Snowshoes

If you are going to be doing a lot of long and/or steep uphills the heel lifters on the MSR model might be appreciated (I don’t think the Northern Lites have similar but I could be wrong), as would the serrations on the frame if you will dealing with icy lateral traverses. Horses for courses!

I have a pair of the Atlas 12 series. I like them because they're relatively light, and they drag the tails, which means I don't lift the entire shoe with every step. In really steep terrain, I'd probably want one of the MSR models because of their superior traction.

Edit: No experience with them, but check out Faber snowshoes for traditional/hybrid models:

http://www.fabersnowshoes.com/

are what i currently own. they are bullet-proof, can climb anything regardless of whether you are going straight up and down or across the slope. they function well in powder, heavy wet snow and ice. i wouldn't think of buying a snowshoe that i anticipated doing any amount of climbing in that didn't have the equivalent of televators. what's really nice about the msr's is i can tailor the length to the conditions. if i'm not breaking trail thru crazy light fresh powder i don't bother attaching the tail extensions. i’ve also been in situations where others have had to switch back and forth between crampons while i just kept my msr’s on. i’ve tried a couple of other brands of snowshoes and i’m sticking with the msr’s. i got mine off of ebay and if you are patient, great deals can be found. and while you could tell they’d been (well) used, there’s virtually nothing to break.

i've tried the lightning ascent and thought they were great, but there's no real weight advantage to them over the evo's once you get to the larger size and they are more expensive. while i havn't tried the northern lights shoes, i have read about them and they sound like nice kit. they do not sound as robust as the msr shoes. when i head out into the cascades in the winter, i want snowshoes that i don't have to think twice about their dependability and ability to function on any type of surface.

i'm also a little biased in my thinking. to me, using snowshoes is a means to an end. i don't put them on for a day of snowshoeing.

I sold my old Lightning Ascents to purchase the new ones when I found out the new tails would not fit the old shoes- the ability to add flotation in a minute or less is pretty darn handy. The hell lift feature is also darn handy if shoe in steep country.

Like most MSR shoes they border on bombproof, at least part of the reason they weigh more than the Northern Lights

"The hell lift feature is also darn handy if shoe in steep country."

Indeed… purpose-built for those hellish ascents. :)

I have Lightening Ascents andagree with Mike and all- Thay are bad, boy. You can go up some knargly (yeh) slopes.

That being said, you said you have micro spikes, so maybe the No Lites would be better… But then youd have to stop and change em back and forth as you hit different conditions.

I live in PDX too and think that the Lightenings are a great choice cause they will grab like champs on our lovely icy mess. In my experience up here its not neccessarily the flotation, its grip. Only once earlier this spring after a fresh 2 foot storm did I sink enough to wish I had the tails. Usually you're just standing on ice so its just traction and 2" of sinking to combat…

Andy said ""The hell lift feature is also darn handy if shoe in steep country."

Indeed… purpose-built for those hellish ascents. :)

nice catch! :)

i have an older version of the evo ascent

i use em on the PNW up and down hills

any good snowshoe with good traction will work, the televator is handy, not essential … but then i find the MSRs are the best combination of price, grip and features (televator, optional tails)

basically IMO they are the shoe to beat for hills

and you can often find em on sale …