If you are adventurous at heart, Squamish is a winter wonderland

If you are adventurous at heart, Squamish is a

Winter Wonderland

PAT JOHNSON

The Sea-to-Sky region is truly a year-round outdoor playground. While some recreational activities are more enjoyable in summer — swimming, kiteboarding, hiking — the hardy souls who inhabit Squamish are rarely put off by a bit of mist, snow, hail, sideways downpours, mercury-shrinking temperatures or black clouds hovering just above the forehead. Winter is not something locals just put up with. It is a time to get innovative and relish new ways of enjoying the natural splendour of our heavenly corner of earth.

Most visitors do not arrive in town with snowshoes or toboggans in tow, so most of what you need you can rent. (COVID-19 restrictions have affected some offerings, so check ahead to avoid disappointment.) Nordic skiing in the Callaghan Valley or snowshoeing in the trails above town are entry-level activities that don’t take too long to get a newbie in the groove. Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Squamish and Whistler Olympic Park offer skis, snowshoes and other equipment for rent. Sledding or tubing are all-ages activities as easy as grabbing a cheap saucer or tube at Canadian Tire.

Equally family-friendly with absolutely no entry cost is one of the natural phenomena that help define Squamish’s identity. Winter is eagle season around here. The imposing birds are almost unavoidable in certain times and places — but enthusiasts head to the aptly named Eagle Run viewing shelter and Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park for the best views.

For an even more immersive observation of the impressive guests wintering here, a gentle raft trip down the local rivers can offer a memorable experience. Landlubbers might not associate river rafting with winter, but this time of year is actually ideal for people of all ages and abilities to get out on the water, says Sam Bell of Squamish Rafting Company.

“There’s no rapids or anything,” she said. This is unlike some of their summer offerings, which can take rafters a little more on the wild side. “Just bundle up and go on the river for a little float with the guides, see some eagles and some wildlife … and then, after, you get some chili as well.”

These trips see a clientele that leans more toward multigenerational families and older adults.

Last year, with the pandemic-shuttered borders, U.S. visitors were almost nonexistent, and Bell predicts this year will see a spike of foreign visitors returning, as well as a hefty slice of Vancouverites and other comparatively local folks enjoying their own figurative backyard.

While the company’s half-day and full-day options in the summer offer a variety of skill and adventure levels, the winter options are chill in every sense of the word.

“There is no experience needed,” Bell said. “Anybody can go out there. It’s very accessible for everybody.”

Squamish is especially magical when graced with snow. Of course, far more common is a less solid form of precipitation, so Christy Allan, director of sales, marketing and guest services for the Sea to Sky Gondola has a reminder.

“When it’s raining in the valley, it’s very often snowing at the summit,” she said. If the dreary rain is making you miserable, go up to cheer up. The spectacular gondola ride to the panoramic peak makes getting there half the fun. Once at the top, choose from two interpretive loop trails, cantilevered viewing platforms, the awe-inspiring Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and the general magnificence of the alpine atmosphere. Snowshoeing and, for the more experienced, backcountry skiing are also on offer. A tubing park invites family-friendly fun. Both tubes and snowshoes are available for rent.

Warming up adds to the enjoyment in Summit Lodge, where wintery hot drinks, rib-sticking comfort food and Christmas spirit finish off the experience.

“We are really going to lean into the winter programming and get people outside,” Allan said.

From the highest point in town, you can survey Howe Sound and choose your next adventure. Looking down, the compact nature of town is a reminder of how much hospitality is packed into a few blocks. Whatever outdoor activities you have gotten up to, no one needs an excuse for an après event. There are about a dozen craft breweries and cideries in Squamish and the Squamish Adventure Centre has a “trail map” (also available online) to guide you through the tastings.

Raise a glass to a wonderful winter!