WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 44

Thread: Snow

  1. #1
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default Snow

    I learned something today. Hiking in foot-deep snow is freaking hard.

    We got a foot of new snow last night (that was a record 1-day snowfall for January for us) and I decided to take advantage of it and do a little hike, no pack, on relatively flat ground (like we have much else around here). I choose an easy 4-mile route and headed out. I wanted to see how much harder it was to walk, and how well my OR Gaitors did with my Keens (low tops).

    I was shocked at how hard it was, way WAY harder than walking in 4-6 inches. I was doing good to average just over 1.5 mph and my calves were KILLING me after about 15 minutes. Now, I'm not in thru-hiker shape by any means, but I do put in around 20 miles a week just to stay in decent shape.

    Now that I'm home my calves are burning more that they ever have in my life, burning kinda low on the calves. They hurt just sitting here. I cannot stretch them as the pain is too great. This could be an ugly weekend. On the good side the OR gaitors were champs. My socks were not so much as damp.

    I learned that if I ever do attempt a thru, that I'm taking a zero or two if the trail gets such snow. WOW

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-14-2006
    Location
    The wilds of Maine
    Posts
    2,983

    Default

    Hiking in snow requires one to stop frequently to let his heart catch up with him/her.
    Add a 2lb. snowshoe to each foot and it gets even more tiring. Throw a mountain in front of you and let the fun begin. Seriously though, good cardiovascular exercise, just pace yourself so as not to exhaust yourself.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-06-2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Age
    49
    Posts
    56

    Default

    this is why snow shoes were invented... without them it's tough in snow

  4. #4
    Registered User GGS2's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-05-2008
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Age
    77
    Posts
    722

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    Now that I'm home my calves are burning more that they ever have in my life, burning kinda low on the calves. They hurt just sitting here. I cannot stretch them as the pain is too great.
    If that means low as in into the tendon below the muscle, take very good care not to aggravate that strain. Do stretches and wait for the inflammation to die down before trying anything strenuous. Achilles tendinitis is nothing to trifle with. Believe me, I know from long experience. I am laid up for the whole winter and most of last summer. Every time I think I'm getting better, it pops again. Don't mess with it! Unless you're sure it is the muscle, get a medical opinion and take care of it. Once it is bad, it stays bad for much longer than you want to know. If it is just some inflammation, it can be dealt with easily.

    As for deep snow, yes it is a pain. You get used to it. Skis and snowshoes work. They're sort of long and narrow with turned up ends, and the others look like tennis rackets. You put them on your feet. Which reminds me of mal de racquette. Another repetitive stress injury you don't want to know about. Ever been snow blind? Winter is cold hell...

  5. #5
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default

    woodsy - Yeah it was a good workout, similar to backpacking actually according to my pulse. In calories burned my heart rate monitor showed those 4 miles were more like 8 without snow. But that wasn't the killer, it was the burning my calves went through that sucked. My calves were obviously doing something they were not prepared for......

    At what snow depth do folks decide to use snow shoes? The snow we had was pretty powdery.

  6. #6
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GGS2 View Post
    If that means low as in into the tendon below the muscle, take very good care not to aggravate that strain. Do stretches and wait for the inflammation to die down before trying anything strenuous. Achilles tendinitis is nothing to trifle with. Believe me, I know from long experience. I am laid up for the whole winter and most of last summer. Every time I think I'm getting better, it pops again. Don't mess with it! Unless you're sure it is the muscle, get a medical opinion and take care of it. Once it is bad, it stays bad for much longer than you want to know. If it is just some inflammation, it can be dealt with easily.
    Thanks, yeah I'm gonna chill out until they feel better. It is def muscle and is evenly bilateral. The Achilles itself is not tender. The center of the pain is about 9" from the floor when I stand. The area that hurts is not large. The main body of the calve is not tender.

    I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that walking in deep snow would work my muscles differently. I just thought I'd share the experience......

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-07-2007
    Location
    Willimantic, CT
    Age
    38
    Posts
    144

    Default

    I went snowshoeing for a few hours last week, and I was surprised by how tiring it can be! My calves didnt hurt though, it was all in my thigh muscles that I felt pain.
    Two Beers.

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-14-2006
    Location
    The wilds of Maine
    Posts
    2,983

    Default

    At what snow depth do folks decide to use snow shoes? The snow we had was pretty powdery.
    I think a foot of snow, sometimes less, is a good time to think about wearing snowshoes. Half of the problem with walking or hiking bareboot in snow not too unreasonably deep is the slip factor. Each step usually requires a little extra effort to push off. With snowshoes much if not all of that slip goes away making snowshoeing easier despite the extra weight. Snowshoes also allow you to take longer strides therefore covering more ground faster than bareboot.

  9. #9
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default

    If I had gone "barefoot" I think I might have had other problems........

    Calves are feeling better as the eveing goes on. I'm DEF not making as many trips to the fridge tho.......

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by woodsy View Post
    I think a foot of snow, sometimes less, is a good time to think about wearing snowshoes. Half of the problem with walking or hiking bareboot in snow not too unreasonably deep is the slip factor. Each step usually requires a little extra effort to push off. With snowshoes much if not all of that slip goes away making snowshoeing easier despite the extra weight. Snowshoes also allow you to take longer strides therefore covering more ground faster than bareboot.
    A foot of snow is time for skis, three feet of loose snow is time for BIG snowshoes for the lead man and skis for the rest of the party.

  11. #11
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by take-a-knee View Post
    A foot of snow is time for skis, three feet of loose snow is time for BIG snowshoes for the lead man and skis for the rest of the party.
    I don't ski, so that is out of the question. Would you have used snowshoes for a foot of snow?

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    I don't ski, so that is out of the question. Would you have used snowshoes for a foot of snow?
    Yes, but if you can walk, you can cross country ski, on level ground anyway.

  13. #13
    Registered User weary's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-15-2003
    Location
    Phippsburg, Maine, United States
    Posts
    10,115
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    woodsy - Yeah it was a good workout, similar to backpacking actually according to my pulse. In calories burned my heart rate monitor showed those 4 miles were more like 8 without snow. But that wasn't the killer, it was the burning my calves went through that sucked. My calves were obviously doing something they were not prepared for......

    At what snow depth do folks decide to use snow shoes? The snow we had was pretty powdery.
    I use snowshoes when the snow gets to be 8-10 inches. But breaking trail even with snowshoes is not easy. Snowshoeing is best with 3 or 4 perople who swap off the trail breaking chores.

    Most critical, with or without snowshoes, is to listen to what your body is telling you. Hiking with pain is rarely wise. It's why most people quit the trail. The human body is amazingly adaptable if you give it time to adjust to new activities.

    Weary

  14. #14
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-22-2007
    Location
    Springfield, Illinois, United States
    Age
    65
    Posts
    6,384

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by weary View Post
    Most critical, with or without snowshoes, is to listen to what your body is telling you. Hiking with pain is rarely wise. It's why most people quit the trail. The human body is amazingly adaptable if you give it time to adjust to new activities.

    Weary
    I was listenin', oh I WAS liistenin', but my car was two miles away....

  15. #15
    Registered User scope's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-08-2006
    Location
    Chamblee, GA
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,582
    Images
    34

    Default

    So, how did the gaiters and Keens work out? I assume you wanted to find out how well they kept the wet out.
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
    - Kate Chopin

  16. #16
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-20-2002
    Location
    Damascus, Virginia
    Age
    65
    Posts
    31,349

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    I learned something today. Hiking in foot-deep snow is freaking hard.

    We got a foot of new snow last night (that was a record 1-day snowfall for January for us) and I decided to take advantage of it and do a little hike, no pack, on relatively flat ground (like we have much else around here). I choose an easy 4-mile route and headed out. I wanted to see how much harder it was to walk, and how well my OR Gaitors did with my Keens (low tops).

    I was shocked at how hard it was, way WAY harder than walking in 4-6 inches. I was doing good to average just over 1.5 mph and my calves were KILLING me after about 15 minutes. Now, I'm not in thru-hiker shape by any means, but I do put in around 20 miles a week just to stay in decent shape.

    Now that I'm home my calves are burning more that they ever have in my life, burning kinda low on the calves. They hurt just sitting here. I cannot stretch them as the pain is too great. This could be an ugly weekend. On the good side the OR gaitors were champs. My socks were not so much as damp.

    I learned that if I ever do attempt a thru, that I'm taking a zero or two if the trail gets such snow. WOW
    wow. i don't get it

  17. #17

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    I was listenin', oh I WAS liistenin', but my car was two miles away....
    (Into wrist watch) - 'Kitt, I need you.'

  18. #18
    Getting out as much as I can..which is never enough. :) Mags's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-15-2004
    Location
    Colorado Plateau
    Age
    49
    Posts
    11,002

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by take-a-knee View Post
    A foot of snow is time for skis, three feet of loose snow is time for BIG snowshoes for the lead man and skis for the rest of the party.

    Wide skis...

    Who wants to snowshoe when you can ski ?!?!? The poor snowshoer does all the work and the skiers have the fun. Better to trade off among the skiers and have the right skis (wide tele skis) for the job.


    Seriously Chin Music, don't be afraid of skis. Get some simple touring skis with full edges and you are good to go for the foot powder you encountered. If you can hike, you can ski tour.

    Skiing is more elegant, more efficient and (in my opinion) make you feel apart of the environment rather than trudging through it. A used pair of touring skis, boots and poles can be had for under $150. Considering it is difficult to find used snowshoes (in decent condition) and the cost of new ones, that ain't too bad.

    Snowshoeing has simple learning curve and is great for getting more people out in winter. But I find it to be more work and you often can't use them when there is little snow..whereas on skis you can.

    (Former snowshoer...now a skiing zealot!)
    Paul "Mags" Magnanti
    http://pmags.com
    Twitter: @pmagsco
    Facebook: pmagsblog

    The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau

  19. #19
    Registered User GGS2's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-05-2008
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Age
    77
    Posts
    722

    Default

    What you use kinda depends on what you've got with you. If you have a choice, skis make it really easy to traverse flat or rolling, open land. Not so good in woods or sharp ups and downs. The softer the snow, the more flotation you need. The deeper you sink the slower you will go. More flotation on skis means wider and longer. Also note that the heavier you are fully loaded, the more ski you require. And there's a bunch of technical stuff like skins and waxes, but that's for mountain skiing mostly.

    There used to be different kinds of snow shoes for different terrain, but mostly the newfangled, plastic and metal ones are all the same sort of shape, rather like what used to be called a bear paw. They give good flotation with less area, because the solid webbing doesn't let the snow through, and it flexes, meaning snow doesn't stick. Mostly. They also have ice teeth under the foot, and bindings that accept hiking boots. Good rig, I guess. Haven't used any for some time. But there used to be some long, ski style shoes for open ground, called Rupert House pattern. Used up in the tundra country. They were for fast travel on open, wind beaten snow. Most of the woods people used a compromise pattern with a shorter tail and a bit wider. They could travel in the bush and also on open ground pretty well.

    I guess what I'm trying to get to is that there are a lot of different snow conditions common in snow country, and unless you are properly equipped, you will get slowed down. But down south, where snow is a transient condition, you'll mostly end up with a compromise. And if you are out with boots in deep snow, it might pay to know how to camp in snow and stay warm. In these days of LNT, that means don't go out in the snow without bedding, shelter and a stove system.

    One last thing: most people who trek on skis or snow shoes don't carry too much pack weight. They usually pull it on a sled of some sort. The usual pattern was a long, narrow, flexible, wooden sled like a narrow toboggan. You could pull a whole dressed deer or the skins from a trap line on such a rig. Modern adventure trekkers use smaller sleds to carry winter shelters and multi-day food supplies. It works better than summer backpacking when you're properly equipped for it.

  20. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-15-2005
    Location
    White Mtns
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,527

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ChinMusic View Post
    If I had gone "barefoot" I think I might have had other problems........
    ~
    Your eyes fooled you. Woodsy used a term you were unfamiliar with, and your eyes saw thought they saw "barefoot".

    Bareboot is a term commonly used in the northeast, to describe hiking without traction devices (crampons, etc), or floatation (snowshoes). It is indicative of trail conditions. For instance, if one reports that they were able to "bareboot to the summit", the following is usually inferred:
    1. Snow depth on the trail did not require snowshoes, OR the existing snow was hard-packed and floatation was not required
    2. The trail was not icy, OR limited icy spots were easily avoided
    Roland


Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •