The Marsh Loop Trail on Snowshoes

It always surprises me how much I love doing winter activities. I mean, I hate the winter! Well, hate is very strong… I dislike winter very very much. But there’s so much fun to be had in the winter. After going skiing twice this season, a short hike at Tunnel Mountain in Banff, and trying ice climbing, I was ready to shelve all things wintery. But when friends Paul and Vanessa texted to see if my friend Dan (who’s visiting from Guelph) and I wanted to go snowshoeing today, we couldn’t refuse! 

The morning began with a quick trip to Starbucks for pre-hiking fuel, a stop at the Outdoor Centre to rent snowshoes, and then a nice scenic 1.5 hour drive to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country. We stopped at the visitor centre for some info, and then headed to William Watson Lodge where there were a few snowshoeing trails from which we could choose. In the end, we completed about half of the 3.3 km Lower Lake Trail before turning back to finish the 1.8 km Marsh Loop Trail. As usual, there were shenanigans! We all learned that it’s quite difficult to execute a successful jump shot while wearing snowshoes. Who knew?! 

I’ve realized that I love snowshoeing. I guess that’s not really a surprise considering I’m a huge fan of hiking trails and scrambling to the summits of mountains. In the winter, the mountains look absolutely gorgeous, especially after a fresh dusting of snow. Despite the season, the mountains never cease to fill me with a sense of awe and wonder. It’s crazy to think that there are many Calgarians that don’t take advantage of the natural playground in their backyard. To ensure that I don’t become one of them, I have decided that I must do more snowshoeing next year! I’m looking forward to it already :).