Syncline Cross-Country Ski Area

BOU AVENUE
Syncline Cross-Country Ski Area

With snowy weather forecasted for 21 December 2020, Zosia Zgolak and I decided to check out the Syncline Cross-Country Ski Area in Alberta's Castle Provincial Park. This would be our first time skiing here. A map of the trail network can be found at this link. Starting from the south trailhead (pit toilets, picnic tables and warming hut) which is located along the south side of Highway 774 about 17 kilometres west of Beaver Mines, we first skied a short loop to the north trailhead (pit toilets and picnic tables only). From there, we embarked on a longer loop which entailed skiing from the east end of the trail network to the west end near an unnamed lake. We took a short break there before returning to the south trailhead.

On this day, there was a lot of fresh snow, but none of the trails were groomed. We were able to follow a few old ski tracks initially, but otherwise, we were pretty much breaking trail for most of the day. The trails are generally well-marked and easy to follow, but because we did not see another soul all day, the skiing seemingly had a backcountry feel to it. Most of the trails are suitable for beginner to intermediate skiers, but there are still a few tricky hills here and there. In retrospect, I am not sure if I enjoyed skiing here because of the well-laid-out trails or because of the solitude, but the ski area left a good enough impression on me to warrant a return visit in the future.

The warming hut at Cypress Hills PP is open, but this one isn't. WTF? The warming hut at the south trailhead is closed on this day due to pandemic concerns.

If the map hasn't been chewed by critters! Trail junctions here are generally well-marked and usually have a map.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Nice eyebrows! Zosia finds a new friend along the trail.

Trickier than it looks... A few short but steep hills offer some technical challenges.

Anyone have a chainsaw? Sonny maneuvers past a fallen tree across the trail.
Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Gotta love it when they name landmarks and trails after discarded junk! Zosia finds out where Truck Box Meadow gets its name.

Definitely feels like backcountry skiing here! The informal trail between Racers Loop and Lake Loop is slowly being reclaimed.

This is as good as it gets on a snowy day! Zosia arrives at an unnamed lake near the west end of the trail network.

Hey, it's free to ski here! Total Distance: 14.5 kilometres
Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 41 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 284 metres

	The warming hut at the south trailhead is closed on this day due to pandemic concerns.
	Trail junctions here are generally well-marked and usually have a map. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia finds a new friend along the trail.
	A few short but steep hills offer some technical challenges.
	Sonny maneuvers past a fallen tree across the trail. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia finds out where Truck Box Meadow gets its name.
	The informal trail between Racers Loop and Lake Loop is slowly being reclaimed.
	Zosia arrives at an unnamed lake near the west end of the trail network.
	Total Distance: 14.5 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 4 hours 41 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 284 metres