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Wawa/Hawk Junction


Turbo Doo

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i would check what "food available" actually means, before booking. one thing to remember here... the closest places to eat off site, will be the big bear, ernies (if he opens amdist covid), or wawa. it does give you more options for lodging in the wawa area, and we will need it. the hotels, motels will be FULL with workers most/all of the winter. Ski

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5 minutes ago, skidooboy said:

i would check what "food available" actually means, before booking. one thing to remember here... the closest places to eat off site, will be the big bear, ernies (if he opens amdist covid), or wawa. it does give you more options for lodging in the wawa area, and we will need it. the hotels, motels will be FULL with workers most/all of the winter. Ski

I have to admit,  the Big Bears facebook page shows some darn scrumptious food.. I agree, the more places, the better..

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TD, Ken is ONE HELL OF A COOK! the burgers are as good or better than Ernie's and that says A LOT. HUGE PORTIONS, you will not leave hungry. you will leave uncomfortable, looking for a place close by to take a nap. :D Ski 

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39 minutes ago, skidooboy said:

TD, Ken is ONE HELL OF A COOK! the burgers are as good or better than Ernie's and that says A LOT. HUGE PORTIONS, you will not leave hungry. you will leave uncomfortable, looking for a place close by to take a nap. :D Ski 

Hahahah, just what the doctor ordered eh..

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Yep. We did it as part of a 1500 mile loop  in about 2001. Started late from the Companion (Polaris repair) Got to Dubreiville and decided to ride the reservoir to the Northern Lights Motel. Got stuck in slush but stayed away from the deadheads. Got to Northern lights about 7:30 PM.

Edited by PISTON LAKE CRUISER
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Cochrane to Hearst for day one, Hearst to dub/wawa day two, dub/wawa to chapleau via halfway haven day 3,  timmins on day 4, or push on to cochrane,  and avoid day five, or add a side trip on day five to the canyon. Ski 

Edited by skidooboy
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4 hours ago, ToSlow said:

How many day's was it, I would like to do the run but lots has changed in the north from 2001. things have closed and fuel might be a problem

Fuel isn’t an issue on this route at all, normally. Lots of options. Even fuel at half way isn’t required if you fill up in chapleau, but is nice to top up if open and avoid wawa snd D trail thru town or having to back track on lake to get fuel. This allows to take trail 5 and by pass town, which is much better route. 
I am sure dub will have a steady supply of fuel, no premium available though. Most stops are along main highway’s, so fuel availability is good. 

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15 minutes ago, XTC500 said:

Could be tough finding accommodation in or near Wawa. It's a busy area now.

https://www.saultstar.com/news/local-news/exceptionally-hard-to-find-a-home-in-wawa-official

Yeah dub too. Have to plan your trip around accomdations in this area and cheapleau area too. From chapleau to wawa i don’t really care for those trails either. 

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11 hours ago, ToSlow said:

be awesome to do a trip from Cochrane to Wawa. Any here ever do it?

It’s a nice trip. I would stay in dub next time for two nights so had time to explore wawa area too. A run out to ernies would be nice if you have enough people and call ahead. Always wanted to go there, but never had chance. Could ride from dub to kap to shave half a day off trip going back. Then you have time to do canyon run too before heading back to Cochrane or you can skip canyon and be in Cochrane before noon and drive back home 

Edited by Strong Farmer
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17 hours ago, ToSlow said:

How many day's was it, I would like to do the run but lots has changed in the north from 2001. things have closed and fuel might be a problem

One day from Hearst to Wawa. The longest stretch without fuel right on the trail is Hearst to Hornpayne which is right on 100 miles. If you can't make 100 miles then you can go off the A trail about 7 km. up into Calstock for fuel.

Edited by PISTON LAKE CRUISER
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11 hours ago, ToSlow said:

be awesome to do a trip from Cochrane to Wawa. Any here ever do it?

 

CanadianBacon.jpg

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24 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

One day from Cochrane to Wawa. The longest stretch without fuel right on the trail is Hearst to Hornpayne which is right on 100 miles. If you can't make 100 miles then you can go off the A trail about 7 km. up into Calstock for fuel.

You ride Cochrane to wawa in one day. That is over 600 km’s plc. More like 650 ish give or take 25 km’s or so. Two day trip for most but can make from kap to dub in a day which is around 425 km’s. That’s my limit for a day. 

Edited by Strong Farmer
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If you stay @ Hawk, one ride that I highly recommend is that you take the trail east out of town, past the sub-station. That will run you out to a beach landing on the chain of lakes. 

I have some pics of 4wheelers and my truck there, but can't find them. (maybe never scanned in?)

 

I hooked up with another group for the day, and the guy running point for them took us up river, and eventually up to Ernies for burgers. 

You doo need to git off the water and take a portage between Whitefish (Manitowik?) Lake and Dog to the north. (A klick of whoops!)

 

You need to take the portage as apparently there is a "narrows" between the lakes that doesn't freeze well, or at all. I did not see this narrows as I was just following the group, and I kind'a question it's existance as that spot should be the Arctic Watershed, as Whitefish Lake flows south to Anjigami and the Michipocotin River and dumps into Lake Superior near Wawa, and Dog Lake to the north should flow north via the Missinnabi River to James/Hudson's Bay, so ... ???

 

I wish that I had pics of the ride - other than what I have. It is similar to running the Magpie, only ... "more" is prolly the best that I can describe.

Rock walls shooting up on both sides of the waterway.

 

I labeled the lake here as Manitowik in the pic, and that lake doesn't show up on the online map, but since I labeled it as that, I'm guessing that the TOPO map must have shown it better?

 

I doo highly recommend that you don't make first tracks tho! Only go if you can follow old tracks.

 

 

ManitowikLakeOntFeb98.jpg

Edited by Ox
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17 minutes ago, Ox said:

If you stay @ Hawk, one ride that I highly recommend is that you take the trail east out of town, past the sub-station. That will run you out to a beach landing on the chain of lakes. 

I have some pics of 4wheelers and my truck there, but can't find them. (maybe never scanned in?)

 

I hooked up with another group for the day, and the guy running point for them took us up river, and eventually up to Ernies for burgers. 

You doo need to git off the water and take a portage between Whitefish (Manitowik?) Lake and Dog to the north. (A klick of whoops!)

 

You need to take the portage as apparently there is a "narrows" between the lakes that doesn't freeze well, or at all. I did not see this narrows as I was just following the group, and I kind'a question it's existance as that spot should be the Arctic Watershed, as Whitefish Lake flows south to Anjigami and the Michipocotin River and dumps into Lake Superior near Wawa, and Dog Lake to the north should flow north via the Missinnabi River to James/Hudson's Bay, so ... ???

 

I wish that I had pics of the ride - other than what I have. It is similar to running the Magpie, only ... "more" is prolly the best that I can describe.

Rock walls shooting up on both sides of the waterway.

 

I labeled the lake here as Manitowik in the pic, and that lake doesn't show up on the online map, but since I labeled it as that, I'm guessing that the TOPO map must have shown it better?

 

I doo highly recommend that you don't make first tracks tho! Only go if you can follow old tracks.

 

 

ManitowikLakeOntFeb98.jpg

That’s where I want to go but can’t go without a guide. Last time I missed organize ride groomer guy was doing from dub by a few days. 

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"Can't go w/o a guide"?

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OK, so you are neither Anyweather Lewis nor Clark eh? :D

 

 

.

Edited by Ox
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i have been on that site of the pic, MANY TIMES. the narrows really "dont connect" manitouwik (whitefish lake), with dog lake. when i looked at it (in the back ground on the pic), it was really rocky, and then closed off to the bush anyway. the portage is about 2kms, if you are the first ones through, you better have a chainsaw, or prepare to have to make a "new trail" around the downed timber... been there done that too.

 

i wouldnt do dog lake, or manitouwik, unless you had a gps track, or it was a bluebird day, and there were already tracks on the route, IF YOU DONT KNOW THE AREA WELL.  manitouwik is easy, it is straight south down the water to the exit (or entrance) at hawk, just look for the GREAT BIG WALL. dog lake, is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT MONSTER, IT IS HUGE, WITH FINGERS, AND BAYS EVERYWHERE.  lots of slush (overflow) too. 

 

like Ox says, if you have the opportunity the route is pretty cool. you ride trail from dub, to dog lake like you are going to ernies, then peel off south to the portage (not marked or staked, or signed) i have it gps'd... then down manitouwik, to the bluff, pick up the trail for a couple clicks, and it puts you on the D trail at the power transfer station in hawk. 

 

you could actually run water from just south of hearst, all the way to wawa, if you know the route. oba lake or kabinakigami, esnagi, or wabatongushi, dog lake, to manitouwik, to hawk lake, to wawa lake. it can be done, the Hearst guys do it regularly. i have been on about 70% of it but, dont know the furthest north spots and my contacts wont tell anyone the rest of the route. when we can go across ox, I WANT TO DO THIS!!!

 

My bucket list ride would be, put my boot in lake superior at sandy beach in wawa, and ride to James Bay, and stand on the ice, or put my boot in if it isnt frozen. you in? Ski

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Sure, no worries. ... Now that I gots me a fuel infected sled that is.

 

We started that trip @ Hearst aboot a dozen years ago and burnt down two sleds by trying to tow big sleighs full of fuel and camping gear.

Those flatslides don't like a constant / steady throttle setting, and we ended up with lean burn.

I'm sure that we could have adjusted our needles up a cpl notches and tried aggin the next year, but I decided that I was waiting for fuel infection. 

 

We were hoping to go all the way up and pick up the Albany (?) and bring back down, but Marc says that there is nothing to see that way.

Apparently more muskegy than the Moose River. The Moose has scrub pine all along it, but apparently the Albany doesn't even have that.

 

Still, it'd be nice to hit that once to say that I did too.

 

But git'n the time off is a whole nother situation.

I kan't plan in certainties. Only play by ear....

One of the cons of self employment...

 

 

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Per your GPS comments:

 

I am here to tell yuh - I have that Garmin InReach unit, and with that, you git an online map and your waypoints are stored online, and such. 

It is really purty kewl!

 

But - let me tell yuh!

That map is dead nuts on!

I loaded a few points from setting on my assets in the office here, and when I got there - they were dead nuts on!

I was amazed!

 

If I was planning on dooing this today, I would likely load those points ahead of time.

 

 

One other thing - I will cross almost any water - short of Lake Superior.

I have laid first tracks accrost several inland lakes up there, and sometimes there is nothing but water shooting out the back of my sled. (slush)

As long as there is a place to git off and I have a big sled and big track, I'm OK with it.

But I hate stopping on ice! If sumpthing goes wrong there - no time to grab a handfull of HP.

 

And thus, when we doo stop on ice, I like to be the last one to shut down, as I like to social distance when parking on ice.

I know lots of guys like to all park side by side, but that's not me...

 

The Manitowik side of this run - there is no place to git off for quite a stretch. The water goes right up to shear cliffs. (not unlike the Magpie in places)

I am always looking for a safe place to git to in case.... This is NOT a Christmas / NY's trip!

Prolly from one of my first river experiences right here at home. Was solid by the roadway overpass, and we headed up stream, only to look back and see water!

I grabbed a handfull and tried to find a place to git off!

Neither of us got wet, but I'm sure glad I was running point that day! LOL!

 

So, as we continued on north through the portage from the pic above, we navigated the whoops, hollars, and stutters 'till we got out to Dog.

We hadn't hardly got going on Dog and I blew my drive belt! :o

So there I was - out in the middle of Dog, changing my belt.

That is the worst possible scenario of my fears!

 

I was runnin' clean-up, but one older fella swung back around to stay with me, which was appreciated.

Again - I didn't know anyone in the group.

 

I think that I was still running airplane gears in that Grand Touring at that time yet, and .. probably running a Summit track, so that could be why it took out the belt

It was a cpl more years later 'till I learned to drop the gear ratio to 2.25, and then EVERYTHING started working better! (for playing off trail)

 

.

Edited by Ox
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