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Riding West of Marathon


Hoosier

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36 minutes ago, T bird said:

That is some cool crap right there!!

Same company built the French and Pickerel river bridges.

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16 hours ago, revrnd said:

Yes, Dunc Lake is closer to White Lake. Don't ask me how I know LOL

 

@Hoosier Seeing your nickname reminds me of 3 sledders from Ft Wayne that we met in the Soo waiting to load our sleds on the train to Hearst around '08. It was I think the Presidents Day weekend for you guys. They unloaded in D'ville & were going to spend the next 3 days riding back to the Soo.

My group has really taken to riding in Ontario. Grew up closer to Chicago, but just over border in Indiana. Live in Central Indiana now. The 2 guys I ride with are in Chicago. Much more enjoyable to ride in Ontario and for me, the drive isn't much different than going to the UP. We used to typically ride on the Western side of the UP,  and then you have to deal with driving around Chicago. We normally start off in Searchmont. Last trip we started about an hour east of the Soo and did the Algonquin loop and back. That was fun too. Probably my favorite trail was D'ville out to Marathon, which is part of why I was asking about heading further west from there. 

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On 3/30/2020 at 4:50 PM, revrnd said:

@AC+YA How far west of the M'wadge turn is it to Marathon? That's the furthest west that I've been on TOP D.

Looks like Marathon is 62 kilometers from the old Trail turn off per the sign. 

22DA5DF2-E712-4692-A196-920462F98B0E.jpeg

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AB70EC70-37AC-4C3A-AB6C-17C9372EFFE7.jpeg

0C5B9F79-910B-485B-8F3B-8BDE8C471BD3.jpeg

0CA80B05-6967-49A6-9635-2BFA71A05C54.jpeg

31124098-AFFF-49C5-A226-E7C140BE8EAF.jpeg

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1 hour ago, AC+YA said:

Looks like Marathon is 62 kilometers from the old Trail turn off per the sign. 

22DA5DF2-E712-4692-A196-920462F98B0E.jpeg

 

Thanks! the 1st pic looks like where the S-I-L got off the trail I was breaking & got buried.

 

Actually it was just west of White Lake.

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1 hour ago, AC+YA said:

Looks like Marathon is 62 kilometers from the old Trail turn off per the sign. 

 

 

 

 

0C5B9F79-910B-485B-8F3B-8BDE8C471BD3.jpeg

 

 

 

46 maybe?

 

 

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14 hours ago, Ox said:

 

46 maybe?

 

 

.

Hi Ox,

 

Yes you are correct!  I used Manitouwadge not Marathon when I did the math in my head. 

 

46 kilometers from the D109A turn off to Marathon.    62 kilometers from the turn off to Mani.

 

Total distance from White River to Marathon is 124 kilometers.  Total distance from White River to Manitowadge is 140 kilometers. 

 

I truly hope these trails all come back along with improvements to the D trail between Dub and White River.  If these were open and the water issues fixed to maintain the trails as open the entire season, I will definitely plan for a number of trips through these beautiful areas. 

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Maybe if trails in the far south closeup for good then maybe resources can be sent north to open more trails and make new loops. Could bring revenue to northern communities in both summer and winter.

 

Jerry

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IDK aboot the summer part.

 

So many times it seems that the OFSC bridges are gated in the summer.

I don't understand it.

Pisses me off.

 

Besides - pretty sure The Queen paid for those big bridges anyway...

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18 hours ago, AC+YA said:

31124098-AFFF-49C5-A226-E7C140BE8EAF.jpeg

I don't recall this, but it's been a long time since....

 

I take it that this is tailing piles behind the two gold mines?

 

We have a pile like that behind the GM Foundry in Defiance, but I guess you have a good sized pile where you're at too eh?

 

 

.

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33 minutes ago, grover_yyz said:

Maybe if trails in the far south closeup for good then maybe resources can be sent north to open more trails and make new loops. Could bring revenue to northern communities in both summer and winter.

 

Jerry

Don't count on that.  If those trails close, I suspect that there will be a large number of permit sales that will be lost as well.  That lost revenue will severely impact operations across the province.

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12 minutes ago, Ox said:

I don't recall this, but it's been a long time since....

 

I take it that this is tailing piles behind the two gold mines?

 

We have a pile like that behind the GM Foundry in Defiance, but I guess you have a good sized pile where you're at too eh?

 

 

.

Yes, a big mine which has been there for many years.

 

Like in Defiance, many foundries found it cheaper to pile sand & slag than have it hauled to dumps.  We recycle a great % now and finally send what is left to a landfill.  In some cases it has been approved to be used in construction of bridges and road projects.  Most of the slag is pulverized and the iron removed and recycled while the rest is mixed into asphalt or used in place of crushed rock for driveways.  No active piles near any of my companies locations.  One old mountain does exist near a foundry we acquired, but it looks natural as trees and vegetation have now overgrown it.    

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On 3/31/2020 at 5:13 PM, AC+YA said:

Looks like Marathon is 62 kilometers from the old Trail turn off per the sign. 

 

 

EBDC627E-30BE-48D5-885E-26C507C8FD10.jpeg

 

Seeing the signage got me curious of the timeline of the trails contraction in the area & checking the Trail Guides.

 

2004

D109A - 'Hemlo' to M'wadge 

D110A - Marathon to M'wadge

D111A - Terrace Bay to Longlac (anyone ever ride this trail? Talk about a remote section of trail/lake running)

A107A - Mooseland to Longlac

TOP A & D intact to Nipigon

 

2007 

D109A - 'Hemlo' to M'wadge

D110A - Marathon to M'wadge (gone)

D111A - Terrace Bay to Longlac (gone)

A107A - Mooseland to Longlac

TOP A & D intact to Nipigon (Note on map that TOP A/D will be closed in Thunder Bay area)

 

2009

D109A - 'Hemlo' to M'wadge

A107A - Mooseland to Longlac

TOP A & D - intact to Nipigon (note on map that TOP A/D will be closed in Thunder Bay area)

 

2010

D109A - 'Hemlo' to M'wadge

Local trail indicated from Marathon 

A107A - Mooseland to Longlac

A109 - Greenstone Loop shown

TOP A - to outskirts of Thunder Bay (note on map that TOP A will be closed in Thunder Bay area)

TOP D - intact to Nipigon

In Rossport area, note on map: 'Check with local clubs for trail status reports 1-800-526-7522'.

 

2011

D109A - 'Hemlo' to Hillsport

A107A - gone

A109 - Greenstone Loop

TOP A - to outskirts of Thunder Bay, closed between Geraldton and a point north of Nipigon (note on map that TOP A will be closed in Thunder Bay area)

TOP D - intact to Nipigon 

 

2012

D109A - gone

A109 - Greenstone Loop

Local trail between Marathon and M'wadge

TOP A - to outskirts of Thunder Bay, closed between Geraldton and a point north of Nipigon (note on map that TOP A will be closed in Thunder Bay area)

TOP D - intact to Nipigon 

 

2014

A109 Greenstone - gone (local trails between Geraldton and Hillsport)

TOP A - ends at Hornepayne, restarts west at Kakabeka Falls 

TOP D - ends at D'ville (local trails between Neys and White Lake)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, whits-end said:

Why would you assume that?

I don't "assume" that.

That is how I "remember" that.

 

I was not involved personally - as I am a Yank eh?

But pretty sure that was what I heard back at that time.

 

If you know differently - by all means - put it out there.

 

 

This is for the Pic River, French River, and maybe a cpl smaller ones?

Possibly/probably anything that Superior Engineering (?) from The Soo designed / had built.

These had price tags above what trail passes would ever pay for.

Again - that is what I recall hearing back at that time.

I can not say who I heard it through, just discussions at the time.

 

May be able to dig it up on The Soo Star archives maybe?

 

Not saying that the OFSC didn't write the cheque, but if so - that would have been via a Provincial or Fed grant.

 

Only point here is that those bridges are all paid for via public, or at least semi public loonies. (including mine)

Whether it was paid for via a grant from Toronto, Ottawa, or via trail pass fees, they are not private property.

 

 

 

Quote

Work toward making the bridges a reality began 14 years ago within the French River Snow Voyagers snowmobile club. Funding from the provincial and federal governments, as well as the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), was secured early this year, and construction of the structures began last August. The total tab for the two bridges topped $1 million.

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/regional-news/parry-sound/bridge-development-expected-to-boost-tourism-1201-361033

 

 

Quote

 

17 February 2001

FedNor announces funding for the Mark Frame Memorial Bridge (now known as Mark Frame Bridge) across the Pic River.

 

http://www.sno-kickers.com/bridge/index4.html

 

 

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Edited by Ox
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The fabrication company that built the 3 bridges was online at 1 time. They had artist's concept images of the designs & the finished bridges. I remember the site discussing the unique curved design of the 1 crossing the Pickerel River.

 

I think after the Pic River bridge was completed, the ball really started rolling on getting the 2 bridges built south of there.

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