Silver Mtn Lodge (Rob Clarke) - People & Places

Rob, how did the idea for Silver Mountain Lodge come about?

Pic: Rob and daughter Mackenzie - Western Brook Gorge (Gros Morne National Park)

I have been entertaining clients on snowmobile adventures in the Taylor’s Brook Road (TBR) area for the past 9 years and have been using other accommodation providers for my packages.  This takes away some of the control over my tours.  Availability of accommodations have always been an issue as well.  I’ve been on the lookout for an opportunity to purchase an existing business, but I wanted to build what I wanted. I have a very distinct idea in my head of what a snowmobile lodge should be.  Simply put it should be a place where any snowmobile enthusiast can come and relax after a day of exploring or backcountry riding.  A place where they have no worries. All they have to think about is where to ride next! (to be honest, we can take care of that as well).  We want to cater to our clients need.  Good food, Comfortable beds, Warm and spacious lounge area and all the amenities of home.  

Our clients only have to showup with their riding gear, we will provide everything else. Package deals, snowmobile rentals, accommodations, meals, snacks, guide services, baggage services, airport pick up and drop off.

Pic: Inside the lodge...open concept and comforts

For a winter fan, why is Silver Mountain Lodge ideally situated as a staging and stay place?

Pic: Guest at Silver Mtn Lodge will enjoy a variety of riding conditions...catering to all riding skills and interest levels.

Anyone who has ever ridden TBR in the winter knows that the last 24kms out the road are a killer after a long day of pushing yourself in the backcountry.  Silver Mountain Lodge is located at the Wye in the road at km24.  This area offers our clients the best possible location to choose their riding destination for the day.  Matty’s pond route, Eagle Mt Pond route, Silver Mountain route or Moose Valley route.  All of which lead directly to the Gros Morne National Park.  The Moose Valley route is a backcountry riders dream.  Every turn opens more riding area just outside the park boundaries, picking our way from hilltop to hilltop the terrain is ever changing and equally challenging.  So, km24 was to me the best location to build a lodge. 

Pic: From the 2nd lvl lounge area for guest

When you built your facility, how did you have snowmobilers in mind?

I simply built what I wanted in a snowmobiler’s lodge.  I wanted to keep the group sizes small, 6-8 people.  This makes guiding manageable, especially when riding the backcountry.  I wanted lots of room for clients to relax and not feel crowded.  I want the rooms to be large with their own bathrooms.  Full 3pc bath in every room and a half bath just off the living room. Each room had 2 beds, upstairs there are 2 twin XL beds. On the main floor the 2 rooms have a queen bed and twin XL on each.  The living room has the warmth of a wood stove and wall to wall windows with an amazing view if the Upper Humber River.  The dining room shares the same wall to wall windows and view of the Humber River.  Not to mention a custom Dark Walnut live edge dining table that can comfortably seat 8 or more. Full-service kitchen with serving counter and an outdoor kitchen with pellet grill and Blackstone griddle to allow never ending meal possibilities.  We want our clients to be comfortable and well fed.  We also have a lounge area on the second floor with both sides open to the living room and dining room below.  This area also has a bar our clients are welcome to stock for their adventure.  We have a kegerator and we will gladly transport any supplies our client’s request. Local breweries are located only a short drive in any direction, and they all have a supply of kegs on hand.  The rear has a covered entrance that leads to a porch / change room.  This area has a stove for drying the sled gear and plenty of space to hang all your gear and keep it in order.  Nothing worse than getting ready to ride and can’t find all your gear mixed with everyone else’s, not the case here.

When a group books with us we will meet them at the parking lot and gather all their gear and supplies.  We offer a baggage service with our group bookings.  This is provided to our guests who are renting our snowmobiles or riding their own.  We will bring all their gear into the lodge and back out when they leave.  We also offer Airport shuttle service for our out of province guests.  Pick up and drop off services.   

 Who’s typically going to be staying with you during the winter?

 Our guests are anything but typical.  They are snowmobile enthusiasts!  No age limits, no gender restrictions, no required skill set, just a passion for the sport.  We cater our tours to our clients’ desires.  Some like to sight see, some like to explore, some like to play, but they are all snowmobile enthusiasts. They all want to ride, eat and relax.

 Pic: Rob and team headed out for a day exploring

Anything new for the 2024 season?

 This season we are also proud to be teamed up with Polaris Adventures Outfitters.  What this means to our guests is brand new snowmobiles available to rent.  We have a wide variety of snowmobiles to meet everyone’s needs.  We have Polaris 850 Khaos mountain snowmobiles, best for exploring the steep and deep backcountry.  We also have Polaris Indy 650 XC 146, a crossover snowmobile with an optional 2 up seat, and we offer Polaris Indy S4 Adventure 2-up snowmobiles.  A 4-stroke trail touring machine designed with comfort and long rides in mind. Every rental is equipped with a GPS tracker and a Personal emergency beacon this means - More smiles per miles.

This season we are just finishing up the main lodge construction.  We will have 3 rooms available this winter with a capacity of 6-7 guests.  This season we must keep one room for the cook and caretaker (next season all 4 rooms will be available to our guests).

 This summer (2024) we are planning to build a workshop on site for snowmobile maintenance and servicing.  This will be available to all our guests if needed.  Above the workshop we are building a caretaker’s suite that will be home for our caretakers and guides to allow our guests full reign of the main lodge. The caretaker’s suite will only be a few feet behind the main lodge for easy access in case our guests require a midnight snack. 

 If you're interested in booking with Rob and team, simply click on the image below: