Pemberton Winter Backcountry Activities

Pemberton and the surrounding area offer some of the best winter backcountry activities in BC. In particular, the area north of Pemberton on the Duffey Lake Road offers incredible backcountry skiing and mountaineering opportunities. Other winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and cat skiing and boarding.

Backcountry Skiing & Snowboarding

The most popular areas for backcountry skiing around Pemberton are north on Highway 99 or commonly known as the Duffey Lake Road. Several huts are located in the area including the Wendy Thompson hut in the beautiful Marriott Basin. Keith's Hut is located in the Cerise Creek area. Incredible views of Mount Matier can be seen from the hut. Mt Matier is a popular area with mountaineers. Other alpine huts include the Brian Waddington Hut, North Creek Hut and Whitecap Alpine Lodge.

Cat Skiing & Boarding

Backcountry Snowcats offers incredible cat skiing and boarding off the Hurley Pass just north of Pemberton.  Multi-day trips are available and accommodation is provided in the backcountry lodge.  The lodge can accommodate up to 14 guests.  The lodge serves a home cooked, family style menu with much of the food sourced locally.  The terrain is varied and Backcountry Snowcats caters to all level of skiers and boarders from intermediate to advanced.

Cross-Country Skiing

Popular cross-country skiing trails in the Pemberton Area are at the Nairn Falls Campground.  The trails at Nairn Falls are maintained by volunteers at the Spud Valley Nordic Club.  Other popular areas include the trails at the north end of the Pemberton Meadows Road.

Mountaineering

Mount Matier is located in the Joffre Lake range, north of Pemberton on the Duffey Lake Road.  Mount Matier is a landmark peak in the area and offers outstanding mountaineering.  Access to Mount Matier is either by the Joffre Lake trails or via the Cerise Creek trail.

Snowshoeing

Popular snowshoeing trails in the Pemberton area include areas off the Duffy Lake road - Cayoosh Creek, Marriot Basin and Joffre Lakes.  These trails are rated moderate to difficult and are mostly full day trips.  For shorter and easier snowshoeing trails, try the trails at Nairn Falls or Shadow Lake.  The friendly guys at Spud Valley Sporting Goods and help you with area information, maps, snowshoe rentals and any other supplies you may need.

Snowmobiling

Pemberton offers some of the best snowmobiling terrain in Western Canada.  The Pemberton Ice Cap is a beautiful area which extends over 95,000 acres and reaches an elevation of over 8,000 feet.  Visit the Pemberton Snowmobiling page for more information.

Photos: Chad Chomlack - Backcountry Snow