Let’s Snowshoe!

My Irish friend spoke that phrase for the first (and possibly the last) time
in his life yesterday. We went snowshoeing up on Grouse Mountain, one of the
local ski hills within spitting distance of downtown. We had a good time, stomping
among the trees for about a half hour. Here are a couple of photos (click for
larger versions):

I consulted with a few people about the hows and wheres of snowshoeing, and
wanted to include the information for anybody else local or visiting who might
want to partake. Basically, the local mountains (I called Cypress and Grouse)
rent snowshoes from morning to dusk. The trails are, technically speaking, open
after dusk, but they won’t give you snowshoes. So, if you’re planning on going
in the evening as we did, you need to rent snowshoes in the city before you
go up. We rented ours from Altus Mountain Gear, which is across the street from
MEC on Broadway. The guy who rented them to us was very zealous about the sport.

My friend Andrew has this to say:

As far as I can tell, it’s not enforced. It’s more of a cautionary
thing…think NS News Headlines: "Stupid Snowshoers get lost on grouse
at night" with your face plastered on the front page 😉

Kidding aside, I’ve snowshoed alot up there at night (I have my own). And
as long as you are not stupid and stay on the trails it’s OK. That being said
it has to be a clear night, without any potential weather systems moving in.
Also you should have: Lots of extra clothes (enough so you could bivouac the
night), candles, Headlamps etc…I guess I’m safety boy.

The above stuff probably only applies if you want to go up Dam Mtn. or the
other higher up trials. The other thing to consider is that there are some
little trails that go around the Chalet area that are pretty well laid out
with little chance of getting lost. IE you are never more than a few hundred
feet of the chalet or a skil lift/run. Those are the trails we went on on
NYE with the group. They are OK if all you are looking for is an hour of tramping
around before hitting the bar.

If you are looking for things to do, consider Cypress and their night time
fondue/snowshoe treks (guided I blv)…or cross-country skiing at Seymour
or Cypress. All of their trails are lit.

My friend Chanelle had this to add:

You can rent snowshoes from a few places. If you’re going up to the local
mountains, the mountains will have equipment rental. If you want to rent them
in town, you can rent them from MEC, Altus, or Valhalla Pure Outfitters. They
are all in the same vicinity near the Lyns. Make sure you get recreational
ones. The ones the girls rented were a bit on the large size for regular trekking,
but were cheaper at $8/day as opposed to $16/day.

Also, if you want them for a weekend, MEC is always sold out, the other places
sell out quickly too, sometimes you have to book them days beforehand, snowshoeing
has become quite popular! It’s quite fun, excellent source of cardio.

You’re all set. Get cracking before all the snow melts.