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Discover Halton: Snowshoeing and the Sweet Water Festival

discover halton

By //  by Katja Wulfers 41 Comments

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Past a forest on the right, farmer’s fields hidden under heavy snow on the left, over a small rise, and at the end of the road sits Crawford Lake. It’s the site of a reconstructed Iroquoian village, a meromictic lake — the different water levels don’t mix —, and has kilometers of trails perfect for hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The park offers special events throughout the year and now is the time to enjoy the Sweet Water Season along with great snowshoeing conditions thanks to heavier than usual snowfall.

discover halton

As a local, I’ve been to Crawford Lake many times during every season, but have never taken advantage of the snowshoeing offered. I brought my family — none of us had any experience — we strapped on the snowshoes available for rent in the Visitor Centre, and headed out on the trails. While guided snowshoeing is finished for the season, the ideal winter conditions means that people can still rent, or bring their own gear, and explore the trails around Crawford Lake. Every trail is clearly marked and there are free maps available at the entrance of the park.

I can guarantee that if you can walk you can snowshoe. My children were running within minutes and heading off the groomed trails to test our skills in the deeper snow was easy.

discover halton

After snowshoeing for over one hour we headed to the lake by way of the maple taffy tasting. It really is nature’s candy and I’m embarrassed to admit I’d never had any. This was a day of firsts. We (impatiently) waited as the maple syrup was boiled and then poured over snow before being rolled onto a popsicle stick. One was definitely not enough, but maple syrup is healthy so it’s all good.

The lake is small enough that a boardwalk surrounds it entirely. It is home to a variety of fish, birds, and turtles that are dormant until the ice thaws, but the walk is pleasant and takes the visitor through an old forest and past Niagara Escarpment rock formations. Anyone interested in photography will appreciate the points of view built into the walkway.

We headed back to the village in time to learn about different syrups the local Iroquoian people used for hundreds of years, and perhaps further back. On tap was birch syrup — which has a distinctive flavour and resembles molasses — and two different types of maple syrup: medium and amber. Taste them and decide for yourself which one you prefer. Later on there was a sweet water demonstration and, despite it being early in the season, a crowd gathered to learn how maple trees were tapped, the water boiled, and then consumed before modern technology facilitated the task. I’ll give you a hint: hot rocks. If you want to know more you’ll have to go and see for yourself.

discover halton

The village at Crawford Lake is one of my favourite places to bring visitors who come to our area. Since the site was originally excavated in the early 1970s, the longhouses and Iroquoian village have been carefully reconstructed respecting tradition and knowledge of village life. There are currently two longhouses open for visitors and a new one is almost complete. The grand opening celebration will be held later in 2014.

Several kilometers away is the Mountsberg Conservation Area. There’s an informative Raptor Centre where animals are rehabilitated, a bison herd, and over 400 sugar maples. Mountsberg also has kilometers of trails and is a birdwatcher’s paradise in the spring, summer, and fall. During maple sugar season Maple Town opens and families can tour the forest on horse-drawn wagons, learn how maple water is collected, and taste the local syrup for themselves at the Pancake Pavilion. This is the syrup that in turn is used at Crawford Lake, so when planning a visit include both parks. March Break is ideal for discovering Crawford and Mountsberg.

discover halton

Crawford Lake is just one of several parks under the umbrella of Conservation Halton waiting to be explored in the Heart of Ontario. During the late winter the parks work together to provide visitors a memorable outdoor adventure while enjoying the quintessential Canadian treat – maple syrup. It might be our backyard, but it’s one we never tire of exploring.

discover halton

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Filed Under: Canada, Family Fun, Holidays, March Break, Ontario, Travel Tagged With: Crawford Lake, cross-country skiing, family outing, Halton, Halton Conservation, Heart of Ontario, hiking, Iroquoian, Iroquoian village, lake, longhouse, maple sugar, maple taffee, Maple Town, meromictic lake, Mountsberg Conservation Area, park, snowshoe, snowshoeing, sugar maple, Sweet Water Season, trails

About Katja Wulfers

Katja Wulfers is a writer, traveller, and gourmande.

Katja is addicted to pastries and her great-many times removed-grandfather was beheaded during the French revolution, which explains a lot. She comes from a long line of nomads who believed in the romance and adventure of travel and she’s trying to pass that on to her children. That’s not always easy when juggling the freelance writing, the kids’ sports, volunteering, and running a business. To fuel the bug, Katja writes articles about travel and culinary tourism. She also blogs at Jack Straw Lane.

Photography is one of Katja's favourite mediums for storytelling and she's a devoted Instagram fan. You can follow her at katjawulfers. You can also find her on Twitter at jackstrawlane.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kelseyapley

    March 5, 2014 at 9:00 am

    Looks like a fun time! I love the scenery it looks like a really pretty place!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 9:50 am

      It was a great time! And very beautiful. No chance of feeling crowded with all that space.

      Reply
  2. Liz Mays

    March 5, 2014 at 9:25 am

    That sounds super fun to me! I’d love to try the different syrups and see which I liked most too. Also the snowshoeing…oh, it’s all so fun!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 9:50 am

      Snowshoeing was a blast! I was surprised how much we all liked it.

      Reply
  3. Ellen Christian (@ellenblogs)

    March 5, 2014 at 10:45 am

    Looks like a fun time and something everyone would enjoy!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      It really is a great family outing.

      Reply
  4. Mistee Dawn

    March 5, 2014 at 11:25 am

    Looks like a lot of fun. With all this snow around, we might as well enjoy it.

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 11:44 am

      My thinking too. Can’t stay stuck indoors.

      Reply
  5. Tammi (@MyChaos)

    March 5, 2014 at 11:46 am

    I haven’t done that since the middle school years, I should take my kids sometime. Of course being in those beautiful surroundings would be much better!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      The surroundings certainly help. One of the most beautiful spots close to Toronto.

      Reply
  6. Nicole B

    March 5, 2014 at 11:51 am

    What a beautiful place to snow shoe.

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      So beautiful and peaceful.

      Reply
  7. Nancy @ Whispered Inspirations

    March 5, 2014 at 11:54 am

    Oooh maple on ice. 🙂 It looks amazing. I wish I were closer. 🙂 I’d love to visit.

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Maple syrup on ice is worth it!

      Reply
  8. Clair Boone

    March 5, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    What is that first picture? I looks delish!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Maple taffy – boiled maple syrup poured over (clean) snow or ice. And it’s very good.

      Reply
  9. Mindy Grant

    March 5, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    I’m not a fan of snow (even thought I’ve lived in Maine my entire life!), but my sister and my Dad both love to snowshoe, and they would love this. I’ll take some of that maple taffy, though!!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 12:52 pm

      I was surprised how much I enjoyed snowshoeing. First time trying it.

      Reply
  10. Jennifer @TheRebelChick

    March 5, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    I have never been snow shoeing, but I find that Maple on Ice even more tempting! It’s so beautiful where you live, I need to visit one day!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 1:50 pm

      The maple taffy was good! Lots of beautiful areas in this area.

      Reply
  11. Daisy

    March 5, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    This sounds like fun. Can you believe that I’ve never been snowshoeing?! This would be fun to try. 🙂

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 4:45 pm

      Go for it!

      Reply
  12. Angela S

    March 5, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    I have never been snowshoeing before, but it looks like a ton of fun!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 9:58 pm

      Let me know what you think if you try it.

      Reply
  13. CrazyMom

    March 5, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    I’m sooo sooo jealous.. wish we had snow in Florida, I want to walk in it.. but totally love coming to your blog and seeing your snow adventures and all the fun pictures.. keep it coming..thanks for sharing, sure looked like you guys had a blast

    Reply
  14. Pam W

    March 5, 2014 at 8:12 pm

    That looks like so much fun! I am not a fan of snow in our area, because it is rare and not one can figure out how to drive in it, but I would love to try snowshoeing!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      Your ‘no one can figure out how drive in it’ made me laugh out loud. We’re all used to it and still people forget. But the snowshoeing is lots of fun.

      Reply
  15. tammileetips

    March 5, 2014 at 9:40 pm

    This looks like so much fun. I had the maple syrup in ice when I visited Toronto and really enjoyed it.

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      Hard to stop at one, right?

      Reply
  16. brett

    March 5, 2014 at 9:49 pm

    we have some maple festivals coming up here- can’t WAIT!! looks like Halton is a gorgeous place to visit

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 10:01 pm

      Have fun. Halton is a beautiful region!

      Reply
  17. Jennifer Soltys

    March 5, 2014 at 9:56 pm

    Sounds like so much fun! As much as I am over winter, this really does look pretty!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 5, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      I am so over it, but getting out and doing things like this makes it fun.

      Reply
  18. mamatomanyblessings

    March 5, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    I have never heard of snowshoeing before, wish it snowed here in Florida! Looks like fun!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 6, 2014 at 10:04 am

      Hopefully you can try it on vacation some time. It’s fun!

      Reply
  19. Heather @ It's a Lovely Life!

    March 5, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    This looks like so much fun and great exercise! I would much rather do this than ski any day!

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 6, 2014 at 10:05 am

      Haven’t been skiing in ages, but I like the low risk of injury with snowshoeing. 😉

      Reply
  20. Nancy Lustri (StyleDecor)

    March 5, 2014 at 11:10 pm

    That looks like a great time – cold – but fun nonetheless. After this brutal winter though, I am sooo ready for spring. It’s great to see you are really making the best of it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 6, 2014 at 10:06 am

      Might as well as enjoy it since it just. won’t. go. away.

      Reply
  21. Wendy | Around My Family Table

    March 6, 2014 at 7:59 pm

    So pretty….no snow here in Phoenix so I’m always amazed at all the fun things to do in the snow.

    Reply
    • Katja Wulfers

      March 7, 2014 at 10:37 am

      It’s either enjoy the outdoors or stay holed up for months on end. Snowshoeing is definitely fun.

      Reply

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