What to do in winter at Edmundston?
Par Janice Arseneault
The warm season is over, and you are looking for what to do if you don’t want to spend the entire winter as a couch potato? Don't panic, Edmundston is full of activities to do and landscapes to discover! You aren't a winter sports type? Believe us, after reading this article, you will want to equip yourself with warm clothes and explore our beautiful region from all angles, sporty or not!
We're going to start slowly by making you fall in love with snowshoeing and hiking.
Whether it's for a little outing or you're heading out for the day with your lunch in your backpack, be sure to fill your eyes with beauty and your lungs with fresh air on our beautiful trails.
If this is your first time, snowshoeing is quite possibly the wiser option. Whether you are the first to cross the trail with soft snow where you sink to your knees or if the trails are firm and well-groomed, you are sure to have fun.
The more experienced ones will set off with their crampons on their boots and their snowshoes hanging from their backpack. However, take note that snowshoes are essential on trails that are not often used or when there is not a lot of snow if we want to preserve their integrity.
Here are 9 trails where you can have fun hiking:
? Fraser Golf Club Edmundston Golf Club
? Mont Farlagne outdoor center **
? Mont Pointu trails (Rivière-Verte)
? Connors
** snowshoes rental available
Want to do something a little more aerobic?
Let us tell you about cross-country skiing. The good thing about this sport is that YOU decide how much intensity you want to give it. You can do it in a "touring" way, quiet and at a low speed, in order to appreciate the landscape, or in a more cardio way, in a "dig deep" training type by adopting a style closer to skating, if you want to push yourself!
Did you know that cross-country skiing is the sport requiring the strongest VO2 max (respiratory power), which means more than rowing and cycling? No? We didn't know that before we did our research either, but let's say it, it's impressive!
As we are aware that you may not necessarily want to practice cross-country skiing as an Olympic sport in your spare time, 4 trails are available to you from the Fraser Golf Club:
- Riviera (4km) Difficult
- Petit-Sault (2.5km) intermediate
- La Brayonne (2km) easy
- Madawaska (1km) easy
Are you a ski and / or snowboard enthusiast?
If you do not know our "little mountain", it’s high time to discover it! Mont Farlagne is among other things 352 meters above sea level, 21 slopes alternating from easy to expert level and a Snow Park with several modules as well as big air style jumps. Not that small of a mountain, eh? Wait, there’s more!
A mechanical carpet has been installed at the beginner's slope to replace the old "Pony lift". The mat is 500"in length and can accommodate 1,500 people / hour to climb the slope.
Easy slopes do not appeal to you and you opt more for thrills? 5 glade trails await the more adventurous one and there is even a family one.
Not too much of a ski or snowboard type?
No problem, 4 tube slopes are also available to you without even having to make an effort to get to the top, thanks to the ski lift.
Finally, here is a sport that has been gaining popularity in recent years: Fat Bike.
Everyone who rides them has confirmed to us that they literally feel like "floating" on the snow! Tires twice as wide as those of a normal bike and the absence of suspension make it the ally of surfaces with difficult textures such as snow or even sand! But let's go back to our winter and leave the sand aside for a moment.
A little advice before taking off, dress neither too cold nor too hot. A bit like going for a run outside or cross-country skiing because the Fat Bike is very cardio!
If this is your first time, opt for a rather short and open trail and when you will feel more comfortable, you can go and experience the trails in the undergrowth or with more relief. If you are already comfortable with this sport, we strongly recommend that you also do it at night, lit with your headlamp and the stars, we heard that it’s magic!
Did you know that the Fat Bike was invented in Alaska in the 1980s? A group of cyclists decided to transform a mountain bike by attaching 3 mountain bike rims together to make it a 4-season sport. And boom! This is how the Fat Bike was born.
It’s all well and good, but where can we do it?
We told you about our "little mountain" earlier, well know that it also hides a treasure! 7km of tracks entirely dedicated to Fat Bike! Plus, if you're just starting out, this is the place to be as they offer bike rental service!
We leave you with a little video from the Trek bike company, come tell us that you don't want to try after seeing this!
In case you really fall in love with the sport (which is most likely to be the case), you can get a Fat Bike at Sport Experts Edmundston as well as at Jessome’s Source For Sports.
Have a nice winter in Edmundston!