SilverStar snowshoe trails SNOW SHOEING THE ART OF DUCK WALKING Words by Steve Dickinson - Images by Steve and other ducks Ya look like a duck…Not a cool duck floating on the water ducking its wee head to chew weeds. Nore a duck flying gracefully south for the winter. But a duck on dry land, where its feet are too big and it has to walk bow-legged and overexaggerated just to get around. That’s what I thought snowshoeing was like. Basically, a ‘snow duck’ walking, and about as cool as a duck on concrete. I was wrong. We met Kim and Lilly outside the activity office at Silver Star Resort, I knew straight away we were in trouble. Both women were so enthusiastic, like really enthusiastic, so animated and so keen, they laughed more than they smiled, and they smiled a lot. I was pretty much exhausted and needed a lay down by the end of the introductions. Snowshoes on, poles in hand, (thank goodness, poles are vital) we headed off to the edge of the track. Here we were shown the simple way to put your shoes on, what buckles go where, what straps need to be tight and what goes on what foot. Shoes on, we were given the walking demonstration, and I was right, it was basically a duck walk. ‘Don’t step on your own feet’, they advised; that was easier said than done; ‘lean forward going up slippery slopes,’ again easier said than done! And lastly and even more in jest ‘let the crampons grab and when going downhill use your poles’. Sounds simple and it was... well, most of the time. As the only male in the group, the only thing that hurt more than my ego because of the constant falls, was my ears from the endless and relentless chatter, well more of a torrent of laughter and chat, a veritable cascading waterfall of words, not just amongst ourselves but nearly everyone we met on the track. There were introductions and handshakes and kisses goodbye, recipes shared and rendezvous organised. Add that to a wealth of information about the snow, the trees, the area, the track we were on, the footprints of the ‘snowshoe hare’ (which was very cool) it was no wonder we got a little distracted. Now don’t get me wrong, this avalanche of constant chatter was all part of the experience, it was a delight, it was as entertaining as it was distracting. We scooted along a path between snowcovered trees, that you would not have been able to walk through without the snowshoes on due to the depth of the snow. It felt like we were in the wilderness, but we were not far away from anywhere, occasionally we crossed what seemed like a road but were advised it was a crosscountry ski track and on occasion, we met someone scooting along with a smile. We eventually made it to Mountain View Cabin and took in the views across the valley to the ski fields in the distance. Hot chocolate was dug out from a small backpack, and Lily asked if we would like to try her brownie. A lightbulb went off, and now I considered the basis of all the enthusiasm, based on the brownie offer (bearing in mind the substance is not illegal in Canada). But no, these brownies were little more than black beans and chocolate, all mushed up, and marijuana free! Lily and Kim’s energy was based purely on their enthusiasm to be in the wild on the snow (and possibly a touch of ADHD). Their passion was so overwhelmingly contagious you could do nothing but have a great time. Brownie consumed, hot chocolate downed, we headed back. 3 hours had gone by in what seemed a moment, and there was a little less slipping and falling. However, confidence (pride) does come before a fall, and there were still plenty of those. We arrived back at Silver Star township as the sun was setting. In the twilight and softly falling snow, I reflected on the trip that I first considered would be somewhat boring, but was so much fun. And as with so many adventure activities, it is often less about what you do and more about those you are with. Maybe that’s why ducks fly in flocks south for that winter – it’s less about where you are going and more about who you are with. 16//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#238</strong>
Left to right, top to bottom: Not laughing at you, but laughing with you / Never look back / Brownies and hot chocolate / Lots of things have changed but snow shoeing has been around for ever / Mountain View Cabin / Sliding down hill is half the fun / SilverStar Village ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//17
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