Thunder Meadows Non Motorized Snowmobiling

[binski]

Thunder Meadows location of the Elk Valley Ski Touring Assoc Cabin near Island lake has been identified in the Southern Rockies Land management Plan as an area for non-motorized users. This is an agreement that was negotiated with input from many groups including the Snow mobile clubs. Unfortunately not everyone follows this agreement. There have been sleds in Thunder Meadows and Polaris Bowl the last three weekends. This does not leave much for the ski touring groups that are using this small piece of back country that is meant for non-motorized users. Snow mobiles have the ability to travel over large areas very quickly. Ski tourers do not. Snowmobile tracks ruin the skiing quality for long periods of time. Much of the surrounding area is wide open to snowmobiles. Thunder Meadows is a very small area and has a cabin built by ski tourers for ski tourers. Please write to your MLA and ask them to continue to work with local user groups and create land use policy that incorporates places that are saved for the use of non motorized skiing.

[gavitron]

Maybe we need to change the name of "Polaris Bowl"? Just sayin. I agree, lets share the back country.

[rednck]

One might ask the question why the sledders are ignoring the recreational user plan and riding in non-motorized skier turf?

An agreement between sledders and Island Lake Lodge that included staying out of Snow Much Fun’s (Powder Cowboy) terrain in exchange for grooming Mt McDermott road was put in place some years ago. The past and much respected manager of ILL brokered the deal in everyone‚Äôs interest.

This year the present manager of ILL has abandoned the agreement.

Unfortunately the sledders are severely compromising the Thunder Meadows cabin ski touring terrain located between ILL’s two snow cat operations.

Hopefully past agreements will be respected and everyone returns to abiding by the recreational user plan and the usual state of bliss.

[gavitron]

This is a copy of "Sledder1"’s reply from another forum:

I would like to reply to the post regarding Trespassers. I was one of the sledders of which you write. Yes i am one of an original group of four that found a route into that area about twenty years ago. I have been to many many other areas that sledders generally do not go to as well. We go to those areas for the same reason that you do not stay on the ski hill. However we have not been in that area for about five years. I was also on the original "negotiating" team that helped designate Tunnel Creek, and Fairy Creek as not open until after March 15. I / WE WERE NOT AWARE THIS AREA WAS INCLUDED IN THAT DESIGNATION. If we were we would not have been there. We were there the weekend before as well and went right to the top of Polar Peek when the freestyle comp. was on. We certainly would not have done that if we knew it was closed. And we did not do any damage other than putting some tracks in the snow. One snow fall = tracks gone. As to the particular day in question your statements are very skewed. I do not believe you heard sleds for two hours because we were where you met us for at least two hours. We were not "hiding". It was so foggy and dangerous that we went into the trees and built a fire to cook sausage etc. for lunch. We were there a good two hours. At least one hour before you came out of the fog above we heard your group. You did not see us. We walked out of the trees to see you. One of the girls from your group saw us and told you. You and a couple of others ridiculed her and asked her if she were on crack etc… She pointed us out several times and I finally called out … then you saw us. Also from your conversation you did not really know where you were going "I think that is Easy Street etc." were some of the comments. When you and the group skied down to us you were immediately rude apon seeing the sleds. I told you i had a map and said lets look at it to see if it is open or not. I had picked up a map in the morning (SRMMP) but at 1:150,000 I misstook where the closure line was. I wanted to look at the map with you but you were rude and said no… you then skied about 20m away and were rude, and swore at us etc. before strting to leave. Yes i then asked for your camera etc and was mad as well. I want to say one other thing as well. THE REST OF YOUR GROUP WAS NOT RUDE, THEY WERE CORDIAL AND UNDERSTANDING, very polite as a matter of fact. I offered for your group to use our fire. I told you the exact route to take to get to the Thunder Meadows cabin in very thick dense fog. You led your group from the ski hill into an "out of bounds" area in very dangerous foggy avy conditions. Had there been an incident none of you would have been rescued, except if we could have known or helped. Ask any of the other members of your group about what i have said above. It is all true. If you had not been so confrontational this would not have gotten out of hand. I want to say one other thing to the backcountry skiers… This was a misunderstanding … I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE AREA FOR YEARS AND TRULY THOUGHT IT WAS STILL OPEN. IT WAS NOT. WE WERE IN THE WRONG TO BE THERE AND WILL NOT RETURN UNTIL WELL AFTER IT IS OPEN. I ALSO SINCERELY APOLOGIZE TO THE TWO GROUPS OF SKIERS WE ENCOUNTERED OVER TWO WEEKENDS. I realize we are all back country users and should work together. Again we were wrong to be there when we were and apologize.

[skuijt]

Hello Rednck

Certainly an interesting view of how Island Lake Lodge and Powder Cowboy are to blame for Thunder Meadows getting trashed.

As manager of Island Lake I find your comments particularly interesting. You are correct that Powder Cowboy has either paid to groom McDermott Creek or has used their snowcat to groom access into it in the past. I think it was 2 years ago when the Fernie snowmobile club bought a cat of their own and we simply donated the $ to the club to groom McDermott. Now that it has been brought to my attention I will check with the manager of Powder Cowboy and the Fernie Snowmobile club to see where it is at and to see if the ball has been dropped. Next time a phone call to our office might work quicker than leaving it on a blog site and waiting for somebody to call me to let me know.

If you have any questions please call or send me a note.

Steve Kuijt – Manager
Island Lake Lodge
P: 250 423 3700 ext 3010
http://www.islandlakeresorts.com
steve@islandlakeresorts.com

[rednck]

Fernie riders have had much discussion on working on an alternate route into Easy Street so local riders are not totally dependent on Island Lake for access.

The limited access is not in local riders best interest, rather a result of Island Lake policy towards riders and locals in general.

The "holier than thou" attitude has gotta be shelved!

[skuijt]

I was told by the snowmobile club today that the grooming for McDermott Creek has been paid for by Powder Cowboy but timing to get it done with club volunteers has taken a while. The club does good work but its often hard with good but limited volunteers available. I’m not sure what you mean by “Island Lake policy towards riders and locals in general” but again if you would like to discuss it, I am available.

Steve Kuijt – Manager
Island Lake Resort Group
P: 250 423 3700 ext 3010
http://www.islandlakeresorts.com
steve@islandlakeresorts.com

[rednck]

The locked gate spring and fall with no snowmobiling/hunting/biking signs speak volumes.

Be real.

[greg]

Rednck,

It would be much appreciated if you had your facts straight before publicly putting words in the mouths of others (organizations). As an active member of the Fernie Snowmobile Association I know for a FACT that we are not pursuing an alternative access (or any access) to Thunder Meadows. Their is a land use agreement in place that gives the ski tourers their cabin and a place to enjoy without motorized access in the area.

Please respect closures to this and other areas and hopefully we will maintain what rights we do have in the future.

Greg

*EDIT* Rednck I noticed you edited your post and changed the Fernie Snowmobile club to local riders. Thanks for not associating FSA with this idea.

[t apex outlaw]

,thunder meadows, from my understanding was juast a agreement, with fernie snowmobile club to stay out during jan thru march 15, jaffray snowmobilers has no part of fernie snowmobile club, also anybody can ride tunnel creek, its open to everybody, we have powder cowboys claiming little sand, then we have some nortic club with a half a dozen skiers claiming thunder meadows. and tunnel creek, witch is the back side of mc dermot. a few years ago the alpine club figured, they should build a cabin up first peak, heck proubaly should try to claim that to, but the new cabin, caught on fire !!! . were all taxpayers we can all share the mountain,s , also mcdermot never got groumed this year at all, and last year, it got done once, and thats because a local donated his lowbed to powder cowboys, lets face it its been a low snow year and everyone wants there dose of fresh powder !!

[Author]

Posts