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 |
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Open Wednesdays to Mondays
From 9:30am to 4:00pm |
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| Closed on Tuesdays |
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| 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 |
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Open Daily:
From 9:30am to 4:00pm |
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| 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) |
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Hours subject to change.
Top of page
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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