20 RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
A WILDERNESS WINTER PLAYGROUND IN MANITOBA
Forests, grasslands, lakes and rivers stretch out from the townsite of Wasagaming, Man., weaving a stunning natural tapestry called Clear Lake Country three hours northwest of Winnipeg. The heart of this gently rolling landscape is Riding Mountain National Park, well known for its wilds and summer swimming, camping and hiking. But come winter, long after the birch leaves have fallen and the crowds have left, you’ll discover that the park kicks it up a notch by creating a holiday on ice and snow. Here are three ways to keep your cool (just don’t forget your toque and snow pants). CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT
Parks Canada interpreter Patrick Mcdermott swears by cross-country skiing at night — at least when there’s a silver moon shining down from above the spruce and aspen — with such conviction that no headlamps are needed. Mcdermott might start skiers off on a track-set trail past a frozen marsh (read: flat terrain) before picking up the pace on a loop so dense with trees the moon disappears and the downhill sections feel like roller-coasters in the dark. Who needs alpine skiing for an adrenaline rush? The group Friends of Riding Mountain offers cross-country ski rentals.
FAT BIKING ACROSS CLEAR LAKE
Skating might seem like the obvious choice for a jaunt around a frozen lake, but add a twist to lake travel by riding around Clear Lake’s icy surface on a fat bike. With tires that are much thicker than those on a mountain bike, you’ll have no trouble getting through the snow drifts (when the wind is at your back, of course). If you really want to go skating, head to the park’s visitor centre to carve your way around the nearby tree-lined, protected loop.
VISITING BISON
Known as mashkode bizhiki to the Anishinaabe, plains bison were first reintroduced to the Riding Mountain ecosystem in 1931 (compare that with the more famous Banff bison, which were reintroduced in that part of the Rockies only in 2017). Living safely inside the Lake Audy bison enclosure, about 40 of the large animals keep trees in check, ensuring the region’s grassland and grassland-woodland habitats don’t grow over. Drive to the range on your own or sign up for a guided tour with an Anishinaabe interpreter from the park who can speak to the historical and cultural importance of the bison.