farmandride Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 planning a trip starting from Sault or Searchmount and heading north-northeast,4-6 riders 42-51 years old,200 miles a day no problem, would like some play areas, any advice appreciated,thanks in advance! Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 with no fuel north of the soo till chapleau, or wawa, take the extra 2.5 hours and drive to wawa and start your riding there. the F trail from chapleau to aubrey falls is never a sure thing it will open. the northern corridor from wawa to hearst, and east to cochrane and timmins is a better bet, and more stable area to plan long term trips. where are you from? it will help us help you plan a jump off point, and loop or day riding trip. ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmandride Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 thanks for the fast reply,i am about 60 miles southwest of where interstate 90 and interstate 35 meet,looking for a 5-7 day ride,would rather not do a "guided tour" as we have done alot of backcountry riding out west but would be unfamiliar with your area and conditions,where would we find play areas like hills ,powder meadows,no mountain sleds but all 136-144 tracks. Anybody with same riding interest willing to show some farmers from Iowa around let me know. Some of the best riding we find out west is by hooking up with locals or those expierienced in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 thanks for the fast reply,i am about 60 miles southwest of where interstate 90 and interstate 35 meet,looking for a 5-7 day ride,would rather not do a "guided tour" as we have done alot of backcountry riding out west but would be unfamiliar with your area and conditions,where would we find play areas like hills ,powder meadows,no mountain sleds but all 136-144 tracks. Anybody with same riding interest willing to show some farmers from Iowa around let me know. Some of the best riding we find out west is by hooking up with locals or those expierienced in the area. When during the season are you thinking? The rides will be long if you go from town to town which then limits your play time off trail since gas becomes the big issue. Perhaps a ride to an area then stay and play a day or two? Be sure to check out the OFSC site and the new interactive map which shows the trails that will stay open this year. From Searchmont to the north is now closed due to Halfway Haven closing for the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 you wouldnt really need to do a guided tour to ride ontario... if you can read a map, and use the phone and internet for maps and lodging you will be fine. personally.... I LOVE ONTARIO BUT, if I were in your position in iowa, i would much rather go west and ride the snowies, the big horns, the continental divide around togwotee ect... than to spend all that time in the truck, to ride trail ANY OTHER AREA. especially if you guys like to explore and like off trail riding. dont get me wrong, there are play areas in wisconsin, minnesota, michigan, manitoba and ontario but, you still have to trail ride ALOT to get to the play areas. and for ontario, there are no really big "meadows" to play in. you have the occasional clearcut, and gravel pits but, this area is the northern shield so... it is mostly wooded wilderness also known as "the bush". i am guessing you are looking for something new and different. in my humble opinion, if i were you, i would head west. ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 planning a trip starting from Sault or Searchmount and heading north-northeast,4-6 riders 42-51 years old,200 miles a day no problem, would like some play areas, any advice appreciated,thanks in advance! Brad The riders above (ski and ac+ya) have great info. on the area, but they've focussed on 'would like some play areas' instead of '200 miles a day' (tunnel vision acquired from too much time boondoggling ). Just kidding - they have provided great info. to many about the area you are considering. Consider the train (for sleds and yourselves) from Sault north. Park trucks in Sault, load sleds onto train and get off in Hearst. Head east to Cochrane (day one of sledding). On day two, you could cut back and do the Fraserdale dam loop, staying once again in Cochrane. On day three, you could head east to Quebec for lunch and gas, then back to Cochrane ( a somewhat boring trip along an old rail line, but at least you can spend the afternoon absorbing Quebec culture). Or, on day 3, you could start heading south - a short day would have you sleeping in Timmins. Then, head south-east depending on 'what's open' for gas. Chapleau is a great stop (Valentine's Bed and Breakfast), but you have to ensure that fuel is available past Chapleau (in Aubrey Falls) to ensure you make it to Elliot Lake or, ultimately, back to Sault. (this trip can be done in the conventional manner - ie drive to Sault and then sled north - east, but you'd have to catch the train in Hearst 'every second day', and any breakdown would leave you behind schedule) As the season progresses, more up to date info. on gas in this region will be available via OFSC or by users of this forum. Order a paper map from the local district as well as the OFSC map for all of Ontario. I believe that you can click on the OFSC website for contact information. Discounted trail passes are available until the end of this month (November). $200 for the season. Not sure what a 7 day pass will cost. I'd suggest that you send a Personal Message (PM) to "Groomer Guy", who is active in a club on the train route (Dubreaulville) and who may be able to answer questions and/or facilitate trail pass purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 7 day pass is 140 this year. 3 day is 100 I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmandride Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 thanks for all the info. sounds like open trails and gas is limmited on the south end near sault. should have done this trip 8 years ago when we first talked about it! we do love out west just looking for an adventure somewhere else.what would it cost to haul yourself and sled to Dub. and ride loops around wawa and hearst? thanks Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 You've zeroed in on a town (Dub.) that many have used as a base for day trips and 'playing'. No hotel, but the local b and b has good reviews. Chez Gaston http://www.bbcanada.com/chezgaston __ Ski, AC+YA and Groomer Guy have way more 'local knowledge'. Good luck. As for the train, check the website below and contact info provided. A quick glance suggests that the return Adult fare to Dub. is $196.40 and the cost of shipping the sled is $111 each way (or, oddly, $202 return if you go further to Hearst). Looks like $400 return trip for Adult Passenger and Sled. Call them - when I last spoke to a rep. out of Sault a few weeks ago, they still didn't have 2012 prices. http://www.agawacanyontourtrain.com/content/tours/snowmobile/schedule_fares.html __ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 lots of places to ride to and from, both trails, and offtrail in dubreuilville. the train is an option but, VERY EXPENSIVE. chaz gaston is an awesome place to base out of. you can day ride to white river, hornepayne. chapleau, or do the lake and trails route from dub to missanabi, then down the lakes to wawa. gas up, and take the magpie river reservior back to dub. there are lots of day riding excursions for your group if you base out of dubreuilville or wawa. i wouldnt count on the trail from chapleau to aubrey falls (F trail south) to be open, until it is listed as open. it has been very hit and miss the last few years. if you commit and it isnt opened, you will have to reroute to dub and hawk junction, then catch the train back to the soo in hawk. you missed the loop riding by a year. with no gas between the soo and wawa this season with the closing of halfway haven, it will be very difficult at best to loop starting in the soo or searchmont. especially for first time ontario people. so you know, you will need passports or enhanced drivers licenses to cross the border, and no one in the group can have a dui or felony arrest (ever), or you can and will be turned away. best times to go are early to mid feb, through the first week of march. warmer and longer days, better base of snow, grooming and brushing are complete, and the trails are tip top, with very little traffic. costs will vary from mild to wild, depending on what you do. the train adds costs, the permit prices are a bit more than other areas but, the snow, trails, low traffic, and hospitality of the northern canadian people are second to none. from iowa i would run mapquest, and figure the road miles to wawa, and divide that by your truck mileage, times 3-4 bux a gallon. fuel for the sleds in ontario will be more than in the states (5-6.00 per gallon). lodging is avg with the states. food, and store items are more than the states. it can be the trip of a lifetime so, it is kinda hard to put a price tag on fun and an adventure but, it still needs to be considered so you are not in shock mode when you tally it all up at the end of the trip. if you go to the northern section here on the site, and search around, there are several threads that will help. both past and present threads can give you an insight of what to expect. ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pstn head Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hey farmandride you will like abitibi canyon north, lots of powder and bowls to play in, ok well not as much as out west, and no problems for gas. Abitibi canyon is north of cochrane on trail A103 give extreme snowmobile tours a call # 1 705 272 6370 they sell gas and would be able to give you the low down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hey farmandride you will like abitibi canyon north, lots of powder and bowls to play in, x2 That's the Fraserdale Dam loop I mentioned in my post. Hope you guys make it to Ontario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.