I have no idea how many Christmas treats I’ve consumed in the past week, but I do know that snowshoeing burns 1,000 calories an hour—much more than jogging or hiking. So take advantage of the gorgeous piste and get fit for 2012.
A brief history of the sport plus trail/tour details follows.
Image credit: Urban Woodstalker
Brief history of snowshoeing
Snowshoeing, created of necessity so that ancient man could slog from Point A to Point B without sinking in the snow, likely predates the wheel. Although historians remain uncertain which culture first invented the snowshoe, snowshoes were around prior to 3,500 B.C. and various versions existed throughout the world.
As Europeans got into Nordic skis, snowshoe culture continued to thrive in North America. The modern snowshoe shape is traced to designs by North American indigenous groups. European colonists took a gander at the technology around 1600 and appropriated it, using the snowshoe for North American exploration, trapping etc.
Snowshoeing began to shift from necessity to leisure in the 1800s, when snowshoeing clubs became popular. Snowshoeing as a sport experienced a renaissance (1980s-1990s) when lightweight metal and plastic snowshoes replaced the wooden versions.
Snowshoeing on Grouse Mountain
A hop away from the Peak Chalet, you’ll find Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park which has four groomed snowshoe trails. Blue Grouse Loop is ideal for beginners. Or up the ante and circle Dam Mountain and Thunder Ridge. Expert snowshoers head to Grouse Grind, where they sprint upwards in tights, vying for the best time.
Access to snowshoe trails is included in the General Admission. Equipment rentals are available. Read more about snowshoe clinics and rates here .
Snowshoeing on Mount Seymour
According to a great article on snowshoeing from The Georgia Straight, about a decade ago, when lightweight aluminum designs first sparked a renaissance in snowshoeing, Mount Seymour created the Discovery Trails system to revitalize the public pistes originally used by members of the Alpine Club of Canada in the 1920s.
The Discovery Trails are ideal for beginners and run alongside two scenic lakes as well as old growth forests. Mount Seymour offers snowshoe trips and rental for all ages, including Baby and Me trips and snowshoes for toddlers as young as three. Get the details on rates here .
Snowshoeing on Cypress Mountain
The self-guided snowshoe trails on Cypress (in the Nordic area) are open daily dawn until dusk. I’ve skied past a lot of boisterous snowshoeing groups and wanted to join in the fun.
Also not to be missed: Hollyburn Meadows Tour (a two hour group trip that ends with a hot drink and a cookie in the lodge) and the Chocolate Fondue Tour (three hour tour ending with fondue and cider in front of a fireplace.) Get details on tour dates and rates here .
