Who's camping at Calabogie?

[craig]

Just trying to get an idea whether I'll be all by myself. :D

[wrxr176]

I'll be there all weekend starting thursday so you won't be totally alone.

Paul

[Cap'n Pete]

I slept on the pavement last year ... upgraded to the Motor Inn this year ;).

[68vette]

Shawn and I will be there early Thursday evening also.

Derrick

[MazdaMatt]

I slept on the pavement last year ... upgraded to the Motor Inn this year ;).

sissy.


I'll be leaving London at 6pm thursday. I need to go to brampton and get my truck (2hrs), then haul that beast up to Bogie(7hrs?). I might not even make it in the same day, i may pull off the highway at 1am or something and have a nap. I should arrive friday morning, then I am staying there all weekend.

[Dave]

Brampton to Bogie shouldn't take you more than 5 hours unless you really get rocked by traffic.

[Tashko]

I haven't booked anything yet so I might be trying to find a spot on the grass, hopefully not the tarmac, Friday night.

[ADAM]

will be there thurs, fri, sat ,sun..


Adam

[craig]

In the supps (which I'm working on at this second), there will be something like (because nobody reads the supps):

QUIET HOURS STRICTLY ENFORCED, and NO FIRES!

There will be real washrooms and real showers. Two weeks ago they were working, but half-finished, so they should be fully finished by our event.

There is an area where tents could go at the far end of the paddock (near pit in, if you've been there before).

There will be someone from CMP on-site.

No hookups (and to state the obvious, no dumping).

Hours that the gates are open are still under negotiation. We pay for every hour outside 7am-7pm that the gates are open, so ...

[minispeed]

There as well for Thu, Fri, Sat; not sure about Sun; depends when we finish and if I feel like driving for 5 hours Sun night back to TO.

I know there are others coming up Thu too for the weekend. Should be a good crowd. Looking forward to the event.

[MazdaMatt]

Brampton to Bogie shouldn't take you more than 5 hours unless you really get rocked by traffic.

Obviously never seen the way I drive my truck on the highway:( . It uses 2x the fuel at 110 as it does at 90, so i drive 85-90 the whole way. Hwy7 is not an option as stop/go is even worse on gas.

[John Powell]

Brampton to the end of 115 in Peterborough is all freeway. From there to HWY 511 at Perth there's maybe six traffic lights including the first and last, and they're not always red for Hwy 7. From Perth to the track on 511 I don't know as I've never driven it. For me coming the other way from just East of Ottawa to Mosport I always use Hwy 7 from where the 417 turns north to 115 at Peterborough. My total travel time is about 15 min. less than getting to the 416 then down to the 401 and up 35/115 again to Mosport. As the distance using Hwy 7 is shorter I can tow at 90 kliks max (the speed limit outside the villages varies between 80 and 90), get to Mosport sooner and use less gas.

If you intend to use just freeways to get as close to Calabogie as possible that means going 401 to the 416, up the 416 to the West end of Ottawa, then the 417 West then North to Arnprior. After that it's two lanes back West again for about 50 km to Calabogie, and there's two traffic lights to get through at Arnprior ... not a desirable route, I think. You could get off the 401 at Hwy 37 (Belleville) and go up through Tweed and catch Hwy 7 at Actinolite, but it's been decades since I've been in that area so I don't know how many traffic lights you'll meet up with.

All in all I'd suggest using Hwy 7 from Peterborough on, or maybe use that way going up and the Hwy7/37/401 on the way home as a comparison.

[wrxr176]

I haven't booked anything yet so I might be trying to find a spot on the grass, hopefully not the tarmac, Friday night.

Tashko

I got an enclosed trailer now so you can stay in it since i will be staying in the back of the truck.

Paul

[Cap'n Pete]

Hwy7 is not an option as stop/go is even worse on gas.
Matt,

Mr. Powell is probably right. For your truck and the speed you'll be travelling at, the 115 / 7 route is probably the smartest. The route I took last year was 401 to 37, upto hwy 7, to 511. There are no stops at all on 511 as far as I recall, but it's hilly and windy the whole way up from Perth! :D (fun drive in the car, probably less so with a truck/trailer).

I can't speak for the stretch of Hwy 7 between Peterborough to where 37 comes out, but from 37 across (basically ~100 km) there were very few stops, and traffic flowed not too bad.

Since I'll be towing truck/trailer this year, I may consider 115/7 as well (I'll mapquest it first to compare distances) although my truck seems to maintain ~105 - 110 without too much strain on the hwy, so 401 isn't completely out for me.

[MazdaMatt]

John, thanks for the list of options! I am familiar with the 401/115 route to 7, but I'd need to check maps the rest of the way (will check some time in the coming weeks). It sounds like a good option. I wouldn't stick purely to highway if it meant going way east then west again; i just need to optimize my highway use against stops and hills. This truck is BRUTAL; 3-speed auto and 7.3L deisel, and the box is 8 feet tall making it a big brick in the wind.

[msix]

I live close to Calabogie and whenever I go to Mosport and I stay in Bowmanville at the HoJo, I travel the Hwy 7/37/401 route, it's about the same time as 115, but an easier drive as you dont have to deal with traffic so much. But then there is another ~25 minutes to go from Bowmanville to the rack.

On the way back from the track, or if I am camping at the track, I always go driectly from/to Mosport on 115 and 7, it's about a quarter hour faster, even though I have to travel on 80kmh highways.

If you are already on the 401 comming from the GTA, I would stay on it until Belleville (37/Tweed turnoff), go Hwy 7 to Perth and 511 north for 60km. There is a nice scenic route comming up from Kingston on Hwy 10, you end up in Perth as well. Not that much longer, but scenic. The 401/416/417 route is a huge detour.

[Ytzman]

I got dibs on the back of Scott's trialer!
I think it's safer then my tent from the bears!:D

[MazdaMatt]

I live close to Calabogie and whenever I go to Mosport and I stay in Bowmanville at the HoJo, I travel the Hwy 7/37/401 route, it's about the same time as 115, but an easier drive as you dont have to deal with traffic so much. But then there is another ~25 minutes to go from Bowmanville to the rack.

On the way back from the track, or if I am camping at the track, I always go driectly from/to Mosport on 115 and 7, it's about a quarter hour faster, even though I have to travel on 80kmh highways.

If you are already on the 401 comming from the GTA, I would stay on it until Belleville (37/Tweed turnoff), go Hwy 7 to Perth and 511 north for 60km. There is a nice scenic route comming up from Kingston on Hwy 10, you end up in Perth as well. Not that much longer, but scenic. The 401/416/417 route is a huge detour.

So obviously 401/416/417 is out... but which would you suggest for a truck that does no more than 85 on the highway anyway and hates to stop and get back up to speed? I usually do 70 on the 80 roads because it saves a lot more gas.

[Cap'n Pete]

So obviously 401/416/417 is out... but which would you suggest for a truck that does no more than 85 on the highway anyway and hates to stop and get back up to speed? I usually do 70 on the 80 roads because it saves a lot more gas.
I think that decision really depends on whether you want to be the "slow guy" in the right lane of a 2-lane 401, or the slow guy doing the speed limit on a single lane 80km/h road?

... although even if you take the 401 for the extra ~hour from the 115 to Belleville, you'll still end up being the slow guy up 37 and along 7, so what's the difference ;).

There's very minimal stopping the whole way along 7.

[msix]

So obviously 401/416/417 is out... but which would you suggest for a truck that does no more than 85 on the highway anyway and hates to stop and get back up to speed? I usually do 70 on the 80 roads because it saves a lot more gas.

hey, you'd save even more gas going 40 in an 80, but I would say that you'd be run over by a Semi pretty quick.

If Stop & Go is the biggest concern, ---> 401/416/417 ... guarnteed no Stop signs or Lights there, but the detour is about a 100km = no savings

Easiest, quickest way is 401, 37, 511, Some towns, some traffic lights, but easy rolling.

...and, drive like a man ... or at least like a Granpa and go 80 .... I am sure, the $5 or $10 bucks more on gas is not going to kill you or the environment, but being the slowpoke on the Highway has it's hazards :D

[John Powell]

There are a fair number of passing zones on 7, the most traffic is in Peterborough's "rush" hour from there to around Havelock, and the twistiest bit is from Arden to Wemyss (sp?), which you'll have to use anyway if you go up 37.

Either way, you could get the title (taken from an old Ottawa Valley saying) of "The best damn tow rig from Kaladar to Calabogie." :cool: :D

[craig]

From TO, 401-> 37 -> 7 -> 511 is the only route I would use.

Towing on 511 can be annoying, but one doesn't have much choice ...

[John P]

Planning to camp Thurs, Fri, Sat.

JohnP

[MazdaMatt]

Being the "slow guy" doesn't bug me. Everyone else has a gas pedal and can go around me if needed. I won't be saving 5/10 bucks by driving slow instead of driving 'normal'. I"ll be saving 100-150 bucks considering the whole trip. I"ll check the maps and make a decision based on what everyone here is saying.

[craig]

STAYING at the TRACK - Thursday:
- There is an event Thursday, so showing up in the afternoon before 6:00pm will not be appreciated.
- I will have a key, and will be on-site sometime Thursday evening (assuming that I can get a ride up there. :cool: )
- Gate will be locked at 11:00pm, and re-opened at 7:00am.

This is true of all days; on the presumption that volunteers can be found, the gate will be locked at 11:00pm, and re-opened at 7:00am.

On Saturday, the track gate will be manned until 11:00pm. You can come and go between the track and the banquet as you please (if you're sober).

ON SUNDAY, THE TRACK CLOSES AT 7:00PM. There is nobody there on Monday, so the gates will be locked, so you CANNOT stay at the track Sunday night.

QUIET HOURS are 7:00pm to 7:00am. That's like real quiet. Really, really, quiet. Like, you're not going to start your car with the non-stock exhaust quiet. You're not going to run a generator quiet.

If the citizens of Calabogie file complaints about the noise at night, then we will have to leave, and nobody will get any runs - or any refunds for the cancelled non-event. If you want to make noise, or have a campfire, stay at Fawn Ridge Campground, please

[bbqman]

STAYING at the TRACK - Thursday:
- There is an event Thursday, so showing up in the afternoon before 6:00pm will not be appreciated.
- I will have a key, and will be on-site sometime Thursday evening (assuming that I can get a ride up there. :cool: )
- Gate will be locked at 11:00pm, and re-opened at 7:00am.

This is true of all days; on the presumption that volunteers can be found, the gate will be locked at 11:00pm, and re-opened at 7:00am.

On Saturday, the track gate will be manned until 11:00pm. You can come and go between the track and the banquet as you please (if you're sober).

ON SUNDAY, THE TRACK CLOSES AT 7:00PM. There is nobody there on Monday, so the gates will be locked, so you CANNOT stay at the track Sunday night.

QUIET HOURS are 7:00pm to 7:00am. That's like real quiet. Really, really, quiet. Like, you're not going to start your car with the non-stock exhaust quiet. You're not going to run a generator quiet.

If the citizens of Calabogie file complaints about the noise at night, then we will have to leave, and nobody will get any runs - or any refunds for the cancelled non-event. If you want to make noise, or have a campfire, stay at Fawn Ridge, please

geez- this is tough on a camper......I guess I know why I really really appreciate camping at Sanair and Shannonville.......however they do not compare track wise..........

[SVT RACING]

We have a 6 hour drive home and after 3 days at the track we hoped to rest up Sunday night, rather than driving till midnight or later to get home. Is there anywhere close we will be able to pull off and crash Sunday night? ie rest stop/ truck stop??
Scott Tapley #78

[John P]

That reminds me that on the way home last year my trailer broke at midnight on the 401 at Keele. I didn't get a flat bed tow until 6:00pm (6 hours watching traffic).

At 10:00am that morning I was on an airplane headed for Calgary.

Not much fun.

JohnP

[DEK]

SVT Racing, there is a Provincial Park on Hwy 7. I believe it's called Silver Lake. From a converstion I heard 1 side of(phone call) at the MCO Road Race Event, I believe there is a process to show up after hours and then pay in the morning. I don't know about anything that is free.
DEK

[John Powell]

On Hwy 7 en route to Peterborough or Hwy 37: picnic area just past Glen Tay; as DEK said just past Maberly; another Prov. park at Sharbot Lake a few miles west of the intersection; maybe another picnic area further west just past Marmora, but nothing else until you get to Mark S. Burnham Prov. park at 7 and 115.

[craig]

We have a 6 hour drive home and after 3 days at the track we hoped to rest up Sunday night, rather than driving till midnight or later to get home. Is there anywhere close we will be able to pull off and crash Sunday night? ie rest stop/ truck stop??
Scott Tapley #78
I had hoped for this as well. We originally couldn't get Monday, because the facility was rented. Now, however, the facility isn't rented for a few days, so they are locking it up for the week.

The access road (Wilson Farm road) often has vehicles parked on it waiting for the track to open.

The closest truck stop is in Arnprior, about 40km away (towards Ottawa) http://www.antrimwesternstar.com/

The local gas station (Mumford's) has a pretty big parking lot, as does Murphy's Landing (where the banquet will be). However, they may take a dim view of people parking.

[msix]

This is the Labour Day weekend, the campgrounds will still be full on Sunday night.
Check with the local Campground in Calabogie, Fawnridge, maybe there is room for one night. (613 752 2066)

Scott, if all fails, you could park for the night in my driveway (25 min from track).

[Cap'n Pete]

...my driveway (25 min from track).
Holy crap! I didn't realize you were THAT close to Calabogie, Klaus?! :eek: I guess this is how people feel when I tell them I'm only ~20 - 25 minutes from Mosport? :o

[SVT RACING]

Thanks Klaus, I knew lending you that power cord would pay off! We are bringing both the camper and the hauler(44') so I don't want to try to get in to some provincal park after dark. Making the wife pull the camper which she doesn't like doing, so hoped to travel during daylight, so how big is your driveway??? Scott Tapley #78

[nissannx]

my driveway (25 min from track).

I guess this is how people feel when I tell them I'm only ~20 - 25 minutes from Mosport? :o

:eek: 25 minutes from Calabogie! 20 minutes from Mosport! This is just too much! Please don't post how close to the track you live. Causes too much hardship for those of us who live hours away!:D

You guys warm up the track for me! I'll be joining you on Saturday and Sunday.

[msix]

Holy crap! I didn't realize you were THAT close to Calabogie, Klaus?! :eek: I guess this is how people feel when I tell them I'm only ~20 - 25 minutes from Mosport? :o

This makes me ~ 3 1/2 hours away from Mosport and you probably 4 hours away from Calabogie .... and I have been more often to Mosport this year than at Calabogie .. :o

Scott, my driveway is big enough to park your rig and camper, the tricky part is getting it into the driveway, as it is not straight forward from the road. Tricky, but doable.

[John Powell]

As a last resort there's always the gravel pit parking area at the track as I don't remember any gates there.