Winter is our longest season and in response people across the province are always ready to have fun outdoors in the snow. They are resilient and willing to go tobogganing, make snow forts, and zip across the land on their snowmobiles.
Locally Moose Mountain Provincial Park helps people have the best winter season possible offering a number of free activities for the public to partake in.
From fishing to snowmobile trails, the facilities and trails are there all anyone needs to bring is their equipment and themselves, though the Kenosee Inn handles snowshoe and cross country ski rentals for the Moose Mountain Lions.
In an interview with The Observer, Leigh Potter, Maintenance Supervisor, spoke about the many activities that are available in the park during the winter.
Beginning with "Toboggan Hill," Potter stopped by the park's lookout point. A fairly steep hill, Potter says many people bail before reaching the bottom or simply start halfway up the hill as Potter explained, "people can get sailing pretty quickly down there!"
Next to Toboggan Hill is a secondary "Bunny Hill" which isn't as large nor as steep allowing for younger children to also enjoy themselves.
At the base of these two hills is a shelter stocked with wood.
"It warms up pretty good in here," Potter explained. "You can have a wiener roast... and there's the outdoor barbecue's there too. So if you want something for a family get together you can use it for that too."
Next on Potter's tour of the park was the freshly stocked trout pond near the youth camps. This particular pond was created four or five years ago, according to Potter, who says a track hoe helped deepen spots to 24 ft. Filled, it was then stocked this September with 10 inch rainbow trout and eight inch brook trout. Also, found in this fishing pond are fingerlings which were placed in the spring and estimated to be between four and six inches.
Potter does warn the public that the pond is aerated and thus open water or very thin ice on one side of the pond is likely.
"...we're aerating it, we're pumping air into it, so they've got to stay to the one side," he stated. "There's signage and it's roped off."
"Just use caution when down there."
Although caution must be used, there have already been a few fishermen out on the pond looking to catch the big one.
More fishing is available at both Birch Lake and Gillis Lake, which were both stocked with perch over the summer. Anytime out on ice though, the park reminds people to be cautious and aware of how thick it is.
Within the park, 120 km of snowmobile trails can also be found. Park employees groom the trails and ensure wood is found within the warm up shelters to be used by those out on the trails. These shelters also have solar powered lights, which allow the shelters to be lit during the night.
Potter then stopped at Little Kenosee where over 50 km of cross country trails, classic and skate, begin. These trails are also groomed with warm up shelters found at integral points.
"It's a fairly challenging course with lots of hills and curves in it," Potter explained, but stressed the trails are broken into segments which can be made different each time out. Some routes through the trees are also easier than others, while still providing a serene and picturesque tour through the Moose Mountains.
"All the trails are really well sheltered," Potter stated. "They're just cut through the bush, so they're not bad for wind and you've got a pretty good chance to see some deer and the odd time elk or even moose."
Potter went on to say that the Regina Ski Club brings bus loads out at least three times a year as they consider it one of the better courses they've attended.
The park also grooms two snow shoe trails totalling 10 km in all and twist through mature birch and aspen trees. One is located next to Little Kenosee, while the second is found circling Beaver Lake behind the golf course.
With these types of activities it's easy to see why the Moose Mountain Lions like to host a Winter Carnival in February for the public. Usually including skating and ice hockey on Little Kenosee, there are typically poker derbies on both the cross country ski trails as well as the snowmobile trails, and is followed by a cabaret that night.
This year the Winter Carnival will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, and the Moose Mountain Provincial Park is excited to help the Lions in more ways than just providing the infrastructure. Still in discussions with the Moose Mountain Lions, the day is currently being planned but is sure to bring smiles and laughter to families as it has in the past.
