Winter 2001 Logbook

Recollections of Large's Winter

The links will pop-up a window with a picture to help explain the events described.

Click "Large's" in the line above to see how this works. Close the window once done.

December

My first ride was on December 21st with plenty of snow at Black Lake, even the roads were perfect. The snow arrived all in one shot down in the Ottawa Valley area on Dec. 10th or 12th but my sled was up in Lively. Trails in Lively had been groomed by mid-December and our first few trips were between Black Lake, The Lodge and the Huddle. Did a run with Daren and Peter Pearson to Chelmsford via Fairbanks on the Saturday before Christmas. Trails pretty good, not great. Very good from Whitewater to Lively. Penage is still iffy. Chris Marshall sank in the first set of narrows on the 27th after a few hours of socializing. Lucky he's alive!! Drove to Kukagami on the day before New Year's Eve with Rod, Daren and Tony via the Broder Dill trails and through Coniston and Wanapitie. Trails were aweful most of the way, not too bad closer to the Sportsman's Lodge. The next day a few of us drove up to Wolf Mountain. Trails here didn't have a track on them, freshly groomed and just great, 60-80 mph most of the way. All round a super little ride.

January

Sled came down with me New Year's day. First run was Wednesday night, Jan. 3rd with the Nortel Ottawa Snowmobile Club leaving from Rocco's in Stittsville. Went towards Almonte, then to Carleton Place and back to Stittsville. About 63 miles and most of them were pretty poor. Need more snow and much more grooming. Drove around Carleton Place on Sunday, trails were so-so. On the next Wednesday ride two of us headed to The Prior in Arnprior. The place was packed and the trails there were much improved. You would think it was a Friday night by the atmosphere at The Prior, good time had by all. Probably 50+ sleds there in all. Headed out Friday the 12th, in the afternoon from Ed's house on Carling Ave. into Quebec for the weekend. Weather was perfect but Mike's sled burnt down 9 miles into the trip. Took two hours to replace the sled but we made it for dinner 15 minutes late in Messinne 145 miles later. Drove around from Maniwaki to Kazabaka on the Saturday. Trails generally very good and there was light snow most of the day. Sunday's ride back down south was under sunny skies and we cut through the Gatinuea Park on a road which made the ride home only about 110 miles, and a weekend total of 406 miles.

The weekend of January 20/21st was sunny and cool, perfect for riding. Drove the West Carleton trails on Saturday alone and then headed the Smith Falls, Perth and Lanark with Tim on Sunday. Trails were all groomed but signage around Perth and Lanark is almost none existent. 118 mile day in all. Sled acted up momentarily Saturday, just enough to give me a scare as I was riding alone and didn't really feel like walking too far.

Headed out Wednesday night from Carleton Place to Arnprior. It was snowing so hard Tim and I could only go about 20 mph on the trails because we could not see. This eventually let up but started again when we left The Prior at about 9:30 that night. This weekend's Saturday took us to The Prior for lunch, then off to White Lake, Almonte, Franktown and back to Carleton Place about 5. Once again all trails were freshly groomed and in perfect shape. Fair bit of traffic out on the trails chewed some on them up during the day, but all in all things were good. 134 mile day. Up to about 1700 miles for the year so far.

February

Up to Sudbury Friday @ noon for a change of scenery. Met Ryan and Geoff at the Huskey Saturday morning and headed out to Rantanen's camp. Hords of snow haulted any plans to head to the Island. Made it to Espanola and had a great dinner at Lang Lake Resort. Back to the Lodge for a few socials, over to Hamill's for a visit and then back to the Lodge. Sunday was much warmer, headed home slowly with Ogar, stopped for a couple at the Penage and Bil-Mir. Headed into Buzzy Brown's for evening socials with Leslie, Lisa and Jenn. Short loop on Monday via Long Lake and then back to Kanata.

70 miles run on the Sunday and left the sled at Mike and Tracy's in Carleton Place in prep. for our RAP tour to begin on Thursday. On the snow at 8am Thursday morning. Made it to Eagle Lake south of Whitney. 235 miles of mainly great trails under sunny skies. Friday we made it to North Bay via Dorset, Killaloe, Powassan, etc. 205 miles for the day and we put a good shift at Fanny's, gotta support the local economy eh!. Not too cheery Saturday morning, but sunny skies helped again and we made it to Deep River for 160 miles. Major snow around Mattawa, awesome powder riding on the pipe lines. Quiet Saturday night and 135 miles back to Carleton Place Sunday. More great trails on the way. 730 miles in all. No troubles to slow us up, just smiles. Now at 2700 miles for the year.

Pathetic 10 miles the weekend of the 24/25th. Shane, Dawn and Kim came down and we did more boozing and fishing(two slimmy pike) than anything else. Perfect weather Saturday, shit weather Sunday.

March

Got together with the Nortel Ottawa Snowmobile Club Saturday morning in Pakenham, under bright sunny skies and minus 10 or so. Perfect!! Headed to White Lake and on to Calibogie. Stopped for lunch @ the Buckhorn, then off to The Prior and back for a BBQ. 74 miles in all, trails were great and we had a turnout of about 15 sleds. This weekend was also the great fishing derby @ Lake Penage. I elected not to make the trip this year but here is the story I got from one participant via email.

"" It was the usual Penage weekend.  A weekend that you want to forget as soon as it is over however the guilt of spending so much money and getting so damn drunk just won't go away.

My weekend started just great.  I made it half way down Long Lake when my sliegh blew up, therefore Friday was a write off.

Saturday was spent fishing at Kimbell's Bay until about 2:00PM then it was off to Crane Point with about 50 others.  Hobby's hut became a sauna and beer cans littered the lake.  When the clock struck 4:00PM the parade to the weigh in began with sleds coming from each corner of the lake.  I would estimate about 500 people at the weigh in and only one battle all night as far as I know.  Some how (gets a little sketchy at this point)after the weigh in I made it to the Lodge for supper (so I was told)...I then got kidnapped and managed to hitchhike back to the lodge about 9:00PM.  I then decided to rack up a hundred dolloar tab on who knows what?  Next was the search for Troy's camp which provided an hour or so of excitement as we circled the lake in dense snow conditions.  Eventually we found our way back to the lodge and found a party at one of the cabins.  At this point there were a few too many extremely boozed people and things started to get a little scary.  We took the roads to Stony Bay and woke in the morning with a tiny headache and no cigarettes.

I'm proud to say I made it out of this years derby with no injuries and no damage to vehicles""

- Lake Penache fishing derby participant, March 3/ 2001

A four day week seen me head up to Lively Thursday and the weekend fun began Friday afternoon, after a night on the town with Vilgren, Peter Pearson, Budgell, Nick, Rod, Tony and myself left Penage about 1PM and head towards Cutler Lake via Fox Lake road. A few beers there, then Pete and myself headed to Spanish and Gore Bay while the other turned back. We hit Wiskey Corner in Gore Bay for a few(black or clear pop is the only question asked here) and arrived in West Bay at sundown. Seen 16 deer on the way to West Bay as it was about dusk. Met up with Jon and Heather for dinner and called it a night. On the snow at 8AM Saturday, Manituolin Island trials were amazing. Breakfast in Mindamoya, and our first beer @ Black Jack's deer stand about 10:30. Pissed on his stand for good measure too. Headed to Killarney and met up with the three Scarf's there on the trail. Had a social and proceeded to Hobby's ice hut about 1 in the afternoon. Put in a few hours of fishing, then off to Kiviaho's in Whitefish for a visit and a bite to eat. Home by 7 to stock up, then back to Penage, this time to Hamill camp to meet Leslie and Donna. Let the party begin! There was a gathering @ Scharf's on this night as well. Shook her up @ the Lodge from about 11 till close, then back to Hamill's. I think we found Skwerl passed out in the ice hut ling fishing after leaving the Lodge. Don't remember much from here on but this one line about 6:15 AM, when a few of the party goers came back from Scarf's "The party is just getting going over there!" is what they had to say as they stumbled in. Some people just don't know when to draw the line :-) Sunday was about as good a day as they get. I couldn't resist the temptation of sunny skies and great sledding conditions and stayed on the lake until about 10 PM that night. Hit the road for Nepean @ 7 AM under sunny skies once agian. What a birthday weekend!!

Quick four day week again. Ogar, Mel, Jon and Jenn came down Thursday. I headed snowboarding for the day Friday for my day @ work, then Rod, Shane, Daren and Jason joined us all along with Tim to head to the Senator's game. Another foggy night, as was Saturday being St. Patrick's day and all. Got in 50 miles of riding Sunday from the Shell @ the 417 and March Rd. Thought this would be the end of the season, but ...

Headed to NYC the weekend of the 22, 23, 24 and got in one last 130 mile day on March 29th I think. Left from Carleton Place heading west with Ed and Mike. Rough going to Lanark but most everything else was great. Seen 113mph on the speedo today as well, fastest I have ever seen on this sled. Steak dinner at the Carlbeck to end the year. Total milage in @ 3400 miles. A perfect year in my eyes.

- Large

April 9,2001