TRAVEL CANADA – Deep in the Cariboo Lies Troll Mountain

February 24th, 2013


Troll local Emily Childs finds some float in the Troll Backcountry Image:: Sam Leitch

Mountainwatch | Sam Leitch

Ben Tregillus the head snow groomer at Mt Hotham Australia has spent the last two Canadian winters grooming at Troll Ski Resort in the isolated Cariboo region of Northern British Columbia.

“It’s awesome. I groom a bit at night and patrol a bit during the day. It’s only small for Canada but a lot of days you can ski powder with only three other people on the hill!”

Troll’s isolated location pays off, cold dry pow and no crowds! 15 year old local skier Chirs McGauley has better school days then you! Image:: Sam Leitch

This season, I decided it was time I came to check it out. Nestled in the Cariboo between the Rockies and the Coast Range, Troll Ski Resort services the nearby small town of Quesnel. The friendly base lodge is at 1100 m altitude on the quiet highway between Quesnal and Barkerville. The mountain faces south and two T-bars access 500 m of vertical. The terrain is a combination of moderate angle open glades and tree’s with a bunch of hits for hucking into the dry interior powder.


Just like most resorts in this area of B.C the terrain is something else, here though, it stays untracked for days… Image:: Sam Leitch

Ben was right about the snow. Troll’s main clients are local B.C school kids learning how to ski on the pistes. On weekdays you can ski endless fresh tracks in the tree’s and sidecountry and be looking for someone to ski with. With lift tickets at $45 and $5 burgers in the day lodge it’s a sweet deal. Even better the “Troll Hostel” has single person rooms for $25 a night and a wood fired hot tub for après beers and listening to Coyotes howl. This is because Troll isn’t owned by a profit driven company, but rather a super nice lady called Hildur who believes that skiing is good for the soul and wants to be everyone’s Mom. Hildur lets some schoolkids who cant afford the school ski program join in for free with their friends. Nice!


The Troll kids have been hitting “the log pile” since they were 8 years old. Emily sends it! Image:: Sam Leitch

If Hildur is the Queen of the Cariboo then her foxy daughter Emily is the Princess. She rules Troll with blonde hair and a reportoir of tricks. Check her out in the following pictures. And if your ever in the quiet Cariboo region of Canada hit Troll Ski Resort for some fun turns.