Snowshoers take to the trails at French Fort Cove

Feb. 2, 2009

While many people were complaining about the cold last week, a few brave souls were out in it for a snowshoeing trip around French Fort Cove.

The freezing temperatures couldn't scare away the regulars who venture out for the hour and half long treks three times a week.

With the mercury dipping below -20 C Tuesday, the group didn't wait long before they strapped on their shoes and started down the hard packed trail at the end of French Fort Road.

With every step each shoe beat down the snow in a solid slap as the group marched into the woods single file.

Vinyl straps squeaked as shoes dangled from the hikers' boots and along with the crunch of snow they were the only sounds in the quiet night air.

It didn't take long for the group to separate in two, with one slower snowshoer falling behind and bringing a few others with her.

Maisie Walkers lead the group at the back of the pack and has been snowshoeing for a few years. As she packed her snowshoes into the back seat of her car at the end of the night, she wasn't worried about holding anyone back on the trail.

"Everybody kind of moves at their own pace," she said.

Incline Sports organizes the hikes every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the Tuesday night adventure geared more toward beginners.

Like many other sports, it takes time to get used to the equipment. Modern snowshoes are lighter and smaller than the traditional teardrop shaped wooden frames.

Even though they are smaller, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the feel of having a longer, wider foot.

While they are designed to keep people from sinking into the snow, the hard trail made the shoes unnecessary for most of Tuesday's trip.

The group stuck to the trail for most of the night and only made a few stops to catch their breath or get a drink of water.

Jeff Doucet was at the back of the pack for most of the hike and was the only one who used a traditional pair of wooden snowshoes.

On his way back to his truck after the trek, Doucet said he has been snowshoeing for about 30 years and taught himself how to fix the wooden pair he was using.

"I just find, for me, the bigger shoes gives you more floatation."

Back on the trail the snowshoers walked along in the wake of lights strapped to their heads. They were the only source of light in the dark woods and cast a bright circle on the snow around each hiker.

A few times one of the dogs brought along for the walk ran out of the darkness to play with the snowshoers, which lead to a few people jumping from the surprise.

The Tuesday hike is the easiest of the three because there are fewer hills and the one big hill the group tackled was optional, although everyone made the side trip.

Even with the extra hill, the trek was enough to give the snowshoers hearts pumping, but not leave them exhausted.

As everyone headed back to their cars after the hike, Doucet said it was fun to get out snowshoeing with a group.

"It's good to see people get active in the winter. It gives you a head start on your fitness program for the summer."