Winter

The Wanderung website does not provide specific snowshoe trail information, however we can point you to some websites that do:

Snowshoe trails on Trailpeak.com
Live Trails
Vancouver Trails

With the recent increased interest in snowshoeing, renting gear can be a challenge. Usually renting at the mountain itself is most convenient, but you pay a premium, are subject to their hours, and often have to wait in line. Here are some other rental options:

Valhalla Pure Outfitters
222 West Broadway / 604-872-8872
$12/day $20/2 days
get on Sat after 4pm, return on Mon before noon.
no reservations

MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop)
130 West Broadway / 604.872.7858
$12/day $20/2 days
Pick-up on Sat after 3pm, return Mon before 1pm, can reserve a week ahead

Altus Mountain Gear
137 West Broadway / 604.876.5255
$8/day or $12/day (depending on the quality) Pick up on Sat after 4pm, return Mon at 10am (opening time)

Sigge’s Sport Villa Ltd.
http://www.sigges.com/services.htm
2077 West 4th Avenue /604-731-8818
$10/day $17/2 days
No reservations, pick up on Sat after 3pm, return Mon

Working hours for all shops:
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00am – 7:00pm
Thursday – Friday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am – 5:00pm

Renting in the Whistler area.

Of course, the alternative to renting is to buy your own. Prices start at around $130–150. Don’t bother with anything cheaper than that as they will lack good bindings and will have poor grip (vital for icy conditions). Popular snowshoes are made by Atlas and MSR. MEC rents MSRs (which have good traction), while many other places rent Atlas (or similar). Try out different makes by renting a few times, or ask your friends to see which they prefer.

Remember, every snowshoe trip (even a short easy one) can be hazardous, dangerous or potentially fatal if appropriate precautions are not taken. We strongly suggest checking the snow conditions before going out: CAC North Shore Forecast

We also highly recommend taking an avalanche training course and carrying the requisite rescue gear and safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel, iceaxe, crampons, lots of warm clothing, etc.) on backcountry routes.

For those of us that are less enthusiastic about hiking on snow in winter, the question of where to hike can be somewhat vexing. There are several hikes below 1,000 m worth considering, although even some of these may have snow in winter:

Lynn Valley (North Vancouver) – 100 m
Minnekhada Lake (Port Coquitlam) – 100 m
Teapot Hill (Chilliwack) –
West Canyon Trail, Gold Creek Falls (Golden Ears) –
Crocker Lookout (Buntzen Lake) – 440m
Crooked Falls (Sigurd Creek, Squamish) – 490m
Diez Vistas (Buntzen Lake) – 500m
Mount Lincoln/Spirit Caves (just north of Hope) – 655m
Mount Gardner (Bowen Island) – 720m

For those of you into cross-country skiing, check out Vancouver Skiers. They have a full schedule of pre-arranged trips with prices listed on their website. We’ve opted to only allow “Wanderung initiated” Call-outs through the mail system but this club might be a good place to look if you are interested in a bus trip with accommodation in Manning Park or further afield. In addition Sigge’s offer lessons and run coaches to Manning Park and the new Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley throughout the winter.

Avalanche training with Canada West Mountain School
REI info on snowshoeing
Sigges
The Yeti snowshoe race series
Snowshoe magazine online
Gear reviews for snowshoes at Trailspace.ca
Avalanche.ca – the nexus for all avalanche organizations
General snow safety at adventuresmart.ca