The first and only time I snowshoed was in high school. It was cold out and I forgot my coat in my locker. Growing up whenever I had thought of snowshoes, I had imagined the cartoon-y tennis rackets. I won’t lie to you; I actually thought they were tennis racquets. I also thought how clever a person had to be to get two uses from a tennis racquet, then I wondered if it had affected anyone’s backhand. But I digress.
When I look back to my snowshoeing experience, I think, “Ow, my back.” It was the result of marvelling at my ability to walk on snow without sinking. The day itself was eventful, and for anyone who thinks snowshoeing is boring, you’re probably doing it incorrectly.
Fresh snow is the best time to go snowshoeing, mostly because you get to leave a trail behind you; leave the busy, icy trails to the skiers. Snowshoeing is a low-impact exercise where you can walk at your natural pace.
On February 15, you can book your free one-hour guided snowshoeing excursion at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre for you and your family.
(Or try the open snowshoeing experience from February 21 to March 13 – check the schedule for available dates and times.)