Author: John Sloan

Notification was received today from Simcoe County Forest that logging operations would be starting immediately in SCF Strachan Tract and part of Oro Tract. This affects the Orillia Club trail running through the Strachan Tract (see Trail Guide maps #20 and #21). The notification from SCF is copied here for reference. Note that salvage operations in the Drury Tract does not affect the Ganaraska Hiking Trail. Also, the announcement said that logging operations in North Barr Tract are now complete.

Salvage operations will be starting up in the Drury Tract tomorrow morning and the Strachan Tract this afternoon.

Signs for Strachan will go up today, with additional tomorrow, as the entire Tract will be closed for these operations. Due to the amount of trails coming into Strachan from the Oro Tract, parts of the Oro Tract will be closed as well. The following map shows the areas that are closed and the placement locations for signage.

The Barrie and Oro-Medonte Ganaraska hiking trails run through Copeland Forest. The following announcement, just received from CFFA, asks trails users to stay off the trails where clean-up activity will happen over the next few days.

“Great News! A Benefactor recently contacted the CFFA to offer assistance in the cleanup of the trails in the Copeland Forest. Our trail fairies and volunteers have done a HUGE amount of work clearing all of the single track trails.  We are left with some signifanct trees still down along the double tracks areas in the Uplands. 

This Monday, June 2nd an arborist and their team will be heading into the forest to clear the remaining damage in the Uplands area. We received approval from the MNR for a single rubber tracked vehicle to assist in this work. They will enter from the Nordic Centre and proceed along the double track in the following manner:

Post 32 – 33 – 34 – 36 (they will go up Fox Run and clear trees and double back from there) – 37 – 38 – 40 – 17 – 16 (most of the clearing will occur here) – 15 – 14 -13 -19 – 18 -17 -18 – 39 -38 – 37 and then back out the way they came. 

We expect this work to take 2-3 days and ask that you keep clear of these areas as much as possible. They will be attending to the deadfall and widow makers they find along the route. Most of the lowland double track survived quite well. We have funds left over to clear one off widow makers over the next few months. Announcements will be made when those are being done. 

We would like to thank our incredible community of volunteers and trail fairies, the MNR, Horseshoe Resort  and finally a generous donation from a member of the community who recognized that our Forest and the ability for the community to enjoy is paramount to our mental health and physical conditioning.”