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Great trans provincial riding! That’s We didn’t know what to expect. the promise for snowmobilers following Several of the initial sections of the TCST the Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail trail from Cold Lake to Meadow Lake (TCST) across the Saskatchewan-Alberta were newly developed, with many ice dividing line. With 2,000 kilometres of crossings. Much of the trail travels Crossing this cross-country route, snowmobilers through sparsely populated areas. Crossing can tour back and forth between Alberta’s (Saskatchewan’s population totals about Golden Triangle and Saskatchewan’s 1 million, much of it concentrated far- Duck Mountain Provincial Park on the ther south.) We were riding without Manitoba boundary. guides and had questions about finding Several weeks prior to the opening cer- our own way, grooming quality, and the SaskatchewanSaskatchewan emony for the link up, Don Webb and I availability of fuel. We would be out of launched eastbound from Cold Lake, cell phone service about half the time. It TRANS-PROVINCIAL TRAILS Alberta on a 1,300-kilometre ride. It was January and we were dressed for the would end five days later at , prairie deep freeze that had gripped the THROUGH THE FOREST FRINGE. Saskatchewan. The previous winter, Don area before our arrival. and I had snowmobiled the Alberta por- tion of the TCST and now we wanted to Lady Luck smiled on us from the outset. check out what Saskatchewan had to During our ride, we experienced unusu- offer… ally balmy temperatures and fair skies.

232 C a n a d a ’ s B e s t S N O W M O B I L I N G YOUR ULTIMATE RIDE GUIDE C a n a d a ’ s B e s t S N O W M O B I L I N G 233 The frequency of signs with trail numbers, as well as field and ice stakes, was adequate for local riders, but visitors like us could have used more.

On several days, we even rode with our Successful snowmobile tours rely on and an “A” at the end, we knew we were jackets open, wishing for a cooler breeze accurate maps. The Saskatchewan on track, even though the centre three and hoping that a meltdown wasn’t Snowmobile Association (SSA) produces digits changed continually as we passed imminent. It didn’t happen. In fact, the a good one, which shows the TCST as a from one club’s jurisdiction to another. week after we returned home, the mer- green line crossing Saskatchewan. But as every rider knows, what’s evident cury plunged below – 25 degrees Celsius Pictured running horizontally just north on a map isn’t necessarily as obvious on again as Old Man Winter returned to of Prince Albert for its western half, this the snow… Saskatchewan for the duration. green line turns south at Hudson Bay The frequency of signs with trail num- Known locally as the “Forest Fringe”, (the town, not the water body). East of bers, as well as field and ice stakes, was this north-central Saskatchewan region is Yorkton, it links to Manitoba at Duck adequate for local riders, but visitors like home to the Forest Fringe Snowmobile Mountain Provincial Park. For more us could have used more. At several Association. It’s an amalgamation of detail, I also downloaded the necessary intersections, we found our way by fol- community-based snowmobile clubs who club maps from the SSA website. lowing the freshly groomed trail or other maintain much of the TSCT we explored Our first lesson was their numbering sled tracks. For the most part, stakes on this tour. (Note: many of these trails used system. For example, the SSA provincial weren’t close enough together for good to be known as Route 66 – see “Get Your Kicks map showed “TC109A” as the trail desig- nighttime or storm visibility— especially On Route 66” article.) Contrary to some nation on the Saskatchewan side of the if the trail was already obliterated by perceptions of Saskatchewan, this region Alberta boundary. We learned that “TC” snow. Even without bad weather, we got is not all prairies; mostly, it boasts a vast stands for “Trans Canadian Snowmobile turned around a couple of times, where wilderness of forests and lakes, which Trail”; “109” is the number of the local more markings would have helped. make for interesting and scenic riding. club responsible for this section of trail; Fortunately, we were never lost thanks to Best of all, its northerly location blesses “A” designates it as a primary east-west the good trail maps, a provincial road the Forest Fringe with the longest snow- route. So as long as we followed signs map and my trusty compass. However, mobiling season in the province. with a “TC” at the front of the number even these tools didn’t help near the

234 C a n a d a ’ s B e s t S N O W M O B I L I N G YOUR ULTIMATE RIDE GUIDE C a n a d a ’ s B e s t S N O W M O B I L I N G 235 ing in any locale where wildlife species Cold Lake were so prevalent. I’m not talking about Dorintosh a couple of isolated wildlife areas or a few Meadow Lake scattered sightings. Each day teemed with critters like deer, moose, elk, wood- Chitek Lake land caribou, wolves, and rabbits. It was Candle Lake like riding through a zoo! This surprising Nipawin abundance of fauna made for great Prince Albert sightseeing, but required extra vigilance Carrot River while navigating the trails. Hudson Bay Another surprise was the amount of ice travel, until I remembered that some- thing like 40% of Saskatchewan’s area is some kind of waterway. The ice riding started on Cold Lake (the lake, not the town), where we snowmobiled 17 kilo- metres across the staked, frozen surface Yorkton before finally hitting a land trail! I was also pleasantly surprised to find comparatively little ditch riding, an activ- ity all too familiar to most prairie riders. Our Tour Itinerary (1,300 km) Whenever we rode beside a road, it was on a groomed trail such as from Dorintosh to Meadow Lake, beside Note: Follow the Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail (green line on SSA Provincial Map) all the way. Highway 4, and between Hudson Bay town of Carrot River… DAY ONE: travel day and Preeceville, along Highway 9. We encountered a total lack of signage Where We Stayed: Harbour Inn Bed & Breakfast, Cold Lake, AB; (708) 639-2337 or for a 100-kilometre stretch extending cantravel.ca/harbour.html The Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail southeast from Highway 55, on either through Saskatchewan offers a wide vari- DAY TWO: (7 hrs, 274 km) Cold Lake to Chitek Lake, SK side of that community. On an earlier ety of picturesque landscapes. Its mix of tour I needed guides to get through this Where We Stayed: Little Pine Lodge, Chiket Lake, (306) 984-2332 or www.littlepinelodge.com flat farmlands, hilly forests, and plen- section of eastern Saskatchewan. More DAY THREE: (8 1/2 hrs, 281 km.) Chitek Lake to Candle Lake teous lakes make crossing Saskatchewan wary this time, I arranged two knowl- Where We Stayed: Ship’s Lantern Resort Hotel & Cabins, Candle Lake, 1-888-737-6786, (306) a tour worth doing. Factoring in the edgeable guides, Dwight Theson and 929-4555 or www.shipslanternresort.com additional possibilities of extending the John Hamm, to get us through. (Update: ride into Alberta, snowmobilers can rack DAY FOUR: (7 1/2 hrs, 318 km.) Candle Lake to Nipiwan the SSA office reports that a local club has up some really serious kilometres — and Where We Stayed: Northern Green Resort, 1-866-862-2686 or www.northerngreens.sk.ca rerouted this section of trail to solve this don’t forget that the TCST also contin- problem.) DAY FIVE: (6 1/2 hrs, 224 km.) Nipiwan to Hudson Bay ues into Manitoba! Where We Stayed: Treeline Motel, Hudson Bay, (306) 865-2228 or If Don and I, as visitors to this “land of Fuel was available whenever we needed www.townofhudsonbay.com/business/business_6.html living skies”, were able to complete our it. The SSA trail map also showed its DAY SIX: (7 hrs, 216 km.) Hudson Bay to Yorkton tour as planned, other riders should availability with yellow “gas pump” icons. have no problem either. The promise of Where We Stayed: Comfort Inn, Yorkton, 1-800-4-CHOICE, (306) 783-0333 or This information proved to be valuable the Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail is www.choicehotels.ca once we realized that there weren’t many certainly being fulfilled Saskatchewan. ● signs on the trail for fuel, lodging and food. The TCST goes from one commu- found one gas station closed until 1 PM Another important lesson: many rural Who To Contact nity to another, thanks to good trail plan- and the other operating 24 hours, but gas stations (everywhere in ) are Our hats are off to the clubs and volun- Lake; the Québec-style trails between ning by the SSA and its clubs, but we under a card lock system. I trudged into closed Sunday morning, so plan accord- teers grooming the TCST in Christopher Lake and Candle Lake; the Saskatchewan Tourism, 1-877-237-2273, often had to search for the gas station the local restaurant to inquire about fuel. ingly! Saskatchewan. It’s a massive undertak- top notch riding from Candle Lake to (306) 787-9600 or after arriving at a town. That was okay, Many residents were enjoying Sunday The SSA map also identified the loca- ing. With few exceptions, the trail was the southern end of Narrow Hills www.sasktourism.com except for our first fill-up… brunch and one asked if I had cash. tions of about 27 TCST trailside warm-up smooth and flat, which made for very Provincial Park; the trail through We had launched from Cold Lake Receiving my affirmative reply, he led us shelters with a yellow star. Although we pleasurable riding and making good Hudson Bay; and the one leading south Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, early on a Sunday and arrived in the to the card lock station. There, we filled mostly stopped in towns, it was comfort- time too. into Yorkton. 1-800-499-7533, (306) 729-3500 or small farming community of up using his card and reimbursed this ing to know that these club-maintained Among my favourite stretches were As on my previous visit to www.sasksnowmobiling.sk.ca about 11 AM. Much to our dismay, we Good Samaritan with our money. facilities were available if needed. the pipeline from Meadow lake to Chitek Saskatchewan, I can’t recall snowmobil-

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