Dig out the snowshoes

DIG OUT THE SNOWSHOES

It’s that time of the year again, snow beginning to pile up in the hills, time to put away the summer hiking shoes. For those who cannot afford the costs of alpine skiing there are two low cost alternatives: winter boots and snowshoes. During the next few months when the low cloud sets in, take a short trip up the hills and you can spend a day in the lovely sunshine.

One can hike quite comfortably in snow up to knee depth with the snow pack style of boots. The felt liners keep the feet nice and warm while the high tops with the gaiter tops prevent wet feet from snow getting down into the boots. It is easy to work up a sweat ploughing through deep snow, so watch out for chills and hypothermia. These boots can range from $30.00 to around $140.00. Just remember to get a pair that is not too small since fit is really important - without adequate room the feet will be susceptible to the cold.

Snowshoes come in many styles and are priced from around a $100.00 to about $200.00. Take the time looking at them and match the harness and foot-ware you will be using. I’m a fan of the older styles, but they are a bit harder to find and I believe the new harnessing systems are easier to use. I’m also a firm believer in using adjustable hiking poles that allow you to attach ski pole baskets.

My first outing of last season was a 4.5 km snowshoe at the Carmi Ski Trails, six km up the Beaverdell Road off the Carmi Road. There was one vehicle in the ditch, a reminder to keep using winter tires in season and to drive with care
.
The parking lot was fairly busy with vehicles of tobogganers, snowmobilers, snowshoers and cross-county skiers. (Unfortunately since then the party goers have really made a mess of the parking lot.) The outdoor toilets were not longer there and across the road the map of the trails had also disappeared. I was later to find out that the other signs at the intersections had likewise vanished, a real shame as encouraging the use of our outdoors can only benefit the local economy.

There were a few changes since my last trip to the area and I was disappointed in not making the long loop to check if the shelter is still there overlooking the valley and lake. (I checked it out this Fall and it is still there) Instead, I followed the ski tracks, which wandered further up hill and back towards the peat bog road. After a little over two kilometres I came across a few windfalls and with aching legs (Yes I’m a bit out of shape) I decided it would be wiser to retrace my steps back to the truck.

There are many old roads once you pass the cattle guard near the Lost Moose Lodge that form a whole network wending its way through the trees with interspersed meadows and clear-cuts. Higher up you run into more open areas. One in particular I like is south west of the Ellis Dam. Here you can enjoy lots of sunshine and the terrain is fairly level.

We also used to spend a few weekends in the area just south of White Lake behind the observatory. There were some nice toboggan slopes here as well.

If you would like to combine a little ice-fishing with your snowshoe trip Taylor Lake and Ripley Lake are two destinations you might like to try. I have to admit that Howard Lake also has an appeal to me. Several times in the fall I have tried to introduce some friends to this special lake only to see if freezing over before our eyes. It would be a long trek though so I had better work on my conditioning.