Snowshoeing

[gearsntears]

Was wondering if anyone who snowshoes can give me recommendations on brands, or other tips/suggestions? Favorite places to snowshoe? (North Oakland County area)

I just went to REI this evening to rent a pair to see how I like them before purchasing a pair. I traipsed around the barns and outbuildings tonight to get used to them and so far I think I'm going to like snowshoeing! Tomorrow I plan on a longer hike...we've got some nice two track in the back forty that should be fun.

Also, is there etiquette I should know about for multi-use trails? I think I remember reading some threads about cyclists messing up XC ski trails and the skiers not liking that too much, so I'm wondering if the same goes for snowshoers.

[RMXByker]

I don't quite remember the brand my wife and I use but I can tell you that both of enjoy very much the Nature Trails at Stony Creek. Seems like a great area that is only hiked during the winter so there hasn't been any issues with snow shoe'rs out there. I can let you know on the brand when I get home Sunday.

[Steve_Kinley]

The Atlas brand is very nice, that's what my wife uses. I have the MSR Denali's with the tails. The only downside is that they are a little noisy due to being all plastic but very easy to put on and take off plus they should last for a long time.

[HKEKfreak]

The Atlas brand is very nice, that's what my wife uses. I have the MSR Denali's with the tails. The only downside is that they are a little noisy due to being all plastic but very easy to put on and take off plus they should last for a long time.

+1 on the MSR. I have the Evo Ascent with the optional 6" float tails. The tails don't see much use in the L.P. but when I go over the bridge they really come in handy. We take them up to Munising during the Ice Climbing festival and hike from one waterfall to the next.

About 10-12 years ago I was in Gunnison CO and stopped to help a Suby that had gotten hung up in a snow bank. We pulled them out with the Jeep and they invited us over for dinner that night. It ended up that the husband did r&d for MSR and was testing the first prototypes of the Denali’s. He gave us a pair to use for the week and we trekked all over Crested Butte. I've been hooked ever since. The cheap plastic sound does take a while to get used to but the lightweight durable material is well worth the minor annoyance.

[RickPlite]

Was wondering if anyone who snowshoes can give me recommendations on brands, or other tips/suggestions? Favorite places to snowshoe? (North Oakland County area)

I just went to REI this evening to rent a pair to see how I like them before purchasing a pair. I traipsed around the barns and outbuildings tonight to get used to them and so far I think I'm going to like snowshoeing! Tomorrow I plan on a longer hike...we've got some nice two track in the back forty that should be fun.

Also, is there etiquette I should know about for multi-use trails? I think I remember reading some threads about cyclists messing up XC ski trails and the skiers not liking that too much, so I'm wondering if the same goes for snowshoers.

proper etiquette is to stay off of the xc ski trails by using the edge of a trail or better yet, go through the woods and make your own trails, that it was my wife and I do. If walking on packed trails you might as well just wear boots..

[Steve_Kinley]

+1 on the MSR. I have the Evo Ascent with the optional 6" float tails.

Oops, that is the same model I have, not the Denalis.

[Ea]

I have the base model Atlas brand from REI and they're great. I wouldn't bother to get anything more expensive unless you plan on traveling to more mountainous areas to snowshoe.

I highly recommend getting a set of poles. They help so much with stability, especially if you're trailblazing, and provide a nice little workout for your upper body too.

[gearsntears]

Thanks for the info guys! I'm definitely looking into MSR...it's good to hear your personal experiences with them. Though today I went on a longer hike with the Atlas shoes and I really liked them. I have a feeling it's going to be a hard decision, lol.

Steve, how does your wife like hers? Any problems with them?

Ea, I have family in Oregon and I do travel there occasionally, so I definitely want to get something I'll be able to use there too. There were places I hiked last July where I could've used snowshoes! That's one thing I like about the MSR models I'm looking at—they do have the heel lift for climbing...

Definitely using poles too...I already own a nice pair of trekking poles, I just need to get snow baskets for them.

[spwrozek]

My wife has a pair from Atlas, I have a pair by Red Feather. Of all the brands I have used from renting to owning the Red Feather's have been the best hands down. They are light and extremely easy to use and put on. Also get dome poles, I recommend some black diamond ones that are adjustable.

As far as etiquette goes if skis have set a track stay off of it by being on the other side of the trail. Also as mentioned make your own trails!

[printenv]

My wife and I have some Tubbs we really like. The pairs we got were not overly expensive and work well.

[Bento]

To the original poster, you should ask yourself how you will use the snowshoes. For MI, my guess you will either run/jog or backpack with them. Not much downhill back country ski/board action here.

I have used a pair of Redfeather "race" or "running" snowshoes. They are small and won't support much more than my weight in snow. I usually pull them out when the Poto is unrideable due to ruts, brown snow and deep snow. They can handle most any trail conditions due to the nasty claw on the bottom. I don't go off trail too much. I can recommend them and the brand. No other brand experience, though.

I haven't tried poles, but perhaps I should try them. On top of what other posters have mentioned, get a specialized bag for the snowshoes. Think about those out of control claws :-0 .

I use Gore-Tex running shoes with gators to keep my feet warm and dry. I am looking for tights with Gore-Tex on the back panels (opposite of cold winter bike tights). As you most likely found, there is a bit a of rooster tail when "running" with snow shoes. I am contemplating wearing my AmFib tights backwards. Might look rather goofy.

If you are backbacking with them, ignore most of what I typed, except for the bag

[gearsntears]

Spwrozek, what are dome poles? Are they different from trekking poles? Because I have a pair of those that I've been using and they seem to be doing great...

Bento, I'm more interested in day hikes than running. I also have a friend who suggested the Redfeather Race shoes though! They seem great from what I've heard, though not what I'm looking for. Their women's shoes are rated only to 175lbs, and if I decide to do a multi-day hike that's definitely not enough with a pack. :/

I know I won't need it for Michigan, but I'm going to get something with more aggressive crampons because I don't want to miss out on a hike like this again:


That was Oregon in July. We were expecting snow but not that much! (~6ft high.) We had to turn back.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

I just picked up a pair of Yukon Charlie snowshoes at Costco.com for $80 with one-pull bindings, poles and a storage bag. Probably not as nice as some of the high priced ones, but perfectly adequate and waay better than the wood ones I replaced. The only difference I saw between these and the $150 ones at REI was the aluminum instead of steel gripper under the toe. In my mind, if you are wearing out the aluminum, you need to start using them on snow.. Just tried them out today walking our property in Marquette and got a pretty good workout. Was in deep soft snow and was sinking about 6" - not sure if the next larger size would have helped much since I'm at the light end of the weight range. I think they would be perfect on something that was a bit more packed or settled.

[mtb_frk]

Both myself and my wife have atlas snowshoes. She found hers at the REI garage sale for a great price, but I paid full price for mine. If you can wait a few months, I know doesnt really help for this year, but REI puts them on closeout at the end of the season. I was kind of bummed when I saw how much cheaper they were. But I really like them, I mostly use them at stony creek for hiking or running or when we go up north to one of the ski resorts.
I have never used the red feather ones, but there always seems to be a bunch of broken ones at the REI garage sale, and I even bought a pair with the hope of getting a new part from the company but was never able to get a response from them so I ended up just throwing them away or something.

[gearsntears]

Thanks for all the replies and tips!

I ended up getting a pair of MSR shoes. I only had the chance to use them once before the snow disappeared, though...I hope we get more soon!