Trail History -

Trail History

Kitimat-Terrace/Thornhill and area, BC, Canada

Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club (SVNSC)

Please Note-
This is not an “Official” Web Site
for the SVNS Club.
See External links below
for the Official Club Web Pages.
My pages are the Past History of the Club.

Table of Contents Button top right
Scroll through the list to see all the choices

Onion Lake Trail History

Trail Map Signs in the Lodge Jan 2022
May 1989 -The Club signed an agreement with the BC Forest Ministry to construct 20km of trails. The club was responsible for the main construction, improvements and maintenance while the ministry made the regulations on trail use. More than 2/3rds utilized existing roads and trails in the area. Development included a parking lot, staging area, and a small downhill area.
A proposed crossing of Clearwater Creek and a biathalon portion did not go ahead due to concerns from the Provincial Environment Ministry and Federal Fisheries.
Trappers wanted compensation for lost revenue but were not granted anything.

2020- The club advertises 35km of groomed Classic and Skate Trails, open 24 hours a day during the ski season. Check facebook for times open and closed and access problems.
We get snow, and roads and parking lots might not get plowed for days. Be patient.

New Skier?

Go to Day Pass area, remember you need Cash of Cheque,
Buy your Day Pass, stamp your pass, then deposit money in envelope in slot in pipe
Put your pass on outside of your coat, to be checked by volunteers on the trail

Then make your way to rental shop on left

Rental Shop Access

Then check entrance map here, to see where you are going

Main Trail Map, Note- Snowshoe Trail not shown, also some safety barrels are not shown.
Check web page maps for up to date maps, see EXT Links below
Note I have added some on my maps below

ca Nov 24, 2004- 5km of Trail Lights were added
This project cost approx. $180,000.00 with most of the funding from the Federal-Provincial Infrastructure Grant Program, Community Groups, Companies and Local Government.
2019-2020 season, LED lights are starting to replace the original trail lights, to conserve power.
Dan Nieckarz from Complete Electric Inc. has been doing this work.
This changing of the lights continued in the fall of 2020.
System is manually operated by a large timed red button by the day pass station.
Beaver and Snowbound are the 2 lit trails
Wear a headlamp at all times at night, as the lights could go out at any time.
No Snowshoes or Dogs allowed!

Photo of Public Map at the Lodge Entrance from the Parking Lot
Note- No Snowshoes allowed!
Valid Date Stamped Day Pass required or Season Membership

Long Doggy- 6.3km
Short Doggy- 4.0km
Feb 6, 2008, Club added the 6.3km Dog friendly Trail, South of the Wedeene Mainline road
2019-2020 season, Lime green plastic shovels were added along the trail, to encourage skiers to clean the dog poop from the trail.
Clean up after your dog!

This is the ONLY trail out there you can run your dog(s) on during the ski season.
All other trails are off limits to dogs.

I suggest all dogs be kept on leash. Number one reason- There is wild animals in the area. Number 2- you have to be able to get your dog and yourself off the trails when the grooming machines approach. Nothing worse for the groomers than waiting for you to move your dog out of the way. It means stopping the machine and reversing, and this will leave a bump for others. Be aware of the big machine approaching, and move to the side quickly and safely as possible.

Note- This is NOT a FREE Trail! Even though it is separate from the other trails, it is a Pay for use trail. A Club Season Membership pass or Day Use Pass has to be visible to use the trail, when the ski season starts, and until it officially closes. The trail is packed and groomed, and this requires money for fuel etc.

Please note- Dogs must be leashed at your car in the parking lot, and kept on leash until the head of the dog trail, on the other side of the Wedeene Mainline.
You are expected to have total control of the dog(s) after that point, off or on leash.
This no place for vicious or non-socialized dogs, especially off leash.
Try and go in one clockwise direction only, so you are not meeting any other dogs.

Trail Map on wall inside Lodge, Jan 2022
2019-2020- This 4.7km trail was added with the work of Dean Bergstrom, Jim Thorne, and other volunteers
No snowshoes are allowed on the other trails, so this was added to encourage them to switch over to this trail, and not damage the others.
Map for this trail on the bottom of the club's official trail page, link below- Scroll down past the other maps, you can't miss it!
Entrance to this trail by the power house, go around corner of Lodge, past the outhouses, and look on the left. It is a ONE-WAY trail, lots of crossovers to get to return (highway) side exit.

Note- This is NOT a FREE Trail!. A Season Club Membership or full day use fee, covers the cost of using this trail per day during the Clubs Open Season. And of course you can ski on all the other trails for that fee. If you only want to use this one special trail, please deposit $5.00 in the special day use payment envelope behind the ticket machine, and deposit in the red pay tube at the lodge. This pays for parking lot clearing, Insurance, and grooming with the smaller snowmachines. Note- You can not ski on the other trails with only paying this lower fee.
No Dogs or skis are allowed on this trail
Your valid date stamped ticket or season membership must be shown at all times

Note this 4.7 km trail parallels Highway 37, and runs from the Power Shed to Onion Lake, and has 5 one way shortcuts that you can use to cut off the total distance.
First- Sue's Shortcut, 2nd- Liz's Lane, 3rd-Gabe's Gully, 4th- Terry's Trail, and last Cathy's Corner
It is a one way trail, go in at the power shed, exit a bit closer to the highway

Main Trails

Photo of Public Map at Lodge- Parking lot entrance

Note- NO Dogs, Snowshoes, Bikes, or recreation Snowmobiles are allowed on any of these trails.

Main Trails are marked by letters on maps- link below
Easy Trails in Green
More Difficult in Purple
Most Difficult in Red

A= Atna-.3km
B= Beaver-3.2km (Lit Trail)
C= Clearwater-4.4km
D= Devil's Elbow-Racing, Steep Hills-.7km
E= Eagle's Way-.8km
F= Fox Trot-.4km
G= Grizzly Way-Connector Trail-.2km
H= Hardscrabble-Steep Hill-.1km
I= Icy Way-Steep Hill-.2km
J= Juniper-Connector Trail-.3km
J2= Jackrabbit-1.2km
K= Kitlope Crossing-Shortcut-.4km
L= Lone Wolf-1.6km
M= Moose Highway-13.2km
O= Onion-.2km
P= (Future)
R= Rainbow-.6km
S= Snowbound-.3km (Lit Trail)
T= Troll-Children's trail- .7km
U= (Future)
V= (Future)
X= (Future)
Y= (Future)
Z= (Future)

New double booth system added Nov 2021
Ticket machine located between the 2 booths to be shared.
Tickets and wickets just right of the machine
Trail light 2 hour timer button below the machine

Allied Time USA AT3000 machine

Ticket machine installed ca2018
Insert your day pass in this Ticket machine to stamp date and time on it.
If the display is blank, or printing poor, and needs new ribbon, contact an executive member to have it repaired.
Do not tough the printing until it fully dries or it will smudge.
Tickets can only be stamped once. It is on the honour system!!!

Please Note- a Season Membership Pass or Valid Paid Day Pass (stamped with the current time/date at the day pass booth) must be visibly worn on all the trails shown above. Ticket Checkers/Groomers patrol the trails and you could be checked at any time. As soon as the parking lot gates are opened, and opening date announced on the main club web site, the passes must be shown.
Official Day Pass Prices Page, Not my site Note Season Membership info further down this page
Official Season Membership Page, not my site

Safety on the Trails
As of the 2019-2020 Season, there are Blue Safety Barrels located on some of the trails, shown on maps that can be downloaded on the official club web site, see link below. First aid equipment is placed in them, and other strategic places. Accidents happen in any sport. If you are sking out there, ask where the equipment is located so you can find it in an emergency.
Always ski with a buddy! Tell somebody where you are going and expected to return.
Note- There is cell phone service in most of the area, except in the lodge, or rental shed, due to the metal roofs and siding. Call 911 for any emergency. Do not try to move the injured person. Go to the nearest safety barrel and get equipment required to make them comfortable. Wait for proper trained personnel to help them. This can take 2 hours or more.

Note- This whole area is a working Community Forest Area. As well the area has an active trapline. When they first moved into this area, the trapline was a big obstacle to have skiers here, and over the years, they have learned to work in harmony. DO NOT disturb any traps found. Do not cut any trees unless part of an authorized maintenance crew. No vehicles, bikes, or recreational snowmobiles allowed on the trails during the ski season
NO Dogs or Snowshoes allowed on the Main Trails- Use the special trails designed for Dogs and Snowshoes only