EXTREME TOURS MOOSONEE

[andreyboater]

I'm planning our annual trip for this season, so hoping to join  and get a spot for 3 days Moosenee tour. Did anybody make it previous years?  

https://abitibicanyon.com/extreme-tours-moosonee

[ecarnell]

We did that loop way way way back in 1995 on short track 1993 Polaris RXL’s - with John H out of the north adventure inn. But that was a early 5am start out of Cochrane to Moose Factory.

 

would be sooooo much nicer these days with long tracks and 1.25” (or greater!)

enjoy the trip!

[Big Pussy]

I did it with my 2001 Thundercat in 2009.

 

[andreyboater]

What's is mileage from Canyon to Moosonee?

[signfan]

With Covid on the rise this might be a trip to skip this year.  Sounds like they are purposely not building the winter road north to these communities this winter.  You might find you don't get the warmest welcome in an isolated community like Moosenee.

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

31 minutes ago, signfan said:

With Covid on the rise this might be a trip to skip this year.  Sounds like they are purposely not building the winter road north to these communities this winter.  You might find you don't get the warmest welcome in an isolated community like Moosenee.

Good point signfan! I read the article about the Winter Road not being built in order to try and keep Covid out of the communities. There is also the concern of spending  2 nights  "inside time" with all the other people going that you do not know. 

I noticed in their information that there appears to be up to 15 people (poosibly more ) in each tour. It leads me to wonder how they expect to get around Covid rules even given now they are in green or yellow areas. 

It also appears the March trips fill up first. I expect that may be because few want to go in the colder / stormier February weather.

Edited December 16, 2020 by PISTON LAKE CRUISER

[scottyr]

I wouldnt be surprised if the Elders or whoever in Moosonee dont allow any non-residents into town this winter.   

[ecarnell]

12 minutes ago, scottyr said:

I wouldnt be surprised if the Elders or whoever in Moosonee dont allow any non-residents into town this winter.   

I agree - especially with no winter road this year.

 

maybe reschedule this type of trip for 2022.

[Nunz]

I’d love to do this trip as well but am thinking it’s also a 2022 trip 

[Turbo Doo]

2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Good point signfan! I read the article about the Winter Road not being built in order to try and keep Covid out of the communities. There is also the concern of spending  2 nights  "inside time" with all the other people going that you do not know. 

I noticed in their information that there appears to be up to 15 people (poosibly more ) in each tour. It leads me to wonder how they expect to get around Covid rules even given now they are in green or yellow areas. 

It also appears the March trips fill up first. I expect that may be because few want to go in the colder / stormier February weather.

Typically by March, the 'path', is well travelled,  and the powder is getting crusty by then..

[Ox]

What are you dooing in Moosonee anyhow?

Just topping up the gas tanks eh?

 

I'm sure that you could git sumpthin' to eat as well, but - so you don't fetch a meal, no biggie.

???

 

You're staying at Tozers camp several klicks south of town anyhow.... (in the pic)

 

 

Folks really git me - like the statement above aboot 15 people that you don't know.

 

It's always the other guy that's the problem.

Shirley it wouldn't anyone in YOUR group that could come down with sumpthin' next?

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Ox

[slomo]

52 minutes ago, Ox said:

What are you dooing in Moosonee anyhow?

Just topping up the gas tanks eh?

 

I'm sure that you could git sumpthin' to eat as well, but - so you don't fetch a meal, no biggie.

???

 

There is the cultural center in Moose Factory, the church with holes in the floor for the floods, Hudson Bay outpost, and if you have read any of Joseph Boyden's books i.e. "Three Day Road" or "Through Black Spruce" his imagery of the area featured in these books is remarkable. (some cultural identity questions regards the author) Kentucky Fried Chicken in Moose Factory is practically a traditional food like bannock with the Native people. (when the KFC in Yellowknife went bankrupt some suggested government grants to keep it open based on this premise)

 

Frankly though, best seen in the summer months after getting off the Polar Bear Express railway from Cochrane. Bugs bad.

[vooodooo]

3 hours ago, scottyr said:

I wouldnt be surprised if the Elders or whoever in Moosonee dont allow any non-residents into town this winter.   

Been there many times. Moosonee is not part of the reserve, that's Moose Factory.

Did a painful exercise with a hundred or so noob's, two up, towing 500 lbs of gear from Cochrane to Moosonee. That took two days of freezing frigery.

Another exercise we loaded trucks, trailers, sleds and all the food, tents, gear etc for half a battalion on the train. The train ride is pretty cool. Most flew in, I got to fly out back to Orillia.

Done Cochrane to the Canyon in around 3 hours, from there to Moosonee shouldn't be more than a few more hours on fast sleds.

Cochrane to Moosonee would be an easy day for experienced riders.

 

I can't see them not putting in the ice road. It's a life line for supplies and travel....but I've been wrong before...

 

The peeps that live North of the Moose don't need licences, insurance etc...until they get to town. Vehicles get parked at that line, and they get a ride into town lol

Edited December 17, 2020 by vooodooo

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

22 minutes ago, vooodooo said:

Been there many times. Moosonee is not part of the reserve, that's Moose Factory.

Did a painful exercise with a hundred or so noob's, two up, towing 500 lbs of gear from Cochrane to Moosonee. That took two days of freezing frigery.

Another exercise we loaded trucks, trailers, sleds and all the food, tents, gear etc for half a battalion on the train. The train ride is pretty cool. Most flew in, I got to fly out back to Orillia.

Done Cochrane to the Canyon in around 3 hours, from there to Moosonee shouldn't be more than a few more hours on fast sleds.

Cochrane to Moosonee would be an easy day for experienced riders.

 

I can't see them not putting in the ice road. It's a life line for supplies and travel....but I've been wrong before...

Below is the information that was in Timmins Now online on Tuesday:

 

Keeping its communities safe from a COVID-19 outbreak is the reason why First Nation leaders decided not to build Wetum Road this winter.

That 170 kilometre stretch of road connects Smooth Rock Falls to Moosonee and Moose Factory. Moose Cree First Nation Council and the Pandemic Emergency Operations Team issued press release stating that a COVID-19 outbreak would quickly overwhelm their limited health care infrastructure and it’s important to keep community members safe.

The road allow First Nations to visit family and friends on the James Bay coast, as well as for employment and recreational needs.

[vooodooo]

11 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Below is the information that was in Timmins Now online on Tuesday:

 

Keeping its communities safe from a COVID-19 outbreak is the reason why First Nation leaders decided not to build Wetum Road this winter.

That 170 kilometre stretch of road connects Smooth Rock Falls to Moosonee and Moose Factory. Moose Cree First Nation Council and the Pandemic Emergency Operations Team issued press release stating that a COVID-19 outbreak would quickly overwhelm their limited health care infrastructure and it’s important to keep community members safe.

The road allow First Nations to visit family and friends on the James Bay coast, as well as for employment and recreational needs.

LOL, yep I'm wrong again...Seems it'll be a bit more of a challenge. 

Locals will still sled down from Moosonee to Otter rapids on the " not in Ice road". I have lots of experience with natives, and inuit. They are hard as F#ck in cold, snowy climates.  It just won't be as pleasant as if a dozer built the road. Add a few hours.

Edited December 17, 2020 by vooodooo

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

8 minutes ago, vooodooo said:

LOL, yep I'm wrong again...Seems it'll be a bit more of a challenge. 

Locals will still sled down from Moosonee to Otter rapids on the "Ice road"....just won't be as pleasant as if a dozer built the road.

The Extreme Tour doesn't go via the road they ride off trail and rivers to get up there I believe.

Edited December 17, 2020 by PISTON LAKE CRUISER

[vooodooo]

28 minutes ago, vooodooo said:

LOL, yep I'm wrong again...Seems it'll be a bit more of a challenge. 

Locals will still sled down from Moosonee to Otter rapids on the "Ice road"....just won't be as pleasant as if a dozer built the road.

I bought this because I got tired of getting stuck. It's an ex DND machine. 24X156. Motor was blown. Rebuilt it and added some studs...like 150 of them. The DND would not stud the track...can't modify...dumb rules.

She ain't fast, she ain't nimble, but you gotta be some extreme type of stupid to get her stuck.

20 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

The Extreme Tour doesn't go via the road they ride off trail and rivers to get up there.

That would be what many would be looking for, an off trail  survival  experience. 

Edited December 17, 2020 by vooodooo

[Ox]

1 hour ago, slomo said:

There is the cultural center in Moose Factory, the church with holes in the floor for the floods, Hudson Bay outpost, and if you have read any of Joseph Boyden's books i.e. "Three Day Road" or "Through Black Spruce" his imagery of the area featured in these books is remarkable. (some cultural identity questions regards the author) Kentucky Fried Chicken in Moose Factory is practically a traditional food like bannock with the Native people. (when the KFC in Yellowknife went bankrupt some suggested government grants to keep it open based on this premise)

 

Frankly though, best seen in the summer months after getting off the Polar Bear Express railway from Cochrane. Bugs bad.

Yeah, I've been there over the 1st/4th one year.

I have never been so uncomfortably HOT in my life!

I'm sure that it was a fluke, but if it git's hot and calm, all that muskeg turns to a humidity machine! 

 

And the "Friendly Flies" (real name - look'm up) will make you go berzerk!

 

Couldn't agree more on the KFC either.

We took the bus tour, which ended in the dump, and I wish that we had a camera at the ready, but I kid you not - this black bear come along and picked up an [presumably] empty bucket of KFC and plopped his assets right down in a Lazy Boy that was lookin' ratt at us in the bus (it was just me, the Mrs., and the driver). Mrs. Ox said that all he needed was a remote yet!

 

Yes, we took the train. Prox 20 yrs ago.

 

 

I really don't see the value in the winter road?

Who pays for that?

The train still runs, so - other than being able to git'cher pick-up down to pavement to go someplace (anyplace!) else for a bit, I jist don't see the concern aboot supplies and whatnot.

The train is there 3 times a week eh?

[signfan]

16 minutes ago, Ox said:

Yeah, I've been there over the 1st/4th one year.

I have never been so uncomfortably HOT in my life!

I'm sure that it was a fluke, but if it git's hot and calm, all that muskeg turns to a humidity machine! 

 

And the "Friendly Flies" (real name - look'm up) will make you go berzerk!

 

Couldn't agree more on the KFC either.

We took the bus tour, which ended in the dump, and I wish that we had a camera at the ready, but I kid you not - this black bear come along and picked up an [presumably] empty bucket of KFC and plopped his assets right down in a Lazy Boy that was lookin' ratt at us in the bus (it was just me, the Mrs., and the driver). Mrs. Ox said that all he needed was a remote yet!

 

Yes, we took the train. Prox 20 yrs ago.

 

 

I really don't see the value in the winter road?

Who pays for that?

The train still runs, so - other than being able to git'cher pick-up down to pavement to go someplace (anyplace!) else for a bit, I jist don't see the concern aboot supplies and whatnot.

The train is there 3 times a week eh?

For quite a few years the victor diamond mine was stocked from the road.  I'm guessing they paid a good share of its costs.  Unfortunately production ended in the spring of 2019.

[Ox]

That makes sense as it would be cheaper to haul up that as opposed to rail and THEN truck the rest of the way. [for the mine - not for the town only]

 

But what doo you mean that the mine is closed already?

Good grief - it just opened! 

Wiki doesn't seem to know anything aboot it closing.

 

???

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Ox

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

4 minutes ago, Ox said:

That makes sense as it would be cheaper to haul up that as opposed to rail and THEN truck the rest of the way. [for the mine - not for the town only]

 

But what doo you mean that the mine is closed already?

Good grief - it just opened! 

Wiki doesn't seem to know anything aboot it closing.

 

???

 

 

 

Here you go Blake:

https://im-mining.com/2019/05/31/production-de-beers-victor-diamond-mine-ontario-comes-end/

[signfan]

Yeah I believe it was an 8 year life when they first proposed it.  Not really familiar with the politics.  Am surprised they didn't find another Kimberlite pipe in the area to open a second pit.

[Muskoka1]

2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

The Extreme Tour doesn't go via the road they ride off trail and rivers to get up there I believe.

I think a fair bit follows rail line/hydro right of way!