powderface trail ??

[heikki]

Went out to mclean creek on saturday....did about 100kms...snow was good in some places.....but lacking a quite a bit on the rocky climbs


the shared road was great and had plenty of snow.....made it to the river.....but couldnt find the way to powderface....and maybe not enough snow for that yet....

but whats the best way to get to powderface...??? is there a more direct route..??

I know elbow loop is closed til Jan....but thats further south.....

 

[foothills m8]

were did u unload. shared road? must be an oil company road.I am thinking if you made it to the river u must have went in a north direction.Or went all the way back bye quirk creek or cobble flats.

 

[heikki]

were did u unload. shared road? must be an oil company road.I am thinking if you made it to the river u must have went in a north direction.Or went all the way back bye quirk creek or cobble flats.

Unloaded at the staging area just past the store and then to the left parking lot...we followed the road a bit and took the trails that follow the road in...then you come to the husky gas plant...then follow the rough quad trail down the hill to the river....but you cant cross there ???

so we doubled back and looking on the map we needed to go further west and south.....but it looked like getting to cobble and quirk creek was quite a maze....and I left my GPS in the car I was hoping for a more direct route

there was a good few feet of powder on the road....and that was real smooth and a blast.....

 

[foothills m8]

Ya at the plant you have to go left(south) for a while Sorry don`t now all trail names.U go up throu the hills and at intercection you go right .U were just before elbow falls.We`ll i only now the area bye tree and stump lolol .When it opens up and there enought snow i take u there.Did u talk to the grader operator.

 

[Shibby!]

Ya at the plant you have to go left(south) for a while Sorry don`t now all trail names.U go up throu the hills and at intercection you go right .U were just before elbow falls.We`ll i only now the area bye tree and stump lolol .When it opens up and there enought snow i take u there.Did u talk to the grader operator.

Ian,

I think you are a bit mixed up. At least slightly off.

You turn left BEFORE the gas plant. Or, when you are heading out you turn left when the road Y's and the gravel pit is on your right. Then the road goes south, and eventuallys loops around and heads back north again to join the other road.

Either way, that road does a loop. Along that lop there is a small road that branches off to the west. (or you can take short cut in another direction slightly up/down the road depending on which direction you are coming from). Either way, branch west. You'll come to a cutline/road going directly south. Take that for a few KM's up and down hills, over a bridge, and eventually to a T interesection. Hang a right (west). That road takes you south west and eventually comes to a goofy intersection with a drainage ditch. Go west there on the main road and giver down the road (watch out for the odd speed bump/dip in the road). Keep going down there and the road will turn back an and forth a bit and cross another two bridges with you ending up in a meadow/valley. That valley has Quartz River/Ridge to your right. Following that road you will lead you out of Mclean's recreational boundary during the summer. I think snowmobiles are allowed to continue on and I believe there is a bridge that crosses the river further down.

I know Mclean pretty good during the summer, but I know it from the experience of being out there riding. It's hard to explain explain to somebody that hasn't seen it first hand. I remember land marks very well.

If google maps didn't have such poor resolution I'd show you on there.

 

[foothills m8]

i not mixed up the other guy is ...................

 

[foothills m8]

i don`t ride on the road

 

[foothills m8]

The only bridge that crosses the elbow river is at little elbow camp ground.U don`t even go to the bridge if u come from mclean. U go to it right of big elbow trail.U cross a few creeks along the way.

 

[foothills m8]

Stay on the trail.

 

[heikki]

Ya at the plant you have to go left(south) for a while Sorry don`t now all trail names.U go up throu the hills and at intercection you go right .U were just before elbow falls.We`ll i only now the area bye tree and stump lolol .When it opens up and there enought snow i take u there.Did u talk to the grader operator.

Funny you ask about the grader operator.....we came out off some cow trail and decided to take a break on the side of the road....we saw him coming from a distance.....when we moved our sleds off the road I motioned for him to stop and asked him which way he thought powerface was......and he kinda explained it a bit.....and off he went

when we got going it dawned on me.....that the snowy road was now taken down to the gravel.... it was nearing the end of the day for us and we were to tired too head back in the bush

but he was kind enough to leave a strip of powder along the side.....and we went to beat the band to catch him up and pass him.... before we headed home.....

a few more feet of snow and it will be good there though.....

 

[imdoo'n]

not to burst your bubble guys, but meclean crk is not open to sledders until jan 01/2010. you will get finded for driving on road as this is considered a legal road. you should get yourself a fluz map and read it for area closers. grader operator was being nice, forestry may not be so. you don't want to be responsible for closing an area down do you. cateract crk is open for sleds as of dec 1/09

CAN YOU CONFIRM THIS SMOKIN DAVE? hahahahaha

 

[heikki]

not to burst your bubble guys, but meclean crk is not open to sledders until jan 01/2010. you will get finded for driving on road as this is considered a legal road. you should get yourself a fluz map and read it for area closers. grader operator was being nice, forestry may not be so. you don't want to be responsible for closing an area down do you. cateract crk is open for sleds as of dec 1/09

CAN YOU CONFIRM THIS SMOKIN DAVE? hahahahaha

OH NO...lets not start this again ha ha ha.....

where did you get your info ????



elbow loop is closed till jan 1

mclean creek is open dec 1st.... I called and checked before I left the house last saturday.....the ranger was friendly and informative...and every road we traveled said shared access and signs were posted every 100 yds or so showing a sled and or OHV pictured and a reminder of the responsibility while traveling on this road......shared use....

roads in the map in red color is a different story......




check here


here is your FLUZ map

 

[Masterquadman]

Here is the link for the fluz maps that I havebeen using

You can access the area from Sibbald and travel down the powderface trail from the north.
To access from Maclean you need to go west from the staging area on the road. Keep going west until the gas plant then south. There is a road that you ride on and off for a while then the road heads west at the south end of Maclean. Keep going west then you come to the river where you can go north to meet up with powderface. However, this is a long trip that can easily take all day unless you go about 60mph. Not sure if you can unload at the gate at the falls on hiway 66. It does not look like you can. I have been to Sibald in the summer and the access is off #1 hwy. This trail is open Dec 1.

 

[heikki]

Here is the link for the fluz maps that I havebeen using

You can access the area from Sibbald and travel down the powderface trail from the north.
To access from Maclean you need to go west from the staging area on the road. Keep going west until the gas plant then south. There is a road that you ride on and off for a while then the road heads west at the south end of Maclean. Keep going west then you come to the river where you can go north to meet up with powderface. However, this is a long trip that can easily take all day unless you go about 60mph. Not sure if you can unload at the gate at the falls on hiway 66. It does not look like you can. I have been to Sibald in the summer and the access is off #1 hwy. This trail is open Dec 1.

Thanks for the info...yes it was 4 pm when we gave up at the loop road

Not enough snow to stage at sibbald ??and venture to powderface from that side.....though I will definitely do that when the time comes

I asked the ranger if staging at the closed gate at the falls was ok...he said noway jose....

Its funny...I ride at mclean every weekend in the summer...but always on the fisher creek side......sometimes to the river....but most on that side eludes me....particularly with snow cover

but mclean is only 50k from my door....

 

[foothills m8]

Funny you ask about the grader operator.....we came out off some cow trail and decided to take a break on the side of the road....we saw him coming from a distance.....when we moved our sleds off the road I motioned for him to stop and asked him which way he thought powerface was......and he kinda explained it a bit.....and off he went

when we got going it dawned on me.....that the snowy road was now taken down to the gravel.... it was nearing the end of the day for us and we were to tired too head back in the bush

but he was kind enough to leave a strip of powder along the side.....and we went to beat the band to catch him up and pass him.... before we headed home.....

a few more feet of snow and it will be good there though.....

Ya i now the grader operator i was talking to him he told me u stoped him.LOLO

 

[imdoo'n]

Here is the link for the fluz maps that I havebeen using

You can access the area from Sibbald and travel down the powderface trail from the north.
To access from Maclean you need to go west from the staging area on the road. Keep going west until the gas plant then south. There is a road that you ride on and off for a while then the road heads west at the south end of Maclean. Keep going west then you come to the river where you can go north to meet up with powderface. However, this is a long trip that can easily take all day unless you go about 60mph. Not sure if you can unload at the gate at the falls on hiway 66. It does not look like you can. I have been to Sibald in the summer and the access is off #1 hwy. This trail is open Dec 1.

you need to read a little more of the fluz map, macean crk is not open to sleds until jan 1, you are reading for quadshttp://srd.alberta.ca/RecreationPublicUse/RecreationOnPublicLand/ForestLandUseZones/Default.aspx#externalInfo

 

[cedric]

you need to read a little more of the fluz map, macean crk is not open to sleds until jan 1

I think you are incorrect. It is written very clearly on this trail report:

 

[heikki]

you need to read a little more of the fluz map, macean crk is not open to sleds until jan 1, you are reading for quadshttp://srd.alberta.ca/RecreationPublicUse/RecreationOnPublicLand/ForestLandUseZones/Default.aspx#externalInfo

this report was updated yesterday...scroll to the bottom and read it in bold black print

open DEC 1...Like I said before..I talked on the phone with the ranger and he told me exactly where to stage and where to sled...






some vid stuff too.....dont laugh it was my second attempt at sledding...and I am on a SNO X sled....bear with me lol

http://s861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/cafehusky/?action=view&current=dec202.flv

http://s861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/cafehusky/?action=view&current=dec201.flv

http://s861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/cafehusky/?action=view&current=MCsnow1.flv

http://s861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/cafehusky/?action=view&current=mcsnow2.flv

 

[foothills m8]

Good vid on #1 could`nt down load #2 what kind of helumet cam u have, keep packing that snow.do u carry a saw with you them little trees across trail if we all move them off it makes for better sleddding.Good on ya keep riding.

 

[imdoo'n]

Good vid on #1 could`nt down load #2 what kind of helumet cam u have, keep packing that snow.do u carry a saw with you them little trees across trail if we all move them off it makes for better sleddding.Good on ya keep riding.

thanx, going off latest fluz map which had jan 1 as open date, also called main office and given same date. good to go.