snowshoe advice, please

Go Denalis. MSR makes a fine snowshoe. I have Evo Ascents with tails and really like modularity system provides. And binding system is nice.

EDIT: And yeah, as others say below, the televator is amazing, makes a huge difference on ascents.

they are bullet-proof and get the job done. in washington/cascades you're not getting the really fluffy white stuff so it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't really need the tails. i don't mind sinkinging some (which is gonna happen), i just don't want to posthole if i don't have to. the one thing to make sure is that the snowshoes have televators. televators make a huge difference going up.

del

I got my first set of snowshoes last Christmas. First time I'd been on snowshoes since I tried (rather unsuccessfully) a pair of old wooden ones back in the 70s.

Given the terrain here in NH, I went with the MSR Lightning Ascent. Those and the MSR plastic models are the snowshoes of choice among veteran winter hikers in the White Mountains. Small, light, and maximum traction.

The Lightening Ascents have a more substantial binding system. Takes a little longer to strap them on, but the plus side is that they STAY on.

Breaking trail in fresh snow on snowshoes will flat wear you out. But, around here, the more popular trails are always broken out for you. If they are really packed, MicroSpikes are all you need. After fresh snow, the snow shoes are the way to go. I've learned to take both on a winter hike.

I got the flotation tails, but never used them. To be honest, for broken trails I probably could have gone with the 22 inch snowshoes instead of the 25 inch version I got. But, that only applies to packed trails.

By the end of the winter, I had done my first full climb (Mt. Pemi), up and back, entirely on the snowshoes. Small little mountain, but I wasn't sure that I would advance that far the first winter on snowshoes. Once you get the hang of them, it's really not much harder than summer hiking. Little more on your feet, but the rocks and roots are buried.

BTW, I second the strong recommendation for the "televator" bars if you are going to hike in the mountains. They are fantastic for sustained uphill bits. Take a huge strain off the achilles. I think both the Tubbs and the MSR's you are looking at have them.

Turns out they're the Ascent model, with the heel lifts. Thank you all for the good info. I'm 160# (and dropping weight) and will be under 185 even with winter gear packed up.

Both the MSR Denali Ascent and the Tubbs Flex TRK are very similar, it appears. It's all a matter of whether I want the shiny new one with one year warranty/ STP lifetime satisfaction guarantee for only $10 more or the used MSR with tails.

Oh, and my fiancé will be getting a pair of the women's version too, so the Tubbs would match.

We've done a few hikes in snow and an overnight. On the overnight, it was 10 miles out and back, with 2700 elevation gain. All we had were crappy yak trax and were post holing 2+ feet after the first 2 miles up as nobody else had been to the lake we went to yet that season. It wasn't too bad, but I feel like snowshoes would've made it somewhat easier.

I have the Evo Tours which are tail compatible 1 strap with the option of 2 if you're worried about it. I found 1 strap to be sufficient. Easy to slip into the toe strap and buckle up the heel strap. I really don't know why they don't use this binding on all of their snowshoes. Heel lifts are awesome for going uphill.

" The first is the Tubbs Flex TRK 24"
It's only 68 from sierra trading post after coupon "

that sounds great. do it.
snowshoes are indeed an acquired taste. i think they are hideous. as recommended above, temper your expectations about how far you're going to get with them at first.
caution. if you push hard, the shin muscles can get VERY hurt. this happens to novices and early in the year. you can damage yourself if these muscles get over used and lock up. again .. caution is advised.

snowshoes can be fun ( so they say..). they can also point out some awfully unused muscle groups.
if you really desire solid discomfort. start out fresh no-practice on snowshoes towing a heavy sled with just a waist belt. about day three you'll know all about it.
there seems to be a market for used snowshoes. so if you buy them, and want to move up, you're covered.
towing a pulk using a pack for a harness was vastly nicer than the waist belt. no bothers at all.

cheers,
v.

Thanks guys! We're going to go with the Tubbs Flex and head out for an overnight into the Cascades next weekend. The trip reports say that Lake Ingalls is doable without snowshoes as enough people have been up there and the snow is packed nicely.
We'll probably do most of the hiking in micro spikes and switch to snowshoes to explore around the lake where there's more snow, etc.

Do the MSR snowshoes. MSR are pretty much the snowshoe of choice in the PNW. One issue with the Tubbs is the nylon straps, these WILL ice up and be difficult to adjust or get out of after a trip. True for all nylon straps here in our damp climate.

The tales really are not problematic at all. Yes, the shoes feel little different with them on, but so do longer snowshoes compared to shorter shoes. It is really a non-issue. Besides, as mentioned above, here with our damp, consolidated snow you won't use them very often.

(Edited to add comments about tales.)

After much searching I purchased the Northern Lites shoes. Not available here in Canada so I imported them from the US.

The specs will tell you how light they are. I can vouch that they are equally durable in use

http://www.northernlites.com/

Derrick

the MSRs are proven time and time again for years up here …

and MSR has excellent customer service …

you can often find em on a good sale to boot

;)

Have to agree about MSR evo denali. Great shoe; great traction. For once, a modular system is actually a plus; will not break. Maybe not the best flotation in deep snow, however.

I spent a morning after a big snow breaking trail around a local apple orchard and quickly found out that it's very tiring, especially uphill. Even if you are only sinking in six inches, you still have to pick your foot way up with every step and it's hard work.

I then went out several times on a really pretty 3 mile loop. Wide old fire road paths, mostly flat, but with some gentle rolling hills. That's where I figured out the pacing and cadence for snowshoes. At least for me, slow and steady is definitely the way to go. I have not found that snowshoes respond well to a quick cadence. Even on packed trail, you have to pick your feet up. Shuffling along doesn't seem to work.

Now, I strap 'em to my pack for most winter hikes if we've had fresh snow. I put them on when there are footprints in the trail more than an inch or so deep. If the trail is packed solid, then MicroSpikes. Although, the MSR Lightenings provide great traction on icy stuff — a bit like 25 inch crampons with teeth all around the perimeter. If I had to break trail, I would probably plan on a short hike and a quick turnaround. But, generally if the trailhead parking lots are plowed and accessible, somebody will have already broken the trail, at least enough for decent snowshoeing.

The hardest part to learn was that they are about like skis when stopped and trying to turn around or lift a leg over a fallen tree. Have to be slow and deliberate with the movements or you'll step on a tail and go down in an embarrassing heap. Not that easy to get up, either!

One thing you need to know about snowshoes: They are not skis.

Cross country skiers often contour around the side of a hill, and the ski edges allow that to happen. When ascending, it is often with an ascending diagonal contour. However, snowshoes don't have edges like that, so contouring is not easy. For ascending, it is often easiest to go straight up. As a result, skiers and snowshoes seldom want to use the same trail. For one thing, skiers like it when there is a nice packed track. Snowshoes tend to mess up a packed ski track pretty badly. So, often little informal rules are made, and the skiers stick to one side of a trail and snowshoers stick to the opposite side of the trail. Fist fights are avoided that way.

–B.G.–

Fist fights are avoided that way.

thats what ice axes are for

;)

It seldom gets beyond jousting with ski poles.

–B.G.–

I really like my Katoolahs. They're big and weigh 4 pounds, but the bindings detach and become very effective crampons, so I don't need to carry crampons. So, I'm lightweight, durable, and I have great flotation all at once!

I would love to sled joust. That would be awesome.

As nice as the MSR Denali Accents are (but only one available on gear swap on NWHikers for that low price), we ordered a couple pairs of the Tubbs Flex TRK, as they were an additional 35% off STP sale price (Final price of 68.22 each pair), plus added benefit of STP's customer satisfaction guarantee.

I'm excited to try them out and will keep everyone's advise in mind.
Thanks, everybody!

The reason that snowshoes like the MSRs and the plastic Tubbs are so popular in the NH mountains is that they have traction teeth down the full length of both sides, so it is possible to walk up, down, or across icy slopes without slipping. It's the big advantage in hilly terrain over the conventional aluminum tube frame snowshoes.

Generally when skiers and snow shoers share the same trail around here, there will be two tracks — one for skis and one for snow shoes. Especially in places where they actually groom cross-country tracks with a grooming thing-a-ma-jig pulled behind a snowmobile.

Northerlites.