Winter’s cold has two upsides: blanketing hills in fluffy snow and thinning the population of curious children by sticking their tongues to steel poles. Walk through a winter wonderland bereft of nosy youngsters with today’s Groupon: for $30, you get an introductory snowshoeing course and guided tour of Humber Valley under Old Mill Subway Station from Toronto Adventures Inc. (a $60 value). Tours depart from King’s Mill Park. Guides schedule tours according to appropriate levels of snowfall, and most are scheduled throughout January and February. Refer to the calendar for upcoming tours.

Guided tour groups shuffle through cottony snowscapes on two-hour snowshoeing adventures that meander through Humber Valley’s majestic forests and fields directly under Old Mill Subway Station. After participants lace up their newly acquired foot paddles and calm empty hands of their envy, a simple 30-minute snowshoeing lesson teaches the group basic steps and safety instructions. Once everyone in the group can display a degree of grace in their short steps, the chilly ballet continues with a 90-minute trek along the scenic trails of Humber Valley. An experienced guide leads the small groups into woodsy depths that obscure proximity to the city as deer poke their heads out from bushes and blue jays nesting in baseball mitts coo at passersby. Beginners of all ages and shoe sizes can embark on the intro course and tour, though guides suggest all participants dress warmly for the weather and wear flat-bottomed, waterproof boots.