The snow kicks up off the shoes from behind creating a self-contained blizzard. The only lesson learned is to keep the toes up a bit on the downhill and to watch for fallen logs, Ive had some pretty mean face plants.
Snowshoeing is coming on strong and is the fastest growing winter activity. Up 71% from 1998 to an estimated 5.1 million of us shoers! Its an affordable one-time purchase. You can buy great snowshoes for around $150 making it an easy entry sport. Like Ive said, runners and walkers are snowshoe ready athletes, just add snow and big silly shoes!
Dressing for running is dressing for snowshoeing, with one exception, I always wear Gore-Tex pants. The snow off the shoes pounds you from behind leaving a wet butt if not protected. I think everyone tends to overdress in winter because when you head out the door it always feels cold. A mile down the trail we are ready to shed some layers. I wear a light daypack, especially in changing weather conditions. A pack and layers of clothes serve as a thermostat. As for shoes on my shoes, I stick to running shoes. Hiking boots, even the lightweights, dont allow my foot enough flexibility. I prefer Gore-Tex lined running trail shoes to keep the feet dry and warm. My body is not made for the cold so I also wear neoprene over-boots, over my shoes. The snowshoe manufactures make these booties specifically for the runner.
What brand of snowshoe? A more important question is what size of snowshoe? For the runner, smaller is better. All those big shoes you see in the camping stores are for slow walks with a pack. If you weigh 130 to180 lbs. go for around 8x25 inches. If you weigh under 130 lbs. I suggest around 8x21". If you are over 180 pounds I suggest 8x30" but you still might like a 25" shoe better, especially on old or packed snow or when racing. Ive run in all size shoes and the bigger the shoes the clunkier they are, making running in snow even more work. Supposedly you get more float in powder snow with a bigger shoe. I have found that big and small shoes both sink a ton when breaking trail. In addition, with big shoes I get the feeling Im carrying more weight as I pick up my feet for the next step. More decking to hold more snow.
Ok, what brand of snowshoe? Redfeather has been my personal shoe of choice for a while. The shape of the Redfeather shoe gives a fast feel. You will like these shoes! They have all types and prices available at www.redfeather.com .
Let it snow!
Randy Step
