Hi guys! I'm no longer a trail rider but have taken that loop many times and I would strongly recommend it. There are a few things to be aware of. Northern Canada is REMOTE and cell phones do not work in many locations. Make sure you are prepared to be able to make shelter, fire, etc. and emergency rations in case the unthinkable happens. Some stretches between "towns" are 100 miles so it's not like your going to go walking out of the woods. In addition, traffic can be very light to non-existent, so getting help from others should not be relied upon. However, the scenery, trail conditions and people are very inviting. Chapleau and Cochrane was pretty "French". Only thing we usually start out in Wawa and complete the loop back to Wawa. Back in the day you could take that snow train, that was fun! Hit me up if you want any assistance with your planning. I would recommend keeping an eye on the interactive trail map they use for that loop. We once got "stuck" in Hearst after a big snowfall (over the hood deep) and tried to hit the trails before the groomer got the trails panned back out. We quickly realized we were going to burn to much gas breaking trail to get to the next destination, so we had to hold up at the local bar for a day-just extended the trip an extra day
There are sections that the riding is very technical, other areas are wide open where if you had cruise you could literally set it at 60mph and ride for over an hour (trail was table top and 6 sleds wide with no traffic). It's definately worth the drive for the experience. Watch out for moose both on the road up and on the trail near Hearst....you will see lots of tracks on the trail because they use the trails for easier walking. Especially at night, but I would not plan on doing more night riding than absolutely necessary, too dangerous and too cold! Good luck guys!