Thanks to local club, the Whitecourt Trailblazers, the sledding scene in Whitecourt, Alberta, is the envy of snowmobilers from around the province. With 420 kilometres of trail to maintain and a five-days-a-week grooming schedule, the Trailblazers certainly keep busy.
“We’ve got a good combination of everything,” said Aaron Munro, vice-president with the Whitecourt Trailblazers. “We are in the foothills of the mountains, so we’ve got quite a few hills (and) I would say 95 per cent of our trails are riding through forest—so it’s quite forested, hilly terrain with lots of very scenic trails . . . We’ve really, really put a lot of effort into making those trails as scenic as physically possible. There are lots of lookouts and places to stop and things to check out.”
Riding Whitecourt
The Whitecourt club also focuses on making sure its trails have exceptional signage. Large maps are posted at each staging area along with several other locations along the trails. Maps are also available on the Whitecourt Trailblazers website and can be printed in advance or the simplified phone-friendly version can be downloaded.
Both staging areas provide warm-up shacks and three more can be found along Whitecourt’s trail system. There are also two lookouts with a third one planned for the near future. The only thing required to use these facilities is an Alberta Snowmobile Association trail pass, which must be purchased before using the trails anyway. Annual trail passes are $75 while a day pass costs $20. These can be purchased at the Garden Market IGA seven days a week and can also be found at Adrenaline Powersports, RPM Power Sports Ltd. or First Choice Truck and Car Wash.
There are two main staging areas that serve Whitecourt, both of which can be found on the map. However, daytime snowmobile use is allowed within town limits from December through March. Sledders can treat their backyard as a staging area as long as they’re taking the shortest route to the trails. More information is available at the town office or on its website.
Places to go
The Whitecourt Trailblazers club maintains part of the ever-popular 350-kilometre Golden Triangle, but there are plenty of other routes in the region that are well worth a visit. All routes are family friendly, although more advanced riders will find lots of places to play. One new route is often referred to as the Silver Triangle. It’s a full-day route that starts in town and travels west to the summit warm-up shack. The Silver Triangle then turns north along the Manweiler Trail to the Gundy warm-up shelter on the Golden Triangle before returning to town.
“The Manweiler Trail is all new,” said Munro. “It’s quite popular because it’s a good trail, but there are lots of places to jut off and play. It’s just a very nice scenic route. Lots of people are enjoying it a lot.”
Personal faves
Munro likes to ride the Goodwin Lake Lookout Loop. This follows the Goodwin Lake Trail and the Summit Trail. It’s a nice relaxed day trip, said Munro, and is also among Whitecourt’s most scenic and newest trails. The Athabasca Loop is also a great trip, although it’s a shorter ride and should be added to another trail such as the Eagle Loop to get a good day’s ride.
“The Athabasca Lookout (is also a favourite) just because it’s such a nice little trip,” said Munro. “There’s a nice little firepit there and you can have a hotdog roast and whatever. It’s nothing too crazy, just a nice casual ride.”
Whatever your riding style, Whitecourt and the Trailblazers are sure to have something worth the ride.
