Quick—how many lakes does Manitoba have? The answer is more than 100,000—and what better way to see some of them than on a sled?
The Pas has Rocky and Root lakes
The Kelsey Trail Sno-Riders maintain the network of trails around snowmobiling-friendly The Pas in northwestern Manitoba. Regular grooming ensures that, as long as the snow hits and sticks, riding is always good.
With a plethora of lakes and riverbeds to ride along, sledders are never at a loss for scenery. One of the most popular rides is the No. 12 Trail that heads northwest along the bottom half of Rocky Lake. At Slippery Corner, turn east on Atik Trail and grab some lunch in Wanless before completing the loop down the west side of Root Lake on Loppit Trail. The locals are particularly fond of the Root Lake warm-up shelter, which offers frozen wetland views that, even in sub-zero temperatures, still warm the heart.
For sledders coming in from the cold, many restaurants along the way welcome snowmobilers. Most of the trails around The Pas are accessible from town.
Snow Lake—the clue is in the name
Snow Lake is the hub between The Pas, Thompson and Flin Flon. Sledding aficionados from the Snow Lake Sno-Drifters will be grooming the distance between Snow Lake and Thompson this year—this trek will be a day’s ride at most. The club maintains 225 kilometres of snowmobiling routes—impressive for a village with only a few hundred residents.
Snow Lake is a boondocker’s paradise. There is scads of untouched powder in the area and the trails heading towards nearby lakes are pleasantly twisty.
Snow Lake is a sled-friendly community, with a number of trails leaving directly from within the town.
When on the Sno-Drifters’ trails, pay close attention to any signage and watch for sharp turns.
