JZ1
Active VIP Member
Everything around etherington, raspberry, fallers,etc is very bumpy, it's like riding through moguls
Cataract creek snowmobile area offical thread 2015/16
- Thread starter Kaz Dog
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #222
Thanks, JZ1!
Glen and I will be grooming all we can on Monday. Sorry it did not happen for this weekend, but we are hopeful that, with the cold temperatures and little to no sleds following us, the trail will freeze well and stay a while.
On another note, the CSC has received just shy of 900 trail signs, that we will be deploying over the next while. We do not think this is enough to do what is necessary for the whole system, but it is a start.
Have a great day all.
Glen and I will be grooming all we can on Monday. Sorry it did not happen for this weekend, but we are hopeful that, with the cold temperatures and little to no sleds following us, the trail will freeze well and stay a while.
On another note, the CSC has received just shy of 900 trail signs, that we will be deploying over the next while. We do not think this is enough to do what is necessary for the whole system, but it is a start.
Have a great day all.
- Thread starter
- #223
JZ1, if you think the conditions currently are "like riding through moguls", you must not be very familiar as to how bad it has been over the past 10+ years, since the government groomer left.......LOL.
You are correct that Raspberry Pass Trail (lower) is in rough shape, the first thing we will groom tomorrow upon leaving Etherington trailhead. Of note I found today was Cataract Creek, Fallers, and Baril Loop Trails, all in poor shape and need of improvement/grooming. All of these trails have not been groomed for three weeks - with Cataract Creek Trail near the parking lot not groomed yet - and we will correct that tomorrow.
I will post a map tomorrow night of what we were able to groom during the day there.
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walsh6969
New member
Just wondering where the best place to unloads sleds are never rode here before and can you leave the groomed trail and play around In the pow
I can help you with that.... Assuming you know how to get to the area the area has two parking lots. First one is Etherington see here.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.3305827,-114.6248957,2075m/data=!3m1!1e3
The next one is Cataract
https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.2818209,-114.5915049,516m/data=!3m1!1e3
Pretty easy to find. Head West on Hwy 40 till the road is blocked, take a left. If you miss the Etherington turn off (It's on the bottom of a hill) you will end up in the Cataract lot. Normally there is a gate closing the road at this lot but with all the active logging the road is probably open past it. DO NOT go any farther past the Cataract parking lot.
Technically you are not allowed off the trails but south of the trail area people are know to venture into cut blocks when there is enough snow. Snow is pretty skinny right now so I would not personally go looking off any trail.
You need to know that you are not allowed in the Don Getty wild life park area. See here...
http://www.spraylakesawmills.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/FMA_map.pdf
If you look south of the Cataract area (to the lower left of the C in Cataract) it appears to almost be a spot where you can pass through the Don Getty area. We are allowed to go through the Don Getty zone to go over to the BC side form the Etherington lot. Please do not go over to that area unless you have someone that knows the area well. It is a very unforgiving area if weather blows in and Avalanche gear in that area is a must.
I see you are from Bonnyville. I'm betting you will have more than enough fun riding and exploring the trails on your first time to the area and not need to look for play areas. It's not like it's all closed in everywhere and the trails are super tight.
But as I said snow is skinny and with the logging going on in that area it's a little messed up at the moment. I'll be heading out after Christmas to check it all out. I'll be heading straight south as far as I can get as that is usually where the deeper snow is. Skyline is usually pretty fun as it can get all drifted up making it hard to get through.
Hope this helps.
JZ1
Active VIP Member
i was out yesterday. trails are rough, real rough and the meadows/cut blocks in south are tracked out. wont be going back until they get a good dump of snow
- Staff
- #228
We did work on the trails today. 8 hrs grooming. Got home at 900 PM. Cut the trees off the trails. Going back Wednesday. Trails were not that bad. Scott says he has seen them way worse. Better now. Going again on Wednesday try to get it all done best we can. We burnt 60 dollars worth of sled fuel today just to make the trails better for the families over Christmas.
RMKRookie
Active member
Thanks Scoot and Glen for all the hard work and have a great Christmas!
t-bird
Member
Thank you for all your hard work, I'm coming out from Saskatchewan where we have no snow and taking my family out over Christmas.
101110101101
Member
Puckaneer19
Active member
Kudos to Glen, Kaz and Scott for their dedication and hard work (and to all others I'm not aware of as I write). Been out twice this year, as my aching back can attest to. Having a blast. Here's hoping for some snow for Xmas!!
I took my Daughter and my Dad who hadn't been on a sled in 30 years (Sleds were much different back then). This was in 2012. We had a blast. It's a great family area and will only be better with all the grooming that is being done. A Video I made up of the day. These are the times you cherish and will never soon forget.
https://www.snowandmud.com/snowmobile-chat/73752-dad-sled-weekend-video.html
- Thread starter
- #234
A quick correction neeed here. The only way to get to the Cataract Creek Snowmobile Trails as of Dec. 1 of any year is to go south of Calgary to Longview, AB. - which is essentially directly west of High River. You leave Longview, to the west, on Hwy 541, 45 kms., until your reach "Highwood House" convenience store and gas pumps (which is closed in the winter). This is also where Hwy 541, 40, and 940 intersect. There is a closed gate in front of you, across the pavement, which is the start of Hwy 40, going north. At this intersection, you turn south (left) on to the gravel Hwy 940.
Etherington Public Recreation Area (P.R.A.) campground and parking lot is 6 kms. down the road, and it is the "north trailhead" onto the trail system. Turn here and go 1 kms. down the road to the paring lot/drop off area. (I just put a bunch of maps in the map box.)
You may choose to proceed onto Cataract Creek parking lot/unloading area, at where the road is gated. You are at the "mid-point" of the trail system here.
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- Thread starter
- #235
Looks awesome! You were there after some fresh snow, NICE!
My bad, Always assumed all that stretch was HWY 40 as even when you zoom all the way in the map doesnt tell you any different.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.5234104,-114.7988752,10.2z
https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.5234104,-114.7988752,10.2z
My parents were in town for Christmas so was very early in the season 2012. Conditions were pretty good forsure.
- Thread starter
- #238
Yes, any map/mapping system is as good as the information that it is based on..... Also, Google does not show/indicate/"know" that Highway 40 is close from December 1 - ??? (I forget, may be June, 1) of every year., between Kananaskis Valley over the Highwood Pass.
Being that Google is an American based system, I would not expect them to be perfect myself. That being said, all of the Alberta maps I have in my possession have the highway leaving Longview west as the 541.
Calg_Rider
Active VIP Member
Just a quick shout out to Scott and Glen. Great work out there guys. Its amazing the difference this grooming effort is making - lots of people commenting in the parking lots about how good the trail has been after you get a fresh pass in with the drags. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication.
- Admin
- #240
Make sure you all buy your trail passes so that these guys have the funds to continue this wonderful grooming and maintenance. $70 before Jan 1, $80 after
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