Galentine’s Day Snowshoe

Hey laaadies! Are you ready to put your snowshoeing prowess to the test? If you’re up for a big, fun winter adventure, grab your favourite galpal and trek with us up the steep, beautiful slopes of the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area to Zoa Peak.

Celebrate Galentine’s Day - a popular pre-Valentine’s Day tradition - by tackling switchbacks and supporting each other's strides and struggles as we climb into the snowy subalpine this February. Along the way we’ll learn helpful techniques to increase our snow savviness & winter backcountry safety. The Zoa Peak trail out and back is 9 km, with a challenging 706 meters of very vertical cumulative elevation gain. 

Itinerary:

8:00 am - Gather and check-in in Hope, in front of the Hope & District Recreation Centre (1005 – 6th Avenue, Hope)

8:15 am - Convoy to Coquihalla Summit Rec Area Parking (47km) Map

9:00 am - Arrive at the parking area, put on snowshoes

9:15 am - Begin Snowshoeing

Breaks as needed, rest and snack breaks at the top of the first big slope before we ascend through the forest and again before we traverse the ridge to the summit.

12:30 pm - Lunch at the peak (at 4.3km)

1:00 pm - Start decent

3:30 pm - Approximate arrival back at the vehicles

5:00 pm - Approximate arrival back to Hope

Be aware that times are approximate. Start and end times may vary slightly depending on speed of the group, weather conditions, etc.

Price Includes:

• Snowshoe loan if needed

• Remote first aid, AST 1 certified, BC AdventureSmart trained guide.

• Warm drinks & light snacks

What to bring:

Whenever you are hiking, you should always carry The 10 Essentials.

At a minimum, participants will need the following for this outing:

• Backpack to carry all your gear

• Lunch and high-energy snack foods

• Water (at least 1 litre per person)

  NOTE – Water can freeze in a water bottle in winter conditions. To prevent this, you can either put warm water in your water bottle (Make sure the bottle is safe for hot and cold water) or use an insulated bladder or bottle

• Waterproof winter boots or hiking boots (no runners please)

• Warm winter clothes (including jacket, snow pants, gloves, toque, warm socks, no cotton as the first layer against your skin)

• Sunglasses, sunscreen, chap stick

Optional:

• Two poles per person for snowshoeing (greatly improves stability)

• Camera

• Foam pad to sit on in the snow

Physical Demand:

This intermediate rated trail is approximately 9 Kms total roundtrip with a cumulative elevation gain of 706m.

Please note that our programs run regardless of weather conditions, unless we determine that it will affect the safety of participants.

Meet Your Guides:

Meg Turner/Program Director:

Meg considers our wild spaces her second home. Raised in the Girl Guiding community and an active outdoor family, she is in her element guiding others and sharing her passion for the trail. As the Hope Mountain Centre Program Director , Meg is an experienced teacher of environmental education and local history, bringing rich, place-based learning to life for participants. Safety is always top of mind: with multiple first-aid credentials—including Remote First Aid and BC AdventureSmart training

Cancellation:

Sorry NO refunds! However, you can pass on your spot to someone else who meets the physical demand of the program, just please let us know, as we need registration information from everyone.

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A program may be cancelled at the discretion of HMCOL. If a program is cancelled by HMCOL, participants will receive a full refund. Please be aware that our programs run regardless of weather conditions, unless HMCOL determines that it will affect the safety of participants.

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Hope Mountain Centre reserves the right to change the location of a program for everyone's safety. As much notice as possible will be given. No refund will be provided if the location is changed. 

Additional information:

Liability Waiver

Everyone ages 19 & over must sign a liability waiver form in order to participate in this program. Please take the time to read this form because you must understand and agree to it when you sign it. By signing it you are waiving certain rights, including the right to sue. These forms will be available to sign when you check in. Please seek legal counsel if you have any questions. 

Informed Consent Form

Everyone, age 18 & under must have an informed consent form signed by their parents or legal guardian in order to participate. Please contact us if you need this form prior to arrival at this program.