It was a new adventure—I had never been to Manitoba, and for my first visit I was treated to snowmobiling for two fun-filled days in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
I had perfectly groomed trails for my first trail ride. The first thing I noticed was the signage. I don’t think—even with my lousy sense of direction—that I could ever get lost on these trails. Every curve, bump and steep hill is marked. OK, I did chuckle over the Caution: Steep Hill signs.
I was eager to begin. My tour guide was Kris Mutcher, Whiteshell Snowmobile Club’s vice-president; also along for the ride were club members and a representative from Manitoba Conservation. I enjoyed the camaraderie—their hospitality was the highmark of my adventure.
Snowmobiling has been considered a male-dominated sport, but the female riders are growing in numbers—yahoo, girl power! On Day 2, I was happy to have Barb and Juanita join me for the ride.
During my Prairie snowmobiling excursion to Whiteshell Provincial Park, I came to realize that trail riding and mountain riding are two very different sports, even though they both involve a sled.
A performance sled versus a mountain sled is like comparing a cheetah to a mountain goat: they each excel in their own habitat. Trail riding here should be called destination riding—winter resort living with all the luxuries, including a private cottage with your very own spa. If you want to take a break from riding, bring along your fishing pole. With the abundance of lakes in the park, you could be lucky enough to have fresh fish for dinner.
Within the park there are nine warm-up shelters, 475 kilometres of trails that are groomed, and numerous year-round resorts and services.
The royal treatment
While Manitoba Conservation and Mother Nature rolled out the white carpet, giving me pristine trails to ride on, the businesses of Whiteshell rolled out the red carpet with their genuine hospitality. Special thanks to Travel Manitoba, Inverness Falls Resort, the Whiteshell Snowmobile Club and Enns Brothers. Thank you also to the Rennie Hotel, the West Hawk Inn,
Brereton Lake Resort, Pinewood Lodge and White Lake Resort for providing me with superb food during my stay.
I would highly recommend a visit to Whiteshell Provincial Park for a destination snowmobiling adventure. A very luxurious getaway with your main squeeze or with a group of family and friends would be a memorable winter vacation.
