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SNOWMOBILING IN Houston
Plenty of mountain “pow”
The snowmobile season is usually a long one in Houston, B.C.
Houston, home to the world’s largest fly rod, is a community that is well recognized for its year-round recreational activities—from world-class fishing and bird watching to hiking, swimming and, of course, snowmobiling.
Located halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, Houston is surrounded by mountains that offer a wide variety of terrain, with plenty of trails for snowmobilers within minutes of town.
“Our snowmobile season starts in November and continues to April—even sometimes to May,” said Les Auston, a member of the Houston Snowmobile Club and executive director of the B.C. Snowmobile Federation. “The Houston Snowmobile Club has been around for more than 35 years and is very involved in the community. We maintain three cabins—usually stocked with plenty of firewood—and our trails are mostly groomed, depending on the area.”
Powder anyone?
Although the annual average snowfall in Houston has gone down a couple of feet over the last few years, there is still an average of eight to 10 feet of soft, powdery snow covering the higher elevations.
“Times change and hopefully the big snow days will return,” said Auston, “but don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of deep snow to play in.”
Some of the main snowmobiling destinations in the Houston area include Rhine/Sibola Ridge—which features mountainous riding that tests your skills on steep slopes; Tableland Mountain—a less challenging mountain ride but with plenty of awesome powder; and Dungate Meadows—which is all about trail riding and carving meadows. You can even access the area right from the town’s boundaries and can ride all the way to Burns Lake.
The community of Houston is supportive of its snowmobile club, which makes great efforts to educate all riders on good stewardship and respect for the environment. One of the club’s projects over the last few years has been helping to manage some northern caribou, a herd that has grown to more than 100 animals over the past seven years.
“And will hopefully continue to grow,” said Auston. “The wildlife is a bonus of the area.”
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