Canada > Full throttle over the snow

I intended to get up at 7:30, but my internal clock had already woken me hours earlier. Breakfast is served with omelets and fried potatoes, providing a solid start to the day. At nine o’clock, we depart Clearwater and head toward Wells Gray Provincial Park. The group is split into two. One group goes snowmobiling in the morning and does a snowshoe hike in the afternoon.

Canada - Group photo of the snowshoe walkers

We do the exact opposite. We drive for about half an hour along the beautifully snow-covered road through the park. The road is completely white, and the trees are dusted with snow. At the snowmobile starting point, we leave group one behind and pick up our guide, Paul. A little further on, we arrive at the trailhead. Paul explains how to strap on the snowshoes and how to walk in them. Without these shoes or boards, you’d sink straight into the snow. In a single file, we walk into the forest. The fresh snow from last night, combined with the sun, makes it a breathtaking scene. We walk along a ridge with views over the valley, hoping to spot elk or other wildlife. Elk are shy animals with keen hearing, so we won’t encounter them with the noise of our snowshoes. Paul does show us fresh tracks of elk and deer. At the second lookout over the valley, we are still unlucky. According to Paul, elk can often be seen here, but despite our efforts, we see no wildlife. After taking photos along the ridge, we return along the trail, which takes about an hour. We then drive to the stunning Helmcken Falls. The splashing water from the high waterfall has frozen, forming a sort of ice crater where the water flows in. Shortly after, we stop at Dawson Falls, which is further along the road. Around three o’clock—slightly later than planned—we arrive at Mike’s snowmobile range. Mike gives a brief explanation of the do’s and don’ts for snowmobiling. We each find a suitable helmet and snowmobile, and once suited up, we set off. With a lot of noise, we cautiously follow Mike toward the meadow. Steering through the gate feels awkward at first, but after a lap around the meadow, the speed is gradually increased. It’s a fun experience. After a few practice rounds, we leave the range and cross the asphalt road (who knew that was possible?).

Canada - Ronald on the snow scooter

A little further on, we enter the forest. Mike warns us to be careful on the narrow forest trails. Through many turns and hills, we reach a large frozen lake, where we speed up and do a few laps behind Mike. In the central area, half of the group rides individually while the other half takes photos. On the lake, I open the throttle and speed straight ahead. The snowmobile skims almost full throttle over the snow. Going faster doesn’t seem wise, as the scooter bounces heavily on the snow. Others have less luck: Coby tips her snowmobile in the first turn, and Jany digs her rear deep into the snow trying to free the snowmobile. After a few laps, Mike gets angry. Apparently, we had crossed the designated boundaries and entered the dog-sled course. With the two tipped snowmobiles, he decides that the second group can no longer ride, citing safety concerns. We do a few more laps in a line and then ride back through the forest to the range. At the range, Mike serves hot chocolate and manages to get the jukebox working after a few tries. The anger quickly dissipates. The other travelers arrive as well; they had spotted a few elk during their snowshoe hike. Together, we return to the hotel in the minibuses. In the evening, after dinner, we relax in the hot tub, but within half an hour, we are asked to get out due to noise complaints from other guests—likely because some people had stayed in the tub until 2 a.m. the previous night.