Sechelt Peninsula
The Sunshine Coast's long suit is brightness, which, when combined
with winter whiteness, produces a dazzling effect. Hang onto your
ski poles! Cross-country skiing is the choice of winter recreation
pursuits. Snow often remains in the forest well into June, by which
time most visitors have wisely headed for the beaches.
The best winter recreation is near Sechelt,
where you'll find 12 miles (20 km) of well-developed cross-country
ski trails on Mount Steele in Tetrahedron Provincial Park.
The Tetrahedron Ski Club built the trails as well as the four sturdy,
12-person, first-come-first-snooze cabins that lie at a variety of
locations throughout the park. To find your way to the trailhead from
Hwy 101 in Sechelt, follow Sechelt Inlet Road for almost 6 miles (10
km) to Tuwanek. Turn right on Upland Drive, then right onto Carmel
Place to reach the Gray Creek Logging Road. Drive about 7 miles (11
km), following the ski signs affixed to trees along the way. The
road is plowed as far as a parking area in winter.
Cabins with
wood-burning stoves are located at Batchelor Lake, Edwards Lake,
McNair Lake, and near the summit of Mount Steele. All but the expert
3.8-mile (6.2-km) return trail to Mount Steele are rated as intermediate
runs. Bring your skins, as many of the approaches climb the steep-sided,
clear-cut hillsides to Gilbert and Edwards Lakes. Trails lead from
the cabin at Edwards Lake up to the Mount Steele cabin above or
down to the cabin near McNair Lake. A popular loop route runs from
the parking lot to Edwards Lake and then returns via the cabin at
Bachelor Lake.
For more information on these trails as well as to obtain a trail
map, contact the Forest Service district office in Powell River,
or stop by the Forest Service field office in Sechelt, 1975 Field
Road, to obtain a free copy of The Trails of the Lower Sunshine
Coast. Contact BC Parks for a trail map of Tetrahedron Provincial
Park, and the Tetrahedron Ski Club is another good source of information.
The club also operates a snow phone during winter months; (604)
740-3030. For experienced, avalanche-prepared skiers, there's backcountry
ski touring in the Panther Peak section of the park.
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