View Full Version : Question about snowshoes
So... I got a pair of snowshoes and have a newbie snowshoe user question.
It seems like they'd be awkward going up single track, narrow trail with a steep incline - but it'd be a real pain to take them off an put them on frequently.
I can see wearing them over balds like Big Bald or Max Patch but on regular trail they are so big it seems like they'd get in the way (and wear you out physically).
So, when do you decide to wear them and when to take them off.
10-K,
Mine have a small aluminum "claw" that pivots down with my toes as I stride. This works pretty well on all but the steepest inclines, provided there is snow. Coming down is a breeze because you don't have to worry much about foot placement, you just sink down a bit and all is good. Maybe do some side stepping on the steepest parts. It is possible to sort of ski down short slopes, just tilt back a bit as you go. Bring hiking or ski poles.
I find them pretty handy most of the time, except when the footpath has a really narrow channel (caused by water, or maybe previous use), then the snow shoes want to tilt inward and get tangled up in each other. In those conditions, I just bushwack parallel to the trail.
I rarely take them off when I'm on the AT in Mass--not that much extreme terrain here, though. They are definitely tiring to use, but less so than post holing or slogging through loose snow.
Cosmo
Thanks Cosmo - I'm fixing to head over to Cherokee National Forest and spend a few hours figuring them out.
Worse case I'll get to be outside goofing in the snow for a few hours instead of working!
Sounds like a plan. We just finished up a dandy storm that dumped a couple of feet of really nice powder. Not too great for snow shoes, even they sink into this stuff, but the skiing will be fab.
Looks like I might be down your way (Erwin to Damascus) in July.
Cosmo
I took 'em out and walked a couple of miles yesterday.
Definitely an interesting piece of gear. I was either glad I had them on or wished I had them off - very little in between.
I had an interesting time crossing a creek with a lot of bowling ball sized rocks - I almost fell in tripping over myself. Another 18" wide rocky section also gave me some trouble. I guess it'd be easier with more practice.
On relatively level stretches with 12" of fresh snow they were just the ticket.
peakbagger
01-13-2011, 12:51
One major hassle with snowshoes is people who dont have snowshoes and "posthole" the trail. It ends up being more work to fix a narrow one made by people who dont have snowshoes, then to beat out a new path. Once a proper snowshoe track is packed out, after a sunny day it will usually get firm. In the New York Adirondacks, its the law (and is enforced) that you have to be on skis or snowshoes when snow is on the ground.
The other trick is if you are snowsnoeing on reasonable slopes, a butt sled down a showshoe track is a fast way to go down a mountain. When the trail sets up a bit, its just like a bobsled chute. Not worth much for point to point hiking but great for out and back trips.