The Little B's Have a Baril of Fun on the Fording Pass Roller Coaster!
Trip date: Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Submitted by Little Bs
Particpants:
The Little B's and Dad
Discussion:
About a week ago Dad (Mike W) told us about Michael Kurth's Cross Country YYC post describing the Baril Creek - Fitzsimmons Creek loop just south of Highwood Junction - https://www.facebook.com/groups/562727260820378/posts/1880473392379085/ . He thought we'd like that trip.
It sounded reasonable, but after checking the map we had another idea: Fording River Pass at 2300m on the Alberta - BC border. Dad had his doubts; there might be lots of trailbreaking on the way up and no snow on the windblown summit plateau. But we convinced him to give it a try. We started off in high spirits, following Michael Kurth's track up the Baril Creek hiking trail. A few other pairs of skis had done the same in previous days, but all had turned back after only a few kilometres. We prepared ourselves for all the trailbreaking we'd soon have to do, until we saw a sign saying Alberta Parks is grooming the Fording River Pass trail all winter! But rather than doing the work themselves, Parks took a page from the Tom Sawyer fence whitewashing story, convincing other people that snowmobile-grooming ski trails is a fun activity! (photo 1)