Grande Prairie offers sledding terrain that sets it apart from other regions. With tall mountains in some of the nearby areas, alpine snowmobiling takes on a whole new meaning. One hot spot that warrants more attention from snowmobilers is Mount Sir Alexander in the Kakwa area. This intense location is worthy of a visit from any sledder seeking dramatic natural landscapes.
“Kakwa has some of the tallest northern Rocky Mountains,” said Robert Hayward, president of the Swan City Snowmobile Club. “This area includes enormous ice fields that are exciting. Mount Sir Alexander…has had several names, such as Zipper Mouth Creek, Secret Spot, and even Fancy Sauce. This spot has had some of the best snow conditions…it’s sheltered from wind and is in the shadow of larger mountains so the snow keeps fluffy.”
The Swan City Snowmobile Club has been going strong for 36 years and maintains some of the most popular local snowmobiling zones.
“Big Mountain is 45 kilometres south on Highway 40 and has a large shelter and also a large cabin along our longest groomed trail (63 kilometres),” said Hayward. “We (also) maintain a single trail from the Kakwa staging area. It is 160 kilometres south of Grande Prairie on Forestry Road No. 666. (This trail runs for) 50 kilometres and accesses the Kakwa Provincial Park in B.C. We have (about) 360 members in our club and have been growing strong year after year.”
