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van,
9 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 6:50 PM
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| Hi there all, I'm looking for some advice on the above topic. I would like to go snoeshoeing this winter and am wondering about gear options. Besides the obvious (snoeshoes which I will rent from MEC) what kind of foot wear is best. I'm not sure if all weather hikers or maybe snowboard boots would be best. Also maybe what are the best places locally to take the pooch along, Mt. Seymour, Cypress, the valley??? I do alot of hiking in the summer but have yet to try this. Any ideas or hints would be cool. Oh ya SNOW RULES!!! Thanks Bri |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 7:14 PM
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Thanks Bri for this request as it's also my request . This fair weather hiker is taking on 4 seasons now. Watch out world! |
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Fast hikin, carrot chompin, always grinnin, gear scatterin recipient of the Theta Lake manouver
Burnaby
2041 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 8:29 PM
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Hello Bri and Flowing-Brook.
I cannot possibly offer advice, but can give you my experience on snowshoes...once and it was yesterday.
Not knowing what to put on my feet, I took both hiking boots and snow boots. Since, everyone else was wearing reg. hiking boots, so did I. Easy attachment to snowshoes. And if you can walk, you can snowshoe.
It was a blast! Go out and have some fun. |
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Coffee swillin', wine lovin', Owl fearin' Andie McDowell stunt double, who sports retro gear
Vancouver, BC
5466 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 10:43 PM
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| I had the same experience last year. Went out with rented snowshoes and not a clue what to do with them. Somebody in the group showed me how they strapped on, and that was it! Off I went. I wore my regular hiking boots. Only thing I hadn't thought of was poles. Good idea to have poles! |
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 | cjb
Junior Member
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
376 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2006 : 10:50 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wilderness_seeker
Good idea to have poles!
What Andie said! Snowshoes changed this previously 2-season hiker's life. Poles are essential if you do not wish to repeatedly face-plant in the deep drifts.
I bought a $150 pair of snowshoes from the Co-Op, which were mid-range, price-wise, and found them sturdy, not too heavy to carry up to the snowline, and easy to put on and take off. Schedule an hour or so to get your poles-and-shoes gait down -- not nearly as bad as I was led to believe -- but still worth practicing, especially on steepish terrain.
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 12:05 AM
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Went the first time a couple of years ago on rental Yakimas. It was fun, but I fell through a few times in huge drifts. I was told to ask about weight proportionate to the shoes?
Hope to get a chance again this winter one day.
I would never never go solo. I hike solo all the time. I would never snowshoe solo because I fell in and couldn't get out without help on a steep hillside over my head. My buddies were laughing so hard when they saw my poles waving out of the hillside. We weren't on a trail. |
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ass wigglin, cheese lovin, 4x4 drivin, apostrophe hatin, hiking chick who loves camping on snow
spaceship..
Canada
7209 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 08:14 AM
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A few years back someone said to me "it's coming up to winter, better hang your boots up" - ahem, cough, "no way"!!!!
A kind CTer lent me a pair of snowshoes, we went up to seymour, and within five minutes I was hooked
Probably the hardest part is figuring out how they attach to your boots, but simple once you've done it once.
I have a winter pair of boots, which are much warmer than my summer hiking boots, but you can wear your regular hiking boots.
Now if we can entice you into winter camping then that opens up a whole new world for you  |
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Tumbler Ridge, BC
Canada
1364 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 09:05 AM
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You'll want boots, depending on where you go. If you're up on Cypress and it's icy, then you'll just want something warm enough, and hikers will probably do, but if you're making your way through three foot drifts, the snowshoes will still float, but not right at top, so you'll need something that covers your lower legs, too. I usually wear my winter boots and snow pants, even if it's not too cold, because you're kicking up snow and if you're just wearing pants, they'll start to get covered in snow, and then it'll melt and you'll be all uncomfortable, and, like "why am I doing this, this sucks", but if you wore snowpants and boots, you'd be all like "this is cool, why didn't I try this years ago?"
Cypress does a snowshoe/fondue thing that was absolutely incredible a couple years ago, but pricey. Great introduction to the sport, and great food. Dog is probably not allowed, though.
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1263 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 7:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bri
Hi there all, I'm looking for some advice on the above topic. I would like to go snoeshoeing this winter and am wondering about gear options. Besides the obvious (snoeshoes which I will rent from MEC) what kind of foot wear is best. I'm not sure if all weather hikers or maybe snowboard boots would be best. Also maybe what are the best places locally to take the pooch along, Mt. Seymour, Cypress, the valley??? I do alot of hiking in the summer but have yet to try this. Any ideas or hints would be cool. Oh ya SNOW RULES!!! Thanks Bri
For your feet running shoes will do if you have cycling shoe covers if not then boots with gaiters. Nylon pants worn over fleece pants will allow the snow to slide off without sticking. A touque to keep your head warm when you stop and a sweatband to keep your forehead and ears warm and dry as you hike ( depends if you sweat alot ). I use thinsulate gloves ( Coast Mountain approx 8-12 bucks or Superstore on sale in the summer for 98 cents )for keeping my hands warm. To take a hound with you Seymour has hounds on occasion, with no visible signs that I recall. Check out the friday night snoeshoe trip with Newtrail as this is a wonderful way of learning about what you should have. If you have hiking poles they really do come in handy for crossing creeks or descending. |
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Port Coquitlam, BC
Canada
169 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 7:46 PM
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| I was thinking of trying snowshoeing this winter as well, Have done plenty of hiking, a few overnighters, One of the questions I had was already answered. Where are some average trails that lead to good views. Is the trail to the summit of seymour marked for snowshoeing (one of my favorites for a quick easy hike), any other summit trails around here marked that are not to risky for someone with no snowshoe experience. ( I like views ) Any info on winter overnighters would be appreciated as well as reasonable destinations. I am not sure about my tent for winter camping. It is a mountain hardware lightwedge 2, does anyone have any experience with tent in winter condtions. If it is not suitable, what would be a good reasonably priced 4 season tent. Nothing to difficult, at least not this year. Thanks for any info. |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1047 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2006 : 9:14 PM
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| Hi Bri, you will have a blast as many have said here. I have done a lot of snowshoeing in races and just hiking up through Grouse in the evenings. I have always used a small snowshoe like the Atlas Dual Trac. New snow shoes are great but none really do float a top the snow especially when it is new but they do make a print so a lot of snow does not get on your shoe. The smalled snow shoes are also easier to run, walk or hike with as they are much lighter. I have always used Salomon XA pro gortex shoe which works really well and I use seal skin gortex socks and this has always worked for me. As someone stated here already the backs of your legs and neck are prone to coldness as the fresh snow flies off the snowshoes and hits the back of your legs, bum and neck. I never use poles as the hike up Dam is not that bad and running down in the fresh pow pow is so much better without poles. All the mountains have excellent snowshoeing however you cannot bring your dog up Grouse or at Cypress except if you go in the park which is better and far away from the XC trail system. Happy shoeing |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
230 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2006 : 11:23 PM
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I think that poles are a huge help. It's easy to get off balance and fall without 'em. They're good for going down steep hills too. Skiiers use them and snowshoeing's like skiing without the glide, so I think it's natural that poles are good for snowshoeing.
My only other advice is to bring along extra warm clothes (in addition to the clothes that you wear when you're working hard). Things can go wrong fast in the winter if you don't have clothes to keep you warm when you're not moving. |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
147 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2006 : 12:12 PM
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Seeing as this topic is about snowshoeing for newbs, I will add my request for advice here.
My wallet is deathly allergic to lift-tickets and seasons passes, as am I to lineups and crowds. So I am looking for a snowshoe that will fit my big stomper snowboard boots. And I mean big stompers. Also note, I have never strapped on a pair of snowshoes. Ever.
Personal experience tales or pointers to info would be greatly appreciated.
The tips on clothing-choice have been filed in the wet, grey computer, too. Thanks CT.
Good luck Bri and NVHiker! I'm stoked to expand my horizons in this way too! |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
230 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2006 : 1:07 PM
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| I bought Altas snowshoes with the fancy ratcheting bindings so that I could use them with either my snowboard boots or my hiking boots. I forget what the exact model is, but I am very pleased with them. They were expensive, though. Around $300 if I remember right. |
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newbie snowshoeing???
