Skip to content

Opening day for Dakota Ridge ‘weather dependent’

Dakota Ridge is expected to open Dec. 18, as long as the conditions are favourable, though as of last Saturday there was no snow at the higher altitude recreation area.
dakota
A snowshoe sign and signs of snow at Dakota Ridge in late November.

Dakota Ridge is expected to open Dec. 18, as long as the conditions are favourable, though as of last Saturday there was no snow at the higher altitude recreation area. 

“We are definitely excited about another season up there – it’s just that from time to time weather is like this on the Coast and delays opening a little bit,” said Sam Adams, who oversees operations for the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).

It takes about a week for trails to be prepared once adequate snow accumulation has been reached – about 20 to 30 centimetres.

Last year warmer temperatures and rain delayed the opening of the recreation area by a week to Dec. 22.

“There is some snow in the forecast; however, we’re going to need a good dumping,” Adams told Coast Reporter.

Whether climate change is affecting Dakota Ridge was put to SCRD staff by directors during last week’s budget deliberations. 

“The season has historically been variable,” said Ian Hall, general manager for planning and community development. “There doesn’t appear to be a discernable trend for shorter seasons that is easy to pick out. That said, there are changes we are seeing to the number of freeze-thaw cycles and the altitudes they’re occurring at and that is one of the factors that is putting pressure on the road to the facility.”

Directors approved staff requests for a slight increase in the budget to fund plowing and maintenance of the road, as well as for maintenance of a grooming machine and for upgrades and repairs to the site’s warming hut, entry kiosk and other amenities. Those items still need to be finalized with the budget in the spring.

The 620-hectare recreation area, located up a forest service road in Wilson Creek, offers approximately 30 kilometres of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails and a sledding area. To keep up operations, the SCRD relies on volunteers, and staff are still looking to recruit between six and eight trail hosts for the season. Application forms are at www.scrd.ca/dakota-ridge.

Regular updates on conditions are provided on the Dakota Ridge Facebook page. The area can only be accessed by vehicles with four-wheel drive with chained tires. Alpha Adventures offers a shuttle service for a fee.

A 10 per cent early bird discount for season passes is available until Dec. 15 and can be purchased at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre and Sechelt Aquatic Centre. To sign up for cross-country skiing lessons, organized by the Tetrahedron Outdoor Club, see www.tetoutdoor.ca/dakota-ridge-nordics.html