Olympians are snowshoeing – So can YOU!

by Karina Hunter

Crossing a fox's path to see if he is still nearby...

North America’s fastest growing outdoor winter activity has made it to the Olympics! February 27^th Vancouver will host the first World Snowshoe Invitational welcoming not only the best snowshoe racers from four continents but also athletes from many other disciplines including road, trail, and mountain runners, marathoners and ultra-marathoners and cross country skiers. One of the most anticipated performances will come from 6 time world mountain running champion, Jonathan Wyatt who confirmed registration in the event February 2^nd.  A total of more than 250 athletes from ten countries, many former Olympians among them, will be tested on the trails of Mount Seymour in North Vancouver for two races; the first is a 5km sport course, the second a 10km course is the official World Snowshoe Invitational and will double as the Canadian National Snowshoe Championship.   

Louis gives me a lesson on walking through fresh powder.

For nearly a decade, snowshoe race enthusiasts have been pushing to have the sport included in the winter Olympics but in addition to the major sponsorship and media attention required for this, at least 20 countries need to have their national Olympic organizations formally recognize a national governing body for the sport within their individual countries, there has been progress. The first Canadian National Championships were held in 2007 when Western Canada’s well known Yeti Snowshoe Series (www.theyeti.ca) and Eastern Canada’s biggest snowshoe series the Synergy Mad Trapper Snowshoe Series joined forces, pushing the sport into the spotlight and bringing it one step closer to Olympic inclusion.

We continue exploring, following along the tree-line.

Feeling inspired by these events I thought I would strap on some snowshoes for a wildlife shoot on my calendar and approached Louis Bérubé, owner of Northshore sports emporium Bike’s N Stuff in Manitouwadge, about loaning a pair from his wide selection of men’s, women’s and children’s snowshoes.  I was thrilled when Bérubé offered to join me on the excursion to give me some lessons as well.  Bérubé assisted me in choosing the right pair of snowshoes based on my weight, experience and where we would be traveling.  He explained that smaller snowshoes would offer better maneuverability and traction, and were preferable for steep slopes, crowded forests and sticky snow (the later was not a concern as it was a brisk -25^o the day we headed out).  The women’s snowshoes are specifically designed with unique bindings and slimmer frames better suited to our smaller body size and stride; larger snowshoes would have been more appropriate for a heavier person traveling through deep snow, as they compress more of the snow below, giving a feeling of floating higher for light, dry powder on flatter
straighter excursions. I opted for a pair of ladies’ GV Active Winter Trail snowshoes. Made of aluminum these are lightweight, streamlined as compared to the men’s version of the GV Active Winter and ideal for any experience level.

Bérubé had recommended that I dress in layers, similar to what I would have worn cross country skiing, topping these off with a wind and water resistant outer shell.  We began our adventure at the intersection of snowmobile trail and secondary logging road; putting on the snowshoes I quickly realized the big difference between traditional wood and sinew snowshoes and the modern snowshoes is the easy to adjust harness with buckles like those on downhill ski boots of which I made short work, strapping in without even removing my mittens.  Once they were on, Bérubé
had me start out by walking on the packed snow of the road to get comfortable with the snowshoes before attempting to walk in the fresh powder. Walking like I normally do, there was no need to take bigger steps, though my stance was just slightly wider than usual.  Once in the deeper snow, Bérubé pointed out that lifting my knees higher without dragging my feet would ensure that the snowshoes did not plow through too much powder and kept the crampons from snagging on hidden, hard surfaces. As we headed up steep slopes, aggressively digging in the front crampons of our snowshoes facilitated the climb though some of the very steep hills required that we traverse; we kept our weight centered on the descent of hills allowing the crampons to grip the snow preventing any unplanned sliding.  Every step seemed more natural than the last and, as a fox watched us from the tree-line,I was already planning my next excursion for which I would certainly be accompanied by my kids. 

With minimal associated costs and snowshoes starting at around $100 snowshoeing is a great winter sport for adults and kids of any age, once a child can walk they are ready to start snowshoeing. The Thunder Bay Hiking Association has many snowshoeing events during the course of the winter, contact them for more information on those scheduled for February and be sure to check local listings for coverage of the World Snowshoe Invitational and Canadian National Snowshoe Championships at the end of the month.

There is something very peaceful about travelling on snowshoes, the rythmic sound of the snow crunching beneath your feet, at times barely audible, like hearing the winter's pulse.

Thunder Bay Hiking Association 2010 Events: http://www.tbha.ca/downloads/Winter2010.pdf  

Submitted to the Outdoors Guide, 01.08.10