OUR 3 DAY TRIP TO WIARTON - February 21- 23, 2007 Written by: Leanne Ziraldo aka Giddy Up! Sled Heads at large: Paul & Leanne Greg & Jeanne Wayne & Paula February 21, 2007: Greg, Jeanne, Wayne and Paula arrive at Chez Ziraldo - point of disembarkation around 8:45am.  After unloading sleds - we have a quick coffee and get on our way.  The day is beautiful!  Almost too warm for sledding and temps are above zero.  The sun is warm - the sky is blue!  Off to Wiarton we go! The route we are going to take is B Trail to B109 (by-pass Wasaga Beach) - 502 north - B111 - B110 - B107.  That's the PLANNED route anyway!   Starting out the trails were in AWESOME shape - freshly groomed - thank you SNO VOYAGERS!  B Trail to B109 double WOW!  That's the way it was all the way to Singhampton. Many photo ops (much to Wayne's chagrin)  We had heard the night before that there was a GAS shortage and that was causing some panic and gas station closings...good grief!  However, we had no problems and no sign of panic at any time during our trip.  We arrived in Singhampton right on time 12:05 PM and stopped for gas at the Ultramar on 124 before heading to Mylar and Loretta's for some lunch.  Wonderful old stage coach stop from the 1800's.  The food here is outstanding - the service that day was far from it's best.  I have been there in the past and the service was much faster.  Well, let's just say that it put us 1 hour behind our schedule!  As we were "waiting" for our lunch we made use of the facilities there - the ladies washroom is fabulous! Believe it or not but they have a chandelier in EVERY stall!  One of the cleanest, nicest, prettiest washrooms this female sledder has ever seen!  We also had a chance to speak to the proprietor there and get some of the history of the old place.  Very enjoyable.  While we were eating - lo and behold the groomer went by - in the opposite direction than we were going - SWEET!!!.  Once again freshly groomed trails after lunch....so far the day couldn't be getting any better!  Great friends, great sunshine, great food, great restrooms! Great trails! Now we are on our way again - as I mentioned 1 hour past our estimated departure time - approximately 1:45PM and still lots of kms between us and the Water View on the Bay in Wiarton!  We took a quick stop at the Osprey Snowhawks Clubhouse just outside Feversham.  One of the nicest clubhouses that this sledder has had the opportunity to see. Then - now it gets messy - on to Owen Sound.  Well!  The trail markers from this point on leave much to be desired!  Let's just say that they barely exist at all!  Too much road riding - especially on a warm sunny day - road rash central here folks!  Get out the wallet and your credit card for the new carbides!    The lack of signage leads us to make an "unscheduled" detour down a "trail with no name"! We think - (notice the WE - you see my sledmates seem to make fun of me when I use the word "we" instead of "I" as I am apt to do.  Since I was leading there should be no WE when it comes to wrong turns - totally my decision and therefore should be "I" not "We"), ok...WE think that WE are on B111 - BUT - in fact we are on "the trail with no name".  No trail markers, no signs......and WE know that WE are heading in the wrong direction.  WE should be heading north/northwest...instead WE are heading south????  WE end up in Markdale...now wait a minute!  WE aren't supposed to be in Markdale!  A quick stop to top up the sleds with gas (good idea cuz WE might make more "unscheduled" turns), and a quick look at the trail map leads us to discover where WE made the wrong turn.  A trail sign or marker would have been a good idea at that junction way back on that road the Atemesta-Euphrasia Townline.   However, now that WE know where WE are - Giddy UP and away we go.  Back on track once again we finally reach the B110 (again no help to trail markers!) and head to Owen Sound.  B Trail through Owen Sound was rough!  And lo and behold - there is the groomer with one of the tracks off stuck on the trail! No wonder we were getting sore backs!  Mogul city through this part and not to be out-done - a very steep hill to climb with exposed rock at the top!  OUCH - our poor studs and tracks!  Once out of that section the trails did improve.  BUT it's now starting to get dark AND lack of signage has us once again checking our trail map.  Another wrong turn takes us to a small town called Shallow Bay where Wayne engages the help of a kind man who lives beside the trail to tell us where exactly WE were!  OK - back track - just a bit and get back on the right trail.  Now it's dark and I know that Jeannie's mouth is watering for that prime rib dinner that is awaiting us at the Water View!!!  Dinner was to be served at 7:00PM and it's getting near that time!  FINALLY!  Welcome to Wiarton - 6:45PM  Whoooooh.....just in time for dinner! A quick check-in to our rooms, which, by the way, have been graciously upgraded from your standard room to Jacuzzi suites with fireplaces!  Thank you to our hosts Dave and Evan at the Water View on the Bay!  Wonderful rooms - certainly the best this sledder has stayed in on a sled trip to-date!   We quickly dump our gear and head to dinner - which they have held off serving until our arrival!!!  Outstanding!  A very warm and sincere welcome by one of our hosts Evan.  We are dining with the owners of Supertrax Magazine - and others who have also sledded there from Durham that day and are all starving waiting for us to arrive! During cocktails I am complaining at the lack of signage in this neck of the woods and Harold, who is with the Super Trax people, is adamant that there are "little green numbers on EVERY intersection in District 9!"  Yeah right Harold - we shall see tomorrow now that I know what I'm looking for  Some quick munchies - shrimp, crab dip, veggies and dip, and meatballs (my mouth waters recalling them) and on to dinner of prime rib, stuffed trout, mashed potatoes, baby carrots......OMG....mouth watering all of it!  And to top it all off - chocolate truffle cake OR raspberry chocolate torte!!!  How does one decide!? Some cocktails after dinner in the Rapson's "suite with private deck and hot tub" and then off to bed for a well deserved good night's sleep.  Tomorrow we are going to Lion's Head (maybe) or at least the "scenic lookout on the Bruce Trail".   246.5Kms Today! Thursday, February 22, 2007: Wake Up!  Breakfast 8:15AM.  Freezing Rain outside!  YUK, YUK and double YUK!  After a quick unanimous vote of "let's wait to ride" we retire back to the Ziraldo's suite this time.  Looks like it's gonna be raining for awhile and probably won't get to ride until later in the day.  The Weather Network is predicting that the temp is going to start to drop by noon and snow should move in.   Cocktail Time!  But it's only 10:00am - Wayne.  Oh well....I guess it's happy hour somewhere in the world...why not in Wiarton?  By noon, no sign of the snow yet, and Paula and Leanne decide to "walk" into town.  Apparently only 10 mins....HA!  We hitch a ride with the reno guy that's working at the hotel and go to find Wiarton Willie!  That blasted rodent that predicts an early spring.  I'm gonna hold him down - and Paula is gonna beat the life out of him, gut him and we're gonna make a nice hat for Wiarton Wayne! On the way we find a store that sells "Willie noses" and buy enough for all. We find Wiarton Willie sleeping in his cozy enclosure built courtesy of the Toronto Zoo!  Paula even gets down on hands and knees and bashes on his glass enclosure to wake that white RAT.....but......only a few sticks of straw move and no sign of the beady pink-eyed rodent!  We give up on that and go to IGA to find food!  All that drinking going on....we need food or we won't make it to dinner. Sandwiches for all - and a great time - loads of laughs and a visit from some "old" guy that jumped into bed with me and Jeannie - and the day was done! Almost.  A quick before dinner nap and then off to the Wiarton Inn for dinner.  $5 gets you a taxi ride for 6 people into town - you can't beat that!  Poor Wayne - he couldn't believe that price - he wanted to pay $5 EACH. Once again, the food was outstanding at the Wiarton Inn.  It is now a raging blizzard outside and the taxi from Grab-A-Cab (that's the van that can accommodate 6 people) is stuck coming back from Owen Sound.  So....the owner of the Wiarton Inn tells us he would be more than happy to drive us back to the hotel!  Outstanding guy that would do that with almost blizzard conditions and white outs out there!  Highly recommended stop in Wiarton for sure!  However, we decided that we will cab it anyway -  just make 2 trips - after all it is only $5 per trip - no $5 per person, and it's not that far really.  Once back to the hotel it's decided to call it an early night and agree to get up and get an early start home the next day. Friday, February 23, 2007: Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....fresh powder snow!  Looks like it's gonna be a great day!  Once again - the sun is gonna shine and the temps are around -15 or so.  Purrrrrrrrrrrfect!  After saying adieu to our wonderful hosts Dave and Evan at the Water View we jump on our sleds and head for home. Shortly down the trail we find a place to stop for some breakfast before the long trip.  Right on trail B107 South we stop at the Shenstone Motor Inn for a great breakfast.  Looks like a nice place, restaurant, gas and lodging, right on trail B107 south of Wiarton.  That's where we meet Bob Lisk the groomer guy!  How could it get better!  He's stopped for breakfast too.  Freshly groomed trails await us upon our departure.  Leanne gives Bob a big hug and kiss to thank him for a job well done and away we go!  You can be sure that Bob is going to make sure those trails are in tip top shape now, apparently Bob likes hugs and kisses! Before we leave, Jeannie wants to confirm that the trail that leads across Owen Sound is safe to ride. You see, there is a club trail, one of those with no name and alleged green trail marker, that you see on the map ending at the Sound and continuing on the other side. We have been advised that it's safe to cross, however, not staked. Jeannie calls a District 9 official who tells her that the Sound is not safe to cross and we now need to make alternate trail plans. Thank goodness that Jeannie called!  Just goes to show you, when it comes to safety and water crossings just don't take anybody's word for it - it could save your life! Getting back on the trail B107 is in great shape - freshly groomed for as far as Bob the Groomer has been.  There's lots of fresh powder on all the trails to play in.  Once again - signage sucks - BUT we are looking for those "little green trail markers" that we have been absolutely, positively been assured exist by Harold from Supertrax the day before.  Yeah right!  we only saw 3 of those suckers the whole way through District 9.  Once again, we get turned around because of lack of signage and end up going back to B Trail through Owen Sound which we were trying to avoid due to groomer problems.  Oh well - at least we know the way!   The decision today is to take B Trail the entire way home if we can.  B107 to a feeder trail (one that has no name only an "alleged" green number) to B Trail home!  We stop just outside Meaford at Ted's Dinner for some lunch and to get our bearings.  Well.....it's not much to look at from the outside.  I'm certain this is gonna be interesting as we enter the "diner" which is no more than a Quonset hut in disguise!  WOW!  What an interesting place - complete with hole in the wall in the ladies by some customer that wasn't too happy (or maybe had too many Canadian's?) This place is neat!  Complete with small stage where they have live entertainment.  The menu is out of this world with all kinds of game dishes and even alligator!  Cooooool.  Great hot chocolate - with whipped cream!  The Buffalo burger was excellent. On our way once again and a stop for gas in Meaford.  On our way back to the trail from getting gas - the wind is blowing and there's lots of white-out's on the roads.  At this point the B Trail crosses over Hwy 26.  As I am half-way across I see to my right headlights of an on-coming car coming through one of the white out's.  I get to the other side and look back - only to see that Paula had followed me and the white car had just missed our sled-mate by swerving to avoid collision!  I am sick to my stomach at the vision that just crossed my mind.  Jeannie then crosses over and jumps off her sled to beat the sh*t out of Paula that has just given us all heart attacks!!!  Jeannie beat me to it!  There was certainly an angel on Paula's shoulder this day!  Now I need to pee! On our way again - lots of drifts and fresh powder to blow through as the trails are wide open fields for the most part from here on. (Wiarton Wayne has sat so long he's not sure about the standing position.)  We got to the junction just outside Collingwood of 704 and B trail and after a group discussion decide to take 704 into Collingwood thinking that it would be a scenic trail up the mountain - wrong!!  This trail has been re-routed and should be avoided.  Way too much road riding and ditch riding just to go through town which is not scenic!  Stick to B here or 701 down to B111 for a nicer ride. We finally got the H of out Collingwood and through to Wasaga - which was better than the last time we were there.  Rode the "beach" which is always fun and back to B Trail to home. Arrived back at Chez Ziraldo in Anten Mills at approximately 6:30PM for a bowl of Paul's homemade chilli. A great ride, great friends, great trails, great food......great trip!!! 239 kms today! Where do we go next?