YIPPE SKIPPY!!! It's finally snowing.

We got snow on Saturday night and again Sunday night and it hasn't stopped yet. It is coming down pretty heavy and is showing no signs of stopping. So far there is about six inches. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!

All thing considered we had a very good weekend. Riders in were saying that things in the bush were still good so this should make things really good.

No news when grooming will resume. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

Wayne M (they had just had a successful Matawa run, Jim didn't break down once) commented that when we have three feet of snow and the groomers are out grooming every day and night everyone whines and moans about how poor the trails are. But when it hasn't snowed for two weeks and the groomer hasn't been out at all everyone is telling you how great the conditions are and no one is whining. Go figure-the better things are the more we whine!!!

Well that's it for now. I will be diligent this week and keep you informed.

Have a great week.
Cheers
Nancy

Nobody said life was fair but seriously is it fair that all the snow hits down south and none falls up here where we welcome it?

Nothing fell again last night and there are more empty promises of snow tonight. Who knows?

We have had lots of riders in this week. A few groups rode in from Wilberforce and Gooderham. Everyone in this week said that the bush riding is good but the rail line is sketchy in places. The lakes are well frozen but icy because of the lack of snow after the melt down.

I don't want to discourage anyone from coming up but I really don't want to say that things are great when they are not. We are having spring like conditions a little early. The road crossings are getting wider and the side roads are well sanded.

On a lighter note while I was out at snooker last night poor Pat Bekkers had a group of 25 drop in on her while she was here by herself. Yikes!!! They were military that had ridden from Petewawa to Dorset and were on their way back home. They had been delayed for a number of reasons one being fuel. Thankfully for Pat they didn't all eat and two guys took every one's orders and delivered all the meals. They all cleaned up their tables taking their dishes into the kitchen and they even offered to wash up. A nice group. However we did get a look at how money gets wasted. The faithful leader was having a fuel truck sent over from Petewawa to fill up the sleds before calling up to the general store to see if he would open up. Ahh well another chapter in the book. Sometimes it does get interesting around here.

Well now that I have given another definite maybe I'll finish here. I will update tomorrow if we do get snow.

Hope we see you on the weekend.

Cheers
Nancy

I'm glad that I didn't update on Monday. I really didn't speak to anyone about conditions yesterday. Have I been misinformed? Wasn't yesterday Family Day? Holy Cow it sure was quiet around the old diner yesterday. Maybe the gate was up again keeping all tourists out. We had a couple of sledders in but mostly just the local coffee boys.

Today there were two groups in. One had ridden from Gooderham the other from Benor Lake. Both said the conditions although fair were not bad at all. They were quite pleased with the trails. Some spots on the rail bed were not great but for the most part no complaints. The one group said that they had been out riding for the last three days with no troubles.

The poker run last weekend was not too bad. 165 registered down from 300 last year. Sadly I only made a donation my King high didn't go far in the standings. I think I'll stick to euchre!!

Some snow is expected Thursday, Friday and Saturday so things may get better by the weekend. It has been keeping really cold all day even when sunny so nothing is melting.

I'll be back late Thursday to let you know if there is any amount of snow. Here's hoping.

Cheers
Nancy

All I can say about conditions is that it is a definite maybe!!!!!

We did get showers off and on Thursday. It looks like they are over now. Very dull and cloudy and getting windy and temp dropping.

The trails are still well snow covered but icy on top. Lakes are slushy but still being traveled (Maybe not today for a while).

Where the parts of the property here have been snow blown for walking paths it is down to bare earth. The parking lot and other plowed parts are still well covered. We are expecting some snow today. Not much just a few cms. but enough to cover the icy patches.

So the news is not great for Saturday but all is not lost for the long term.

The poker run is still a go, and it's a long weekend after all so I guess we will just have to make the best of it.

If anything really exciting happens in the next few hours I'll let you know. If not I hope we see you on the weekend.

The bad thing about a little melt down is the doggy land mines in the backyard show up. So I am off to pooper scoop with my old buddy Norm.

Do the snow dance---I am!!!!!

Cheers
Nancy

So far it's still good news. No rain or showers yet. However my sinus barometer is telling me that something will be falling from the sky soon.

The groomer was out until 3:00 am this morning. It had a big job cleaning up the road crossings. The snowmobile hating township guy that plows the roads up here was up to his old tricks. Known as "Old Puutt Ding" by Jim and Brian. (you know spitting chewing tobacco) This guys house backs right onto the rail bed and he just hates to see anyone having fun there, sleds and ATV's or anything else. He does his best to pile the snow at every road crossing he passes. Once it freezes up it is hard to smooth out. But good for all you guys they succeeded last night.

Three guys were in late last night. They had ridden from Petewawa cutting short a three or four day trip because of the threat of bad weather. One said that it was the best riding in 25 years. Not one kilometer of trail had not been groomed the whole way back.

I won't be back tonight. You know snooker night and all. If nothing changes I may not post tomorrow. If it does rain I will update. It looks now like Saturday will be a great day, sunny and cold and snow Sunday. This will be good for the long weekend.

Back soon
Cheers
Nancy

Sorry about the late update. Mondays can be hectic with sales reps, weekend cleanup- blah,blah,blah.

So here were are again freezing our butts off. It snowed Sunday night and Monday. Not lots just a good covering. Enough that the plows were out most of last night.

Riders in yesterday were very pleased with conditions. Good temperature and great conditions.

They have been out grooming every night and nothing has broken down that I know of. The trails will be in great shape for this weekend because of the Maple Leaf Snow Skimmers Poker Run. This is their only annual fund raiser. So if you can come out and support the club please do. Even if you don't ride it is only $10.00 to sign up for a hand and have a chance for lots of prizes.

The weather for the weekend has not actually mentioned the "R" word, just chance of showers. So I choose to ignore the forecast and continue to live in blissful ignorance!!!! It has worked for a number of years so why stop now?

Well I'm off to make some soup for the day. I'd better get it done so that it is ready for lunch.

Hope we see you on the weekend.
Cheers
Nancy

I looks like the snowmobiling season has finally hit Lake St. Peter.

The weatherman can come a shovel today's six inches of chance of flurries off my back deck anytime now.

I can't believe that it is Wednesday all ready. The week is going so fast. We have had a lot of sledders in every day for lunch. Two tables today said that today was the best ride in a long time. Most are doing the three or four day trips that are so great this time of year. We have even had some Americans this week which is nice to see. Although I haven't see the fun bunch from Pennsylvania that have a camp in Coe Hill yet. Where are you guys? They are usually here two or three times a year. With all the snow south of the border they are probably snowed in!!!

The groomers are out all the time and I was told by a rider today that the trail on the north end of Lake St. Peter to Madawaska was being groomed today when they came down. YEAAAA!!!

No touching stories or bonehead plays this weekend. Although I am still annoyed with the group of cement heads that thought the groomer should be out all day Saturday so that the trails would be in good shape all day. Some people have no concept of life and should not be let out without a handler. They were miffed because at 4:00 pm on Saturday the trails were in rough shape. You would be proud of me. Instead of being my normal sarcastic self I just walked away-right to the bar for a glass of wine!!!!

Not much else to say. Just good temperatures, cold at night warming in the day, good snow, good grooming and did I mention there is gas in LSP now?

Hope to see you on the weekend.
Cheers
Nancy

What a great day today was. Lots of sun, perfect temperature, lots of snow. It doesn't get any better than today.

The groomer went by but I don't know where to. We are expecting a little snow every day for the next four days. Just like it's been for the last few weeks but with a better base now that we had the big snow fall. Not nearly as much as everybody else got apparently. Please people stop telling me how much more snow you have at home than here!!! I am already cranky this year and it's too early for me to snap.

For anonymous as I said, Dianne and Shamus are back at the store and doing a great job. They have not run out of gas this year and filled up 900 sleds last weekend. Pete thanks for the help.

I was told today that this is "blitz weekend". Lots of OPP and trail patrols out checking for drinking and watching for Pete speeding. So be cautious and drive safely. The only good thing about lots of snow south is even the OPP can't be bothered coming up here if they don't have to leave home. They have not been around this year at all.

The Madawaska Cup races are this weekend in Birds Creek. Free Friday night, $20.00 for Saturday, $25.00 for weekend pass. Not my cup of tea to pay to stand out in the cold and watch sleds drive fast and turn left all day. Maybe I'm missing something because I've never been. Too bad I have to work on Saturday I'll never know.

I hope we have a great weekend feeding lots of sledders with happy smiling faces. I'm sure Sunday will be a short day because of the Super Bowl. GO GREEN BAY!!!!!

See you this weekend
Cheers
Nancy

Sorry for not updating yesterday. I seemed to be really busy. I'm not sure just what it was that I did but I seemed busy.

Not many sledders in Monday for the good conditions. Groomers were out Sunday night and Monday afternoon. One groomer broke down trying to groom the trail at the end of Lake St. Peter that goes over to Cross Lake and Madawaska. It will be a while before it is up and around again.

We made some new friends this weekend. Two very nice guys from Ottawa have found the sledding Mecca of Lake St. Peter but not without incident. The GPS is a wonderful thing as long as you don't believe it all the time. I don't remember his name (shocking) but he eats his wings with honey garlic sauce. Anyway he used his GPS to mark the shortest route from Ottawa. Although it marks a lovely drive if it was summer or fall not so nice on a dark and snowy winter night. This route takes you through every burg and hollow along the way. Needless to say that while making good time he still arrived after the diner closed. I reopened to make him wings and fries and set him on his way only to watch him leave in the wrong direction. As we were heading to Maynooth anyway we thought that we would catch up to him and tell him the error of his ways. Well it didn't take long because about 1 km up the road he was in the ditch after trying to turn around. A quick trip back to the house to switch the car for the truck and we had him out of the ditch and back to his original destination of White Pine Cottages. His GPS was telling him to drive 7.5 kms to Williams Lake Rd to turn around. Almost all the way back to Maynooth!!!! Now surely this thing would know that there was a road or driveway some place sooner but alas it did not. We had a good time with them the rest of the weekend lots of laughs and I am really glad you came along. I was in need of some amusement it has been pretty boring around here lately.

Just before ditch boy arrived we had a nice young lady drop in looking for directions to Petewawa. She had used google maps, another wonderful tool for travel or so you would think. It took a whole page in directions to get her from Maynooth to Barry's Bay because it turns her up Hwy 127 through Lake St. Peter, to Hwy 60 and around through Madawaska to get there. It seems that Hwy 62 through Maynooth is a county road for a few kilometers not a Hwy. So as not to send her down and "scary back roads" they direct her about 5o kms and half an hour out of her way. Good instincts though, she was smart enough to know that it didn't feel right so we turned her around and sent her back the shorter way.

Now these devices must be invented by someone very intelligent but sadly lacking in common sense.

Jim and Brian and the boys had a great weekend ride from this area over to Dorset up to Huntsville and back home on Sunday. They said that trails were great and every trail on the way home Sunday had been groomed up to perfection. Nice to hear.

We also had a couple in from Bellville that rode from Madoc I think, up here over to Barry's Bay then Haliburton and back here before heading home on Monday. They too said that they had good trails and a great trip.

Now with all the hysteria about tonight's impending storm it will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings. Man can City TV ever get excited. They sure like a good crisis.

I'll be back later in the week. If you have all finished shoveling out by then you will be able to leave you houses and life will return to normal.

Diane and Shamus are still doing a great job at the store and there is gas and other stuff all the time this year. Yea!!!

Cheers
Nancy