Aaah winter! No bears, no bugs, and all those thousands of acres of untouched snow covered mountains to explore… There are so many ways to get out to exercise and enjoy the mountains during the winter.

For some it is a trudge up to alpine followed by swooping runs back down again. For others it is a chairlift-assisted ride to the top to cruise maintained runs or glide through trees back to a warm, cozy chalet. Or, perhaps your preference for walking up frozen creeks on snowshoes is what keeps your battery charged during the dark winter.

I love cross-country skiing, on mid country mountain slopes - where there are trails through the forest, around lakes, beaver swamps and moose meadows - to discover the quiet wonders a winter’s day has to offer.

Animal tracks, hoar frost, sunshine, shelter in the trees, winter light, a warming fire under a big old spruce, or lunch on a bench in the sun. If you find this is just not quite enough to excite the adventurer in you, come out at night with a headlamp when it is blowing and snowing. You can let your mind run wild - imagine yourself on a lonely, desolate mountain far up in the northern reaches of some frozen exotic land. (Sounds a lot like the Bulkley Valley!)

It is here, and other places often right our own nose, that we can celebrate living in a mountain environment on an almost daily basis.

In Telkwa’s backyard is Tyee Mountain. Not a huge mountain by western Canadian standards but a mountain nonetheless, and home to the Tyee Mountain Cross Country Ski Trails, which I have maintained for the past 10 years. This winter dust off your old skis, put new laces in your boots, drag down the snowshoes from the attic and come on out for a wander. We have more than 30 kms of groomed trails.

Once you have made the trek up Hislop Road to the start of the Tyee Mountain Ski Trails, here is some route information that may help you pick a course.

Trapline West
Caution this is an active trapline and is regularly trapped. In consideration of your dogs’ safety ensure they are under your control. Difficulty Rating: intermediate — with expert sections (fast, narrow downhill sections with potential to encounter face-slapping brush.)
Distance: 6 to 7 km

Probably our most scenic trail. Can be accessed from either Km 1 (from Babine Lake Rd.) or from the Sawmill Trail.

The trail climbs quite steeply from the Sawmill Trail up a narrow road to a landing at the top of the hill. It then skirts around a hilly knob with panoramic views of the Babine Mountain Park to a steep fairly wide descent with a hard left corner at the bottom.
The trail continues dropping with some steep fast sections to the Junction with Route 66 on the left. Route 66 can be taken as a return to the Sawmill Trail.

(This trail is about a 5 km loop off the Sawmill Trail. If incorporated into a trip around McDowell Lake makes for a 15 km ski, return, from the parking lot.)

Carrying on down the hill, dropping hard into the Canyon Creek Watershed, the trail becomes narrow and fast in all but the most forgiving of snow conditions. There are switchbacks with willows and alder encroaching the trail. When laden with snow they hang over the trail and make the trip down challenging.

Advise going down for expert skiers only. A short steep access to Howson Hut (about 5 km) from Babine Lake Rd.

Beaver Swamp Trail
Difficulty Rating: easy.

Distance: Less than one kilometre.

This short trail connects the main road in with the west end of McDowell Lake. The route follows through a beaver swamp. There are a couple of beaver dams to ski over. A favorite with kids.

Clear- Cut Trail

Difficulty Rating: easy - intermediate.

Distance: 5 km.

Watch for a short, sharp drop down to the swamp at the back end of the loop when skied in a counter-clockwise direction. This is a12 km return trip from parking lot. Once you are at the cabin, there is a 5 km loop going out through open countryside (an old clear-cut). About 1 km from the cabin on this trail is the Soby Loop junction.

This trail provides rolling terrain with great transitions for those seeking a workout. Access to the Trapline East.

Route 66
Difficulty Rating: Intermediate with expert sections

Distance: 2 km

On this trail there is a spectacular viewpoint overlooking Babine Mountain Park (it's worth being here at sunset.) This is a connector trail between Sawmill and Trapline West trails, leaving the Sawmill Trail about 1 km from McDowell Lake. It runs along an open hillside with some chutes that offer potential for short telemark runs. It is also a good area to snowshoe

The trail drops down a short steep section (difficult) through an old clear cut to the Trapline West Trail.

Trip options: A 5 km loop off the Sawmill Trail, access McDowell Lake from Babine Lake Rd. There is a short cut back to the parking lot from the Trapline Trails.

Sawmill Trail
Difficulty Rating: easy - intermediate.

Distance: 2 km

This trail connects the main access trail with McDowell Lake. A narrow, single track with overhanging trees gives the impression you are skiing through a tunnel. Very scenic approach to the lake. Use this trail to access Trapline West, Route 66 and McDowell Lake.

For a pleasant 9-10 km trip ski in to Howson Hut via the road, drop down to the lake and ski the far side and out via Sawmill to the road and back to the parking lot.

Soby Loop
Difficulty Rating: easy - intermediate.

Distance: 11/2-2 km.

The track goes through open poplar, willow moose winter range. Lake views. The trail connects the road in with the Clear-cut Trail and the back of the cabins. It is easiest to take this trail in, as it climbs a few hundred feet.

When descending, there is one very short steep section dropping off a bank down to a road that is often the scene of many sitzmarks. (never mine of course!)

Trapline East
Caution this is an active trapline and is regularly trapped. In consideration of your dogs' safety ensure they are under your control.

Difficulty: intermediate - expert.

Distance: 8 km.

This marvelous trail drops almost 800 feet from the Clear- Cut trail down to .11 Km on Babine Lake Road. There is a 1 km section which you must watch out for - it is steep and straight down. In certain conditions it is very fast.. After a fresh snowfall it is still fast but a skier able to hold a snowplow position should be able to maintain control.

After the steep section there is about 4 to 5 kms of double poling and easy striding to the Babine Lake Rd. At Km 1 (from the Babine Lake Rd) is the junction with the Trapline West. Trail.

For a good long ski (about 18 km), ski the Hislop Rd parking lot to Clear-cut, to Trapline East, back up Trapline West, to the Sawmill Trail, and back to the parking lot

Hislop Rd to Babine Lake Rd is about 13 km. Check out Banner Mountain Lodge where the trail meets Babine Lake Rd.

When you stop and think about it there are really only 12 quality ski weekends over the winter: two to three in December, four each in both January and February, and a couple in March. Take time to enjoy the winter mountains!

(Tony Harris lives in Telkwa. For more information call him at 846-5551.)