Snowshoeing

From Alaska Outdoors Wiki

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Types of shoeing 3 Equipment 4 Types of shoes 5 What to wear 6 Tips, Techniques and Tricks 7 On-Line Resources

Introduction

Snowshoeing is a great way to enjoy Alaska in the winter. All too often the snow gets too deep to allow travel into the skirts of Anchorage, let alone the wilderness.

Types of shoeing

Recreational (Hiking, hunting, etc.) Aerobic (racing, running, etc.)

Equipment

Never been out snowshoeing? It's easy - if you can walk, you can snowshoe. If you've never been, you may wish to consider renting a pair of shoes before purchasing; this can help with a few potential problems: 1 - You get a chance to determine if this is something you will enjoy 2 - You get a chance to try out some rather pricey gear before you pay (various bindings, platforms, etc.)

Many folks start with inexpensive shoes and upgrade when they wear them out. This is a good way to give it a good effort before you spend a couple hundred dollars on a quality shoe. Yes, you can spend quite a bit on a pair of shoes, but, you will quickly learn that there are bindings you like, and bindings you don't like. If you go with the modern shoes, most of these bindings have modern securing mechanisms that will release fairly easily, even if covered in snow and ice. However, you may find a set that you have to 'tie' into, which means these can be very difficult to remove at the end of the day.

Types of shoes

Traditional shoes - usually made of natural materials (wood, leather, etc.) these include the "bear paw", "beaver tail", "Alaskan". The bear paw is best used in wooded areas, since this style shoe does not have a 'tail' to get tangled. Very manuverable, however, not great in heavy powder. The beaver tail is probably the most popular design; this is what most people envision when thinking of snowshoes. Kind of cumbersome, good overall shoe, works better than the bear paw in powdery snow, but still not great. The Alaskan this is a big shoe, good for powder/deep snow, very fast shoe, but harder to turn.

Modern shoes - are generally made of aluminum and plastics and the like. Simply they are lighter. The styles are usually broke into the two main categories - recreational or aerobic. The recreational shoes tend to be big and capable of supporting more weight and travel better in powder/deep snow. The aerobic shoes will be small and a bit more streamlined to help the user move through the snow quickly and efficiently, however, they may not do well with heavy loads or in deeper snow.

What to wear

LAYERS. Layers, and don't forget to layer. You will want to be sure to put on clothing that is NOT cotton based. Once you get the cotton wet, it's insulating capabilities are nearly zero. It will get wet, either from the environment or from your persperation. Start with quick dry t-shirts, underwear, long johns etc. Add a polar fleece type layer over your base layer, then cover with a gortex type layer to insulate you from the wind and wet.

Your foot wear should be comfortable. Generally, something with good ankle support will make your first outings much happier. Again, just like your clothing, layer. Wear a sock liner, wear a wool sock over that, and cover your foot in a quality shoe that is resistant to moisture - again gortex is a great modern material.

Tips, Techniques and Tricks

Go out and do it! Don't expect to float on top of all snow. Some powdery snow will allow even the highest quality shoes and 'rider' to sink. When this happens, start to high step a bit and try to find a harder surface. When going down hills, you might find yourself skiing quickly - at first you might want to side-hill instead of attacking the hill head-on. After a little practice on some SMALL hills you may enjoy the skiing effects with the shoes.

Don't buy a shoe based on the overall body weight that you want to be... buy the shoe for the weight that you are, and consider adding a few pounds to account for clothing, backpacks, and other gear as applicable.

On-Line Resources

http://www.snowshoeracing.com/ http://www.snowshoemag.com/ http://dailynoise-snowshoes.blogspot.com/