Winter adventures on the Whitefish Trail
When venturing outside on the Whitefish Trail during the winter, many feelings and images come to mind including the beauty of hoar frost on a leafless bush, a forest clothed in snow, the intense silence after a fresh snowfall, and the sharp intake of revitalizing air.
Everything seems quiet and lonely until you discover a tree filled with chickadees flitting about or rabbit tracks crisscrossing in front of your path. Outdoor winter recreation not only exposes you to the wonders of winter, but also keeps you warm and increases your fitness, something many of us are thinking about during the New Year.
There are so many ways to enjoy the wonders of winter on lands surrounding our community. Snowshoeing is similar to walking and has the shortest learning curve, yet it uses every major muscle group at relatively high intensity for extended periods of time, thus requiring high caloric expenditure. Snowshoeing can be really beneficial for runners and cyclists in the off season.
The physical demands of snowshoeing can build up endurance levels and strengthen quadriceps for runners. Climbing in snowshoes works the hip flexors and extensors, crucial muscles for cyclists while the use of ski poles gets the upper body moving and helps condition arms, shoulders and back muscles.
Cross-country skiing burns more calories per hour than any other sport and offers a low-risk, low-impact aerobic form of exercise. As with snowshoeing, it is an ideal cross-training sport for running or biking. It is advocated by medical professionals as the best cardiovascular fitness activity and is an excellent low-stress outdoor exercise with a very short learning curve.
Fat biking the trail
A new phenomenon in the world of winter recreation is also cropping up on the Whitefish Trail. Fat biking is a growing new form of recreation for all seasons and in the winter months these wide-tired bikes open up the icy and snowy trails and routes to be explored in a new light.
Fat bikes are similar to mountain bikes but boast four inch tires that allows you to float over snow while retaining traction. Tire pressure is kept low to allow for better glide through the snow instead of getting bogged down. No need to only spin your wheels inside during the winter. Snow biking is yet another way to maintain your fitness during the winter and recreate outdoors.
Winter Trails Day
The annual Winter Trails Day will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11. Winter Trails Day is a national event offering the public free winter outdoor sports and educational activities. Whitefish Legacy Partners is coordinating two events on the Whitefish Trail in partnership with the Stillwater Mountain Lodge and Nordic Center and the Whitefish Bike Retreat from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The public is welcome to bring their own, or try complimentary demo cross-country ski and snow shoe equipment on the Stillwater Nordic Center’s groomed trails. The Whitefish Bike Retreat will host complimentary demo fat bikes from bike shops across the Flathead Valley. Both locations will have warm fires, hot cocoa, and treats on site for this FREE event, open to the public.
For more information call the Whitefish Trail at (406) 862-3880 or email carla@whitefishlegacy.org.