Snowshoeing

For me, summer is the time for paddling and winter the time for hiking. No bugs, a meter of snow covering forest tripping hazards, extended visibility through leafless trees, and white highlights on everything. What could be better?

View over the Laurentians

Creek in the Outaouais

Ice curtain in the Madawaska region

Sunrise over the Outaouais

Of course there is a downside, which is that it is very hard to walk through a meter of soft snow. If you want to get off of groomed trails and into the backcountry, I would argue that snowshoeing is the best way to deal with this problem. Classic or skate cross country skis are not well suited to soft snow, and even backcountry skis are difficult to maneuver in dense woods or on steep slopes. Snowshoes offer far more access to diverse terrain than skis unless you live in the prairie or arctic where snow is wind packed and open. Snowshoes have let me experience many beautiful locations that would be very hard to get to any other way in the winter.

A steep climb on snowshoes

Breaking trail with snowshoes

Using snowshoes to explore a spring creek

Enjoying an Outaouais view

A beautiful winter snowshoe

Another benefit of snowshoes for those getting started in winter backcountry activity is that they are easier to learn to use and less expensive and easier to transport than backcountry skis. If you are a cross country skier looking to get away from the groomed tracks, or someone just looking to start exploring the countryside in the winter, I can highly recommend snowshoes!

I do most of my snowshoeing in the Outaouais/Laurentians or rural Ottawa. If you are new to winter backcountry activities I would suggest looking up hiking clubs in your area and see if they snowshoe in the winter. If you are comfortable in the countryside in the winter then get some friends and snowshoes, look for public land, and enjoy!