Clayfan

Tug is not as bad as its reputation can be on line. It is however, a bit if a 'bar to bar" scene there still. Yes, it can get bumpy in the late afternoons Saturday or Sunday. What makes it different from the Muskoka's or the Haliburton Highlands? Nothing. Those two areas of the this province can get the same way. Large population in the NYC and NJ areas fill Tug Hill on the weekends just like GTA does to the north in Ontario. And this winter, that there is no riding south makes it worse than it seems. (anybody remember the winter of 14-15 when we had lots of snow south and all the lodges and resturants in the north of Ontario were pissing and moaning about no business?) We ride WNY a lot. I'm less than 50 mins drive across the Peace Bridge to be in good conditions on good trail loops. Sure I have an OFSC pass as well. But as a Road Sales Rep, I spend more than enough time fighting GTA traffic. I don't need it on the weekends if there is rideable snow in WNY. Make sure you don't dick around and get on the trail early, get to lunch before the places fill up, and back to the trailer before it goes bad. Good news about NY State Riding is their trail pass is reasonable at $45 per sled if you join a club that costs $30. Fuel for the Truck and sled is always less than Ontario. Lunch on the trail, sometimes, in some places we have stopped is enough for 2 guys to split. And they have a reasonable speed limit on their trails of 50mph so you really have to be stupid or work really hard to get a speeding ticket down there. Unlike Onterrible, where almost have to have a nap behind the bars to ride at 50kmh on something like the Sequin. Have fun, Stay right

Can't agree more. I was fueling at Fetterly's in Kearney on Saturday around 1pm. Gassed both sleds up and was waiting on the girl to give me my slip with what to pay inside and into the gas pumps comes some idiot on a Yamaha Sidewinder Turbo with some sort of obviously aftermarket exhaust on it. It was loud enough at idle, we could not carry on a conversation. My 1st thought is "where is a Cop when you need one" My second thought is "what performance advantage on a sled that already makes 180hp can this idiot expect to get, and where can he ride it to its potential seeing as there are no deep powder mountains in Ontario".

From the photo, where is the rest of the right side bridge railing? Underneath the wreck? Almost looks like that bridge never had a railing on the right side.

Welcome to Freedom Sledder Ontario Forum, where a thread about Quebec Trips turns into a discussion about Polaris 850 engines and the build dates, warrenty and reliablity. Exactly how does that happen? Back to you lives people, nothing to see here.

Oh, I know all to well. I have a the Landscape Show to do in January. Costs for 2 of us to work that thing for 3 days. 2 room nights in Toronto and the booth space is close to $5000 and we show new product and meet and greet customers, but don't really sell orders at the show. Then I have the TImbermart National Show that costs more for only 2 days in February. But we do write spring bookings there at least. Problem is, I still have to go on the road and get those orders from those Clients that don't or won't take the the time to come to their own Industry Trade Show. Some of these shows are money makers for the Show Owners or Groups putting them on. For the Vendors ,maybe not so much

So a 10x10 booth space is approx $2000 with carpet and power. Staff to run it, say 2 individuals at $15 per hour for 24 hours adds $720, then rooms on Airport Rd are say $130/ night so add another $300 before booze or having any fun in the city and a small company would have a minimum of $3000 invested to sell the latest gizzmo . You'd have to sell a lot of gizzmo's to even make a dent in costs before profit. And thats why the shows are off. Still worth going, but big PITA for Vendors. Speaking of gizzmo's, did anybody else see the STUCKMATE? https://www.kimpex.com/en-ca/products/snowmobile/safety-accessories/remotes-throttle-controls/stuckmate-remotethrottle-control My buddy and I were laughing at it. Looks like a great way to get run over by our own sled. LOL.

Please do not call them a "bike" Does that Ozark have 2 wheels and you have to balance it?

Old buggers in every club in this province can't see the forest for the trees. For Off-Road Motorized Recreation, OFSC, OATVA, OFTR any and all Race Organizations (CMA, Off-Road Ontario) should be banding together, not fighting over who's trail is who's. The Government only listens to big groups and funds that way as well.

Thanks for the trail update. Love to be there next weekend but I have to work a Trade Show for our company in Montreal from the 15th to the 18th. Stupid national building supply buying group that shall go nameless put their national show on the Family Day weekend. Bunch if idiots. Several of my Ontario accounts have said they are flying in Thursday, placing their bookings and flying out Friday. Wish I could do that but as a vendor, I'm stuck all weekend. Which is why My son and I will do the Barrie, Penatang, Orillia loop tomarrow. Then Sunday on the Simcoe, Delhi, Tillsonburg loops. Better shine up my gas credit card LOL!

No real big deal but does anyone from the Barrie, Midland, Wab, Orillia area know why trail 422 is still red in the middle of the Simcoe County Forest? Doing a loop up that way tomarrow and I can navigate around it but it is a nice way of getting in or out of Midhurst without having to use a rail bed.

I agree with Used to skidoo. While I like this snowmobiling, I also like Motorcycling. If I'm going to drive 8-10 hours, or more, its going to be south to ride bikes , not north to ride sleds.

Ridden Dirt Bikes since I was 10 and I'm 58 now. Raced MX, Lots of Enduro's, Hare Scrambles, Trials. Snowmoblied since about that time as well but gave it up from about the mid 80's to about 1999 because of costs associated with sledding for maybe 3 months a year vs riding dirt bikes basically year round if you wanted to. To be frank, I've ridden various snow bike kits, (even a Sno Hawk) but to even compare these kits with a sled isn't a fair comparison. THese kits are fun but the limited fuel range puts us back in the ET 340 or SRV 540 days (remember Yamaha 4-5 gal tanks) You have to think of these kits as something else to do in the winter. THey are problematic on hard pack trail. Getting across roads is difficult. Seeing one of those "follow road to trail" signs on a warm day with nothing but pavement to look at will make you turn around. Trust me. BUt THere is nothing else like them on fresh snow, single track or even beat up trail that has some give to it (not ice and hardpack). Lot of fun there. But you are colder riding these than any sled. You wear, more of the trail, (snow dust and such) than you do on any sled. THey aren't and never will be as fast top speed wise. Saddle back overnight trips are still going to be Sled deals. Day trips though, shorter in duration, would be an excellent way to get use out of a snow bike kit of the OFSC ever gets off its collective ass and makes a pass available to riders of these kits. Until then, I'll keep my cheaper used sleds and continue to ride newer Dirt and Street bikes.