Winter bikepacking in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba

On January 3-8 2025, I took six days to ride 350kms through Whiteshell Provincial Park, a portion of the Canadian Shield in southeast Manitoba. Through this region the Trans Canada Trail is disjointed: some sections are lost from no longer being maintained, and others are hiking-only. In summer this means long stretches of road riding. Winter, however, opens up other opportunities for traversing the rugged terrain as lakes, rivers, and wetlands are frozen over. Using routes for snowmobiles, ice fishing, trapping, and canoeing, I was able to connect the TCT segments from one end of the park to the other. There wasn’t enough snowpack yet for the Snoman trails to be open for snowmobiles, so I was able to safely travel their wide corridors and make use of the shelter cabins with rare encounters. The weather and scenery were gorgeous, and trail conditions offered a stimulating variety. Temperatures ranged from the -30s to just below freezing, so a full range of layering options were employed. Most water came from melting snow, though I also had a few resupplies at stores and restaurants. As climate change is shortening the window for other winter activities, and winter ultras further south are sometimes snow-less, I’d be keen to see more fat bikes come to the area.