With indoor activities still limited, it’s time to try out some new outdoor activities.
For certain there will be days when frigid or blustery conditions may limit what you do, but if you take care to dress warmly, particularly your head, hands and feet you will discover that staying warm is possible if you keep on the move.
Skating is one of the most popular winter activities and, so long as our rinks remain open, public skating at a minimal charge, or sometimes for free, is usually offered a few times a week. But for many, outdoor skating may be even more enjoyable.
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Parents are often recruited to make backyard rinks, limited only by the size of the yard and parental energy. For towns with a lake or river, it’s a case of finding enough volunteers and equipment to keep ice smooth and cleared. Last winter, for instance, Portage la Prairie residents kept long skating areas cleared on Crescent Lake; this year the city plans to provide even more.
Another skating venue is our parks. Spruce Woods and Turtle Mountain provincial parks both have skating ovals and outdoor hockey rinks, while Riding Mountain National Park has a skating path near the administration building, as well as a cleared area on Clear Lake. For a different experience, skate through the trees at night under twinkling lights.
Skiing is another popular winter sport both the downhill and Nordic (cross-country) types. Unfortunately several downhill sites are closed this winter, but depending on weather conditions Asessippi in the west and Falcon Ridge in the east have been operating part of the time. Check their websites for days open.
Over 200 kilometres of cross-country trails are ready in Riding Mountain, with more in provincial parks, as well as other places such as Bittersweet Trails south of Bagot, Squirrel Hills at Minnedosa, or Shannondale west of Morden. Check the Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba website for other trails, or the Riding Mountain National Park website.
For those who want something different, perhaps you could try snowshoeing. Venues for this are almost limitless: parks, golf courses, roadside ditches and open fields. If you haven’t tried this sport, you might want to bor- row or rent a pair of snowshoes to try out first. Friends of Riding Mountain in Wasagaming rents snowshoes ($5 a day, or $10 for 24 hours) as do some sports stores in Winnipeg, Brandon, Dauphin and elsewhere. Most parks have one or more trails packed for snowshoeing. In Riding Mountain try the Brûlé Trail or the Bead Lakes Trail, or beginners might opt to snowshoe a short distance on Clear Lake. Know your limitations, and don’t attempt too much on your first time out.
One newer winter activity in Manitoba uses bikes with fat tires. There is even a fat bike association in Manitoba. These bikes can be rented at Friends of Riding Mountain in Wasagaming for a ride around the town or on the lake ($10 per hour or $25 for four hours). Snow tubes and sleds can also be rented there.
For the adventurous, why not try some winter camping? Spruce Woods and Turtle Mountain provincial campgrounds each have one cabin, reachable by skiing, that should be booked ahead for an overnight stay. Wasagaming offers several four-season oTEN-Tiks for winter overnights, heated by wood stoves. Take your own food, sleeping bags, dishes, cooking supplies etc. and be prepared to leave the warmth for bathroom facilities (outdoor biffy in the provincial parks, a heated washroom at Wasagaming). Wood is available in the provincial parks and can be purchased at Riding Mountain. For more RMNP info on this experience, see the Parks Canada website.
Of course, for the less adventurous some of the resorts also have cabins with a few more amenities available for rent.
Whatever you do, don’t hibernate this winter. If you are not up for outside exercise, then try a car ride in the country.
You just might catch sight of a snowy owl perched on a hydro pole, or a rabbit or coyote on a snow-covered field.
