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