After a sweet day skiing the Dope Creek spines, I was jonesing for more, but unfortunately Jon had Daddy duty and all his other friends were already “Evens”. (Odd numbers don’t work well for snowmobile laps). I was on my own, it was a beautiful day, and I needed to do something. So, I decided to check out the Pemberton Icecap, a large glaciated area that had long captured my imagination.
Since it was a weekend and the weather was perfect, I figured I could safely go out there, so long as I stayed close to the beaten path. The main access point is Rutherford Creek, where you will quickly be asked for $$ just as soon as you pull into the parking lot. $20. At least they groom the access road.
Once you get in the alpine, it’s pretty much a “kid in a candystore” scenario for snowmobiles. You want to carve turns for miles at a time without crossing another track? This is the place. Again, being solo I didn’t get too crazy, but it sure was fun. This is the place to learn how to ride. This was the scene at the “gas drop” pass. Miles behind me, miles in front of me, and a whole valley that looks just the same ahead of me.
These photos are mostly the same, but here they are anyway.
Tourist trap or not, I would still recommend a trip to the Pemberton Icecap if you’ve got a sled. Actually, even a tour looked fun up there. The weather report looked like I only had one more day of sunshine before a series of storms were set to roll in. I decided it was about time to head back home, but only after one more day. My trip to Pemberton was about to end on a high note- more on that later.
Other PNW/ Pemberton Reports:
Steven’s Pass
No Sleep Spines
O Face
Trandem Trees
Down Days and Thoughts on Snowmobile Skiing
Dope Creek Part 1
Pemberton Icecap
Dope Creek Part 2
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