One Serious Snow Shoe Mission – 16km Wood Bison Trail - Sun, Feb 22 2015

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One Serious Snow Shoe Mission – 16km Wood Bison Trail (2/22/2015)

PRE-REGISTRATION & PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page. You will then make your payment for this event at the venue, NOT in advance to the EOC.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to read this page in its entirety before signing up. If you'd like to attend, we ask that you abide by our rules and procedures as a time/cost saving process (with an end result of keeping membership free and lower cost events).

The Basics:
Event Type:Snow Shoe
Event Location: Elk Island National Park - Wood Bison Trail
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Feb 22 2015  6:45 AM  (Carpool Departure: 7:00 AM   *log in for location*)
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Feb 20 2015 6:00:00 PM
Event Duration:7am - 7pm
Difficulty Rating:D6: Advanced
Event Coordinator(s): CoreyG
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.
Member Cost:$20.00/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 18 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:8
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 6 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
We will meet at the carpool location for 6:45am. Departure is at 7AM sharp. We will then drive to Elk Island National Park. We will park at the Wood Bison trail head. The trail head is located on the south side of the highway just west of the main park road (range road 201A).

There is a park entrance fee of $7.80/adult. I have a valid family parks pass so if anybody has one, please bring it. If anyone needs to buy a pass they can enter the park and buy one at the automated machine prior to meeting at the trailhead. We will start our journey at 8:15am. The trail is a total of 16km. Depending on trail conditions and the overall pace it could take us as much as 10 hours to complete (if we have to break trail).

We will stop for one hour for lunch where we can enjoy a hot or cold lunch with warm beverages.

Along the way we will try to minimize stops as much as possible. Photography is encouraged but make it quick and don't photograph sticks. Hopefully we will spot some bison, moose or deer.

16km is pretty serious snow shoe distance. An overall pace of at least 2km/h is required. If we average 1.5km/h as a group we will end up finishing in the dark. We want to avoid this. As a group I anticipate our moving average will be closer to 3km/h. If you are not very confident in your physical fitness and ability this is not the event for you. If you have a bad knee or nagging injury that could slow the group down. Please don't sign up. After the first 2-4hours you are committed to the full distance with this hike.

About the trail, the trail is on the south side of the highway and wood bison, the largest mammal in North America have called this area home since 1963. The area is also home to moose, elk, deer and a wide range of small mammals and birds.

Required Items to Bring:
1)Suitable backpack
2)Snow Shoes
3)Poles (these are a huge help once you start to get tired)
4)Warm clothing (dress in layers)
5)Nutritious lunch
6)Backpacking stove. 1 for every 2 people would work great.
7)Easy to eat snacks and 2 litres of water for staying recharged while hiking.
8)Warm beverage mix. We will boil water at lunch for this.
9)Headlamp
10)Personal First Aid kit
Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

How to Get There:
Event Directions: Take the Yellowhead Highway east out of Edmonton. Travel east on Highway 16/Yellowhead approximately 20km past Ardrossan and then turn right opposite the main park road and follow the short driveway to the trailhead. The trail is on the south side of the highway
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):80Km
Carpool Departure Time: 7:00 AM
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: The event coordinator(s) will help you to arrange a centralized carpool if you require it, but it's not guaranteed. Please DO NOT pay your driver en route. Passengers will pay the coordinator, and he/she will distribute the money to the carpool drivers. SO PLEASE BRING CASH!!! Approximate vehicle expense for this event is $23.20 (calculated at total Km * $0.29, effective Friday, April 19, 2024). This is based on $0.09/Km for maintenance, plus current gas price divided by 9. This cost will be multiplied by the number of carpooled cars, and divided by the number of carpool participants.

Notes:

- We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in EOC events.
- Please scroll through and read the entire online waiver when you sign up.
- Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.

Cost & Payment:
Member Cost:$20.00/Person
Cost Includes:7.80 park entrance fee 5-10$ to cover carpooling cost
Make a Payment:Although there is a cost for this event, you do not pay through the EOC. Please review the event details carefully for information about how/where to make your payment.
 
Voluntary Donation:What is this?)
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!