Ate too much turkey? Get outta town
OK, so you’ve eaten too much, you’ve drank too much, and you feel plump enough to be buttered, basted and carved.
That’s what happens in late December. Happily, the holidays also provide you with time to undo the damage.
There is no better way to reinvigorate your eggnog-addled self than to slap a pair of skinny skis on your feet and spend a few hours outside.
The following four cross-country ski-trail systems are located within a 75-minute drive of the Perimeter. To make it even easier for you to get out of town, I’ve chosen one destination for each direction.
All you have to do is get out of town.
North: Grand Beach
Grand Beach Provincial Park
Setting: Gentle slopes amid the mixed forest and open meadows on the post-glacial landscape on the east side of Grand Beach Provincial Park.
Trails: Sixteen kilometres of trails rated easy to challenging. The longest is the 13.3-kilometre Beaver Pond loop, which will take you across Dinner Creek and back and then up the side of an esker toward the end. After the climb, you can pretty much glide back to the trailhead.
Get there: From Winnipeg, take Highway 59 north and remain on it after it merges with Highway 12. Head west on Highway 12 when it diverges from Highway 50 and then exit to your right at East Beach entrance to Grand Beach Provincial Park. After you pass through the park entrance gate, the road to the trailhead is on the right.
Fees: None this season, due to Manitoba Conservation’s decision to forgo entrance revenue since 2009.
Trail conditions: www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/recreation/ski_trail.html
South: Thornhill
Shannondale Trails
Setting: Woods, meadows and creeks on rolling terrain where the Manitoba Escarpment meets the Pembina Valley region, a few kilometres northwest of Morden.
Trails: Sixteen kilometres of classic trails and seven kilometres skate-ski trails on private land lovingly maintained by irrepressible ski fanatic David Lumgair. The moderate Blue Trail is a 10.4-kilometre there-and-back with loop portions at either end.
Get there: From Winnipeg, take Highway 3 southwest to Morden and continue west to gravel Road 34 West, also known as the Thornhill turnoff. Turn right and drive 2.6 kilometres north. Turn left at Lumgair Seeds, a farm property with red barns. This is the last set of structures on the left before the road dips into a river valley — If you descend into the valley, you’ve gone too far.
Fees: There’s a dropbox for donations at the trailhead.
Trail map and conditions: www.ccsam.ca
East: Pinawa
Whiteshell Ski Trails
Setting: Coniferous forest, granite outcroppings and a few open bogs in the Canadian Shield terrain.
Trails: About 40 kilometres of classic ski trails, plus a seven-klick packed route for skate-skiers. The five loops for classic skiing range from easy to difficult. You can put together a fantastic 15-kilometre loop — one of the best in southern Manitoba — by combining the Blue, English River, Jones-Graham-Gauthier and Orange Trails. Stay alert on the downhill curves!
Get there: From Winnipeg, take Highway 59 northeast to Highway 44 and follow it east past Beausejour to Highway 11. Head north to Provincial Road 211 and then head east to Pinawa. Continue on the 211 until you reach the trailhead, on the east edge of town.
Fees: Optional donations can be made by downloading the form at whiteshellskiclub.com and mailing in a cheque.
Trail map and conditions: Also at whiteshellskiclub.com. As of last week, some trails were not ready because bogs had yet to freeze up.
West: Rossendale
Bittersweet Trails
The setting: Rolling prairie terrain on private, mostly wooded land on the north slope of the Assiniboine River Valley.
The trails: A 21-kilometre, intermediate-level trail system featuring mostly one-way routes with plenty of hills and a couple of great views of the valley to the south. There are also 12 kilometres of skate-ski trails. The system is rarely, if ever busy.
Get there: From Winnipeg, take the Trans-Canada Highway west and continue past Portage la Prairie to Bagot. Turn south at Provincial Road 242 and continue going south until you begin descending the Assiniboine River Valley. The eastern trailhead and parking lot will be on your right, before the river. If you cross the river, you’ve gone too far.
Fees: There’s a dropbox for donations at the trailhead.
Trail map and conditions: www.ccsam.ca
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 26, 2010 C6