Here is an article from Dec 10 05

Looks like sledders in Muskoka might lose a major trail for this winter
http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forum/uploads/post-20-1102746950.jpg

Why didnt they fix the bridges on the off season?

Perhaps there is little to nothing wrong with the bridges but instead they are taking a "sit back and see" approach given the issues going on in Quebec right now.............You never know!!!

Rick

Might as well close the Sprucedale Hotel now.

Good thing I didn't buy a permit!

Originally posted by gravy davey@Dec 11 2004, 07:03 AM

Why didnt they fix the bridges on the off season?
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To answer a question on why they leave it to this time of year to inspect the bridges, most engineering firms are busy throughout the rest of the year with other stuff. This time of year they seem to have completed their summer projects and are looking for things to do until winter sets in.

I don't know how the MNR works but to close them immediately must mean they are in pretty bad shape....or there is some underlying reasons ?

I'm sure we are going to hear more about this very soon

Sounds like typical MNR nonsense. Everything w/ them seems to be a last minute emergency. I wonder what needs to be done? I have seen in the past that the railings get damaged. Does that mean a groomer can't cross a bridge?

I wonder if sledders will still be able to run the trail? If they just put flagging/caution tape across, I can see sledders, especially w/ the snowfall we just got will be itching to ride.

This is an important link in the area, so they'd better get off their collective :cussing: & do something.

what if the clubs in the area would join together and offer their help in one way or another. atleast you'll find out the real reason for the closure. just a thought.

I'd like to know where all of the trail permit money is going in this region. At $180 a person, that is alot of money. If things are going to pot, then someone has to be accountable. The MNR is probably right, the bridges are in need of repair. They are doing what is right by closing the trail. Someone should take care of the bridges.

mk

Rumblings on the sequin again, Thought they had this bridge thing resolved.

Bridges cost major $$$ to repair or rebuild

#2 like mentioned on another forum"what is another 4months to keep open for season then repair" :huh:

Can't they groom till they reach the bridges in question then turn around

Are the rivers impassable in winter(I do not know the area btw)

Here is another article but this one is from Parry Sound

Seguin Trail closed

by Sarah Bissonette
PARRY SOUND - For the snowmobile season to get underway along the Seguin Trail, some bridges need to be repaired.

The Seguin Trail is owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources, managed by Park-To-Park Trail and groomed by the Parry Sound Snowmobile District and is one of the main provincial snowmobile routes. It is also the only public trail for all terrain vehicles, along with dog sleds, horseback riding, hiking and biking.

It was known last summer that the Swords Bridge footing would need to be reinforced. Work on the $10,500 project was started December 7 and expected to be completed in about a week. The PSSD chipped in $4,500 and the Parry Sound ATV District Club donated $1,000.

Early in December the MNR released the report stating two more of the 10 bridges along the trail were not safe enough to bear the weight of a snowmoblie trail groomer and were subsequently closed. One of the bridges is at Seguin Falls and the other is just inside McMurrich-Montieth Township, from Seguin Township.

"The MNR had gone and done a study of all the bridges," said Park-To-Park project coordinator Kirsten Spence. "They wanted to see what the impact of one fixed bridge on the others would be."

Park-To-Park will receive a report during the week of December 13 from its engineer, which will determine if the bridges can be fixed or if they have to be replaced. If the bridges have to be replaced, the trail will be closed this winter, because of fish habitat, water levels and snow, making construction impossible.

The MNR has allocated $30,000 to the study and repair of the remaining two later bridges.

The PSSD grooms 65 kilometres of the Seguin Trail as part of its network. The organization may be able to work around the possible bridge closures.

"We are going to take that one step at a time," said PSSD manager Sean Evans. "If more than one bridge is closed, we can do a grooming study. If one, we may be able to work around that.

The trail is also part of the new marketing initiative, encouraging snowmobilers from Ontario and the United States to travel a loop connecting Parry Sound, Sudbury and North Bay. Mr. Evans said that if there are closures, an action plan with those involved will be created and as much of the system will be kept open as possible, as long as it is safe.

The late timing of the study is not good news to the Park-To-Park board or the snowmobile club, with the entire network expected to be completed in the spring of 2005.

Like Decee said

Is it worth buying a permit now if you live in the that area and now have no groomed trail to ride this season?

Our trail pass says MTO on it now, and if they are to take such a big involvement with it, they should take some initiative also to prevent things like this from happening. Seems like a lack of foresight as much as anything else. I can't imagine how a link this major is going to be just shut down.

Some more comments. I know what my parents had to go thru to replace a bridge (in place for over a hundred years) that spanned a 35' wide creek that you can't use a powered boat on, canoes only. They had to apply to the MNR, County, Township, Coast Guard & notices in 3 newspapers. The bridge had to be registered w/ the County. It took 6 months from application to approval.

I also know of where a club had a culvert washout on a forest access road & the MNR approved its replacement w/ a proper bridge in a day.

I guess if the will exists w/ the MNR, things can be done. Sounds like too many people trying to justify their jobs.

It's not the only trail in the area, you can still ride to the north & south. Just a pain if you want to head east. There are other east/west trails in the area, but I'm not sure if they'd be suitable for the amount of traffic the Seguin sees on a typical Saturday.

So much for the help the OFSC gets from our provincial government ministries :bash: . I imagine next spring they'll find out some rare form of troll lives under these bridges & an 5 year enviromental study on the effects of bridge re-construction on the troll's habitat will need to be done :sarcasm: .

The way I look @ it, the groomers ran over these bridges last winter no problem, what's another year?

well sounds like some hope then. good luck on the trails. i know how hard it is to get anyone to do anything with trails.

there will be some rallying from local business i'm sure.

That trail is such a major artery for the Parry Sound system I cant see why most of it cant still be maintained without passing over the bridges.

The club I used to belong to had to replace the same bridge every year ,spring floods would wash it out .Have you ever seen the condition of a good bridge after snowmobile season ? From what I have heard most of a Canadian trail permit goes to insurance not the trails . I don't think they can even take a small chance of someone becoming injured when they have any safety concerns . A lawyer would clean the kitty good.

Amazing how I live locally and heard nothing on the radio about this. Bureaucratic red tape, too many departments justifying their existence and always the threat of ambulance chasing lawyers. Sad.
As in the nike ads, just do it!

Any idea what section of trail theyre talking about?Usually ride Sprucedale towards Kearney the middle of January.....

Originally posted by Polaris1@Dec 11 2004, 11:13 PM
Any idea what section of trail theyre talking about?Usually ride Sprucedale towards Kearney the middle of January.....
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Written in black and white in post #11

Easy there decee,Im from Pennsylvania,spend lots of my hard earned cash in Ontario and am not real familiar with your townships....

From what I remember, all those bridges are well east of Sprucedale. They are closer to Parry Sound.

If the main structure of the bridges in question are wooden, I hope they look into steel bridges otherwise we'll be into this same exercise in another five years. It might cost more initially but save a lot of money in the long run. The only maintenance item would be the wooden deck.

As you know this is an old railway line.. I am not sure exactly which bridges are affected but some of these are huge. I know one is half a mile long.
There is no way OFSC is going to replace these

Here's another report (http://www.almaguinnews.com/Articles2004/49_3_12_08_04.htm) with a quote from a Park2Park board member who WANTS it closed to snowmobilers

Ya but does that board memeber and some of his non motorized friends pay a dime to keep the trail in good shape over the years?

I thought not :(

thats not good news.
the bridge over the sequin river is closer to P.S. About 1/3 of the way to Sprucedale. Sounds like the Sprucedale and east part will be fine.

Hope they get this resolved, as my cottage is just off the sequin, and a run to parry sound is a regular trip for me.

FishHog

I read a post from Scott Gillies of Muskoka Motion that things may not be as bad as 1st thought. It sounds like the trail will be groomed where the groomers don't have to cross the questionable bridges.

So it sounds like the Seguin will be open, albeit maybe bumpy in some areas.


I'll check the PSSD website to see what they have to say.

How do things look for this season?

you have too much time on your hands revrnd. Digging up these year old posts.

I was wondering about this myself. I have not heard any updates, other than the Park to Park trail system which uses the Sequin is now trying to get $100 or so a year for any vehicle permits during the summer months also. This has all the cottager that use the sequin as an access road all up in arms also. Me included.

FishHog

Do any of the cottagers need to use the bridges to access their properties? I've only been thru there in the winter.

I believe most of them can access without the bridges, but I could be wrong closer to Parry Sound. I'm in the Sprucedale area. Most of the cottages have been there for decades, before most of the bridges have been built.

FishHog