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Changes in Winter Trail Grooming and Facility Schedules

Tourism, Parks and Recreation has reduced its 2009-10 spending by $1.478 million. Our staff have been diligent and creative in finding savings while still striving to provide a great standard of service for Albertans and visitors. We will continue to assess the most efficient way possible to provide the programs and services that Albertans value.

The cross-country ski trail area at Sawmill in Kananaskis Country will not be groomed this winter. Trails in the Evan Thomas and Ribbon Creek area will be groomed as staffing and resources are available. Before arriving at this decision, our staff assessed which nearby locations can provide similar experiences. Areas that will be groomed and trackset on a regular basis include Mt. Shark, West Bragg Creek, the Canmore Nordic Centre, and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

We understand this may affect some skiers’ enjoyment this ski season and we apologize for this. The decisions were necessary as we have had to prioritize our winter trail program based on available resources.

For the full list of groomed and non-groomed cross-country trails, visit Kananaskis Country trail reports at http://tpr.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/trailreport.

There will also be reduced hours of service at the three Kananaskis Country Visitor Centres, as well as the Day Lodge at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES HOURS OF SERVICE

    Barrier Lake Visitor Information Centre Hours
    From December 17th to January 12th    
    Open Wednesdays to Mondays
    From 9:30am to 4:00pm
       
    Closed on Tuesdays    
     
    From January 13th to March 31st
    Open Mondays to Fridays
    From 9:30am to 4:00pm
    And Saturdays & Sundays
    From 9:00am to 5:00pm

    Peter Lougheed Visitor Information Centre Hours
    From December 17th to January 12th    
    Open Daily:
    From 9:30am to 4:00pm
       
         
    From January 13th to March 31st
    Open Sundays to Fridays
    From 9:30am to 4:00pm
    And Saturdays
    From 9:00am to 5:00pm

    Elbow Valley Visitor Information Centre Hours
    From November 28th to March 31st
    Open Saturdays & Sundays from 9:30am to 4:00pm

    Closed Mondays to Fridays

    (Closed on Saturday February 27th)

       

    Hours subject to change.

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Pocaterra Hut and the William Watson Lodge in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park will continue to provide heated indoor space (including washrooms) for skiers and visitors. Some winter and trail information provided by staff is available at the WW Lodge.

Canmore Nordic Centre Day Lodge hours of service
The winter hours will be very much the same as last winter, but closing earlier in the evening: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., 7 days a week (and open till 7 pm on Tuesdays starting in January, 2010). Night skiing will continue to be offered until 9 pm. every day.
Night skiers will not be able to use the Day Lodge bathrooms and showers; they will be able to use the bathrooms in the Team Room buildings.
Emergencies must be relayed via 911, as the Administration Office in the Day Lodge will be closed.

Buller Mountain Day Use area will not be open for winter use, including winter camping. The site will re-open for summer use, likely May 15th. Nearby locations that offer day use include Driftwood Day Use, Goat Creek Day Use, Burstall Pass Trailhead, Chester Lake Trailhead, and Mt. Shark Day Use. There are no vehicle-accessible winter campgrounds available elsewhere in the Spray Valley or Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, but Mt. Kidd R.V. Park in the Kananaskis Valley is available for winter camping.
Backcountry winter camping is available at Rummel Lake (an estimated 4.5 km snowshoe or X-C ski in). Parking for Rummel is about 4 km drive further south of Buller Mountain.

Sawmill Day Use Area is closed for the winter season, but is estimated to re-open around May 15th.

Sawmill X-C ski trails will not be maintained, groomed or track-set.
Although the trails here in the past were occasionally packed and sometimes groomed early in the season, there will no longer be any trail maintenance done on the Sawmill trails, nor will there be grooming or tracksetting on the Chester Lake Trail.

Nearby alternative sites for cross-country skiers include Burstall and Chester Lake Trails, which offer backcountry ski trails (non-groomed), a 5-minute drive north of Sawmill Day Use. Mt. Shark X-C Trail System offers about 16 km of groomed trails, and is located about a 20 minute drive north of Sawmill.
Visitors wanting an alternative day-use area can still visit Driftwood Day Use, Goat Creek Day Use, Burstall Pass Trailhead, Chester Lake Trailhead, and Mt. Shark Day Use.

 
 
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