From the intersection with Highway 9 in Drumheller, drive east along Highway 10 for 15.0 kilometres and turn left onto Secondary Road (SR) 573 (2WD gravel).  Drive 24.0 kilometres to a T-intersection with SR 851 and turn left (north).  Drive 7.0 kilometres to an intersection with Township Road 284 and turn left (west).  If road conditions permit, drive 3.3 kilometres to the boundary of Hand Hills Ecological Reserve.  In winter, the road is only plowed up to the last private driveway (about 1.9 kilometres west of SR 851).  If so, park on the road without blocking the private driveway.

From the end of the plowed road, Shaun, Zosia and I skied westward along the continuation of the access road.  Right away, we could see that snow conditions were generally icy, but this was both bad and good.  Pure ice on even the slightest incline proved to be a great challenge for maintaining control of our skis even with metal edges.  At the same time, the icy surfaces were generally supportive throughout our trip which meant that ski penetration was minimal and we did not have to break trail much.  Upon reaching the boundary of the ecological reserve, we climbed over a stuck gate and made a beeline for what appeared to be Thumb Hill on the distant southwest horizon.  The very slight downhill slope here made the initial ski effortless, but barbed wire fencing throughout the area also dictated our route to some extent.  Past an old corral which was probably the low point of our route, we began a gradual but steady ascent up the northeast side of Thumb Hill.  Given the icy conditions, Zosia strapped on her climbing skins here, and I also lent Shaun my skins since he had misplaced his own during his move back to Calgary a few years ago.  I managed fine without skins by slapping on some extra sticky wax.  After climbing over a couple more fences on the way up, we were finally faced with more cow dung than icy snow, and consequently, we ditched our skis and walked the remaining distance to the high point marked by a concrete block with a survey benchmark.  We snapped a couple of photos here before continuing a little further west to a boundary marker overlooking plains to the west.  With the warm sun shining on us and barely any wind, this was a very pleasant spot to stop for lunch.

For our return trip, Shaun, Zosia and I retrieved our skis and mostly skied the same way we came.  While descending the northeast slopes of Thumb Hill, we veered a little further east and found a shallow draw that looked promising to ski down.  Although the upper sections of the draw were quite icy, the lower sections still retained some powdery snow and offered the most enjoyable skiing of the day.  We eventually regained our original track near the aforementioned corral, but the remaining ski back to the access road and my car was a real chore since we were mainly going uphill albeit gradually.

Thumb Hill is unlikely to ever become a classic ski tour, but I believe that skiing is the best way to reduce the dreariness of the long approach.  Although there is really nothing else in the Hand Hills Ecological Reserve that warrants a return visit for me, I would be curious how the skiing would compare after a fresh dump of snow in the area.  I thank Matthew Clay for doing a lot of the legwork in finding the proper public access for the ecological reserve, and I also thank Shaun and Zosia for their patience in waiting for me when I really lagged behind on the last half of our return ski.

	Sonny and Shaun get ready to ski at the end of the plowed road. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Shaun and Zosia ski westward along the continuation of the access road.

Shaun and Zosia cautiously descend a very icy downhill section along the access road.

 

	Shaun and Zosia reach the boundary of Hand Hills Ecological Reserve.  Thumb Hill is the very slight rise on the centre horizon.
	Although this gate near the ecological reserve boundary is not locked, it is stuck firmly in the icy snow and cannot be swung open on this day.
	The icy snow is surprisingly supportive across the expanse of the ecological reserve.
	Zosia watches as Shaun carefully climbs over an intersection of barbed wire fences.
	Barely visible in the distance behind Zosia and Shaun is a corral which is roughly the halfway point across the ecological reserve.
	Sonny hops over yet another barbed wire fence along the route. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	The reflection of sunlight on the ground illustrates how icy the terrain is on Thumb Hill.
	The wooden beams make this barbed wire fence a bit easier to climb over. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	With snow coverage getting thinner, Shaun and Zosia decide to ditch their skis and boot-pack the remainder of the ascent.
	Sonny, Zosia and Shaun give full "thumbs up" on the high point of Thumb Hill (985 metres).  A survey benchmark is embedded in the concrete block that Zosia is standing on.
	Zosia and Shaun continue west from the high point to a boundary marker for the ecological reserve.
	A herd of deer scamper away on the plain to the west of Thumb Hill. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Zosia and Shaun enjoy lunch at the boundary marker.

 

	After collecting their skis, Zosia and Shaun retrace their tracks across the icy terrain on Thumb Hill.
	Zosia finds a shallow draw that provides a somewhat easier descent down the icy slopes.  Visible at distant right is Little Fish Lake.
	Shaun and Sonny ski down the aforementioned draw. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia follows Shaun down a surprisingly nice section of powdery snow.
	All the barbed wire fences have to be climbed over again on the way back.
	Zosia and Shaun ski out along the snow-covered access road.
	Total Distance:  16.0 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  5 hours 54 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  ~160 metres GPX Data