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Forget the Rockies. Winter blahs melt away as you hit the gas on a snowmobile and blast along ancient mountain ridges or wander through pristine woodlands in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A vast network of trails sprawls across more than 5,000 kilometres of natural beauty. It spans the former Canadian National Railway route, follows the foothills of the Long Range Mountains to a glacier-cut fjord in Gros Morne National Park, and crisscrosses Labrador's rolling tundra.

The Labrador Winter Games began in 1983 and has grown to become a sporting event, and a family event that every Labradorian wants a ticket to. Communities come together as one and select their finest athletes to represent them in what is also known as the ‘friendship games.’

The perception most of us have of Newfoundland is of a scenic wonder filled with rocky cliffs, green terrain and quaint seaside villages. It is not known as a haven for winter activity, but a visit to Western Newfoundland will obliterate any notion that Newfoundlanders are not just as much fun in the cold as in the sun. Even the province’s jewel, Gros Morne National Park, offers visitors spectacular beauty when the temperature falls below freezing.

The Great Northern Peninsula is the premier snowmobiling destination in Newfoundland, boasting a winter wonderland experience with its spectacular Long Range Mountains, scenic vistas and ocean views. With its often perfect snowmobiling excursions and other winter activities such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing and dog sledding, visitors will experience supreme winter fun.

Snow West ’12, set to take place between Wednesday March 21 and Saturday March 24, 2012, is an annual event designed to showcase the outstanding variety of fun winter adventures and evening experiences available for visitors to Western Newfoundland.

For the first time, a married couple is entering the Cain’s Quest snowmobile endurance race.

Labrador residents Coreen and Jason Paul have registered as the appropriately titled “Better half racing Team 39” to face one of the most brutal snowmobile challenges in all of the country and perhaps put their marriage vows to the ultimate test.

Western Newfoundland offers some of the best snowmobiling in all of Eastern Canada and the Lewis Hills is an especially great spot to sled. The “hills” themselves are located approximately 18 km north of Stephenville and 27 km southwest of Corner Brook and at 814m (2,671ft) the Cabox is the island of Newfoundland’s highest point.

As you can see from the video you can see breathtaking scenery and a variety of wildlife in the backcountry. The Lewis Hills terrain is inviting to a novice rider but offers everything an expert rider would need.
 

Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race is the main annual winter event in Labrador and is said to be the ultimate in extreme racing. On March 12, 2011, racers will gather in Labrador City and roar off on a 2,500-km journey through the Labrador wild, hitting 18 remote checkpoints and a further nine community checkpoints. Racers will have to bring their “A game” in this true test of endurance. And indeed they should. Racers compete for a shot at a $65,000 prize purse.

In March 2011, Cain’s Quest will be hosting its first ever “Ladies Edition”. At 650 km, in a race to Churchill Falls and back, ladies will compete for a $20,000 prize purse.d

The beautiful Codroy Valley on Newfoundland’s west coast has been named by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) and professional travel experts as one of the top 13 must-experience winter destinations in Canada. The Codroy valley was chosen from over 500 entries as part of www.localsknow.ca, a CTC website encouraging Canadians to share their favourite locations to help inspire other Canadians to keep exploring.