Snowshoeing the 16km Wood Bison Trail. - Sun, Jan 15 2017

Snowshoeing the 16km Wood Bison Trail. (1/15/2017)

PRE-REGISTRATION 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 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, Jan 15 2017 11:00 AM (Carpool Departure: 10:15 AM *log in for location*)

Registration Cut Off:

Sat, Jan 14 2017 12:00:00 PM

Event Duration:

5-7 hrs

Difficulty Rating:

D4: Moderate to Difficult

Event Coordinator(s):

Lynn F
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.

Member Cost:

Voluntary Donation Only (See Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 18 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

13 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

We will meet at the carpool location for 10:05am Departure at 10:15 am 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).

You can order a 2017 Parks pass at no cost via the Park Canada website. In celebration of Canada's 150 yr Birthday We will start our journey at close to 11:00am. The trail is a total of 16km. Depending on trail conditions and the overall pace could take between 4-6 hours depending on the snowfall/conditions. Update closer to event. We will stop for approx 30 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. Hopefully we will spot some bison, moose or deer.

16km is a good distance and an overall pace of at least 2.5km/h is required. As a group I anticipate our moving average will be closer to 3km/h. You should have previous experience to join this event. If you are not very confident in your physical fitness and ability this is not the event for you. After the first 2 hours you are committed to the full distance as this a loop trail.

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
and clothing for weather 2)Snow Shoes
Bring Hiking shoes too. 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.
Lunch, snacks, water

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):

110Km

Carpool Departure Time:

10:15 AM

Carpool Location:

Carpool 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 $31.90 (calculated at total Km * $0.29, effective Friday, April 26, 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:

Please bring exact change to carpool. I will NOT have change.
- 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 Includes:

$5-10 to cover carpooling cost

Voluntary Donation: ( What is this?)
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.

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