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under revision 03-13-08
The Alaska sourdough snowshoe made of bent wood strung with gut has morphed into a relative of the lawn chair, with an aluminum tubing frame strung with plastic and tape. Now these ubiquitous recreational snowshoes are in every outdoor store and can be enjoyed in powder snow by every man, woman and child, clad in any outdoor shoe or boot and lots of sweaters, hats and gloves.
The attachment of recreational snowshoe to footgear ranges from very sloppy to pretty sloppy, and this is not a bad thing, because the attachment will stretch before the innocent ankle will break. All of these snowshoes have enough play in the "binding" to permit the heel to shift off center enough that the heel is in contact with the tubing edge of the snowshoe when a sidehill is encountered in anything but deep new powder snow. Recreational snowshoes are a little like the wagons used on the Oregon Trail - the wagons had to go on the flat, or straight up or straight down the terrain, they were not able to side hill.
Another problem with recreational snowshoes is in securing the fore and aft position of the shoe or boot on the platform. Most have a hinge devise of some design at the ball of the foot to allow the heel to come up in normal walking. The foot often slops out of the correct position. The rear of the recreational snowshoe drags on the ground which is not always desirable.
Most recreational snowshoes have an aluminum claw (sometimes called a crampon) at the hinged ball of the foot to aid in going up-hill. Usually, these appendages are somewhat ineffective. They are not very aggressive and they often ball up with snow and need to be cleared by a whack with hiking poles. Recreational snowshoes can slip and slide on oft encountered hard icy snow.
Recreational snowshoe manufacturers make much of the flotation factor, the size of the snowshoe related to the weight of the shoer. The size of the shoe is related to the weight of the shoe - more is heavier. Experience tells us that snow is an ever changing medium ranging from extremely deep, unconsolidated powder to hard consolidated windswept snow with a few inches of powder, to shaded hard icy slopes, all found on the same adventure. North facing slopes that never see the sun in winter, dense stands of trees, down wind slopes with huge depositions of snow all might require a different size snowshoe. Recreational users can pick the snow that suits their snowshoes. Mountaineers (and snowboard riders seeking the tops of slopes) have to cope with what they find on the way to the technical snow, rock and ice of the summit ridge. Mountain Safety Research (MSR) offers one traditional technical snowshoe with two additional tails that can be carried on the day/summit pack and added for flotation as needed. A good idea, because a pound on the foot is said to equal five ponds on the back!
Traditional "technical " snowshoes have the following attributes:
1. They are made of strong light weight plastic with sharp edged sides, not to large to be carried on a pack and sometimes with add-on flotation,
2. The attachments are true bindings, often evolved from the traditional mountaineering or snowboarding industry,
3. They have several very sharp ice studs on the bottom for consolidated snow or shaded icy slopes,
4. The toe claw is aggressive,
5. They often have additional claws that can be easily fitted and removed,
6. The heel of the boot can be clamped down to the platform of the snowshoe,
7. They have a wire bail that flips up under the heel of the boot to raise the heel for uphill work and
8. They can cost less than many recreational snowshoes!
--On Belay! Bob Speik
Copyright© 2000-2002 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.
TSL model 225 technical snowshoes made in France snapped on to my
La Sportiva Makalu boots (made in Italy).
Note the hard plastic rails, the sharp little ice studs, the toe
crampon and the deep but light aluminum instep crampon
that can be carried in the day pack and snapped on when needed.
GAB crampons made in West Germany
snapped on to my La Sportiva Makalu boots (made in Italy).
Also read . . .
Snowshoes
keeping up with the times
Maps of winter trails
How do I avoid
avalanches?
What is an avalanche cord?
Tumalo
Mountain a wintertime treat
A map of know avalanche areas near Bend, Oregon
What should I
know about climbing Mt. Hood?
Broken
Top winter ascent
Basic Responsibilities
Ten Essentials
