With the wonderful amount of snow we have its looking great out there so far, looks like we are off to an early start.
Volunteers are actively out and taking their personal time at this busy time of your to get things ready for everyone this season.
Today (Friday Dec16) we have all 3 groomers out. We are still in daytime grooming modes, so please pay extra attention if you happen to be out inspecting the trails.
We have a few landowner issue reroutes and minor issues that are still being taken care of in some areas. Please respect the closed gates, and if need be, any early season re-routes that may be required. These may involve a little road running to get us around the issue.
We do not have great detail on the interactive map to show the smaller problem sections so we’ll try to explain them here, and they are noted on our own sledorillia.com trail map.
Certainly the early season trails (like the rail lines) are in pretty good shape and being worked on first. Township barriers are being removed, so drive with caution if you are out, cement blocks buried in the snow tend to slow you down quite quickly! Always assume a groomer, a backhoe or tree is around the next corner. I know everyone is anxious, but this is not the time to let it rip.
If you don’t know, don’t go!
Lets start on the west side:
B112B Oro-Orillia rail line appears to be fully accessible – not open, but accessible, will be groomed today (December 16)
203 north of B112B has the usual issue with the wet areas north of Hwy 11, and there is a large backhoe moving rocks off the trail today, so you will need the road run bypass for Line 11 north of Hwy 11, to the 15/16th. Gates will be open when the rocks are moved, but the swamp area will be wet and the trail will not be officially open until the groomer can get through the swamp.
The rest of the 203 appears pretty much ready, but if you are out, please drive with extreme caution! Buried obstacles like stumps and rocks come jump out at you with amazing speed and don’t tend to react well with skis on the snowmobile…these things are expensive…..might be better to save it for later if you know what I mean!
B Trail west is being worked on, there is a change pending around Notre Dame School at Atlantis Dr and Bass Lake Sd Rd. We’re still working on it with the City and the neighborhood. Please avoid that area if you can.
B105C (Orillia to Coldwater to Waubaushene rail line) is almost ready. It’s being groomed today, but the barriers are still up west of Coldwater.
B105 north from B105C is closed for the short term, so you cannot connect to the Swift Rapids Rd at this time. It’s being worked on, but there is a landowner reroute in process, fairly major and in a very inconvenient location….right in the middle of course…so best not to head up that way to get turned around and fall in swamp….pulling a machine out of the waterholes at -15 is not what I would consider fun…believe me!
204 north is being staked, but has a lot of farmers fields and private lands. We need time to get it gt it marked and signed. If you have time to help out, maybe let us know, see if we can connect up with the volunteers.
Moonstone needs stakes and signs, which the guys are stretched pretty thin at this time…between full time jobs, grooming, family and the Christmas season time is tight!
East Side is being packed today and this weekend with stakes and signs being added. Remember their are wet areas hidden below the snow…if you don’t know, don’t go!!!!
If you are out inspecting the trails for us, be careful, ride with extreme caution and watch for other trail users, volunteers and snowmobilers. Please do not open gates, they are closed for a reason!
We’ll pass along further updates as the time progresses!!