A Snowshoeing Adventure in The South Saskatchewan River Valley
By Mallory Cawthra
What aerobic activity incorporates the outdoors, winter and snow? If you answered snowshoeing, I’m “snow” happy for you, you’ve tracked it down! Recently, my friend Kay Salberg invited me snowshoeing, and rarely one to shy away from a winter adventure, I readily agreed. I didn’t own my own snowshoes at the time, so I borrowed a pair from Kay to gauge the fit and feel, and to find out if this toe-strapping venture would become my newfound hobby. I was pleased to learn that the snowshoes were lightweight and came with adjustable trekking poles, which were a welcome accessory to aid in my balance. The temperature that day was the warmest it had been in awhile; it was the perfect day for a winter adventure.
We drove to our starting point, approximately 8.5 km North of the Town of Leader, near the old Leader Ferry Crossing in the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Kay had suggested that I use gaiters to keep the snow from getting inside of my boots, but since I didn’t have any, I opted for some waterproof snow pants and they seemed to do the trick. She also reminded me to pack water and a day pack, which I thanked her for later as I chugged the H20 on our breaks.
Before we started our trek, Kay helped me tighten the bindings on the snowshoes and gave me a few pointers about slipping them on and off - I was surprised at their relative weightlessness. As we began trudging through the snow, I found that I didn’t need to lift my feet very high or wide, and “snowshoeing” was much less awkward than I had envisioned. The crampons on the underside of the snowshoes assisted with traction and the larger surface area of the snowshoes helped to distribute my weight evenly on the snow.
I was definitely working up a sweat, and as we made our way along the riverbank, I saw some ice shacks (or ice shanty’s as they are also known) and islands interspersed throughout the frozen river. We took breaks every so often to rest, drink some water, and take in our surroundings; it was quiet and peaceful. We noted different sets of animal paw prints in the snow as we ascended a hill, and we tried to determine what types of animals they belonged to – some deer, bunnies, coyotes, maybe a moose. The view at the top of the hill of the river valley below was breathtaking and worth all the sweat.
As we descended to our starting point, we both felt refreshed and invigorated, and I was sold on buying my very own snowshoes.
Some final takeaways from my first snowshoeing adventure include: snowshoeing is fairly inexpensive, it’s a great way to exercise solo (although there’s safety in numbers) or while spending time with friends and/or family, it’s pretty easy to learn, and it’s a great way to get some fresh air and possibly glimpse some wildlife.
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