ironraven;

Hope I didn't come across as sounding snotty or anything like that. As I said, I've only snowshoed once in my life (although I've tried to go several times in the past couple of years, but couldn't find anyone to go with and didn't feel comfortable doing it on my own), but the one time I did it, I honestly don't remember it being very strenuous, and we were in very deep snow at one point (as I discovered when I took my snowshoes off and sank to my waist). That was about the only time on the trip I sweated <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I think a lot of people feel they need to carry a heavy backpack in winter, but that's really the whole point of snowshoeing - you don't have to carry anything on your back, you just drag it behind you on a toboggan.

What kind of snowshoes do you use, if you don't mind my asking? I used the Canadian military (white aluminium with aircraft cable mesh). I bought a pair of them a few years back, with visions of going out snow-camping, and they've been sitting in my storage locker ever since. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I personally have my suspicions about the "modern" style which don't use the traditional mesh; I've heard (probably from purists) that snow tends to pile up on top of them and you then have to shake it loose every couple of steps, so walking is a little like lifting a shoveful of snow and shaking it off with each step; whereas, with the traditional mesh snowshoes, the snow just sifts through the mesh with every step and so it's really not much different from a leisurely walk. But I've never used the "modern" style of snowshoes and so am not qualified to comment on this.

I use a pair of aluminim and neoprene-like-stuff guys. They are in a box until I get them out for the winter- they were a prize in a raffle, so I can never remember the brand. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I'm just glad they had some that fit a, uhm, "full sized gentleman", to coin a euphamism. I'm right at the limit of what my shoes should be used for, maybe a little over, and not in the best shape, so I'm working more than most people are. As a result, I sweat a little. :P

As for a sled, I like them, but only in open country. Get into forests, and off the trails, you want the pack. I don't carry much, just my normal EDC, a real knife, a sidearm, and a small pack "uh-oh" items and a sleeping bag.

Snowshoeing is lots of fun, and a great way to get into the backcountry for snow camping and exploring. I snowshoe extensively, including going off trail in the Sierra Nevada (and Adirondacks when I make it back there to visit family). I also test gear, and got to do a test series on the MSR Lightning Ascents last season for backpackgeartest.org.

With that as background, here are a few thoughts for you:

"Snowshoeing: From Novice to Master" (Prater & Felkley, from The Mountaineers Books) is in my opinion the best, and most up to date, book out there.

Here's a good site to take a peek at, too:

http://www.snowshoemag.com/

Mostly, though, I recommend just getting out and trying it. Rent or borrow snowshoes, or buy inexpensive ones from your local big box store or LLBean.

Start with day hikes and get the feel of the shoes; I bet soon you'll be blazing up and down steep terrain, doing plunge steps and glissades down steep slopes, and having a terrific time!

By the way, while pulks (sleds) are a great way to go for hauling lots of gear, they do limit the terrain you can traverse on snowshoes. One of the great things about snowshoes is that you can go almost anywhere, including up very steep slopes and through dense growth that skiers have trouble with. I go on local ski club trips but wear my snowshoes, and generally am ahead of or even with the pack (the only place I find skis faster is on level, groomed tracks and on long downhills; for uphills, non-groomed tracks and short downhills the snowshoes are equally fast).

I personally use MSR and Northern Lites snowshoes; both are excellent choices, good for different conditions. For mountainous terrain and hard packed, icy or mixed conditions, it's hard to beat the MSR Denali Evo Ascents (the Lightning Ascents are a close second, with some caveats noted in my review). They have aggressive traction and heel lift bars that make climbing easier. For other conditions, I really appreciate the light weight and great floatation of the Northern Lites. Both brands have easy-to-use rubber strap bindings that work with any shoe (you don't need special shoes to snowshoe - just something reasonably waterproof with some gaiters).

Glad to answer more questions and point you to other resources...

- Steve