North America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 188

245 Cross-country skiing in Québec
Cross-country skiing is to the Québecois what
rambling is to the rest of the world, and with
over 4000km of trails across the province there
are hundreds of ski areas and opportunities to
go off-piste. The largest ski centre is at Mont-
Sainte-Anne ( W www.mont-sainte-anne.com),
which features 208km of trails, though to escape
the crowds head to the Gaspé National Park
( W www.sepaq.com), where you can go cross-
country skiing across the Chic Chocs mountain
range.

248 Dog-sledding in the Canadian
Rockies
If pounding your way through the wintry beyond
on a pair of snow-shoes or skis sounds too much
like hard work, then why not be pulled along on
a sledge by a group of husky dogs? Snowy Owl
Tours, a family business based in Banff, runs
circular dog-sledding tours along the mountain
trails of the Spray Lakes Valley in the Canadian
Rockies. The dogs are highly
trained and exceptionally
well-treated (the owners are
working on standard criteria
for the ethical treatment of
working dogs in Canada). The
tours begin with a lesson on
safety, commands and the
history of dog-sledding, and
last from two hours to two
days (staying overnight in a
Sioux Indian tipi), beginning
on soft powder trails and
progressing to more advanced
carving techniques through
the spectacular mountain
wilderness. Go mush!
W www.snowyowltours.com;
T [phone].

Snowshoeing and dog-
sledding in the Canadian
Rockies

246 Ski-touring in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming
The rugged terrain around Jackson Hole Mountain
Resort is an excellent place to learn the art of
backcountry ski-touring. The resort's Backcountry
Touring Clinic is a four-day programme for
telemark skiers, snowboarders and alpine skiers,
which focuses on avalanche awareness, safety
and how to tour efficiently in the backcountry,
including the rigours of Teton Pass. W www.
jacksonhole.com; T [phone].

247 Stay in your own private Idaho
The best way to get to know the backcountry
is to stay overnight in the wilds, such as
in the Tenth Mountain Division Huts in
Colorado ( W www.hutski.com) and the cabins
run by the Alpine Club of Canada ( W www.
alpineclubofcanada.ca). A more novel way to do it
is along the network of yurt-to-yurt trails in the
mountainous backcountry of southeast Idaho,
which is known for its wide powder slopes that
are perfect for snow-shoeing and cross-country
skiing. The yurts along the Portneuf Range Yurt
System are spaced so you can reach each one in
a day, or you could just make one your base from
which to do day-trips into the backcountry. The
lower-altitude yurts are accessible to beginners
and families, while the higher yurts are designed
for more experienced skiers. Each is basic but
comfortable, fitted with a wood stove, gas cooker
and lantern, pots, axe and bunk beds. W www.isu.
edu/outdoor/yurt.html; T [phone].