It’s hard to choose just one favourite must-sled spot for the Kamsack Sno-Drifters this season. Their prime location in the Assiniboine Valley of Saskatchewan gives them a perfect mix of terrain throughout the 100 kilometres of trails. “A nice trail to drive is from Duck Mountain Provincial Park to Kamsack, then up to the Kamsack Sno-Drifters warm-up shelter,” said Dawyne Andrychuk, a veteran of the club. “It goes all the way north to Veregin, the Snow Palace and Norquay.” This stretch of trail is a family-friendly sprint between hills, over valleys, across open fields and under trees.
Riders start at Madge Lake to enjoy the views of Duck Mountain Provincial Park. The next stretch takes sleds west towards Kamsack. From Kamsack, there is the option to travel slightly south to the Kamsack Sno-Drifters’ Hide Out, or straight to Veregin in the west. Finally, the Sno-Drifters’ beloved Ice Palace shelter is a favourite pit stop just north of Veregin.
The Sno-Drifters groom their trails, but regular riders know the best spots to leave the beaten path to play: “When you’re out you can decide where you go off the trail into some treed areas,” Andrychuk said. “You can find some really nice places to go through.” The first stretch of this trail has lots of open areas to explore. “The trail from Madge Lake to Kamsack—some of that trail goes through the Duck Mountain Provincial Park,” he said. “It’s flat and rolling terrain. It’s wide open across farmers’ fields.” Between Veregin and the Ice Palace, the terrain transforms into hills—another club favourite.
The Sno-Drifters Annual Poker Rally
The club’s annual poker rally is hosted out of Veregin in March of every year. “The tentative date is Saturday, March 11, snow permitting,” said Andrychuk. The rally runs 50 kilometres, with the start line set up at Madge Lake. Participants register the morning of the event. Five dollars buys one hand, but $20 buys seven. The whole day is an easy fun run for local riders near the end of the snowmobiling season.
The complete details are not set in stone yet, but the Sno-Drifters suggest to keep an eye out for their posters closer to the event.
