By Chris Ellison
Like many in late February I was struck by the winter blaws. It was a long, cold winter and spring just could not come soon enough. However, unable dodge the season I knew I had to make the best of it.
I started looking around for something to do. I knew I needed a hit of adrenaline to bring my sanity back to life. Then I saw the commercial that turned my winter blues into bliss! Newfoundland’s winter jewel Marble Mountain boasted of incredible snow conditions, numerous highly elevated runs, great facilities, state of the art equipment, family-friendly and just a few hours away. Now initially I thought that Newfoundland pretty much closed down in the winter months. I have been to Newfoundland’s western region years before in the summer moths and it is nothing short of beautiful. However, I had thought that when the ice finally froze on the mighty Western Brook Pond any tourism opportunities came to a end until the winter’s thaw months later.
NOT SO ! While it is true that many toursim providers focus more on seasonal activities, there are a lot of high adventure attractions that will keep you busy and your blood surging through your veins. Now, surprisingly few Canadians have ever been to Newfoundland. But when people visit the province many wonder why it took them so long to visit. When many people think of visiting Newfoundland the first destination is St. Johns. However, the best kept secret is Western Newfoundland, which harkens miles of rugged coastline, ancient mountains and pristine wilderness. You can enjoy some of the colourful local people in the enchanting communities and the geological wonders of Gros Morne National Park. Visit www.westernnl.com.
I first saw the commercial informing me of the glorious and unique snow conditions at Marble Mountain. I hit the net and learned the area is alive with a number of winter activities. Marble Mountain has been called the best skiing in Eastern Canada and anyone who has been skiing or snowboarding there will know why. With an average winter temperature of -5 degrees and in a now belt that gets an average yearly snowfall 16 feet this gem of a resort offers 1,700 feet of prime skiing pleasure. Marble Mountain, which is part of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain Range, which stretches right up from Georgia in the Southern United States offers 37 trails accessible by three quad chair lifts,a platter lift and a new magic carpet. Trails include a terrain park, seven mogul runs and two glade runs. There’s a little something for everyone, from the gentle slope of Country Road, to the exhilaration you’ll feel when you reach the bottom. Marble Mountain offers some of the most beautiful scenery and challenging ski slopes in Canada. For a Ski resort that has actually been around for many years, I was cerntainly surprised by the up-to-date facilities, such as the beautiful Marble Villa accommodations which sits by a chairlift at the base of the mountain , the quality of the ski and boarding rental equiptment and the smooth flow of the rental shop. It was as if their primary goal was to get you geared up and to the top of the mountain! There were so many beautiful and diverse trails on which to ski that you felt you were skiing a different mountain each run. The snow was perfectly groomed throughout the day and the snow always seemed light and powdery. Not only were the views staggaringly beautiful but the rapidly changing weather conditions offered a constantly evolving experience. Sunny and blue skies one moment, heavy flurries the next, I do not recall any instance where I was discontented with the environment. I simply was entertained and never bored with the offerings. Visit www.skimarble.com.
One can spend days at Marble Mountain and experience a different run each time. However, I was truly amazed at how many other quality winter expriences were offeed around Marble Mountain. The areas proffers much more than only skiing or boarding on Marble Mountain and that point was driven home as I was flying across Steady Brook gorge 300 feet high with Marble Zip Tours (www.marbleziptours.com). This pioneering tour company boasts of an experience like no other in the province and even the country. Zip lining is described as across between parachuting and flying and consisting of a series of custom-designed zip cables and platforms strategically placed at various elevations and distances along Marble Mountain Gorge near Steady Brook, Newfoundland. Catered to those who love adrenaline pumping experiences, MarbleZip Tours offers the opportunity to zigzag from platform to platform along zip lines up to 1000 feet long and 300 feet high, at speeds up to 80 km/hr! Those who take part will be treated to a very exciting, but very safe, sport that is unique to Atlantic Canada. Marble Zip Tours is a unique company of it’s kind around the world and in some ways has set the standard for the sport, equipment and the facilities.
One sport that has become of interest for me was one that I first became aware of last summer along the shores of the Bruce Peninsula called Power Kiting. Power Kiting is a fast growing sport that is simple to learn and, in Eastern Canada, is a great way to experience winter in Western Newfoundland. Now on the Bruce they were doing so on the shallow shores of Oliphant Beach. But when I realized that I could Power Surf on snow, I jumped at the chance.
Now, I tend to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and have a propensity to jump in with both feet. After having seen pictures of people Snow Kiting and after seeing how much fun and how easy it was to Kite Surf in Ontario, I just wanted to gear up, grab the kite and glide! However, Martin had a different idea, and thankfully so. He sat me down and we first talked about the sport, the equipment, the wind, and safety. When I finally got to hold the kite I could see why we just did not dive into it. The wind, if not controlled can be dangerous. However, I was amazed at how well one can harness the wind when using the correct techniques.
I had the opportunity for Local tour guide Darren Park to take me on a wonderfully picturesque and upclose snowmobile tour through Newfoundland’s western mountains in the Goose Arm area through Way out Tours based out of Corner Brook. Darrin also owns Crazy About Newfounland Tours (www.CrazyAboutNewfoundland.ca/crazyaboutguiding) and offers Bay of Islands tours around Goose Arm visiting bald eagles nesting along the shore, Osprey nests, and viewing Minke whales, humpback whales and dolphins later in season when they are here chasing the squid. Darrin’s genuine excitement is infections as you hear him ruminate about summer mussel and crab ‘boil ups’ from their own saltwater, which he claims is secret to unbelievable tastes. Darrin also boasts of deep sea fishing where his guests may catch several different species of fish all in one trip including Codfish, Rockcod, Halibut, Redfish, Flounder, Mackeral, Squid, Herring, Caplin, Trout and even wolffish. It is clear to me that Canada has some of the best skiing and snowboarding experiences in the world. Whether you take your family or go off by yourself there are a diverse range of expereince that await. If you live in Ontario there are usually a number of great options availlable within a relatively short drive. For those who hunger for that mountainous high altitude adventure you may need to go a little farther.However the benefits of technology and accessiblity of travel options make locations like Newfoundland easily accessible. From my door to the base of Newfoundland’s Marble Mountain in a matter of hours, not days, seems just too easy to pass up.
If you are considering a trip to Western Newfoundland I would suggest as a starting point visiting www.westernnl.com. They have lots of great ideas and information about this exceptional regionof Canada any times of year.
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