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Halfway Haven - Summer Only


Ox

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*** EXTRA - EXTRA ***

Hot off the presses!

Good Morning Everyone!!!

Well, after much discussion, and analizing #'s, and after 2 dismal winter seasons, we have decided NOT TO OPEN THIS COMING WINTER SEASON.!!!!!!!!!

We will continue to operate as an ATV destination, from May until November, and after that we will board the lodge up for the winter season.

Each year seems to get more challenging to continue to operate tru the cold winter months, and the fact that we have to work at it for 6 months, for 6 to 8 weeks with business income, it gets pretty tiring, so with escalating fuel costs (both for generator & gas for sleds), and our advancing ages (Steve more so than me!!!!! He's gonna make me edit this part!!!) we are making our lives simplier!!! That way we can continue to greet you as Happy Hosts!!!

Hopefully, we will continue to see you as an ATV'er, so you will arrive dusty instead of snowy!!!! And thank you for the last 13 years of business as sledders!!! It's been an awfull lot of fun, but now we will condense the fun down to only 6 months of the year!!!

Final snow report------From

Gail & Steve & Billie (the dog)

This will definately have a major impact on the Searchmont trail!

Many of you can prolly make the whole trail on a full tank with a 2 gal jery as spare if the trail is groomed, but someone breaking fresh trail after a good snow will have to think ahead.

We have burnt as much as 20 gal each just trying to git to Halfway already when breaking heavy snow.

Should leave lots of snow off-trail for me to play in aggin tho. :-P

Think Snow Eh!

Ox

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This will definately have a major impact on the Searchmont trail!

I would think an impact on grooming operations from both directions.

Sad news today for sledders.

Another stanza or two for Gerry to record on the Halfway Haven Blues.

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This is what we feared as we watched the riders dry up over the last few years. The weather was suspect the last two seasons, but even when conditions recovered, few came down the trails. This was the case all over the north this past season. We felt like the trails were all ours! It was fantastic, but I want to return to the trails and find services available along the way.

I try to hit the trails in Ontario about 10 times a season with my average being over 30 nights spent in lodging all over the north. I drive from about as far south in Michigan as is possible and was able to hit somewhere along the Soo trail system in less than 6 hrs. of drive time given no really bad weather. Starting from the Blueberry Motel or Searchmont the next morning put me into riding mode before 10:00 am without feeling beatup from the extra hours it takes to push through to Wawa the night before.

We often went directly to Chapleau from Searchmont, but worked a stop at Halfway into most of our trips while looping around to Wawa or stopping on the way to Chapleau when traveling with those who have sleds not able to make it on one tank of gas.

These trips will be special and for only a few hardy souls if the "D" Trail is not groomed.

Having to drive to Wawa will actually limit my trips and time in Wawa because I will make less, but longer trips using the train.

I can make the trips with a groomed trail and extra gas, but will change my riding patterns without the groomed "D".

I can not blame anyone after seeing that the business is no longer out there.

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bummer to hear this but, the writing has been on the walls for several years. lack of snow, sledders, no more gst rebates for the yanks, exchange rate, economy and the list goes on and on....

doubtful the soo club or wawa will groom up or down now. it will be no mans land like it was before the trail was in. unless you carry your own fuel, or pay someone to drop gas near the trail for you, it wont be doable. especially, with a fresh snow.

i want to thank steve, gail and all their staff over the years, for providing food, shelter, fuel and comfort for all the sledders that passed through the algoma area on their way to the soo or wawa. it will be sad not to stop in for lunch and or gas now and again. we wish you great luck in the future.

i really hope that things will turn around but, the trail systems up there just cannot be sustained with the current economy and system in place. we cant keep doing the same thing over and over, and expect a different result. that is the definition of insanity. ski

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i want to thank steve, gail and all their staff over the years, for providing food, shelter, fuel and comfort for all the sledders that passed through the algoma area on their way to the soo or wawa. it will be sad not to stop in for lunch and or gas now and again. we wish you great luck in the future.

Well said.

My son and I, whom you graciously hosted, wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

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This trail was groomed for several years before Halfway went in there. However - of course that was during the expansion years.

The fuel tank could still be topped off in November and have a 12V pump installed for the groomers I would like to thikn. ???

Not sure how they managed that in the old days? Maybe just took a groomer with more range? (Tucker?)

May want to update the warm-up shack(s) on that trail now. ???

I don't see this trail closing, I just see it being 2x as far to the next stop is all. But it could scare off a lot of riders as well. ???

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This trail was groomed for several years before Halfway went in there. However - of course that was during the expansion years.

The fuel tank could still be topped off in November and have a 12V pump installed for the groomers I would like to thikn. ???

Not sure how they managed that in the old days? Maybe just took a groomer with more range? (Tucker?)

May want to update the warm-up shack(s) on that trail now. ???

I don't see this trail closing, I just see it being 2x as far to the next stop is all. But it could scare off a lot of riders as well. ???

If it is still groomed, it would still work for me. That way Chapleau and Wawa would still be in my loops and with any luck better conditions will open the "F" trail this year!

I really hope it can be groomed at least a couple times per year.

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Snowmobiles have a greater range nowadays, but that can lead you into a false sense of security.

Problem is, what if one breaks down and towing is required? We encountered that late in the season, and quite frankly it wasn't something I planned for on a day trip. Lesson learned, and shared with this group. Always carry a siphon hose to 'take' from the towed vehicle.

This long stretch will only add to the 'adventure' of snowmobiling, and we'll adapt.

I suspect that Elliot Lake will be a departure point for more of us from GTA (Elliot Lake - Chapleau - across 'F' to Wawa/north to Dub'Ville, etc.). Unfortunately, the option of looping south from Wawa back to Elliot Lake is now an 'adventure', but we'll see what solutions / trail conditions are like.

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Snowmobiles have a greater range nowadays, but that can lead you into a false sense of security.

Problem is, what if one breaks down and towing is required? We encountered that late in the season, and quite frankly it wasn't something I planned for on a day trip. Lesson learned, and shared with this group. Always carry a siphon hose to 'take' from the towed vehicle.

This long stretch will only add to the 'adventure' of snowmobiling, and we'll adapt.

I suspect that Elliot Lake will be a departure point for more of us from GTA (Elliot Lake - Chapleau - across 'F' to Wawa/north to Dub'Ville, etc.). Unfortunately, the option of looping south from Wawa back to Elliot Lake is now an 'adventure', but we'll see what solutions / trail conditions are like.

I had to tow my son's sled back from Halfway Haven one evening. My daughter's sled had blown the engine on the Magpie and I had left it in Dubreuilville so there were 2 on my sled and 1 on the dead sled. The rope had worn and decided to break on the steep side of Coop's Crossing. The storm that day had put over a foot of new snow on the trails so we ran through a bit of gas before getting back to the Blueberry Motel late that night and the store in Searchmont was closed when we went through. Good idea to have a siphon and now to have extra gas for sure.

Cutting through to Chapleau from Searchmont will be my first ride up "D" groomed hopefully or not. That is 125 miles from the trading post to the Esso in Chapleau. Not groomed will be a bigger adventure, but we always branch off to not groomed roads about 75 miles out from Searchmont anyway. There will be tracks a good part of the way going to camps even if it is not groomed.

If conditions are good, I hope that Aubrey Falls Truck Stop opens this year or the "F" Trail will be without gas also! Black Creek Outfitters closed last season so there was no gas. The closest gas would then be Flame Lake and that is quite a ride from Elliot Lake.

I am hoping that the clubs can keep these trails open given that the conditions are better this season.

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Good info., AC.

_______________

If conditions are good, I hope that Aubrey Falls Truck Stop opens this year ..

x2

___________

Sounds like you're planning an early trip, as well.

I'll likely head up the Hwy 11 corridor, and try some early season riding (there were some great posts on this forum re: early season riding - thanks Muskoka Man for planting the early season 'northern' riding bug in my head, lol).

If Hwy 11 corridor is 'green', will try Elliot Lake or Searchmont for first ride, weather permitting.

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Good info., AC.

_______________

x2

___________

Sounds like you're planning an early trip, as well.

I'll likely head up the Hwy 11 corridor, and try some early season riding (there were some great posts on this forum re: early season riding - thanks Muskoka Man for planting the early season 'northern' riding bug in my head, lol).

If Hwy 11 corridor is 'green', will try Elliot Lake or Searchmont for first ride, weather permitting.

I always plan Christmas through New Years and then wait to see where there are conditions.

This year ended up in Michigan / around Copper Harbor and then the meltdown........

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Time to dig out our winter camping gear aggin. drum.gif

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Am I mistaken or have I seen this place listed for sale?? If so, maybe someone here can buy it and keep it open for ya all, I've not been there but thought one day I would like to try the area out.

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a very sad day for the sport.........the hits keep coming, and the get bigger. I really didn't think Gail and Steve would last as long as they did, u could tell from the reports they had very little business. As for grooming, I believe both clubs operators would stay over at halfway for a sleep did they not? I can tell u, that would be hell for either club to groom without rest.

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the problem with counting on the F trail from aubrey falls to chapleau is, the weather. this trail hasnt been listed as opened, and or completly brushed, signed and groomed for the past two seasons, due to the very low snow seasons that this area had been saddled with.

the terrain isnt conducive to low snow grooming due to water and rocks. the hills are big in there. 125 miles one way on any sled, new or old will be an issue to get from searchmont to chapleau, or heaven forbid trying to do the whole searchmont to wawa trip. i beleive it is close to 170 miles (or more). and if you go from elliot lake to aubrey falls (if aubrey has gas), you have 50 miles to flame lake from aubrey falls, then another 60 miles to chapleau. this doesnt account for any miles from elliot lake to aubrey falls.

with less and less sledders running these trails, can the clubs, districts, and the ofsc afford to groom from searchmont to wawa any longer??? it would be shocking i bet, to see how few sleds make this run all season. if we could get one of those road traffic counters like they use on the highways to judge traffic, set up to read sleds.

i am not giving up but, it doesnt look good. the problem we encounter is those that are very unprepared to ride this area. not clothed properly, sleds not maintained and reliable enough to make it from A to B, older maps floating around showing trails, and fuel stops not there any longer. face it, people have no common sense. they just go, cause "we have always done it".

then you have the clubs without money, or man power trying to open a trail and maintain a trail with older equipment, FOR FREE! thats right folks, someone has to go out and do this at all hours of the day and night, good weather bad weather, storms, break downs ect... ALL AS A VOLUNTEER WITH NO PAY, AND VERY LITTLE THANKS. when you put it into perspective, that would be like the plow truck drivers not getting any pay to keep the 401, hwy 11, or 17 open for free.

it is a big undertaking and a huge responsibility to rest on a volunteer base. this might work when clubs are only 20-100 kms or less apart but, for the area we are talking it is close to 300 km from searchmont to wawa by sled trail. and two clubs are responsible for it ALL. then take chapleau to aubrey falls and then elliot lake. the mileage is staggering. and unfortunately sooner or later it will not be able to be sustained like it is today.

for these areas it looks like the strong will survive and break away from the touring mode. local/regional loops and day riding will be the draw. it will still be volunteer but, you will probably pay to ride one area or region, and day ride out and back to a hotel, or lodge.

i am guessing the clubs that dont own their own equipment will either cease to groom after giving back to the ofsc, or they will somehow buy their own (or buy their current equipment from the ofsc). then they would groom for locals and tourists by individual communities pulling together and advertizing why people should come to them.

there are no easy or simple fixes, you cant keep throwing money at a hole that just keeps sucking it up like no end, with little to no return. raising fees might help temporarily but, you still need to address the older equipment, under paid, over worked, aging work force, and logistics for long distance maintainence and travel.

i wish all of us luck. ski

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Ski has it right!

"F" Trail has been closed as much as open for the last 10 seasons. Will any gas be available to keep sleds moving not only north to south, but just as important, east to west? The Aubrey Falls area had 2 gas stations until this season, and then there was none! I hope the old truck stop/motel is kept open this winter because the run from Searchmont to Elliot Lake is another favorite of ours.

If the OFSC does not take over the grooming of main trail links, then only a few clubs with big memberships/permit sales will be left. Touring will not be the same if the OFSC can not help with paid operators. The little clubs have done a fantastic job of keeping it all going up to now, but the traffic is no longer an incentive in many areas.

I had mountain sleds and went back to crossovers so that I could run trails with low snow conditions. I may have to go back to the longer tracks and play in local areas if the trails become disconected. For now it will be more of a challenge to cut through to destinations without groomed trails. That is unless the snow gets too deep or an ice storm brings down too many trees to work through.

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The Aubrey Falls area had 2 gas stations until this season, and then there was none!

Johnny's has been closed up (burnt down :huh: ) since 2003 (?).

I know "of" the Trading Post, but not been to it yet. Seems I may have actually talked to the guy once on the phone. ??? Is this the place that you need to, or can save $ if you bring your own bedding?

Not sure if I talked to him about sledding or wheeling up the Wilderness Trail?

Is there another one in the area?

I have stayed at Johnnys a cpl times in the past. And have staged from there in recent yrs as well.

How far from the 556 intersection is the other(s)?

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Johnny's has been closed up (burnt down :huh: ) since 2003 (?).

I know "of" the Trading Post, but not been to it yet. Seems I may have actually talked to the guy once on the phone. ??? Is this the place that you need to, or can save $ if you bring your own bedding?

Not sure if I talked to him about sledding or wheeling up the Wilderness Trail?

Is there another one in the area?

I have stayed at Johnnys a cpl times in the past. And have staged from there in recent yrs as well.

How far from the 556 intersection is the other(s)?

The only two I knew of are the Aubrey Falls Trading Post (Truck Stop) and Black Creek Outfitters.

They are both on the "F" trail about a mile apart. The D-106 Trail intersects the "F" between the two.

The Trading Post is North of Black Creek Outfitters and closer to the 556 & Hwy 129 intersection. Black Creek is also along Hwy 129 where the "F" Trail crosses 129 on your way east to Elliot Lake.

Both had gas, but the Trading Post never opened for the winter this season and last year the restaurant was out of food a couple times when we tried to stop. I really liked Jeff and Michelle at Black Creek who always had soup or something and actually lower gas prices than the old truck stop/trading post. They closed this last season, so who knows if it will be open again or not? It seemed that the cabins were nice and always booked when I tried to stay.

Because the "F" Trail is closed so much I used the route from west to east as the riding is great between Searchmont and Aubrey Falls. We found a bunch of ways through. Without trails and also the D-106 is great now that it goes all the way through. years ago before the changes in the trails there, we had to jump onto the lakes and connect to the trail along the river which use to run straight down to Bruce Mines. A lot of people would run up from St. Joseph Island. I think the trail changes cut the direct route into the Aubrey Falls Area and hurt the number of sleds making it through there!

I will make it through to Elliot Lake this way even if I have to carry gas. I usually loop back along the lake using the ice as much as is possible. Manitoulin Island is a great destination, but since the interactive map, the ice bridges have been ignored for the most part.

I hope conditions are back next season and that there is gas along groomed trails. I really hope that the trail system still exists in these areas next year!

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Searchmont to Aubrey - via N or S side of the road?

Sure - Whitman to the Domtar (w or w/o Ranger N) easy enough, but I take it that's not what your looking at? Never explored S of Ranger Lake Road.

If it's a secret spot - never mind... Don't want to ruin that for you...

(not looking at a map ratt now) Since you mention taking some lakes, I wonder if you catch Laughing Lake and then somehow skip accrost Ranger and Ambindong over to the Domtar? But then you have a cpl clicks of rd to the bridge before getting to the trail eh?

Or you can pick up that old tight trail that will take you through the campground and out to F jist N of Johnny's, but that trail has grown awfully tight in recent yrs. Last time we went through there I was almost convinced we went wrong somewhere. :icon_doh:

...but alas - Ox didn't screw up. Bounce.gif

......

Ding Dang it - I'm having withdrawl! tsk.gif

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You know you're spending too much time in Canada when....

... getting to the trail eh?

:-D

Some great info on West-East travel. Thanks. A few seasons ago, we had 'low snow' trail conditions from Sault Ste. Marie to Elliot Lake (via Bruce Mines, Thessalon,etc.). Always wondered if there was something to the north.

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You know you're spending too much time in Canada when....

:-D

Some great info on West-East travel. Thanks. A few seasons ago, we had 'low snow' trail conditions from Sault Ste. Marie to Elliot Lake (via Bruce Mines, Thessalon,etc.). Always wondered if there was something to the north.

Look on the map and follow the trails from Searchmont south (SM-5). Turn East on the "D" Trail like you are going to Echo Bay, but turn east on D-106 at the "T" intersection where it splits. That is a great trail which runs to the Aubrey Falls Area and hits the "F" Trail a mile south of the Trading Post and a quarter mile west of Hwy 129 which is where the Black Creek Outfitters were located. Then the trail is really fast all the way over to Elliot Lake. The last 20 miles is a blast on that trail running some fantastic up and down super hills. The trail is one of my favorites and is much faster than running the "D" Trail along the lake.

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Searchmont to Aubrey - via N or S side of the road?

Sure - Whitman to the Domtar (w or w/o Ranger N) easy enough, but I take it that's not what your looking at? Never explored S of Ranger Lake Road.

If it's a secret spot - never mind... Don't want to ruin that for you...

(not looking at a map ratt now) Since you mention taking some lakes, I wonder if you catch Laughing Lake and then somehow skip accrost Ranger and Ambindong over to the Domtar? But then you have a cpl clicks of rd to the bridge before getting to the trail eh?

Or you can pick up that old tight trail that will take you through the campground and out to F jist N of Johnny's, but that trail has grown awfully tight in recent yrs. Last time we went through there I was almost convinced we went wrong somewhere. :icon_doh:

...but alas - Ox didn't screw up. Bounce.gif

......

Ding Dang it - I'm having withdrawl! tsk.gif

The roads north are OK and used quite a bit. Carl at the Driftwood showed me a spot to get across the river less than half the distance to Domitar Rd. The ice has to be good, but the roads run all over in there and dump out onto Ranger Lake Rd. about half the way over to Aubrey Falls. Then you jump back south across the road toward Garner Lake and work south till you pickup D-106.

The D-106 is now a really great trail because it goes all the way to through. It use to end at Primeau Lake where we would stay some nights. It was like a Halfway Haven of that area back in those days. It closed some years ago due to health issues of the owners and fuel prices. They also ran generators all the time and brought fuel in by sled in a drum behind a snowmobile. I found them by acident by following the sled tracks one day. Back in those days Primeau-Horner-Canacher lakes had to be used to link to the north - south trail down to Bruce Mines and or up to Aubrey Falls from their place on Premoiu Lake. D-106 goes all the way now, but if gas is not there, what will be the outcome for the D-106 and the "F" Trail. Halfway gone leaves the same question for the "D" Trail???

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Back in those days Primeau-Horner-Canacher lakes had to be used to link to the north - south trail down to Bruce Mines and or up to Aubrey Falls from their place on Premoiu Lake. D-106 goes all the way now, but if gas is not there, what will be the outcome for the D-106 and the "F" Trail. Halfway gone leaves the same question for the "D" Trail???

also we cross carpenter lake as well.

primeau, horner, and conacher were well known to be slushy most of the season. that WAS the D106a before the logging opened up the trail trail that is now known as d106a. they closed that section down some years ago for 2 seasons for local logging operations. then reopened it after the logging, not running the lakes any longer, after the logging roads were opened and in place.

you should be able to get from searchmont to aubrey falls, or echo bay to aubrey falls, elliot lake to aubrey ect... without much problems for fuel. but, if aubrey falls isnt opened, and there is no fuel there. wether they groom the F trail from elliot lake to chapleau, it wont matter. you cant get there from here will be the newest catch phrase in norhtern ontario sled touring.

if there is no fuel on the D or F, there will be no more running from the soo up or wawa down. i am wondering if the snow train folks know about these issues. this will be HUGE problems for touring people. there might be a handful of sleds that could make these runs on fuel (while carrying extra) but, the rest are sol. add fresh snow fall, injury or break down to the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster.

if there is no fuel, fewer sledders, how long do you think the clubs, districts and the ofsc can afford to keep these trails open???

unfortunately.....the writing is on the wall guys and gals. it is only a matter of time before the ofsc pulls the plug on funding north and west of northbay/sudbury. ski

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unfortunately.....the writing is on the wall guys and gals. it is only a matter of time before the ofsc pulls the plug on funding north and west of northbay/sudbury. ski

And with that, there's goes the need for 'touring' sleds. The Hwy 11 corridor will get tiresome, after a while. This is an 'issue' for many stakeholders, and hopefully a 'big picture' solution will develop.

If the lakes were slushy in the 'cold' winters we once had, I'd hate to see them in the winters ahead.

Thanks for the trail history, alternate routes, posted above.

I have to wonder if the 'efficiency' of today's sleds hasn't contributed to this problem. We have 'just enough' fuel to by-pass a gas station (or gas supplier) 'here and there'. Those 'here and there's' add up for the people supplying fuel. Alternatively, when we arrive at places like Halfway Haven, we don't require as much fuel as in year's past. Add 'fewer riders'/'less snow' into the mix, and you can see how we arrived at this problem.

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I am actually hoping to buy a nother touring sled and start touring aggin.....

....when I git too old to play "dodge the bleeding land mines".

I was figgering possibly as soon as 20 more yrs? gossip.gif

Attempted a trip down the Moose and back up the Albany a few yrs ago, but wrong jetting for a sleigh in tow took out two machines right away. Maybe if it hadn't been -20* in the middle of March! :icon_doh: Hope to try that "tour" aggin soon. 8-)

One sleigh is still packed and ready to roll! :mrgreen:

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