by CSUMarmot » Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:36 pm
by Joe White » Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:15 am
by CSUMarmot » Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:21 am
by rasgoat » Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:02 am
by John Duffield » Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:52 am
by CSUMarmot » Tue Dec 21, 2010 10:00 pm
1000Pks wrote:CSUMarmot wrote:So...in the spirit of winter, I have decided to get me some snowshoes for Christmas. I have snowshoed several times before, and am primarily buying them so I'm not having to trudge through snow and end up in a postholing mess on early season trips, like i have before. However, I have noticed I expend much more energy then when I walk on solid ground. My question to any experienced snowshoers is is this something you get used to or is there anything that can be done to increase my efficiency. I expect that practice makes perfect and its just a matter of endurance, but if anyone would like to weigh-in I'd appreciate it. Chris
On fairly solid snow, shoes will be as fast or almost as fast as walking. You can really buzz along when the pack is firm. But when it is deep snow or similar, it can get to be very slow. In really deep snow, you will hardly go as fast as postholing. Or similar. Groups can break trail, and when there is a packed trail to follow you can again buzz along. Though breaking trail with shoes is far more arduous than with a good skinny pair of xc skis.
Most shoe trips I have gone along with are highly limited in how far they can go. Some fine hikers by them will give up after a mile (local enviro club) on shoes. It's a lot of work, and in deep snow you might as well forget them all. A solo shoer may expect to go 1/4 mile an hour, while on skis I can head through knee deep powder for a mile in the same time. Then, it's a skate glide if it's downhill or near level on the way back. With shoes you'll be struggling both ways. Although less people break a leg on shoes, but they can still get hurt or killed. Cheap shoes will break with much less snow than a solid pair of skis, I see expensive shoes fail and then the owners curse it all and give it all up. There are limits to the stress even metal can take. Skis break too, but it may be easier to fix those, you always carry a repair kit since in winter bc it can get very serious!
by CSUMarmot » Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:48 am
by Mountainjeff » Wed Dec 22, 2010 2:19 am
by spiritualspatula » Wed Dec 22, 2010 5:42 am
by goldenhopper » Wed Dec 22, 2010 7:17 am
rasgoat wrote:Ditto on the MSR's except I really like the model with the heel lifters. I really do not feel a difference in my stamina with these, they truly have awesome balance and traction.
by rhyang » Wed Dec 22, 2010 4:01 pm
NancyHands wrote:rasgoat wrote:Ditto on the MSR's except I really like the model with the heel lifters. I really do not feel a difference in my stamina with these, they truly have awesome balance and traction.
That would be the Ascents. They also have the Evo Ascent, which has a tapered tail to create less drag. The problem with the design of the evo's is that while you have less drag you also get less loft, so you tend to have to step higher is powder making it harder overall IMO. Either way the ascents make it easier on the calves on steeper inclines, but I tend not to use mine as I prefer to duck walk up the steeper stuff.
by Tangeman » Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:07 pm
by jordansahls » Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:29 pm
by MoapaPk » Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:46 pm
by CSUMarmot » Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:22 pm
MoapaPk wrote:OP: What are you metrics? I've snowshoed up one of local mountains 2x in deep powder, about 3600' elevation gain to over 11000'. My snowshoe pace up this peak is about 33% to 40% of my summer pace.
Showshoeing in deep powder is incredibly tiring. Plan to take the whole day and rest frequently. Go with other folks and trade off on breaking the trail.
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