Eagle Valley (Sicamous) 2013/14 Updates

[sicamous]

Hello Everyone, the snow is here! I have been out the last two weekends and have had some good early season riding in the Alpine Meadows, but stayed away from the steep stuff that have lots of land mines yet.

We are having some logging challenges at this time so we will try and keep you updated as things evolve.

Queest: Active logging activity to the 6k turn off(hang gliding turnoff) and there is a parking area at 6.5k. Use caution on the road at all times. I did hear the road was recently plowed above 6.5k to remove logging equipment.

Owlhead: Active logging on this road system - there is an "industrial road closure" from Monday to Friday's restricting all recreational traffic. The road is being plowed regularly. We unloaded at 17k on Nov. 11. This activity should be done by the first week of December. The loggers have extended the road NE towards the Blue Lake area. It goes to with in 1km of Cummins Lake.

Blue Lake: Active logging on this road system - there is an "industrial road closure" from Monday to Friday's restricting all recreational traffic. We unloaded at 10k on Nov. 17th and had 4 to 5 feet of snow up top.

Eagle Pass: Active logging to 4.5k. I haven't heard any reports of conditions but pretty early for accessing that area. It will be great to use the brand new cabin this winter!

If you are using active logging roads on the weekends, always be on the look out for industrial traffic and DO NOT block active roads when you leave your truck parked.

For ongoing updates, check out www.sledsicamous.com

May your A-Arms remain straight!

 

[sicamous]

The Grooming Manager told me tonight that he is hoping to Groom Queest on Wednesday (from the 6.5k parking lot) and Eagle Pass on Thursday (from 4.5k). I have talked to a few people who were out at Blue Lake on the weekend and there was a ton of new snow!!

The Snowmbile Club is planning to cut firewood for the Queest cabin this Saturday (Dec. 9th).

 

[beans]

Thanks for the update!

We are headed to the area on Friday. Excited!

 

[Alpine_Bound]

I'm heading up to Queest in the morning if anyone wants to join...

 

[smokindave]

I'm heading up to Queest in the morning if anyone wants to join...

How are conditions up there.We are heading up there on Sunday for a couple of days of riding.
Thanks

 

[bnorth]

Rode Owlshead last Sunday, pretty tracked out around the cabin found plenty of freshies further back.

 

[sicamous]

Grooming Update- dec 22

Eagle Valley Grooming Update:

- Eagle Pass: No logging at the moment, Regular Grooming to the gas drop, Parking at the main lot
- Queest: No Logging at the moment, regular Grooming, can sled from the bottom
- Owlhead: No logging at the moment, first groom on Friday, can sled from the bottom
- Blue Lake: Logging during the week but grooming and collecting on the weekends, parking at bottom to 10k depending on snow conditions, first grooming from 10k up today(Saturday)
- New Owlhead/Blue Lake conector: goes from 17k on Owlhead trail to about 22k on Blue Lake trail, not grooming.

Thanks to the crew going up to Eagle Pass this Sunday (Dec 22) who are insulating and installing stairs and stove at the new cabin. If you are up there, stop by and give them a hand.

Keep an eye on www.sledsicamous.com for the latest and greatest!

Tim at the Best Western

 

[sicamous]

Blue Lake Update

As of today (Sunday Morning, Dec 29), the loggers have gone back in and have plowed the Blue Lake road. They are enforcing their industrial road closure and no recreational traffic is permitted. You can access Blue Lake from the Owlhead parking lot and the "conecter trail" was groomed Saturday night. Parking will be tight at Owlhead on Sunday and Monday but will be much quieter after that. Enjoy the fresh snow! Keep an eye on www.sledsicamous.com for the latest and greatest.

 

[ski-doo-it]

Thank you for the update.
Headed that way the 2nd to partake in the fresh.
How about Queest ?
Eagles pass?

Thanx again

 

[sicamous]

Thank you for the update.
Headed that way the 2nd to partake in the fresh.
How about Queest ?
Eagles pass?

Queest and Eagle Pass are being groomed regularly and the new Eagle Pass cabin is now insulated and the stove is working thanks to the work of a number of club members over the past two weeks! There is currently no logging at Queest, Eagles and Owlhead.

 

[ski-doo-it]

Thank you for all the info Sicamous

Staying at the Best Western this time.

And by high recommendation eating at the Burner at least once during our stay

 

[2014xm163]

By regular grooming you mean what, once a month? LMFAO! We rode blue lake wed, thurs, friday and the trail wasn't groomed once then, three foot moguls on the trail every day! Funny though you dont seem to mind collecting our 20 bucks at the bottom and telling us " it was groomed last night!" We rode Eagles Saturday and was told the same thing as I gave up my twenty bucks, What a joke that trail had two to three foot moguls the whole 20km to the gas drop, it was impossible to sit down at any point on the trail. The ride home was even worse, your grooming is a joke just as it was last year! Funny how you can ride boulder in Revy and have a top notch trail with three time the traffic or more.

 

[sicamous]

Dec 27,28,29 and 30th are always the 4 busiest sledding days of the year. The grooming team had 3 snow cats out each night to service those busy days. However, with all the traffic and warmer weather, the trails do suffer. The dedicated team will continue to groom each night after appoximatey 75 sleds - one of the most frequent schedules in the area. Remember also, that the grooming is only part of the cost. Months of negotiating with logging companies, land owners, politicians, Workers Comp, numerous government organizations and servicing cabins plus a multitude of other activities go into making these trails available. Thanks for your comments and the team will continue to try and improve.

 

[BurtonXP]

rode eagles on Saturday. never been there before. I think I found my new favorite riding area. trail was in great shape, cabin was big and very nice. the riding was wicked, loved the burned out trees, big climbs, and it looked liked it just went on forever and ever. I will be back!

 

[sicamous]

A Few Sicamous Updates

Eagle Pass: thanks to a small group of volunteers who went up to the new cabin last week with a new Bar-B-Que (strapped to the back of an XP!) and insulated the attic. We also spent some time marking the trail from the Gas drop to the cabin in preparation to extend the groomed trail. If you are up there, please track up this route as much as able to create a base for the snowcat. We aren't sure if we will be successful as there are some steep areas.

Owlhead: Thanks to another group that went up to the Owlhead cabin on Sunday. I hear that the newly installed floor looks great and that there is enough firewood cut to heat us through the winter!! Thanks for all of your efforts - I hope you got to go for a ride in the sunshine!

Blue Lake: For now, we are still accessing the Blue Lake area from the Owlhead parking lot in Sicamous using the groomed "connector trail"

Queest: The road is cleared to 6.5k for logging during the week. I was up there Sunday and was able to drive up to 6.5 no problem. During the week there is currently an industrial closure till further notice.

For all the latest and greatest, check out www.sledsicamous.com

 

[sicamous]

Blue Lake and Eagle Pass update

Couple of Updates: The Blue Lake trail is now being groomed from the bottom parking lot in Malakwa as logging appears to be done for the season (We hope).

Eagle Pass: Thanks to Gord, Wes, Joel, Matt, Pete, Glenn and Ken, we were up there all day today (Tuesday) clearing a cat trail from the gas drop in another 2 km towards the new cabin. The next section (about 1k)is going to be a challenge but we will keep working on it!

 

[sicamous]

Eagle Pass Trail

Club Members and Snow Cats went up Eagle Pass on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday to continue working on extending the groomed trail to the new cabin. As of late Saturday afternoon, the two cats arrived for the first time at the cabin. Thanks to all those involved to help this cabin and trail project, that has been a decade in the making, come alive!

 

[sicamous]

Fresh!!

Woke up to about six inches of Fresh in Sicamous today (Wednesday). Should be lots up top!

 

[kbm]

current parking conditions?

Has anyone been out lately? I'm just wondering what the roads and parking situations are like. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you