On New Year's Eve, after a year of dating, Karen and I finally went snowshoeing together. This time, after a bit of confusion with buses (because of a bus waiting for a CN train to pass, we missed the shuttle bus from Phibbs Station to Seymour Mountain) we instead went on the 232 to Grouse Mountain. Standing in line for about 20 minutes and the $30 gondola lift price were the low points. Granted, the view is amazing, and gets you on the mountain to do whatever you like, be it ski, snowboard, ice skate or snowshoe. We only went up to the black pole-marked trail on Dam Mountain, thinking that visibility was lower than we would have liked, and that there were plenty of downhills to bum slide down.
Karen introduced me to the ... what is it? A sport? Leisure activity? Punishment? Whatever it is, it's a good workout on the way up, and fun on the way down. I'm going to buy some cheap snowshoes so I don't have to stand in line and besides, after about 5 times, the snowshoes will pay for themselves. I can go alone or, like the time I went snowshoeing on Hollyburn and on Seymour, I can go with a local hiking club. Or I could go and take a silly picture with my girlfriend, but only when she comes to visit, and only day trip. There's no way I'm snowhoeing on flat Ontario land, because I'm a snob and am spoiled by British Columbia's hilly bounty, or for an overnight trip, because I'm a wussy. But I enjoy snowshoeing enough to go in the evening after work or during the day on a weekend.
