Snowshoeing Tips/Tricks?

[DatSOOKin]

The girlfriend and I have been wanting to go snowshoeing for a while now since we love hiking in the summer and figure this could be a perfect winter substitute. With all the snow that has hit the mountains in the past week, I'm hoping we can get away this weekend to try it out. However, I've been snowshoeing once when I was in scouts and she has never been, so we are most definitely amateurs and have no idea where to start. I'm hoping CP has some people who have tried out snowshoeing that could share some tips/tricks with us to make it an enjoyable experience.

Best place to rent/buy snowshoes?
Best snowshoeing spots for beginners - preferably no farther than the Kananaskis area?
Safety gear to consider?
Websites/methods to track avalanche risks?
Other tips/tricks?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Derek Sutton]

We got ours at Costco, make sure you get poles. So far Lake Louise has been the best trip.

[firebug]

Check out this book by Andrew Nugara: A Beginners Guide to Snowshoeing... A great thing about this book is that all trails are free of avalanche danger and are easily accessible from calgary.

But I would caution you to consider if you really need snowshoes. For the vast majority of trips I've been on, we would've been better off with microspikes or yaktrax instead of snowshoes (i usually end up having to carry my kids snowshoes). Most of the easily accessed trails in our area are well trodden which limit's the benefits you'll receive from wearing heavy snowshoes.

Now if you like to get 'off-trail' then i can see them being more handy.

We were fortunate to buy our 'shoes late february at Wholesale Sports when they were clearing them out so the cost was cheap for top-of-the-line gear (MSR Lightning Ascents). But glad i didn't pay full price.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by firebug

trails are free of avalanche danger and are easily accessible from calgary.

But I would caution you to consider if you really need snowshoes. For the vast majority of trips I've been on, we would've been better off with microspikes or yaktrax instead of snowshoes

Bolded some key points there.

Any of the avy free zones are generally super packed down (Chester and Rawson come to mind) and can be done with boots/microspikes, unless it's immediately after a huge snowfall of course.

If you're somewhere that you absolutely need snowshoes that is in the mountains, I'd be questioning if you're in an avalanche prone area, in which case you should have at a bare minimum AST1, and a beacon/shovel/probe. I've seen people out there that have no idea that they're in an avalanche runout zone, and have seen a video or two floating around where a few spring/winter hikers caused a small slide and had no idea of the huge risk involved.

[Baron von Kriterium]

I haven't been out to K-Country yet this year, but we always just parked at the Buller Mountain Day Use area on Smith-Dorrien Trail. We just set out onto the lake or along Smuts Creek.

[DoubleF]

This might sound kinda stupid, but I was told to wear bread bags over your socks when you put on hiking boots. It seems your feet dry and a lot warmer than if you wear socks directly into hiking boots. I didn't have bread bags so I didn't do this when I went. My feet weren't freezing, but they were a little cold at the end.

[Baron von Kriterium]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

This might sound kinda stupid, but I was told to wear bread bags over your socks when you put on hiking boots. It seems your feet dry and a lot warmer than if you wear socks directly into hiking boots. I didn't have bread bags so I didn't do this when I went. My feet weren't freezing, but they were a little cold at the end.

Seems to me that would just cause your feet to sweat.

I wear Lowa or Matterhorn combat boots that have Gore-Tex or Thinsulate linings and I wear wool socks. I wear gaiters over the boots and pants so my feet stay warm and dry.

Lowa boots:
https://www.lowamilitaryboots.com/lo...-boot-gore-tex

[jdso]

For an easy hike, check out the Troll Falls trail. It's relatively flat and has a decent payoff at the end with the frozen waterfall.

[wwkayaker]

I snowshoe whenever there is enough snow. I really enjoy the activity. I live in the mountains by Grande Cache and I can find untracked snow all over. Unless there is a foot of snow, I generally don't bother with snowshoes.

Big meadows are fun to learn in. I wouldn't bother tackling hills and worrying about avalanche danger until you have some experience. The sport is taxing enough without hills if you have deep snow.

Gaiters are nice for keeping snow out of your boots but aren't necessary. I don't use gaiters anymore because I find the snowshoes push the snow under foot down and with a decent boot and snow pant combo, snow in the shoes is a non issue.

Sometimes I use poles, often I don't as your balance comes quickly. You will fall when you step on your other shoe or hook a snowshoe on a buried log, etc.

MEC should rent snowshoes. They have nice ones that have a flip up bar behind the heel for going up hills. The good shoes also have a serrated edge for traction on ice.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

This might sound kinda stupid, but I was told to wear bread bags over your socks when you put on hiking boots. It seems your feet dry and a lot warmer than if you wear socks directly into hiking boots. I didn't have bread bags so I didn't do this when I went. My feet weren't freezing, but they were a little cold at the end.

The bread bag concept is warm wet. If you create a sealed vapour barrier between your feet and your boot your feet will get wet from sweat but the insulation in your boot will stay dry

The theory behind this is that a waterproof breathable boot will not vent vapour quickly enough in order to avoid moisture built up and the waterproof breathable layer only vents vapour so when the temperature in the the boot insulation reaches the dew point it condenses to liquid reducing the insualtive value of the boot.

Since the waterproof breathable layer is usually the outside layer at least some of the moisture will condense inside the boot.

Now the above doesn't matter until you go on multiday trips where you won't have the opportunity to dry out your boots at night. Each day your boots and other insulation becomes less and less effective.

So if your feet are cold wear warmer socks and buy bigger boots to fit warmer socks.

[GGG]

I have snowshoes that I rarely use.

I use these for winter hiking

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5017-3...raction-Device

Perfect for the easy or even more difficult hikes like Prarie mountain, Johnston Canyon, Rawson, Chester, and Burstall Lakes. Or early and late season hiking when ice is remaining

I don't bother to bring snowshoes anymore. Boots, gaiters and micro spikes

[annasuave]

SportsRent on 16 ave is good for rentals, as is the U of C outdoor program. You can also rent at MEC, but the lineup can get long, and it's all too easy to drop a pile of cash in that joint.

Get a map (a good one!) and know where you're going. Get a GPS device and know how to use it. It's worthwhile learning basic orienteering, old school map and compass style. You can't rely on your iPhone to navigate in the mountains.

Pack extra dry socks, a signaling device (like a whistle) and some basic first aid gear. Bandaids, Chapstick, and a tensor/ankle support can be the difference between having a fun day out, and slogging 5 uncomfortable kilometres back to the car.

Since you're first starting out, don't worry over much about needing, not needing snowshoes. If you try it out and like it, you can spend the rest of your life happily obsessing about your gear, and having gear envy for others. I have a pair of MSR Ascent shoes. They're basic, inexpensive, and can be customized to conditions. If you're on popular, packed trails you'll do fine with the basic shoe. As the snow gets deeper and deeper, you can add additional tails for more float.

Be honest about what you weigh. Snowshoeing in shoes rated for 20 kilos less than what you really weigh is no fun. Also, consider the weight of your pack.

Gaiters. Get gaiters. Get Goretex gaiters.

Poles...meh. Try them, see if you like them.

For good ideas about where to go as a newcomer, check out Hiking With Barry.

Troll falls can get a little busy (it suitable for younglings, so there's lots of kids and parents there on weekends.) check out Hogarth lake, Black Prince, Sawmill or Penstock Loop - all in Kananaskis. It's a good idea to have a couple of trails in mind before you go. The amount of snow can vary a lot from spot to spot. If you get to one and it's bare and icy, it's good to have a fallback.

You can check out the avalanche hazard online at avalanche.ca. I also like the Kananaskis Country Public Safety Section on Facebook. Both sites will direct you to other resources about avalanche risks, and avoidance techniques. You can also stop in at one of the information buildings and inquire.

When you're out on the trails, follow the little orange triangles with the guy on snowshoes on it. This tells you you're on a snowshoe trail. Skiers will get testy with you if you snowshoe on their trails.

The comment about taking your first trip out in a meadow is a good one. Heck. We've had enough snow in town this weekend that you could almost head out to your local golf course and try it out there.

Be sensible, take it easy, have fun, and don't feel pressured to get the "right" gear straight off the bat. You'll figure out what you like, and what you don't pretty quickly. Did I mention the hours and hours of gear discussions you get to have with this sport?

Oh, and make sure you're down off the mountain and back at the car before 4:00 pm. Kananaskis snowshoeing is no joke in the dark!

[DoubleF]

As some others have hinted at, don't forget to bring all sorts of things that you'd bring on a hike. Water, snacks, emergency kit/first aid, extra layers, emergency light etc. The ankle brace is a good suggestion too. Knee tensor as well if you have a history of such issues.

Ignoring the bread bag thing above might be a good idea. But I guess it could help in a pinch if someone does something silly like showing up in runners?

[Torture]

Go cross country skiing instead. Why snow shoes when you can glide!?

[Fuzz]

I think the bread bag advice was useful 20 years ago. Now we have better materials for shoes/socks. I remember using them when our gym teacher took 40 grade 7 students on a camp out and forced us to march to Pickle Jar lake in a blizzard. We didn't make it.

[FLAMESRULE]

DO IT!! We started snow shoeing this winter and have being going out every second weekend. So much fun. We are total beginners as well but there's lots of trails to go on.

Head to MEC and grab some books on the snowshoeing trails in the Rockies. Cant remember the name of the book that we got, but it has maps/descriptions/dangers/how-to etc. We haven't done an avalanche course yet since we've stuck to the intermediate trails, but probably will soon.

We definitely like having poles. Helps with balance and actually feels like you can climb faster.

Get good Goretex gaiters and make sure you have comfortable hiking shoes/boots that are waterproof. I also find that I've over dressed nearly every time and end up sweating like crazy. Get good sunglasses/goggles as well.

Head out to Smith-Dorrien Trail. Awesome scenery and can pretty much go where ever you want. Try out Burstall/Chester snow shoe trails. We also did Reads Ridge by Spray Lake, that is a steep trek, but the views are incredible.

https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/86...g_brochure.pdf

https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/38...trails_map.pdf

http://hikingwithbarry.com/2012/03/1...hiking-alberta

http://kananaskisblog.com/category/snowshoe-trails/

[ricosuave]

sounds like we should have a CP organized hike!

Whos in?

[DatSOOKin]

Thanks everyone for the input! I'm thinking maybe we'll go the mini-spikes route since it's likely we go to one of the beginner spots with likely more traffic.

[firebug]

Originally Posted by DatSOOKin

Thanks everyone for the input! I'm thinking maybe we'll go the mini-spikes route since it's likely we go to one of the beginner spots with likely more traffic.

THought I would jump in with a quick review of these $25 micro spikes on Amazon.

After receiving them in February my wife and I have put over 20km on them and have been very pleased/impressed. Yesterday we did prairie mountain which had a few steep icy sections that these handled without any issue. Chains are still showing no signs of wear or rust.

I've never used kahtoolahs, but for 1/3 the cost i'm very happy with these.