B.C. offers a number of other areas that may not have the profile of destinations such as Revelstoke but still offer excellent riding.
Part of the 2014 Snow Goer Canadian Vacation Guide
According to Donegal Wilson of the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation (and some member clubs from his organization), there are a number of other areas that may not have the profile of destinations such as Revelstoke but still offer excellent riding.
“Located 25 kilometres east of Vernon is the small town of Lumby. Turn left at the four way stop and continue roughly 30 kilometres to either of our 2 trail heads. We have two mountains, Park and Nelson. Park is home to our emergency chalet which just went through some major upgrades. You can experience riding from beginner to advanced, tree riding and open meadows. Nelson is more for the intermediate to advanced rider with hill climbing, side hilling and steeper terrain. We currently groom roughly 75 km total of trail at least once a week and average 13-18 feet of snow. Our club has trail collecting at both our trails with a $20/day fee or purchase a yearly membership for $100. Our area is definitely a hidden gem and is worth checking out!”
The Vernon Snowmobiling Area on Silver Star Mountain consists of close to 200 km of groomed snowmobile trails. The majority of the trails that they utilize are comprised of old logging roads that were cut over 50 years ago and now are maintained by the club in partnership with Forestry and Parks Canada. The riding area is within a short fifteen minute drive from the city core and a quick five minute drive from Silver Star Mountain Ski Area, making it a great place to stage your next winter getaway. The club operates two warm up shelters and the groomed trails lead from Vernon to the back side of Enderby
With many diverse sledding areas in between, they have a little bit of something for every riding style. Whether you’re looking for a groomed trail to take the family on, or you like boondocking through the alpine and hitting the fresh deep powder!
Links
www.vernonsnowmobileclub.org to connect to the Vernon Snowmobile Club
Terrace
Lewis McLeod and Gerry Comerford offer this profile of the riding around Terrace BC:
The Skeena Valley Snowmobile Association (SVSA) maintains a number of riding areas in the Terrace area, from Sterling Mountain in the Nass to Mount Bolton in the Kitimat Valley. They are a large club with approximately 85 members located out of Terrace, BC founded in the late 70’s. The local sledders describe it for those who dream of powder filled weekends, blue skies, good friends, and some really GOOD TIMES.
They have 10-12 riding areas within an 8-60 km radius. This includes tenured and non-tenured riding areas such as Sterling Mountain, South Douglas, Trapper Mountain, Copper Mountain, Anweiler Ridge, Big Cedar, Sleeping Beauty, and Bolton Ridge.
The two main riding areas that have groomed trail access are Sterling Mountain and South Douglas. Sterling Mountain is a great place to take the family with excellent views of the surrounding ranges and the Nass Valley from the alpine and lots of terrain for novice to advanced riders to enjoy. The main route is maintained by the Skeena Valley Snowmobile Association to tree line with day cabins at Jack’s Lake and Sterling Lake. The number of square miles available on Sterling is simply amazing but be careful not to venture into the Nisga’a Memorial Lavabeds Park as it is non-motorized access.
South Douglas’ main road is groomed to its access point. This area is for the more accomplished riders. A large variety of terrain, many deep powder days and a great cabin as well. SVSA also maintains a cabin on Trapper Mountain which is another good family riding area.
If you are interested in travelling a little bit you can also access the Claque in Kitimat. This area can be challenging for inexperienced riders. If you go a little further you can access the Seven Sisters out of Kitwanga; Harold Price out of the Hazletons; and the Onion, the Dome, and the Microwave out of Smithers.
The Northwest has great riding areas for all experience levels with lots of snow.
Links
www.bcsf.org is the site of the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation, the organization that represents snowmobile clubs throughout the province.