Snowshoeing
Mention snowshoes and most of us conjour images of fore-gone days and men in buckskin jackets trudging across snow-laden Canadian plains. Fact is, snowshoes are still a staple method of getting around for Canadian Forest Rangers and a popular sport that packs a ton of peripheral benefits.
The fortunate thing is that snowshoeing - even in the deepest snow - can be an acquired skill in a very short amount of time. Basically, no matter what your level of fitness and experience, if you can walk, you can snowshoe.
The Edmonton and Central Alberta region is home to some excellent snowshoe excursions and locations. Visit the Boreal Bird Centre in Lesser Slave Lake where you can rent a pair of snowshoes during winter weekends, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. There's nothing like the connection one feels when “shoeing” through the wilderness with the sounds of nature muffled from the fresh fallen, powdery snow.
For the escapist: Brush up on your technique with the Calgary Outdoor Centre’s lectures and lessons. Tours range from beginner to expert and include transport from the city out to the Rockies for day hikes. Banff Tours offers a three-kilometre hike to the Paint Pots, while guides regale you with true stories about explorers, fur traders and indigenous peoples who once called the rugged wilderness of the Rockies home. You can learn tracking skills and brush up on your scatology while tracking hare, wolf and elk, en route to a soul-warming campfire where the Jasper Adventure Centre guides will break out the hot dogs and hot chocolate.
For the more experienced snowshoer, head into the mountains where scores of marked trails present endless enjoyment and opportunity to re-connect with nature. Kananaskis Country and Cypress Hills Provincial Park sports beginner and intermediate trails on easy, safe terrain, while Banff National Park and Waterton National Park offer the whole gambit of levels from one hour hikes to multi-day excursions. Check out the trails just east of Edmonton at Cooking Lake Blackfoot Recreation Area.
If you're properly trained, prepared, planned, equipped and dressed snowshoes are an excellent way to explore the backcountry in winter. Here are some tips for enjoying snowshoeing:
* Always be aware of avalanche and changing weather conditions
* Carry or know how to find clean safe water
* Let people know where you are going and when you plan to return
* Have good map and compass skills
* Use care, or even avoid, crossing frozen bodies of water and glaciers
* Carry first aide and emergency supplies
* If you're not experienced, travel with a guide, or qualified person