Skiing / Snowshoeing

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

Trail grooming has been cancelled for spring 2020, and Pine Lake cabin is closed.

Skiing on Jackpine Lake, Bell Mountain

Skiing on Pine Lake, Bell Mountain

The Yellowhead Ski Club, in cooperation with Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC), maintains, grooms and sets track on 17 km of cross country ski trails on Bell Mountain, accessed from Highway 16, 5 km west of McBride. The trails range from easy to moderate and feature a warming/overnight cabin and easy access from town to a plowed parking lot with outdoor toilets. Trail and road conditions as well as membership forms are available on the club’s facebook page at facebook.com/yellowheadskiclub/.   Membership forms are also available at the McBride and District Public Library.

The Pine Lake cabin must be booked in advance: please contact Terri Jensen at 250-569-3362.

Pine Lake cabin on Bell Mountain

Pine Lake cabin on Bell Mountain

TRAIL SAFETY & ETIQUETTE:

  • Never ski alone.
  • Wear appropriate clothing and take food & water.
  • No dogs on trails when snow is soft, please, and no fat bikes on trails!
  • Use caution on hills, and fill in your sitzmarks.
  • Ski on the right hand track.
  • Yield to skiers coming downhill.
  • Yield to faster skiers passing.

 

BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOURING
Backcountry skiers will find plenty of untouched ski terrain in local mountains. Two backcountry cabins can be found well off the Dore River Forest access roads – one at the foot of the Eagle Glacier in the South Dore Valley and the other, the Ozalenka Cabin in the West Dore Valley.  Avalanche Canada provides forecast information for our area at avalanche.ca. Skiers are encouraged to check access and avalanche conditions before embarking on any backcountry ski adventures.

Eagle Valley and Ozalenka cabins must be booked in advance: please contact Glen Stanley at 250-569-2596.

SNOWSHOEING
Snowshoe.9889Unlimited opportunities for snowshoe enthusiasts exist in the Valley. Easy trips to features such as waterfalls and valley viewpoints or more ambitious treks to backcountry cabins for an overnight stay are possible.
Access and avalanche conditions should be checked before embarking on long treks.  Avalanche Canada provides forecast information for our area at avalanche.ca.  For your own safety, avoid areas designated for snowmobiles. For cabin bookings, please see contacts in skiing section above.

 

 

 

Updated 2020 March 24