Powder Cowboy

snoflake

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Whatever happened to this area? I read up that there was a conflict with a cat skiing operation and sledders. Is this still a sledding area? Is it closed? Am I outing a secret area and going to have hurtful words spoken to me?
 

lilduke

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I stayed in the cabin there in the alpine one may long weekend.

Sick area
 

Modman

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Whatever happened to this area? I read up that there was a conflict with a cat skiing operation and sledders. Is this still a sledding area? Is it closed? Am I outing a secret area and going to have hurtful words spoken to me?
Not really a secret but not really much to say about it either. PC's operation has been done for a number of years now, but there's some locals who sled/ski the old runs a lot (i.e. A LOT!!!!) and the trail is usually pretty trashed and really bumpy for that reason. For the small area, IMO its not worth the trail in unless you can catch it right after a big snow.
 

moyiesledhead

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Little Sand/Big Sand creek drainages behind Galloway. Island Lake Lodge bought it from Snow Much Fun years ago. Didn't keep it operating for very long after that. Three tight drainages including McDermid creek. High avalanche risk. Rough trails. Pretty heavily used by locals. Guide outfitter rents the cabin at the top of Little Sand to skiers/sledders in the winter. Good early season tree riding before most other areas have enough snow.
 
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snoflake

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Appreciate all the feedback. Just drove through yesterday and a buddy was asking about it. Been to a few popular sled ski areas and know all about the thundered trail. Don’t mind it, if the reward is good.
 

thecheyner

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Appreciate all the feedback. Just drove through yesterday and a buddy was asking about it. Been to a few popular sled ski areas and know all about the thundered trail. Don’t mind it, if the reward is good.
What is thundered trail?
 

OOC ZigZag

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Modman

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Not sure I've ever been in there unless that's part of the little sands/big sands McDermott trail network
Thunder Meadows is a hut up McDermott. Its a non-motorized zone so if you're in Thunder Meadows, you should probably re-think your decisions.
 

moyiesledhead

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Thunder Meadows is a hut up McDermott. Its a non-motorized zone so if you're in Thunder Meadows, you should probably re-think your decisions.

Not sure what they're calling Thunder Meadows, but McDermid creek drainage from Sand creek is only a vehicle access hunting closure.
 

OOC ZigZag

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Not sure what they're calling Thunder Meadows, but McDermid creek drainage from Sand creek is only a vehicle access hunting closure.
Skins skiers faces when they came outta the cabin an saw a dozen sleds hanging out for first break.🍻
 

Truebro

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Skins skiers faces when they came outta the cabin an saw a dozen sleds hanging out for first break.🍻
Great way to get adjacent areas shut down. Ministry and CO’s are not going to deal with user conflicts….not to mention it’s on the property line of Island lake lodge- which allows ski tourers to access the hut thru their privately owned land….
 

Modman

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Not sure what they're calling Thunder Meadows, but McDermid creek drainage from Sand creek is only a vehicle access hunting closure.
This has always been the problem with this area, there is too much mis-information around it. Island Lake Lodge (ILL and ILRG) and Powder Cowboy used to have a brokered land agreement with the FSA and Fernie Ski Touring Club that Thunder Meadows and the cabin were non-motorized (independent of the provincial hunting regulations closure). This has always been the case for this zone unless the FSA and the Fernie Ski Touring Club have come to a different agreement in the last few years, and its still listed as a non-motorized ski zone on the FTST website. I'm only posting this for information that I was aware of, so if there have been changes to the agreements, its fine if I'm wrong because then it means we can sled there..... :p my internet searches over the years have come up with nothing updated, so please let me know if there is confirmed information that is publicly available, as traditionally this area has been subject to a lot of anecdotal discussion on access rights.
 

pano-dude

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I use the area a couple times a year for snowboarding. Lots of other areas to ride my sled.
 
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