The last VFFN snowshoe hike was a trek to Poland Lake. Weather wise the day was a good one, with some clouds and bursts of glorious sunshine and a moderate temperature that allowed the snow to remain quite firm. Icicles still hung from trees. We started our demanding climb from the bottom of the orange chair and took 45 minutes to reach the trailhead. From there the hike was an up and down affair, but with spectacular views of the twin peaks of Hozomeen Mountain to the south and other intriguing peaks on the horizon. We followed a well used trail and met three other parties with the same destination, two on snowshoes and the other on skis. Two hours later we arrived at the snow covered Poland Lake and headed across the ice to the opposite bank. John with his trusty shovel built a sitting platform for us to enjoy our lunch and appreciate the view of the lake and the mountain beyond. Lunch finished; we went exploring and found the toilet buried under three metres of snow. Some parts were visible, enough to see the weight of the snow destroying it. A similar fate awaited the shelter but it held strong. Someone had dug a tunnel to access it, and John and Martin went down to have a look. Our trip back took two and half hours; in total we travelled 12 km in 5 1/2 hours, with many stops to admire the scenery (and take a breath!). It was an enjoyable excursion.