Snowshoeing Experience


I have a funny story: back in Pisa Fabio went skiing once and before to go, he bought the right costume: pants, coat and gloves. While moving to California, he asked me whether he should bring the gear with him, and I told him "we are going to California, you will need surfing clothes, not skiing!" 2 months after moving, our adviser decided to organize a lab retreat for lab discussions and motivation - while skiing! 



I've never been skiing before and more importantly, I am scared of everything that requires wheels or sliding. So, I couldn't accept skiing in this life. My initial plan was to stay in the cabin, drink a batch of coffee, watch snow and read my book under a blanket as my friends are doing all the work under cold. Even though that sounded like an amazing plan to me, it didn't please Fabio. Then, we realized that some of our friends are actually not considering skiing at all, but they wanted to do snowshoeing. I was like "whaaaaat!? Is that even a thing?" It turns out, it was. So in this post, I'm going to mention what it is, how to do, how to prepare and everything about it. Welcome to Snowshoeing 101!



What is snowshoeing? 

Imagine that you are a hiker and you just want to walk around in nature, take some fresh air and climb a hill to get the best view of a lake. Now imagine 30 cm layer of snow and you cannot walk anymore. Snowshoe is the equipment you wear to keep you going without constantly sinking into the snow due to the weather conditions. 


Theoretically, it looks like attaching tennis rackets under your shoes so that the contact area gets larger and you can walk without actually sinking in the snow. Practically, there are alternative designs but simply, it's a mechanical tool that you can walk on while your feet has its mobility, so you don't have to raise your whole feet or you don't actually trip over. 



I also heard people wearing ice-trekkers. These tools are much simpler: just like the set of chains you would put on your car wheels. They prevent you from slipping over the ice, or the snow - but if the snow in your trail is too soft or fluffy, I don't think that this will save your day. 



How easy snowshoeing is?

I have zero experience with snow sports, I have some experience with snow in the city (but it is quite different than the snow in nature, so it doesn't really count) and I have really limited experience with hiking. Before my trip, I kept asking people around me if they had any experience with snowshoeing before and they kept answering me like "suuure, it's a piece of cake!" but then, they also told me that they ski regularly. Even more, I am a complete coward when it comes to physical activities, I am scared of rollerblading, biking or even balancing myself on a Pilates ball. This is why I was really nervous when I signed up for snowshoeing. 




Eventually, I did it and now I can confirm that it is almost as easy as walking. It is an amazing activity for people who has limited experience like me or for people who doesn't want to do a challenging winter sport. While the activity itself is not that demanding, you can increase the difficulty level by changing your path from flat into steep. 

What do we need for snowshoeing?

1. Snowshoes: Obviously. You can buy simple gear from amazon for about $50. If you are not into buying one or want to experience a more professional gear, you can just rent them for a day. We rented ours from a rental office in Tahoe for $15 and I loved it. Compared to the simple ones, the professional gear somehow have a bigger surface and I believe that it gives users an additional comfort while walking. 

2. Poles: This is not mandatory. Half of our group were not actually using them. In fact, walking on a flat road they become kinda dull and completely unnecessary. But, on the hills (especially going down) they help balancing your weight and stabilize your step before snowshoe actually gets stuck on the snow. I was happy using one, but you can also skip it.

3. Hiking boots: You use snowshoe and these snowshoes can be attached to almost any shoe. So, you have absolutely no limitation about the activity. But, even if the basic idea of snowshoe is to keep yourself on the shoe and not stink in the snow, your shoes will eventually get soaked up with snow and  wet. If you have regular hiking boots, you can wear them. Regular snow boots that you wear in the city might be not the best idea since they are not designed for wild nature conditions. Don't forget to wear layers of socks to keep you warm. 

4. Winter clothes: Even if you don't go skiing, you should be dressed just like you are into it. I will come back to that later. 

5. Sunglasses and sunscreen: While being dressed like an onion feels like you don't actually need sun protection, but you do. As the landscape is completely covered in white, even the slightest sunlight will affect you much more. So, don't forget to bring your sunglasses along and put on your sunscreen, especially if you have a sensitive skin. Fabio learned this in a wrong way. 

6. Backpack: Even if you feel cold and freezing when you start hiking, eventually you might feel warmer and want to remove some of your layers, your gloves or sunglasses. So, having an almost empty backpack will give you full mobility in the most comfortable way. Pack also some water, lunch or snacks because what is the point of hiking if you cannot turn it into a picnic! 

What to wear for snowshoeing?

After a long research and a little chat with people in our local rental office, I realized that I actually don't need much thinking about it but I need some moisture-wicking, water-proof equipment. The basic idea of getting dressed for winter sports is layering. In the beginning of your path, you will be cold. The second you start walking with all those equipment and especially if you start climbing a hill, you will start feeling warm and even sweaty. So, you will need to dress/undress these layers at again and again during your activity. 



- T-shirt and leggings: The inner layer should be to control your body temperature and your sweat. You might be thinking like "which sweat? we'll be freezing under all the snow!" but trust me, you'll get sweaty. This is why your first layer should be something synthetic instead of cotton, so even if you get sweaty your clothes will remain dry. 

- Warm layer: Obviously you will need something more than a regular t-shirt (well, not everyone agrees with me here in California, but I will move on). You can choose a warm wool sweater or a polar sweatshirt. 

- Winter outwear: You will need a water proof, insulated set of outwear so you won't worry about getting wet before jumping to the snow. Whenever you feel warm, you might consider undressing your coat and stay with your warmer layer. I actually packed my lightest coat with wind protection in my backpack to keep myself protected at all times. But eventually, I didn't need it. I didn't have any of these equipment, so I had to rent. I was suspicious about my trouser needs but you have to get them!

- Winter accessories: Covering yourself with a hat and a scarf is always a good idea. Have some space for them in your backpack so they can be the first thing you get rid off when you start heating up. We also rented professional winter gloves and they were nice to heat my fingers but inside, I was having my finger-less pair so I could take photos. 

I will repeat again, the second you start feeling like your body is heating and sweating, you should start undressing to keep your body temperature even. If you get wet and your clothes cannot resist over the moist, the second you pause walking or you encounter some breeze, you will start getting cold and even sick. So, you should start undressing as you feel warmer before actually getting sweaty and get dressed the second you feel almost kinda cold. It might be annoying, but trust me, it's gonna worth it. During our hike, it actually didn't get that warm and I never took off my coat but I constantly played the dress/undress game with my hat, scarf and gloves. 

How to Snowshoe? 

The first step of snowshoeing is to attach the snowshoes on your own boots. The snowshoes we rented had 3 straps over the feet and 1 strap at the heel. After adjusting and tighten these straps, you are good to go! Just make sure that the fitting is well done and it won't come off as you walk. 



On a flat surface, you walk regularly. In the beginning, it is normal to feel a bit awkward but in a few minutes you will get used to it. You don't have to use your poles religiously here. You can choose between following the trail already created by other hikers or make your own path, as long as you don't lose others from your sight. 

Going uphill should also feel natural. Under the snowshoes, there are the metal grippers to prevent you slip and you can make sure that at every step you have the whole contact with the ground. It's OK that the back of your snowshoe doesn't touch the ground always, you should focus on the tip. 



Going downhill gets tricky because you slip. If you are used to skiing or rollerblading, you might feel comfortable with slipping a little bit, the secret is to keep going. For me, it was not that easy. I felt like I had to control my each step and sometimes it was not that easy. This is where I was grateful with my poles! They gave me the stability that my shoes couldn't and it got easier to keep moving. You might pay attention to lean back so even if you fall, you will fall on your butt and not get hurt. Another secret is to use the fresh snow instead of following the path. 

Where to Snowshoe?

You can snowshoe basically everywhere where there is snow and where there is ski resorts. Pay attention not to get involved with the ski trails. We have been to Tahoe and I definitely suggest it, such a great place for winter wonderland! We just found many other cars parking on the main road and decided to join them.



Even if snowshoeing is a piece of cake and everybody can do it, you should be prepared for everything. First of all, you shouldn't be alone out there, choose your friends well so you can count on each other. Have your mobile phone with you and make sure you have enough battery. Also make sure that you have all your friends' number just in case. 
  

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