Went snowshoeing for the first time ever this past weekend! This was a registered group day trip through the University of Calgary Outdoor Centre, the first of three day trips. We did the Bow River Marsh Loop which is at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada in Banff, and is probably a great beginner trail since it is relatively flat. Our route took us just over 4 km which went by super fast due to being with a good group and because snowshoeing turned out to be not that difficult!
One of the biggest things I struggled with in trying this out was deciding what to wear and what to bring. I had my day pack, which is like a regular sized back pack that one would take to school or work. So, space is limited for carrying around extra clothes, and I hate carrying around extra stuff anyway! And I don’t want a bigger pack either, as there’s the concept of carrying a weighted pack on your back while snowshoeing, walking, biking, etc…. How hard might that end up being? I also don’t want to wear too much and then be too warm and have to carry something because it won’t fit in my pack. And, I’m that person that is ALWAYS cold… That is, until I get walking for 10 minutes then I’m dying of heat, sigh!
All the articles and experts and whatnot say to wear absolutely no cotton, and layers, layers, layers! Well that’s all fine and dandy until I’m stuck carrying extra layers around that I’m not wearing.
After stressing about it for days and then noting the temperature forecast for the area I 
was going to be hovering around 0 degrees Celsius, I eventually settled on the following as a Day 1 test:
- 100% merino wool base layer (top)
- Fleece zip-up sweater
- Ultra-light packable down jacket with a hood
- Merino/synthetic mix base layer (bottom)
- Snow pants
- 2 layers of socks (Merino wool base layer and a regular pair of fake wool socks over top)
- Winter hiking boots
- Neck warmer
- Toque
- Waterproof mitts
My down jacket was new and even though it’s down, it’s thin so I didn’t know how it was going to hold up against chilly winter temperatures and potential wind. The tag that came with it had a temperature rating of -30 C which I don’t really understand, as I would be reluctant to wear the jacket in -30 due to how thin it is. But what do I know…
Turns out the jacket was a good investment for the 0 Celsius-ish temperatures, and the weather was also windy which made life colder. This and the neck warmer, I was not cold at all and I didn’t even wear my fleece sweater. Yes I had to stuff that in my bag! I did not overheat while trekking and even when stopping for breaks I did not get cold. WIN!!
I did have an extra pair of socks and mitts in my bag along with some hand and feet warmers just in case but did not need any of it. Maybe the Day 2 trip this weekend will be different temperature-wise, although the extra socks and mitts were really only there in case the ones I’m already wearing got wet for some reason. I know previously when snowboarding, my “water-proof” mitts would get wet from the inside because my hands would sweat profusely, wasn’t sure if that would happen on this snowshoeing expedition but it did not.
Anyway, the snowshoeing itself turned out to be wonderful! Like doing anything for the first time including snow sports, strapping something onto your feet and then standing up or taking that first few steps is always a tad intimidating at first, as you aren’t sure how it’s going to feel or what’s going to happen. Although unlike skiing or snowboarding or ice skating where that first stride can land you on your butt, snowshoeing is of course the opposite in that it’s like wearing glorified traction devices. Snow or ice, there is no slipping or sliding here!! The snowshoes are a bit wider than regular shoes so when stepping you have to have your legs a bit wider apart, but I really didn’t find it that much different than walking normally. It was a lot easier than I expected. Maybe it will be different on another trail that has more hills I don’t yet know, but even on more difficult terrain, snowshoes are full of traction so I think it’s going to be super fun to do more difficult ground with them. I had ski/walking poles which I did use in an attempt to get an upper body workout, but for this trail I found that I probably could have gone without, as there wasn’t a ton of snow.
The group I went with was super nice, 11 of us plus a guide made it a little less daunting than going it alone for the first time, and I got to see what other people were wearing and compare stories of what worked well for each of them. Most were first time at snowshoeing too. I think going with a guided group is also a good idea for safety and for discovering trails that work for my skill level and abilities.
So this was Day 1!! I’ve got two more day trips booked over the next two weeks at different trails. I’m looking forward to them!!
