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While the short days and long nights feel like a painful part of an Alberta winter, it doesn’t have to be that way. With beautiful clear starlit skies and bright moonlight reflecting off blankets of snow, night time in Brazeau and Beyond can bring a perspective to every day adventuring that can only be found in the winter months.
Once we hit January winter is in full swing with a blanket of snow on the ground.. Snowshoeing at night can vary between the extreme dark, where you will need a headlamp to see two feet in front of you, to an easy trail that is brightly lit by a bold full moon.
Often snowshoeing in central Alberta is overlooked by locals who desire the adventure that only comes with hitting the Rocky Mountains. But in reality, you don’t need to drive three hours to have some fun. You need go no further than your own backyard. In the region of Brazeau County there are four excellent trail systems that you can take to stretch your legs either before dinner or after. Since the sun goes down at 4:30 pm in the winter months it doesn’t really matter when you head out.
1. Pembina Nordic Ski Trails Single Track: This 9 km trail is packed for fat tire bike riding and so offers a heart pumping experience without the slog of moving new snow on your own. As this is a provincial park you can enter the single track trails from a kiosk off Township Road 494. However, if you want access to the cabin and parking lot and be centrally located for your jaunt, then purchasing a membership from the club is the way to go.
2. Eagle Point Provincial Park Hilltop and Hillside Trails: Across the North Saskatchewan River off the Willey West Campground area are two trails that are not well trodden, but just as much fun to snow shoe. The routes take you up and down above the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The heavy spruce tree trails can give a cozy feeling during the day or a little fright at night so make sure you bring head lamps on your walk.
3. Blue Rapids Recreation Area ATV trails: The ATV trails are not a place to hike in the summer as they are a hive of motorized activity. But during the winter months they quiet down and can be a great place for exploration. The area is not well mapped but if you start at the Evergreen Shooting Range you can easily find a few trails to get started on. The wide quad trails with no tree cover will allow for beautiful night time illumination during a full moon.
4. Pembina Rotary Community South Trails: You aren’t far from town on this trail system, and dog walkers like to do the A loop. But once you’re off the beaten path a series of loops that are less well used can take you to a view point high above the North Saskatchewan River. These are exceptionally wide paths that leave no mystery to whether you are on the trail or not. At the trail head there is signage that will help you map out your nighttime visit.
Although many of these trails are close to Drayton Valley, prepare for a night time snowshoe in your own backyard with as much diligence as you would a mountain trip. Take the time to search up items needed for your excursion, let someone know where you are going, and be animal alert. Even the edges of town there is still a wilderness that awaits.
