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Sicamous, B.C.

Finding sledder's haven

A few Alberta snowmobilers discovered prime powder in Sicamous

by Wayne Hamm

Dean Shwaga, Ed Shelenko and myself headed off to Sicamous to sample this sledder-friendly town and their bottomless powder. I have sledded here before and had a wonderful time—this trip was even better than the last!

As soon as we entered Sicamous we were greeted by a “Welcome Sledders” sign. Sicamous has received many accolades as a sledding destination and has all the amenities a sledder wants. I had a great chat with Tim Corless, the president of the Eagle Valley Snowmobile Society. Trail grooming is their priority and they spend many hours each year keeping the trails in excellent shape.

While in town, be sure to pick up a “Sicamous Sledders Passport” available at many businesses. This booklet contains a wealth of sledding information with maps etc.

Sicamous is vibrant in the winter and this thriving community is home to world-class houseboating.

A blizzard at Blue Lake

We met up with Bruce Moores, the president of the Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club. Bruce was our tour guide for this day. We trailered 17 kilometres east of town on the Trans-Canada Highway to the Blue Lake riding area. The trail is 23 kilometres up to a beautiful cabin and the trail was in great shape. Please respect the cabins; these folks go to great lengths to make your visit enjoyable and safe.

While at the cabin, the weather took a turn and we were faced with blizzard-like conditions. We headed into the trees and rode bottomless powder all day long. Bruce guided us through the storm to a popular hill known as “200 Horsepower Hill”. It was a hard pull to to the top and the whiteout conditions made the ride quite an adrenalin rush. WOW! We ended this day tired and out of fuel.

Because of their reputation we chose the Best Western Sicamous Inn for our home base. They are sledder-friendly and offer sledder discounts. This facility is modern, spacious, spotless and very comfortable. There is a great drying room for your wet gear, an indoor pool and hot tub and an outdoor hot tub with fireplace. We thoroughly enjoyed soaking in the tub and laughing about the day’s events.

Sun, snow and a great show

We rode Blue Lake again on at least a foot of fresh snow that had fallen overnight. We were greeted to sunshine and vast areas of untracked virgin powder that we had been unable to see the day before—the kind of powder that flows over the hood of your sled. What a blast!

We met a fellow sledder from Calgary, Bruce Strasser. He had arrived at the cabin riding alone, so we invited him to join us.

Bruce demonstrated how he makes the most of the hills and snow. With downhill skis, poles and boots strapped to his sled he locates a hill that is long and gradual in descent and flat at the bottom. Bruce takes his sled to the top, straps his skis on, ensures the area below is clear and lets his riderless sled “ghost ride down” (Or coast with a short burst on the throttle). He then skis down beside his sled. Great entertainment.

At the end of the day we headed down into the trees again, riding on at least four feet of fresh powder. It was like riding on a cloud. I know I had a great ride because I ran out of fuel on the trail on the way down. Then it was back to the tub at the Best Western for a long hot soak.

First-rate food

There are many restaurants in town that welcome sledders and offer great food. I returned to a place where I had eaten on my last trip to Sicamous, Moose Mulligans Pub & Dining Room. It is downtown on Riverside Avenue, situated right on the water where many houseboats remain moored year round. The atmosphere, service and food is first rate. What a great spot to unwind and refuel our bodies!

Many thanks:

Thanks so much to my employer Riverside Honda & Ski-doo out of St. Albert, AB, for helping make this adventure just that, an adventure! Give me a call if you need a new mountain sled. Thanks to the folks at the Best Western. It's a great facility and we will be back soon. Thanks so much to Peter and the folks in Moose Mulligans. Good job!

Here are some shots Wayne Hamm brought back with him

SNOWED IN: Bruce Strasser and Dean Shwaga stopped for a couple of minutes to enjoy the snowy scenery surrounding them.	POWDER FANS: Bruce Moores and Wayne Hamm were all smiles after a day of tracking up some sweet powder in Blue Lake.
INTO THE ALPINE: On the second day, the clouds broke and sunshine started to pour onto the forested hills of the Blue Lake riding area.	LOOK OUT BELOW: This is a picture of adrenalin-junkie Bruce Strasser attempting the "ghost ride and ski scenario".
TAKE A CRUISE: Ed Shelenko took advantage of the fresh powder and shredded some lines in the snow.	A FACE FULL OF POW: Bruce Strasser spent some time playing in the soft, fluffy snow and making tracks through the trees.