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Fort McMurray

Fun in Fort McMurray

River riding, trestles and northern lights made this trip special

by DWAYNE BRANDLY

A few years ago, we took a trip to Fort McMurray to go sledding. The five-hour drive to went by quickly because we were excited to see a new area we hadn’t seen before. This is the Oilsands Capital of the World: some of the world’s largest mining buckets and trucks work here. When we arrived, we checked in to the luxurious Sawridge Inn and Conference Center. The rooms were spacious and superb.

Whitemud Falls trip
The next morning over breakfast, we met our guides for the day: Darrell Scheers, Kerry Helmer (who was the president at the time), Tyler Scheers and Mel Dykes. They were going to take us on the infamous Whitemud Falls river run. This is a run up the Clearwater River, 70 miles (113 km) to Whitemud Falls. The whole trip covered 140 miles (225 km). The Clearwater River comes out of the La Ronge area of Saskatchewan into Alberta, where it joins the Athabasca River in Fort McMurray. It then flows into Lake Athabasca at Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. On average the river is about a quarter of a mile wide.

The river was twisty, with several large and small islands. The ride was generally smooth and the trails well packed. Apparently most people only go about halfway to the falls before turning around.

We were warned to follow our guide around the islands, because quite often on the backside of an island there would be warm sulphur springs. These produce large open water spots that may or may not be covered with a thin layer of snow. We could actually smell the sulphur a couple of times. On the way up we were able to find quite a few deep snow pockets—great for playing in and breaking up the ride. After sledding for about two and a half hours we left the river and reached a point overlooking a small set of falls. These were quite spectacular, with the ice formations built up by the rushing water and previously cold weather. We were advised we had now joined an elite club of only about one hundred people who had ventured this far upriver and successfully made it to the falls.

Lunch time on the trail
After some picture taking we headed back down the river a short distance to one of several campsites we had passed for a gourmet lunch supplied by the Sno-Drifters Club. These campsites are only accessible by jet boat during the summer and are quite heavily used. We built a fire and cooked wieners and kolbassa for lunch. Somehow it always tastes better cooked outside and over an open fire.

A real gas
After lunch we poured in the gas we had carried with us and started down the river. Again we played in whatever deep snow we could find and avoided the sulphur springs. I learned that my sled needed more than the extra three gallons I had put in at lunchtime. I borrowed a gallon and a half from my buddy Bob on the way back. Naturally, I won’t live it down because his sled made it all the way up and back on one tank. Oh well, more fuel to help my argument for a new sled. Ya right!

We got back to our trucks at 5 p.m. and found that jumping off the sled was more like climbing slowly down from a very large horse. The stiff knees had begun to set in. Our hosts filled our tanks back in town, so we reciprocated at the Sawridge pub. What a great day we’d had. Trail riding is a new and memorable experience; it’s great for a family to ride upriver and have lunch on a nice warm day. For those who like speed it is an excellent area to put a sled through its paces.

Meeting with the locals
First thing on Saturday morning we met with the three snowmobile dealers in Fort McMurray. We met John (JD) at the Yamaha shop, Lorne White at the Arctic Cat shop and Duane Parker at the Polaris shop. All the dealers said winter was almost over and the sleds were being put away. The next item to sell was quads. Quadding is very big in this area because not only are there endless areas to play in, but there are countless numbers of lakes to fish in. There is also the famous Sand Dunes area, about halfway to Lake Athabasca. This is a very popular camping, swimming and fishing spot.

Final thoughts
Our trip to Fort McMurray was a success: we got to join an elite club of sledders who reached Whitemud Falls, we enjoyed an Anzac burger and we saw an area where caribou winter. Best of all, we met several wonderful people and made new friends to go sledding with in the future. Many thanks to the Fort McMurray Sno-Drifters Snowmobile Club, Tourism Fort McMurray and the Sawridge Inn and Conference Center.