A Canadian Kind of Winter
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Winter fun activities in Western Canada.
Winter can sometimes seem endless in Western Canada with it often starting early in November (if not sooner) and snowfalls not ending until April or May - yes that’s right we get a good 4 - 6 months of winter and I’ve even seen snow in every month of the year while living here. As a result you need to be able to embrace the season or you’re in for a very long and unhappy time.
Some of the winter layers that I use to stay warm.
I have found that there are several keys to embracing winter and the most important has to be ensuring you’re properly dressed - layers! layers! layers! Start with a good base layer of wicking fabric like merino wool - you stay warm, but also moisture evaporates quickly if you get too warm and sweaty. A fleece layer and an insulating layer such as a down jacket work well to stay warm topped off with a windproof layer to keep out the wet and windchill. Obviously the number of layers depends on the level of cold and wind, but these are the fundamental building blocks of the clothing layering system. This system works really well for my photography as well - I’ve written about what I wear for photography here. (layers layers layers)
Cross country skiing in the Rocky Mountains.
In general Canadians are a hardy bunch and we have a number of outdoor winter pastimes which really help us to not only enjoy, but also thrive in this northern climate.
While I sometimes get fed up with cold winter days (especially around February), I actually enjoy spending time outdoors in the snow and bracing temperatures. I also find that I become more accustomed to the cold weather and a sunny day of 5C in January can feel much warmer than 5C in September. It’s what we become acclimated to that makes a difference.
Of course there are some possibly wiser Canadians (called snow birds) who migrate to warmer climates such as Florida, Arizona and other southern states for the winter months.
Ice skating and tobogganing
Roxy and Kory (hubby) enjoying some time careening down the hill on a toboggan - she seems more confident than he does!
Two foundational activities that I learned as a young child were ice skating and tobogganing. Any frozen pond (or backyard rink if you’re dad was hardy enough to flood it with water and keep maintaining the ice throughout the winter) would cause us to strap on our skates and get out there.
I can remember playing hockey on our backyard rink - my older brother let me join in with his friends (they were all at least 9 yrs older than me) as long as I played goalie - all was good until I took a hockey stick to the face and needed stitches in the corner of my left eye (by the way I did make the save). Unfortunately that ended my goalie career as my mum wouldn’t let me play hockey with them anymore.
Tobogganing was another key winter activity - I grew up in Windsor, Ontario and to say it is elevationally (I think I just made up that word) challenged is an understatement - the biggest hill was the reclaimed landfill site and that’s where we went to slip and slide down the hill on our sleds.
I love to see all of the outdoor skating rinks and toboggan hills here in Calgary with people of all ages out enjoying the winter season. It really reminds me of our days outside in the winter growing up.
Skiing and snowshoeing
Cross country skiing at Lake Louise Pipestone Trails.
I have had a long standing love of cross country skiing (I’m not a downhill skier - remember the comment about growing up in an elevationally challenged location?). There weren’t groomed cross country ski trails way back when I started skiing, so we made our own and that meant we could ski anywhere there was enough snow. Since moving to Western Canada I have also incorporated snowshoeing into my winter activity arsenal.
Some of my favourite locations to ski or snowshoe include Kananaskis , Banff and Lake Louise which are about an hour or two west of the Calgary.
Barbequing smokies on the tailgate of the truck.
A great day includes a mid morning start so that you catch the warm part of the day for skiing or snowshoeing.
We usually head out for 2 - 4 hours of activity which we top off with a wonderful Canadian reward.
If you guessed the great Canadian obsession of barbequing then you’re correct - barbequing smokies on the back of the pick up truck while enjoying nice hot tea or hot chocolate is the ultimate post ski or snowshoe reward.
Somehow the food tastes so much better in the fresh cold air and with an appetite fired up by all the activity it’s a great way to end the day.
Roxy enjoying a snowshoe trip and ensuring we follow the rules of the trail.
It’s always even better when we can bring Roxy along.
She really enjoys the outdoors and as long as it’s above -5C we will wrap her up in a cozy sweater and toque (a Canadian version of hat or beanie) and put a battery operated heating pad in her lined backpack.
We only put a sweater and hat on Roxy to make sure she stays warm and to guard against frostbite on her ears (it’s important to make sure that you don’t expose tails, ears and paws to extreme temperatures for long periods of time).
She will walk in the snow for a bit, but she prefers to ride along and make sure we’re abiding by the trail rules.
There’s a great Canadian saying:
“In Canada Winter is not a season it’s a lifestyle” (author unknown)
For me this sums up my thoughts of a Canadian Winter - embrace it or you’re going to be very grumpy for 4 - 6 months of the year.
Backcountry adventures
Back country snowshoeing at Lake O’Hara Lodge.
We have done annual winter trips to Lake O’Hara lodge with several overnight stays.
It’s an 11 km ski or hike into the lodge up a fire road with some of the steepest climbs at the last 1.5 kms.
The lodge is run by a wonderful couple (Alison and Bruce Miller) who make everyone feel welcome and warm by the huge fireplace.
It’s communal eating and shared washrooms, but with only 8 guest rooms it makes for a very cozy and pleasant stay.
Each day starts with an amazing breakfast cooked by a premier chef and then we assemble a packed lunch to take as we head out for a day of snow shoeing.
All outings are guided and each guest has an avalanche beacon and rescue gear for safety. The snow is deep and fluffy and you will experience a variety of temperatures - I’ve been there when it was -30C with strong windchills (those days you don’t stop moving!) and other times with bright sunshine and -10C temperatures. That’s why layering up is key as is having lots of water and good snacks.
Snowshoeing down a steep hill with very deep snow - not always graceful, but always fun.
We usually get back to the lodge about mid afternoon - tired and sore from exerting muscles that haven’t been worked that hard in a long time, but with a sense of accomplishment and full of awe from the amazing views.
Afternoon tea and snacks are a welcome treat as is the firing up of the wood burning sauna. There’s nothing like heading out between 6’ high snow walls in your bathing suit and bathrobe to sit in a sweat inducing sauna before hitting the showers to clean up for dinner.
Several days of this feels like a cleanse of not only the body but the mind as well. There is something refreshing about being out in nature where there is no one else around.
The scenery is spectacular and the physical challenges make you feel alive.
I’m thinking that we need to book another Lake O’Hara adventure.
Bocce ball on the lake
Roxy warming up by the fire between Bocce Ball games on the lake.
Another winter treat is Bocce Ball on the ice at the lake. We have friends with a cabin near Rocky Mountain House and as the lake freezes up they set up the Bocce Ball court on the ice.
For those who have never played it’s a variation of lawn bowling, but played on ice. A target ball (Pallino or Pebble) is tossed and in this version obstacles such as branches, benches and snow mounds are used to make it even more challenging.
Each team (at least two players) has two bocce balls to toss and try to get closest to the Pallino. Knocking the other team’s balls further from the target is all part of the strategy and fun.
The goal seems to be to place the Pallino or Pebble in the most awkward location to challenge the other team to not lose their balls in the snow.
Needless to say the winter rules are quite flexible and it’s more about being outside and having fun than worrying about a perfectly run game - though having said that it can be quite competitive.
A warm fire by the lake is also a must for warming up between rounds.
A benefit of being retired
One of the many benefits of being retired is the ability to get out on the trails during the week rather than the busier weekends. This fits into the mindset shift (I spoke about that in this blog post) which is sometimes a challenge to remember - old habits are hard to break unless we’re intentional about them.
Snowshoes in the snow with the late afternoon sunset glowing warmly.
I really like how our planning approach has changed - we start the week looking at what is in the plan (appointments and meetings/coffees etc.) and then we look at the weather forecast and which day(s) we want to get out. Then we think about what if anything we could or should reschedule to enable us to get out. We’re still trying to get into the flow of doing this, but it’s starting to get a bit easier.
One of our biggest challenges is that Kory and I are both morning people and we have this interesting mindset that we need to do our most productive or brain intensive activities first thing.
This usually means blocking off a good chunk of the morning for songwriting/music making for Kory and writing/photography for me. Balancing this with getting out for exercise and fun outdoor winter activities is our current challenge - we’re not getting out as much as we want to - especially out of town destinations for day trips.
On the positive side we’re not beating ourselves up about this - we just work on trying to make it happen each week by being intentional.
I’m also trying to schedule less appointments/meetings each week as I can get into an overload situation very quickly. I have a friend who says that I shouldn’t book more than one meeting/appointment a day - I’m failing miserably at this goal.
She says this will be my KPI (key performance indicator - can you tell we’re both engineers?) for successful retirement planning. I’ll keep you posted with how this is going.
A funny winter this year
This winter has been a strange one for us with a warm start and then some of the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced (windchills of -50C!), another very warm spell with plus double digit temperatures and now we’re back to snow and -25C windchills. As a result of these big temperature swings and little snow, it has been challenging to get out and do some of the regular winter activities that we are used to doing.
Even walking in our neighbourhood has been challenging with freeze/thaw conditions that have left sidewalks icy. Regardless, we’ve continued to get out and make the best of this winter season.
I am also aware that there are those reading this blog post who are in the midst of heatwaves - so experiencing the other extreme of seasonal temperatures.
Do you have any seasonal traditions that are different or unique to your area? What is your favourite time of the year and what activities help you to fully enjoy your time outdoors?
Backcountry snowshoeing on pristine snow and perfect winter conditions.
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
