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Forest road sector · Laurentides · · By The Snowshoe Desk

Frost Hollow Traverse

The Frost Hollow Traverse runs the length of a shallow valley that collects cold air all winter, which is why the snow here is 15 cm deeper than the ridge above it and why the temperature at the valley floor is routinely 6 degrees colder than the parking lot. It is a flat-looking route on the profile, and it is not flat: three separate gullies cut across the line of travel, each with a short, steep bank on both sides.

Distance 7.8 km
Elevation gain 205 m
Time 4 h
Grade Moderate
Frost Hollow Traverse contour illustration
Contour fragment — Laurentides, Val-David Forest Roads · 74 cm base · 46.02, -74.20

Best window Late December to late March, and notably good in the two weeks after a thaw-and-refreeze, when the base sets up hard and the hollow bottoms stop being bottomless. Parking The D2 lot on Chemin du Lac-Laurence, 5.1 km east of Route 117 at the Val-David exit. Gravel, unplowed, room for about 20 cars, and a signed snowshoe-only entrance at the north end. Snowmobiles use the south entrance; do not park in front of the gate.

01

Arrival

From Route 117 at Val-David, take Chemin du Lac-Laurence east for 5.1 km. The last 1.2 km is a maintained but unsanded hill; front-wheel-drive cars with all-seasons often fail it after a freezing rain event, and there is no room to turn around on it. The D2 lot itself is flat and drains well.

02

The line

0.0-1.6 km · Valley floor

Dead flat along an old farm lane, with stone walls on both sides under the snow. This is the coldest part of the route; a thermometer left at the 0.9 km post read -27 C on the morning of 11 January while the parking lot read -21 C.

1.6-3.9 km · First and second gullies

Each gully drops 12-15 m and climbs back out on a 30-degree bank. The banks hold powder well past the point where the valley floor has set up, so this is where you will do the most work.

3.9-6.0 km · Hardwood bench and the sugar shack

The route climbs onto a low bench of mature sugar maple, passes an abandoned sugar shack at 4.7 km, and stays on contour for 2 km. Good place to eat; the shack has a sound roof on three sides.

6.0-7.8 km · Third gully and return

The third gully is the widest and has the most open water risk. It is crossed on a beaver dam that is normally solid by mid-January. From there it is a straight run back to the lot on the farm lane.

Travelling the line, step by step

  1. Check the gully banks from the top before committingAt each gully, stop 10 m back and look at the far bank. If it is glazed rather than powdery, side-step down and kick in with the full snowshoe rather than the toe.
  2. Cross the beaver dam in the middle, never on the edgesBeaver dams are weakest where the sticks meet the bank. Walk the centre line, use poles for balance, and keep moving - it is a 12 m crossing, not a rest stop.
  3. Eat at the sugar shack, not at the gulliesThe shack is the only wind-sheltered spot on the route and it sits at the 4.7 km mark, which is a natural halfway point.
  4. Reverse your own track outThere is a second farm lane on the east side that looks like a shortcut on the map but ends at a washed-out culvert 400 m before the road.
03

What to carry

  • Snowshoes with good side-hill grip (the gully banks are the whole test)
  • Two poles - three steep banks each way is a lot of single-pole work
  • Very warm gloves plus a spare pair; this valley is 6 degrees colder than the forecast for the village
  • Thermos, not a bottle - everything liquid freezes on the first gully stop
  • Camera or phone in an inside pocket (cold-drained batteries)
  • Small saw or multi-tool in case a beaver dam crossing needs a limb cleared
04

What can go wrong

  • Open waterThe third gully's beaver dam is the only crossing and it holds open water on both sides until mid-January.
  • IceThe farm lane at the start glazes after any freezing rain and is on a slight sidehill, so it is easy to slide off into the wall.

The route is short and the exit is always 3.9 km away at worst, so the real risk here is cold rather than terrain. -27 C at the valley floor means a 20-minute stop costs more than it saves; keep stops under 10 minutes and eat while walking. There is patchy cell coverage from 2 km to 5 km.

05

Before you go

Why is the valley so much colder?
It is a closed hollow with no outlet at the north end, so cold, dense air drains into it overnight and sits there. The effect is strongest on clear, calm nights and weakest during a windy storm.
Is the sugar shack usable as shelter?
Three walls and a roof, with a plank bench. It is not maintained and there is no stove, but it blocks wind completely.
Can I ski this instead?
The first 1.6 km is fine on touring skis. Past the first gully, the repeated steep banks make snowshoes much faster.
06

Nearby and similar

The figures above are our own measurements from the date shown. Only the conditions on your day count: check the current forecast, the gate bulletin and the snowpack before you set out, and treat every ice crossing as open until you have tested it.