Snowberg Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Toni we're still coming, we may have to make some change but we'll be there. Don't loose faith As for A107A, its terrible to hear any talk about closing this trail when its one of the easiest trails to groom, its long and flat, just need to fix a couple of ditches. the problem is the two clubs that are responsible for maintaining them don't think they are important enough. What a cop out. I hear sledders talk about the trail every year, if they didn't want to ride it do you think they would keep asking about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronOrange Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Okay, here's some bad news. Michael and a friend of ours staying here for a week of sledding & fishing went out to the Duck Pond. You are DEFINITELY NOT going to cross there - anyone considering it would be nuts. The water is running VERY fast (even though it's pretty shallow - 1.5 ft.) and the trail crosses it at an angle. There's a rusted up culvert in the creek, cut in half - the other half is up towards the bank on the other side so you not only would be jumping uphill, you'll also need to thread the needle between a rusty culvert and a rock. Because of the frigid temps today (-30) they didn't go to Peanut Creek, but with the limited snow, I imagine there's a problem there too. Also, I've heard from some guys from Indiana and some others coming through that the construction at the steel bridge (Pagwa) is a mess and there are no signs directing anyone where to go. You're running down the logging road and jumping on the pipeline again, but no signs there either. The 107A was last groomed mid-January when there was 12 inches of snow. Now that we have a little more snow (not much), and the blistery winds, you cannot even see where the trail is/was. The snow is almost non-existant up here, so I don't imagine they'll even be grooming 107A again.Unless you're willing to run the side of the highway (and it's plowed and graded right down to the gravel) for at least 3 miles, avoiding Peanut Creek and the Duckpond, then you shouldn't head this way. Ditch-banging it for 3 miles is also not a good idea. I hate saying this because it cuts us off from everyone and we'll not see another sled all year, but we don't want anyone getting hurt or having their sleds ruined just for a ride out this way. We will keep our eyes and ears open for changes, but don't count on it. I heard a rumour that there's a meeting to consider asking OFSC to permanently close A107A for good - I think because it's too much trouble and lack of manpower/money. We would certainly appreciate any comments you folks can send regarding it's closure. Maybe we need to think about going south for the winter instead of staying up here in our beautiful, snowy wilderness. I would hate that. Feeling lonelier my the minute..... I don't like the sound of that at all. Seems that I've been through this before. We'll be there on Monday for the beef and the beer, just try to keep us away. Tuesday we'll take a run down A107A and have a look at the water crossings. If it is too difficult to navigate, we'll head for Hornepayne that same day. 2 years ago we rode A107A and it was in the condition yoou're describing, it was not fun, but we still made it to Cochrane that day. The trails need to be protected, all of them. There needs to be a different distribution of funds throughout the province. Is it fair that an area like Muskoka get a larger share of the $$$ only to have the trails closed over some logging issue? Where will all of those dollars be spent? Here we go again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Snowberg & Akron Orange - I appreciate you guys still wanting to come, but believe me it isn't pretty. Michael said you guys wouldn't have too much trouble given who you are, but we really don't expect you to risk life and limb...On the other hand, I'm very happy to hear you're still conisdering it. Things could change for the positive too - the groomer could come through - Gaby from Nakina said they have a plastic culvert we could use, but it's a matter of getting it there and in, and then building snow up around to make a snow bridge. The water is flowing REALLY fast and furious for such a small creek and there's not much snow. Michael also said you guys would probably go right over Peanut Creek and then run out to the highway before the Duck Pond, ride along it for one mile, then cut back on on Fish Creek Road, like the map above shows. Another advantage you have is you've been here before and you have a pretty good idea how the trail runs. I wouldn't send anyone out here that has never ridden it before. As you know, if you lose visibility of the trail on the pipeline, you can run into all kinds of things (ROCKS). Of course without much snow, you can see them fairly well too. I guess it's a toss up, but something anyone coming this way needs to consider. I'm with you about closing it though - what a terrible shame and a waste it would be. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for the support..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luther Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 Toni, Thanks for the honest report. I will probably be rerouting. I feel bad for you that the OFSC can't get this fixed. I think it will hurt you and Longlac. I was your way a couple of years ago and would have like to run it again. If for some reason things change can you post by Friday A:M. We are leaving Friday afternoon and would have been by you on Monday afternoon. Thanks, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I don't blame you, Dave - better safe than sorry. I'll see what happens today and will post anything new. Have a great trip and think about us and the really good soup & sandwich you'll be missing for lunch..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Hi gang, we're in Kap tonight )last night on the trails). Like Toni says not a lot of work really @ the Duck Pond, but about a 3 mile run along the shoulders to a point west of Fish Creek. The detour shown on the map hadn't been run. We didn't have any problems running the shoulder (wrong side of road). The truckers just moved over to the westbound lane. Must of thought we were morons out in the middle of nowhere. If you're coming east & hit the road north of Pagwa Outfitters, turn right towards 11. We & the 3 Americans ahead of us ran 3 miles up the road before turning around. Today we passed the Hearst groomer east of Mooseland. He was on his way home. I'm assuming he was on his way back from Pagwa. Monday the A107A was in good shape from Hearst to Pagwa. If A107A is closed, I can't see many people running out the A trail to Hillsport & north I think west of Geraldton is really no mans land in the big picture as the OFSC sees it. We met Gaby when we were just coming into Nakina from Geraldton. I guess we missed the grooming up in that area. After filling up in Longlac we ran TOP A down to M'wadge. Yes you're not supposed to according to the 'net, but it had been groomed & there were sled tracks. At the A split north of M'wadge there appeared to be more traffic heading up the east leg to the Hillsport area. Check my Northern Blastoff thread on the Main forum for more notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 P.S., Toni's comments amount the water crossing pretty well hit the nail on the head, not just a simple splash thru some mud or slush. Looked like a couple of cement blocks in there too for more impact resistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Well I guess Jim Garvey (the trail warden/sign guy) for the Longlac Sno Club went out and put up detour signs around the water - he said everything is good except for running 1km alongside the highway around the Duck Pond (open water). He said the trail is pretty good, but snow drifted in places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 We saw a bunch of plastic culverts @ the Hwy' 11 construction near Sundridge. Do you think they'd miss 1 if I threw it in the back of the truck & delivered it? Toni, I've forgotten to say that the soup & sandwiches were appreciated. We got in to Geraldton @ 5:30 & the rest' was closing @ 6. Sign said hours were till 9, so maybe they were closing early for "Family Day" :curse: The restaurant @ the Companion in Hearst was closed for breaky as well that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Here are the mileages from my GPS thru there. Hearst to Longlac (no stops @ Calstock or Klotz Lake): 145 miles/234 kms Hearst to Calstock (Via L175, no road running): 32 miles/52 kms Calstock to Klotz Lake: 90 miles/145 kms Klotz Lake to Longlac: 33 miles/53 kms Hearst to Klotz Lake (no stop @ Calstock): 114 miles/184 kms Longlac to Calstock (no stop @ Klotz Lake): 121 miles/195 kms Norm's Cash & Carry in Calstock opens @ 10 AM Mon-Sat, 12 PM on Sun I'll be updating my mileage list to show these distances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thanks, Revrnd. It's really helpful for me to have these as I get lots of questions. The distance varies from year to year depending on how they groom 107A, so I really appreciate the update. As for the soup & sandwich - my pleasure. I did post some concerns over the unavailability of food and good customer service on Family Day to the Greenstone Tourism Committee. For Pete's sake - if you know you have someone coming, you should make sure they can get something to eat. Geez...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronOrange Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 We will be riding the A107A tomorrow. We're here at Klotz Lake now. We came in from Longlac yesterday, the first 33 miles was fine. I'll post something about the ride early next week when we return from our ride, sooner is I get access again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowberg Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Well as AO stated we are here in Klotz Lake and we have the first 1000 miles under our belt. We have met a lot of great people and as usual Toni and Mike (Klotz Lake) have been the greatest hosts (no suprise). We have a 340 mile run tomorrow into Cochrane, then on down to Taka-chica-pica Its been a great trip, the trails have been everything from "perfect" to "I wont be back". I guess that's what this sport is all about, the experiances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 All these folks in Northern Ontario - AWESOME! Thanks for the reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowTouringGuy Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hey AO and Snowberg ! A 1,000 miles?? The way you guys ride, sounds like you've been only out for a day. :P :poke: Hope you're enjoying your trip ! Be Well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Okay, here's some bad news. Michael and a friend of ours staying here for a week of sledding & fishing went out to the Duck Pond. You are DEFINITELY NOT going to cross there - anyone considering it would be nuts. The water is running VERY fast (even though it's pretty shallow - 1.5 ft.) and the trail crosses it at an angle. There's a rusted up culvert in the creek, cut in half - the other half is up towards the bank on the other side so you not only would be jumping uphill, you'll also need to thread the needle between a rusty culvert and a rock. Because of the frigid temps today (-30) they didn't go to Peanut Creek, but with the limited snow, I imagine there's a problem there too. Also, I've heard from some guys from Indiana and some others coming through that the construction at the steel bridge (Pagwa) is a mess and there are no signs directing anyone where to go. You're running down the logging road and jumping on the pipeline again, but no signs there either. The 107A was last groomed mid-January when there was 12 inches of snow. Now that we have a little more snow (not much), and the blistery winds, you cannot even see where the trail is/was. The snow is almost non-existant up here, so I don't imagine they'll even be grooming 107A again.Unless you're willing to run the side of the highway (and it's plowed and graded right down to the gravel) for at least 3 miles, avoiding Peanut Creek and the Duckpond, then you shouldn't head this way. Ditch-banging it for 3 miles is also not a good idea. I hate saying this because it cuts us off from everyone and we'll not see another sled all year, but we don't want anyone getting hurt or having their sleds ruined just for a ride out this way. We will keep our eyes and ears open for changes, but don't count on it. I heard a rumour that there's a meeting to consider asking OFSC to permanently close A107A for good - I think because it's too much trouble and lack of manpower/money. We would certainly appreciate any comments you folks can send regarding it's closure. Maybe we need to think about going south for the winter instead of staying up here in our beautiful, snowy wilderness. I would hate that. Feeling lonelier my the minute..... Any updates as to the status of A107A for this winter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Your timing is actually scarey. My husband was out there yesterday and they were working on putting up signs, etc. They say they're actually going to groom along the highway around Flynn Lake and Peanut Creek to avoid all that mess this year. Won't that be nice? Glad you're thinking snow. We just had a group of quads from Michigan who staged in Sault Ste. Marie and rode up this way, spent the night and headed out this morning towards Hornepayne. They'll do 2000 kms this trip. Awesome.... Looking forward to seeing more than 96 sleds this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Thanks for putting Klotz Lake Camp on our radar. I'll pick up the trail map for your area at the October sled show. Hope to make it your way this winter. Heck - I've just booked our first sled weekend - December 26th (Boxing Day) at Haliburton Forest. We'll make our way north as the season progresses. With the possible trail closure in Chapleau, many of us will now travel up Hwy 11 and then head westward. I suspect you'll see more than 96 sledders this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Yeah! I'll tell ya - it's been a very slow season. The economy has us crying the blues this year. We're hoping our snowmobilers will keep us from going hungry this winter. Hope to see you. I check emails and this forum pretty regularly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hopefully you get a bit more snow to fill in those low spots on the pipeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Also, I've heard from some guys from Indiana and some others coming through that the construction at the steel bridge (Pagwa) is a mess and there are no signs directing anyone where to go. You're running down the logging road and jumping on the pipeline again, but no signs there either. Toni, if you're talking to the club, remind them about the lack of signs @ Pagwa. That was the only spot on the trail where we had "navigation" issues. The rest of A107A was OK for signage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Yes, I'll be sure to mention it to them again. It really depends on which way they take the trail, but eventually they end up at Pagwa anyway. Have a great rest of the year. Hope to see you boys in the snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ox Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Glad you're thinking snow. We just had a group of quads from Michigan who staged in Sault Ste. Marie and rode up this way, spent the night and headed out this morning towards Hornepayne. They'll do 2000 kms this trip. Awesome.... The trail is ridable east of you? Or were they not looping? The last we were up that far was 2001. We tried the gas line (somewhere between Cochrane and Mooseland - I think it was close to Mooseland tho?) and the grass was 6' tall. We could "go", but that was all. Your weren't gunna go too far too fast. And it seemed like we checked out the "new" trail S outta Mooseland as well. Seemed awfully stumpy. Or maybe I am just going off of sledder reports from the yr before? (I have never been on the trail from Hornpayne to Mooseland.) Or did they just come up via Manitouwadge? That's all back roads - so no worries there. Still tho - not sure how they were getting much beyond Dubre either North or West? Everything just plain gits wet as you head to White River. No? (Especially THIS yr eh?) And then theirs that bloody river to the north of Dubre... Doo they have a raft in? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klotz Lake Camp Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Wow! Sounds like you really know the area. They did come to our place from Manitouwadge and were heading to Hornepayne. I'm not certain of their exact route, but if you're truly interested I could put you in touch with a crew member. They live in and around the Grand Rapids area. This is the second year in a row they've done this run. Somebody's quad got hurt last year and they didn't make it this far - had to cancel their reservation, but everyone is good and they all made it this year (6 of them). I know they're running roads a lot but trying to stay off the highway(s). It was great to see them - what an adventure they're having! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I've been thru between Mooseland & Hornepayne a few times since 2000. It seemed different this year. A lot more open & running old logging roads. And then theirs that bloody river to the north of Dubre... Doo they have a raft in? You mean it's open in the summer? I thought the Kabi was frozen year round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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