The Passionate Hiker: From Snow-shoes to Slippers

Monday, January 22, 2018

From Snow-shoes to Slippers

14-21 January: From Snow-shoes to Slippers

On the menu for tonight's ice storm

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

It’s hard to keep up with these weather swings this winter.

In the space of just one week, I made use of all my options for winter travel: cross-country skis, snow shoes, regular hiking boots, and MICROspike icers.

Just a week ago, we were snow-shoeing along the Rideau Trail, beside the Tay Canal, into Perth. It was very cold, close to minus 20C, with a new snowfall. It was hard to believe that, only twenty four hours earlier, it had been plus 11C and raining, with the heavy snow cover rapidly melting. Then the temperatures plummeted in just a few hours, and it snowed again. So for our frigid journey beside the canal, we wore our snow-shoes – and moved quickly to keep warm!

Snow-shoeing beside the Tay Canal

Three days later, the temperatures had warmed up a bit – now closer to minus 10C, perfect for a cross-country ski trip around Murphys Point Provincial Park. We had the beautifully groomed trails to ourselves. Blue wax was the choice, and we glided smoothly through the silent forest.

A cross-country ski trip in Murphys Point Park...

...gliding effortlessly through the forest

Only two days later, it had warmed up again, creating a slushy surface, needing only regular hiking boots for our journey along ten kilometres of the Rideau Trail, from Burritts Rapids to Merrickville, on quiet roads.

Strolling into Merrickville on the Rideau Trail...

...crossing the Rideau Canal on the Rideau Trail

Finally yesterday we travelled fourteen kilometres along the Rideau Trail, north of Richmond, finding that MICROspikes made safer travel across the icy sections of trail, in temperatures hovering around the freezing point.