I first corresponded with Rhea Musey a year ago when she sent in a Hot Shots photo of her husband Kirby carving up the powder in the Porcupine Forest near Hudson Bay. In her e-mail, she said the snow on that day was as good as mountain snow; when she stepped off her sled, she found herself armpit-deep in the white stuff.
“We had gone to Armit Lake, and on the way back, we had found some incredible, untouched powder,” said Rhea. “I remember thinking that I could see the smile on Kirby’s face through his helmet.”
The Museys operate a farm near the small hamlet of Danbury, which means they are central to many top snowmobiling destinations—from Kelvington and Kamsack to Endeavour, Elbow Lake and the Porcupine Forest.
“It’s amazing,” said Rhea. “They have wonderful trails, the scenery is amazing and they have a really good warm-up shack system.”
A regular excursion
Rhea said the trip to the Porcupine is an annual trek that the family makes on Kirby’s birthday, although they will travel that distance as many times as possible during the year. But the Museys don’t need a special occasion to take advantage of the trails and trail amenities—several times a week, when their three children are in school, Rhea and Kirby will often head to a warm-up shelter half an hour from their home.
“We are so fortunate in where we live,” said Rhea, adding that snowmobiling in the region is a way of life for the inhabitants and not just a hobby. “Some of the best riding in the province is right in our back yard. If it’s trail riding we feel like that day we can; if it’s untouched backcountry, we have that too.”
