaculate, and warrant a thumbs up.  Piss poor signage.  If you're not a local and don't know you're way around you're screwed.  There's not a single sign on the C trail all the way through Midland, including the intersection where it veers off from the local trail into town near the Martyrs Shrine.  Lots of intersections where the trail forks to get lost. 

 

Coldwater to Port Severn (Baxter?) C trail.  Good job with grooming and signage. We hopped on Local trail 11A across 6-mile lake, which was staked.  Ice, like most areas this year wasn't the best, but still saves time.

 

Back on to C trail heading towards Bala.  Not sure who's responsible for this section, but it doesn't look like its seen a groomer this year.  Worst section of any trail I've ridden on this year.  Once you got to the intersection of C and C101D (C heads north to Parry Sound, C101D heads to Bala and Gravenhurst) the trails were nicely groomed.  Signage was excellent, except for in town in Bala, where once again, if you're not a local, you'll have a tough time finding the trail as it enters town and exits the other side.

 

Back onto C101D towards Gravenhurst,  turned off and took local trail 17 towards Big Chute.  Trail map listed this trail as GREEN but there are no stakes on the lake.  Again, a problem for us non-locals.  Its easy to follow the main path on the lake, but a couple of times the sled trails split in various directions and we had to guess which was the main trail.  Headed down to local trail 14, which was really beat up--but hats off the local club that was actually trying their best to groom this trail--we were the first 2 sleds behind the freshly groomed trail, and even then the trail was really rough.   Turned off onto local trail 15, which looks like it hasn't seen a groomer this year as well.  Really beat up and bumpy--this trail goes through a hydro corridor and looks like tough terrain.

 

C trail to Coldwater and back to Penetang.

 

Saturday rode the ice around Midland/Penetang/Beausoleil Island.  Ice was really sloppy by 2pm.  Didn't see anyone on the lake today (Sunday)

 

Actually rode today (Sunday).  Trails will most likely be posted RED after freeloader day, oops I mean free family day riding tomorrow.  Took a quick spin on C towards Elmvale--should have brought my sea-doo instead.  Trail is effectively non-existant.  Rode back towards  Coldwater, Waubashene to Coldwater is still suprisingly fast, but slushy.  Midland-Coldwater is beat up and slushy and will be done by tomorrow.

 

Hope everyone got some riding in this season.  Unless we get some serious snow the last week of Feb/early March, riding around GBay is done for the year.

[Johnny (Deanlea beach)]

I rode today too. Started in Elmvale headed east to Waubaushene then south and back around. Several sections of bare wet limestone screening/dirt running 20' over and over. Slushy all around. Very bumpy. Hot day. From Waubaushene going south, Trail B205c was closed with a sign. Had to come back a different way. Couldn't see signage in midland -made navigating harder. Poorest signage around little lake and mud lake. I bet the poor signs got wacked from all the plows and traffic. It would be best at night or early morning instead. Hoping for more snow. 

[AceRacer]

38 minutes ago, Johnny (Deanlea beach) said:

I rode today too. Started in Elmvale headed east to Waubaushene then south and back around. Several sections of bare wet limestone screening/dirt running 20' over and over. Slushy all around. Very bumpy. Hot day. From Waubaushene going south, Trail B205c was closed with a sign. Had to come back a different way. Couldn't see signage in midland -made navigating harder. Poorest signage around little lake and mud lake. I bet the poor signs got wacked from all the plows and traffic. It would be best at night or early morning instead. Hoping for more snow. 

 

Signs haven't been there all season.  Nothing to guide you on C trail at all.  Signage north of Penetang on local trails is non-existant as well.  Trails have been re-routed with zero signage.  In fact, some old arrows exist that point in the wrong direction when you come to a road. This club does great grooming, and really bad signage.