Good news for cross country skiers – the Majerus Farm-Pyramid Bay trail in Wells Gray Park has been cleared of deadfalls and the skiing/snowshoeing along this scenic trail has been described as “excellent”.
Although the trails are not groomed, they are tracked by the users. B.C. Parks did not have funding available to groom the trail as was sometimes done in past years. B.C. Parks supervisor Tod Haughton and senior ranger Vladi Gat have cleared all the fallen trees that were blocking the trail as far as Pyramid Bay.
To reach the trailhead, travel 39.9 kilometres north on the Wells Gray Park Road to the Murtle River warming hut and parking area. From here there is a spectacular view of the Murtle River and the volcanic cone of Pyramid Mountain.
The Majerus Farm trail is a novice ski trail that starts at the parking lot where there is map sign and collection box. It is a level ski of 1.4 kilometres to the historic Majerus Farm.
Here, there is a large clearing beside the river and two old cabins, once the isolated homestead of Michael Majerus. He arrived in the Clearwater Valley in 1911. During winters he operated an 80 kilometres trapline which skirted Pyramid Mountain, ran north around Kilpil Mountain to Kostal Lake, then over the western most of the Goat Peaks, and back to his cabin.
In 1936 he pre-empted an additional quarter section and constructed a new cabin, a small barn, and a root cellar.
Mike sold his homestead and trapline to Ted Helset and Charlie Shook in 1946. The farm became one of Ted’s 13 remote cabins on the Murtle Plateau which were used by guests on his guided hunting and fishing excursions for the next 20 years.
The Murtle River trail continues from the Majerus Farm clearing. It is a scenic intermediate trail which closely follows the river upstream from the Majerus Farm to Pyramid Bay, a distance from the road of 4.3 kilometres. There is a good view of Pyramid Mountain from this location in Wells Gray Park.
