Seven affordable winter adventures for all types of travelers
— -- Winter isn't just a good time to plan next spring and summer's adventures, it's also a great time to get outdoors and try a whole other set of activities. Whether you're a bona fide snow bunny or prefer to just dabble in winter sports in between sitting by the fireplace and gorging on comfort food, you can find winter adventure packages that suit your interests and your tolerance for below-freezing temperatures. I've searched the Web and found seven great tours suitable for different types of active winter travelers—and they're all pretty good deals, too.
Wolf watching and winter sports in Yellowstone Provider:Yellowstone Association Length:Four nights Price:from $659
Each year, close to three million people visit Yellowstone National Park, mainly during the summer. By early November, most of the park's roads and facilities close for the season and visitation drops way off. However, the park's top attractions—abundant wildlife and geothermal hot springs—don't adhere to manmade timetables.
That's why the Yellowstone Association, a non-profit organization that runs educational programs within the park, offers "lodging and learning" programs during winter, including the four-night Winter Rendezvous package, a program designed to give travelers multiple ways to experience Yellowstone's offseason. Guests booking the package will get exclusive use of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, the only in-park accommodations accessible by car in the winter. Each day of the session, you'll be able to choose one of several guided field trips, with options ranging from wolf tracking and cross-country ski lessons to more strenuous snowshoeing and skiing treks.
"I had never cross-country skied before and fell in love with it," says Atlanta resident Donna Burbank, who attended the program this past winter with her husband. "It was incredible to be skiing on a road that in the summer would normally be jammed with cars. And the wolves! The snow was a perfect backdrop for seeing wolves and all kinds of wildlife that normally would have stayed away because of all the people."
After the excursions, you'll gather with other participants for a buffet dinner followed by trip reports and an educational presentation by a wildlife biologist, park historian, or other Yellowstone expert. "It's a really fun atmosphere in the evenings, with lots of interaction between the guests and the instructors," says Yellowstone Association Director of Education Jeff Brown. "Everyone loves to share what they've seen and done during the day, which creates a strong sense of camaraderie."
Trip planning
Program start dates are March 4 and 8. Rates are based on double occupancy in rooms with a shared bathroom; rooms with an ensuite bath start at $739. Prices include accommodations, buffet breakfast and dinners, box lunches, guides and guest speakers, in-park transportation, and daily activities. Alcohol, gratuities, and transportation to Yellowstone are not included. The lodge is about a 90-mile drive south from the airport in Bozeman, Montana.
Mont Blanc winter sport smorgasbord Provider:Exodus Travels Length:Seven nights Price:from $1,560
Snowshoeing, dogsledding, skiing, or ice-skating? Why settle for one when you can have a smorgasbord? U.K-based Exodus Travels' "Winter Activity Week" tours gives you a taste of all those sports and more set against the backdrop of some of Europe's most spectacular mountain scenery.
Exodus runs multi-sport winter tours in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Slovenia, but its program centered around Mont Blanc (which straddles the borders of France, Italy, and Switzerland) offers the most variety and the lively atmosphere of Alpine resort town Chamonix in France. After transferring from Geneva, Switzerland, you'll settle in at the Chalet Savoy in the village of Les Houches near Chamonix, which will be your base for six full days of winter activities. Most days, you'll go on one or more guided excursions, including cross-country skiing in the Italian Ferret Valley, dogsledding in the Chamonix Valley, snowshoeing around Le Prarion, and skate-skiing and Nordic walking in the Italian Aosta.
There's a free day in the middle of the trip for pursuing other activities. You could go downhill skiing or visit an indoor climbing wall as Les Houches, or try ice climbing, glacier walking, or even tandem paragliding in Chamonix. Riding Europe's highest cable car from Chamonix to the summit of Aiguille du Midi, with its up-close view of Mont Blanc, is a definite must-do.
Most meals, including picnic lunches, will be provided by the chalet, although it's worth it to try some French-Swiss fusion cuisine in Chamonix—think Swiss cheese fondue with French bread.
Trip planning
This trip starts on December 23, 2007; and January 13, February 24, March 9, and December 21, 2008. Prices include accommodations, most meals, transportation during the tour, a trip leader, and guided activities. Some meals, optional activities, airfare to Geneva (where the nearest major airport is located), and transportation from Geneva are extra. Round-trip February flights between New York and Geneva start at $706 including taxes.
Inn-to-inn skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking in Vermont Provider:REI Adventures Length:Three nights Price:from $865
"Long weekend getaways are just the ticket for overcoming the winter blues," says cross-country ski guide Deborah Lewis. This coming winter Lewis will guide REI Adventures' first Vermont winter trip, an inn-to-inn adventure that promises the right combination of outdoor physical exertion and indoor pampering.
Over a three-night long weekend, you'll cross country ski, snowshoe, or hike (depending on the snow conditions) between inns in the Moosalamoo region of Vermont's Green Mountains. You'll travel six to eight miles per day carrying a daypack, exploring peaceful trails and learning about their history from Lewis, a local history buff, who will take you to sites such as a hidden Robert Frost cabin and the 100-foot-tall Falls of Lana.
"The itinerary can be adjusted to best suit the group's needs, but all should come prepared for five to eight hours of activity most days," says REI Adventures Weekend Getaways Coordinator Justin Wood. While you're out for the day, your luggage will be shuttled between inns.
The first evening you'll stay at the Churchill House Inn in Brandon, a green hotel dating to 1872, where you'll be served a four-course dinner made with local Vermont ingredients. The next two nights will be spent at the Blueberry Hill Inn, an antique-filled early-1800s country home which has a wood-fired sauna. You'll eat most breakfasts and dinners at the inns and take box lunches for your treks during the day.
Trip planning
Departure dates include January 17 and February 21 and 28. The cost covers accommodations, most meals, use of ski and snowshoeing equipment, guides, transportation to and from trailheads, luggage transfers, and some gratuities. The price noted above is for REI members; non-members are charged $910 for the trip, so it's worth it to pay the $15 for an REI membership if you don't already have one. You must provide your own transportation to Brandon, a two-hour drive from the airport in Albany, New York and a 3.5-hour drive from Boston's Logan airport.
The adrenaline junkie's Colorado ski vacationProvider:Telluride Helitrax Length:Five nights Price:from $2,395
If you've conquered typical resort skiing and yearn for steeper, wilder terrain, you'll want to check out Colorado-based Telluride Helitrax's "Ultimate San Juan" package, a one-of-a-kind itinerary that will make you feel like you're the star of your own Warren Miller film. Over the course of six days you'll experience heli-skiing, snow-cat skiing, hike-to skiing, and guided skiing at one of the steepest ski areas in the country, all in Colorado's San Juan Mountains.
"The San Juan Mountains are the youngest mountains in Colorado, with 80 peaks over 13,000 feet," says John Humphries, program manager and guide for Helitrax. "Because they haven't been worn down as much over time as other mountain ranges, the terrain is very steep, resembling the Alps or the Canadian Rockies."
You can arrange an itinerary that works best for you, contingent on availability and the weather, spending at least one full day doing each type of skiing. On your heli-skiing day with Helitrax, you'll get in about six runs equaling 8,000 to 14,000 vertical feet. Another full day with the San Juan Ski Company will take you to untracked powder in the San Juan National Forest via snow-cat. You'll also spend one day each at two out-of-the ordinary ski mountains. At Telluride Ski Resort, you'll reach backcountry runs by hiking in with a guide. Then, you'll hit the slopes at the top-rated ski area in the U.S. for powder and steep terrain, Silverton Mountain, where the skiing is so extreme you're required to go with a guide and carry avalanche survival gear.
Helitrax will make all the arrangements for you, including setting up accommodations at nearby hotels. Guides and some meals are also covered. All told, you'll save about $350 by booking with Helitrax rather than doing it yourself. Humphries recommends this package for advanced to expert skiers in good shape.
Trip planning
Trip dates are available from early January through April 10. Itineraries are flexible and extra days and activities can be added. Transportation is not included. If you're arriving from far away, flying into the Durango airport is probably your best bet.
Dogsledding in Minnesota Provider:White Wilderness Length:Four nights Price:from $895
Dashing through the snow, in an eight-dog open sled, over the frozen lakes you'll go, on a trip with the Northern Minnesota-based White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures, an outfitter that blends the excitement and romance of travel by dogsled with comfortable winter lodging and gourmet food. Run for the past 13 years by husband and wife team Peter McClelland and Chris Hegenbarth, White Wilderness offers a variety of sled dog experiences, including a four-night Traditional Yurt trip that's great for beginners looking for an in-depth mushing experience.
"People crave adventure, and dogsledding is pretty user-friendly," says Assistant Director C. "Theo" Theobald. "If you love dogs [or are open to the possibility of liking dogs], meeting working dogs and traveling with them in a traditional style is just really neat."
On the trip, you'll learn how to care for Alaskan Husky sled dogs, harness and drive a dog team yourself, and travel safely and comfortably in the snowy Minnesota winter. After a warm-up day with an overnight stay at a northwoods lodge, you'll head out into the wilderness for one night staying in a cozy heated yurt where the guides serve up camp cuisine like butternut squash ravioli and homemade cranberry bread pudding.
During the day, you and a partner will pair up with a dog team, alternating mushing and riding on the sled, covering 20 to 25 miles per day. "[You'll see] endless miles of forest trails and frozen lakes within the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi," says Theobald. "In the wilderness area, no snowmobiles are allowed, which really ensures that it is a serene experience. Last season I saw fresh timber wolf tracks every day for a month."
Trip planning
Traditional Yurt Trips are scheduled for December 29, 2007; January 6, February 14 and 28, and March 12, 2008. Prices cover accommodations, meals, use of dog teams and sledding equipment, and guides. You must provide your own transportation to the company's base in Ely, Minnesota, which is about 106 miles north of the airport in Duluth. White Wilderness' other excursions include day trips, lodge-based dogsledding trips, and "premier" trips where each person gets his or her own dog team. Groups of four or more can arrange custom trips.
Winter Carnaval and snowshoeing in Quebec Provider:Country Walkers Length:Five nights Price:$2,498
No one celebrates winter quite like the Québécois. Each February, whole families don snow suits and moon boots and head out into the streets of Old Quebec for the 17 days of partying and wintry competitions that make up the Carnaval de Québec, the biggest winter carnival in the world. Country Walkers' luxurious "Quebec: Winter Carnaval Snowshoe Adventure" trip puts you right in the middle of the action during this city-wide celebration and gets you out into the surrounding hills, where you'll find superb conditions for winter sports like snowshoeing and skiing.
You'll start by staying at the opulent Fairmont property Le Château Frontenac, which, set in Quebec's historic center, is within easy walking distance of most Carnaval attractions. "The Château Frontenac looked liked a fairy tale castle all covered in snow. My room had the most fantastic view of the city," says Floridian Sue Blough who went on the trip in 2006. The first three nights your group will spilt time between enjoying the sites of Carnaval in the city, sampling the French cuisine of Old Quebec, and doing outdoor activities like snowshoeing and dogsledding in nearby parks. "A highlight of the trip for me was the food," says Blough. "At one gourmet restaurant in the old city, the presentation was so exquisite that people took pictures of their food—and it tasted great too."
Then, you'll leave Quebec City for another Fairmont hotel, Le Manoir Richelieu, which is perched above the St. Lawrence River in La Malbaie, Quebec. From here, you'll head out for snowshoeing trips in Parc Regional du Mont Grand-Fonds and Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area. During a free afternoon, you can try cross-country or downhill skiing, or just relax in the hotel spa.
No experience is necessary to go on this trip, although getting in shape beforehand is recommended. "Snowshoeing is fun, easy to learn, a low impact sport, and great exercise," says Sara Gosselin of Country Walkers. "The walks are primarily on established, tracked trails, but guests should also be prepared for trail-breaking, especially after fresh snow falls."
Trip planning
Trip dates are February 9 and 16, 2008. Rates include luxury accommodations, most meals, guides, snow-shoeing equipment, activities and sightseeing, and ground transportations. Transportation to Quebec City is extra. You can fly into the Quebec City airport or drive; the city is about 400 miles from Boston.
Climb New England's tallest peak Provider:Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School Length:Two nights Price:from $375
Want to climb Mt. Rainier, Denali, or other big, snow-bound peak some day? You've got to learn mountaineering techniques first. If you live in the Northeast, one of the best ways to grasp the basics and then test your skills while climbing a formidable mountain is by taking Eastern Mountain Sports' (EMS) three-day mountaineering course. This outdoor gear company has been training rock and ice climbers at its Climbing School locations in New England and New York for 40 years. Its main location in North Conway, New Hampshire, set in the middle of the White Mountains, puts climbing students within reach of New England's tallest peak, the 6,288-foot Mt. Washington.
Over the course of the North Conway mountaineering program, you'll spend two days learning mountaineering skills and then use your last day to try for the summit of Mt. Washington. The first day you'll get the hang of using technical equipment like crampons, ice axes, and ropes, and practice safety techniques such as self-arrest (stopping yourself from falling down a slope) with an ice axe. The next day you'll climb on more difficult terrain and learn about avalanche safety and how to assess weather conditions.
The last day is by the far the biggest: A guided winter ascent up Mt. Washington, a peak famed for its high winds and extreme low temperatures. "We generally go up the Lion's Head Winter Trail, as it avoids most avalanche terrain, and we will usually use ice axes, crampons, and occasionally a rope depending on trail conditions," says EMS Climbing School guide Dave Kelly. "Anyone in reasonable physical condition should be able to make the summit, but the day is long and quite arduous for some."
Trip planning
Classes are scheduled to start December 15, 22, and 29, 2007; and January 5, 14, 19, and 26, 2008. Private classes can be arranged at any time during the winter. Kelly says the course can usually be done between early December and mid April, but conditions tend to be best from late January through mid March. Prices cover two days of climbing instruction, all technical gear, a professional guide, and the guided ascent of Mt Washington. Students must provide their own food, cold weather clothing, accommodations, and transportation to North Conway.
Area lodging ranges from about $30 per person per night for hostel-style accommodations at the Cranmore Mountain Lodge in North Conway, to $259 per night for deluxe suites at the luxurious Wentworth in Jackson, New Hampshire. The nearest airport is located about two hours away in Manchester, New Hampshire. Boston Logan airport is a further hour's drive south.
EMS also runs a three-day mountaineering course out of Lake Placid, New York.
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