Our group is looking at heading up to District 9 for our annual ride. We'll be starting early this Tuesday (Feb 27) and riding Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, coming back home Thursday night.

While we've heard this is where the snow is, no one in our group is familiar with this area. We usually ride 150 to 200 miles per day around the Timmins, Cochrane area (which we've cancelled this year due to poor snow conditions).

We would appreciate any suggestions for a 3 day loop, such as where to start, and which towns to stay in Tuesday and Wednesday night including the names of decent hotel/motels. We were thinking of starting off in Barrie or Orillia but would appreciate any tips.

Any problems with getting fuel in this area with the Imperial Oil/Esso problems ?

Thanks !

Tell it like it is ZR.

Unless the clubs in that area suddenly start grooming the trails your in for a lot of banin n crashing.................rode out of Bradford Sat am, trails down there are stellar / little rough close to Barrie / little rougher to Wasaga / brutal from there into Blue Mountain both West and South. A down right shame since they have lots n lots of snow.

It was decent everywhere I rode this weekend - except the rail line between Dundalk and Orangeville.

Sat - Belwood to Mount Forest area and back - trails were great - I even had a good time riding my old S chassis MXZ 670 and that says a LOT!

Sun - Belwood to Dundalk and back - trails were great up until Dundalk then the rail line home to Orangeville was hot garbage

The whole area has TONS of snow, west of Dundalk anyway. In many places the OFSC signs were buried.

I rode Erin/Belwood/Luther/Mount Forest/Durham/Owen Sound Friday night (135 miles), everything was great, Snowcross in Owen Sound on Saturday (the races were good, they had set up a cool track), then OS/Tara/Chesley/Hanover/Clifford/Teviotdale/Arthur/Belwood Lake/Erin (160 miles) on Sunday, everything great then, too.

Are you planning on riding from Peterborough to District 9, or trailer to District 9? If the latter, I would suggest trailer to Owen Sound, East side trails to Tobermory day 1, down the west side to Port Elgin day 2, then back to Owen Sound day 3 (loop South to make a good day of it). Trails are great everywhere in 9 right now, and there are a lot of loops you can do, as there are lots of trails.

We rode three days starting out in Grandvalley which was the roughest part. Headed up past Hanover to Wiarton. Tons of groomed field. 90 mph crusing. Next day we went to Tobermory and back. Was getting bumpy as we left but met the groomer just out of town. Tight ,twisty trails all the way up to Tobermory and back. Snow is thinner there so check on the conditions. Some roads there as well. Spent the night in Lions Head. Next day we rode over to Saubble Beach and cut over to Markdale. Trails here were in good shape. Down the railine which was good to Dundaulk and over to GrandValley which was still rough. A mixed bag from poor to exellent and about 1000 km.

What he said.

We met a guy at the spot in the bottom pic who had put on 470 miles in Southern Ontario already and it was only 1PM. He said it was great everywhere he had been. Of course, the more NW, and the closer you get to the lakes, the better the conditions.