Shawn Bags the Jumpingpound Loop Snowshoe – Kananaskis

The jumpingpound loop is an easy snowshoe loop that is close to Calgary. It is laid out in a figure 8 pattern which means you can make loops of various lengths with the larger looping being roughly 10km. As you can see, there are numerous signs and maps to keep you on track.

The majority of the trail is in the forest, however there are a couple places with a bit of a view.

I started in the middle of the trail, so I was treated to the viewpoints early during my hike. Moose Mountain makes an appearance in the distance.

Closer view of Moose Mountain.

Not surprisingly, the portion with the view is also the highest so traditional summit selfie time!

Because the highway (well, gravel road) cuts right through the middle of the trail, you must cross it twice. This does give you 3 different options for a starting point, however.

And just-in-case you failed to see the 2-lane highway while taking in the scenery, they have put in this stop sign warning you about the highway right in front of you. I can only imagine the scenario that led to somebody feeling that they needed this sign.

The route is very well signed and marked. Judging by the tracks covered in snow it had been a while since anybody else had done this loop. I only encountered one other person this day, a guy on a fat bike heading the opposite direction around the loop. He said this loop was excellent for fat biking.