The physical and mental benefits of a winter vacation in the snow are immeasurable. Not only are activities like skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowshoeing fun, you are engaging multiple muscle groups, getting an excellent cardiovascular workout, improving strength and flexibility. Cold weather stimulates circulation and boosts your immune system.
Snowy environments are often bright due to sunlight reflecting off the snow, providing a natural way to boost your Vitamin D levels. That’s good for bone health and your immune system. Plus the calmness of nature and the fresh air brings down the stress levels, doesn’t it? Better sleep, improved mood, go down the list of benefits.
The holiday season is a wonderful time, full of nostalgia, Christmas movies, family visit, holiday baking, the smell of pine needles on the Christmas trees and carolling. It can also be stressful time for some. A winter vacation then just might be in the cards.
The Chaleur Region, a collection of coastal towns located in New Brunswick’s picturesque northeast, situated on one of UNESCO’s Beautiful Bays in the World, is a popular winter vacation destination for a whole list of reasons. It’s especially popular during the winter months.
Cross-country skiing
Start by finding a place to stay. Then grab the cross-country skies and head out to the trails. Cross-country skiing is an exceptional full-body workout. The continuous, rhythmic motion of skiing increases heart rate and enhances circulation, which improves heart health. It activates the upper body (arms, shoulders, and chest), core (abdominals and lower back), and lower body (legs, glutes, and calves).
The motion of pushing the poles and gliding on skis helps to strengthen muscles and improve muscle tone, flexibility, and balance. Skiing is a high-intensity, low-impact exercise that burns a significant number of calories – anywhere from 400 to 1,100 calories per hour. It is also low-impact, especially when compared to activities like running – better on the joints, minimizing impact-related injuries.
In Chaleur Region. the forests and trails around Bathurst and the surrounding areas are perfect for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The Snow Bear Cross Country Ski Club in Bathurst has more than ten kilometres for all levels. That’s the thing about cross-country skiing – there’s something for beginners and experts.
Winter vacation: Snowshoeing
The Chaleur Region is blessed with breathtaking landscapes, especially in the winter. The snow-covered forests, rugged coastlines, and icy shores of the Chaleur Bay create a postcard-perfect winter scene. The region’s proximity to the Gulf of St. Lawrence also means winter sunsets and sunrises over the water, combined with snow and ice formations, which are awe-inspiring.
That of course lends itself to snowshoeing, which, like cross-country skiing, offers up a long list of health benefits. Depending on the intensity and terrain, the heart health benefits on the cardio side are off the charts. Snowshoeing requires balance and coordination, navigating deep and uneven snow, challenging your stability, also great exercise for the body’s core.
The Daly Point Nature Reserve northeast of Bathurst has a system of footpaths and a boardwalk open year round, along salt and fresh water marshes, Acadian forest and abandoned fields. Borrow snowshoes if need be, put in a podcast, relax and go. Chaleur Green Trails is another popular choice for snowshoeing. And of course there’s the historic Sentier Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq Trail, the longest backcountry trail in Canada’s Maritimes, which made National Geographic magazine’s amazing journeys list, skirting Bathurst for nine kilometres south from Daly Point Nature Reserve, to the estuary of the pristine Nepisiguit River. From there, the trail meanders along the river for 140 kilometres, back to its origins, high in the Appalachian Mountains of Mt. Carleton Park.
Birch Bark Adventure (dog sledding – ice fishing)
Fat biking
Fat biking refers to riding a bicycle equipped with oversized tires—typically 3.7 inches or wider—that are designed to provide better grip, traction and stability on soft, uneven terrain like snow, sand, mud, or gravel. These bikes are specifically engineered to tackle challenging conditions where traditional bikes might struggle, offering an exhilarating way to ride in places that are typically difficult to access. That makes fat biking ideal for Chaleur region, since there are many trails and areas inaccessible to regular bikes.
Fat biking gives people a way to stay active during colder months. Fat bikes are now lighter, more durable, and better designed, making them easier to handle and more efficient to ride. Innovations in tire design, suspension systems, and frames have made fat biking an increasingly viable. The challenge of navigating through snowbanks and rugged trails during the winter can be exciting, and the bike’s ability to handle these surfaces makes it more fun and rewarding. It’s a great way to explore nature, go on long off-road rides, or just have fun with friends.
The trails pf the Chaleur Mountain & Fat Bike Club in Bathurst is where people turn to – 18 to 20 kilometres of single track trails (10 kilometres of groomed trails in the winter) and a change in altitude below 50 metres, with some of the most beautiful trails in Atlantic Canada. Signs there make it easier to explore various trails.
Bass Attack Fishing (ice fishing)
Ice fishing is either a wonderful moment of solitude or something fun for a small group of friends or family. Here you’ll learn how to properly dig a hole in the ice, get an education on what types of hooks to use, and how to attract fish towards you. Bass Attack Fishing is for a maximum of 12 people and lasts four hours.
Winter vacation: Snowmobiling
The Chaleur Region is part of the larger New Brunswick Snowmobile Trail system, offering hundreds of miles of scenic routes. Snowmobiling through the forest and coastal areas is an incredible way to experience the winter landscape. Three clubs in the region (Nepisiguit Snowmobile Club, Chaleur Snowmobile Club, and Super Village Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club) and the volunteers there dedicate countless hours to the development and maintenance of trails. There are snowmobile rentals here, and trail passes can be purchased here.
One of the standout features of the Chaleur Region is its friendly and welcoming local community. Unlike some of the busier winter destinations in Canada, the Chaleur Region is often less crowded, making it an ideal getaway for those seeking peace and solitude. The community there is welcoming and friendly. Whether you’re seeking adventure or tranquility, Chaleur Region offers a memorable winter experience that attracts travellers seeking an authentic, off-the-beaten-path Canadian winter getaway.
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
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