TRAILS WITH A VIEW: There were a few spots along the Gilnockie Creek trail that offered scenic panoramas.

RODENT HEAVEN: With a hammer, some nails and a few gallons of bleach, one could restore the Pack Rat Motel back to its original condition. —photos by Kirsten Armleder

The season usually flies by so I seize every opportunity to get out and ride; some times a regular visit to my parents' house in Jaffray, B.C., turns into a spontaneous snowmobiling adventure. That’s what happened in mid-February.

It was a Saturday and the weather looked promising so my dad and I loaded up our sleds and headed to Ward Creek (located southeast of Cranbrook about 27 kilometres off the Caven Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) and about five minutes up Bloom Creek FSR).

Before we left, Dad said we would probably ride to the Pack Rat Motel not far from the community of Yahk. I thought it was a funny name for a motel but I didn’t ask questions.

We explored some logging roads and cutlines, got stuck a couple of times and worked up a sweat digging the machines out. By this time, the sun was shining and it felt like springtime. Then we turned down a trail following Gilnockie Creek. This route was untracked and there were several straight stretches were we could open up our throttles and really let the horses run. The scenery was beautiful with lush forest consisting of mixed vegetation—ideal habitat for deer, moose and other woodland creatures.

Eventually, we arrived at the Pack Rat Motel. Thinking it was an actual place of lodging where we could rest and possibly have a meal, I was surprised to find an old cabin that had obviously seen better days. Someone had carved “Pack Rat Motel” above the entranceway and after taking a peek at the rodent-infested interior, I understood where the name came from. Dad had himself a good chuckle and then we headed back.

On the way, we stopped at a small play area and took turns airing our sleds and testing the suspensions.

When we returned to the truck, there were a couple of guys loading their sleds so we stopped and chatted. They spoke about the severity of avalanches in our region this year and we all agreed that it was nice to ride in an area where such hazards were pretty much non-existent.

It had been a fun afternoon in the great outdoors.