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travel / adventure / guides / winter 2005
| Travel & Adventure Guides |
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BY GILDA SWARTZ
Come winter, one of the best ways to re-energize is to leave
behind the rush, slush and stresses of your daily life. If a resort
holiday is beyond your budget, there are plenty of snow-covered
getaways that will inflate your spirit without deflating your bank account.
Ontario |
New Brunswick |
Vancouver Island |
La Belle Province |
Saskatchewan
HOME SWEET YURT
Algonquin Provincial Park Ontario
Otters skitter across frozen lakes, and moose loom
large in the snowy woods. Ontario's first provincial
park lies in Canadian Shield country, a mere 250
kilometres northeast of Toronto, and it can be your
winter playground too. Though there are day trippers
and a few intrepid winter campers, you'll find
your primary outdoor companions to be the Algonquin
Provincial Park's abundant wildlife. If you
like the idea of spending a night under a winter
sky but shiver at the thought of sleeping in a tent,
you can rent a yurt. This octagonal hut has an insulated
floor and can sleep up to six on cots. It's
equipped with electric heat and one outlet, while
heated washrooms are steps away. Life
in a yurt means schlepping your own sleeping and
cooking gear plus food, but the five-star Algonquin
winter landscape
is right outside your door. There are
100 kilometres of cross-country trails, and you can
snowshoe to your heart's content — wander
through forests looking for woodpeckers, trek across
frozen lakes and streams, and picnic wherever you
like. At the end of the day, head home to your cozy
little yurt. Winter trails are accessible via the
West Gate on Highway 60.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE? $65
a night
WHO DO I CALL? (705)
633-5572
SIGN ME UP!
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OVER THE SNOW AND THROUGH THE WOODS
Northern New Brunswick getaways
Combine forests, rivers and coastlines with more than
3,000 kilometres of trails — many leading right
up to hotels and resorts — and you've got
a recipe that will satisfy any snowmobiler. Receiving
up to four metres of snow each year, northern New Brunswick,
including Bathurst, Campbellton, Edmundston, Nelson-Miramichi
and the Acadian Peninsula, is the snowiest area in
the Atlantic provinces. While the entire region caters
to snowmobilers, Bathurst is dubbed the "snowmobile
capital of Atlantic Canada." Its trails are diverse
and holiday packages abundant.
The Atlantic Host Hotel, for example, offers double
rooms, breakfast, parking with loading ramps and use
of a pool and sauna for a price that would thaw the
wallet of the most frugal adventurer. Take day trips
from Bathurst, or use it as your starting point for
a multi-day adventure. Travel to Chaleur Bay and to
fishing communities such as Shippagan or Tracadie-Sheila
and enjoy great seafood meals.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE? Overnights
with all the extras start at under $100 per person
WHO DO I CALL? New Brunswick
Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (506) 325-2625
SIGN ME UP!
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UNSPOILED RAINFOREST TRAILS — AND TIME FOR TEA
Point-No-Point Resort, Vancouver Island
Winter enhances the spectacular vistas, roaring surf
and unspoiled trails along the southwest coast of Vancouver
Island. As wild as your West Coast winter might be,
don't forget to pack loungewear and good food
and book a cabin at Point-No-Point Resort.
Point-No-Point Resort is situated in the heart of Vancouver
Island's rugged coastal hiking country. Among
the many adventure destinations, you can head for isolated
Juan de Fuca Marine Trail and take a day trip starting
at a trailhead such as China Beach or at the western
terminus, Botanical Beach, one of the richest tidal
areas on the West Coast. Originally a cliff-hugging
tea house dating from the 1950s, Point-No-Point now
serves up lunch and dinner and has expanded to include
25 kitchen-equipped cabins. Many have decks with hot
tubs, and all have fireplaces and views to die for.
Winter is the low season — go with a group and
live it up for less.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE? Starting at $120 a night
WHO DO I CALL? (250) 646-2020
SIGN ME UP! www.gov.bc.ca or www.pointnopoint.com
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HUT HOPPING
La Belle Province
If skiing through glorious landscapes for days on end sounds like a good time, then Quebec's hut-to-hut backcountry skiing is the bargain for you. The province boasts hundreds of kilometres of groomed and ungroomed trails. Parks such as Mont-Tremblant,
Mont-Mégantic and Gaspésie have rated circuits,
from easy to difficult, that will provide you with days
of skiing followed by snuggly nights in simple cabins warmed by wood stoves. You can reserve an overnight spot, but during the day, these same cabins are open rest stops for park visitors.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE? $20
a night
WHO DO I CALL? Sépaq
at 1-800-665-6527
SIGN ME UP!
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PRAIRIE TREK AND TRACK
Sawyer Lake Adventures Saskatchewan
Central Saskatchewan's latitude and expansive
dark skies make it a great destination for viewing
the night sky. Toss in an eco-friendly lodge in the
boreal forest, and the aurora borealis never looked
so good. Located near Preeceville, Sawyer Lake Adventures
specializes in nature interpretation. On its Snowtrek
Adventure, you'll learn about the forest and
the animals that live there. Take a horse-drawn sleigh
into the woods and find out about sustainable logging.
For hands-on experience, harness a dog team with Rusty,
Outlaw or Annie and sled down a trail.
If wildlife watching is your passion, sign up for the
Timber Wolf Search package. You'll travel on
foot and by dogsled, interpreting tracks and other
signs in a quest to catch a glimpse of this magnificent
creature in its natural habitat. You'll also
spend the night at an outlying cabin and enjoy an evening
wolf howl.
Week-long and weekend packages include meals, lodging,
activities and taxes. All trips originate in Saskatoon
or Regina.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE? Four
nights/five days start at $750 per person; weekend
packages start at $295 per person
WHO DO I CALL? (306)
547-4661
SIGN ME UP!
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An avid winter camper and adventurer, Gilda
Swartz is a senior editor at Canadian Living
magazine.
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