The other day one of my co-workers was all excited about going snowshoeing on the weekend with some of her friends. She told us she has been into snowshoeing for the past three years.
“It’s great exercise,” she said.
She then asked me if I had ever tried snowshoeing. I’m not altogether sure, but I think she was being sarcastic. I’m not really into winter, winter sports, trekking through the snow, cold weather or anything else to do with winter. To put it simply, I’m not a winter person. I also spend way too much time being, well, for lack of a better word, sedentary.
Be that as it may, in recent years, snowshoeing has become the fastest growing winter activity/sport there is in Canada. While most people who snowshoe nowadays do so simply for the pleasure of walking along in the snow, there are plenty of people who trek for miles in the backcountry, while still others, the more competitive types, even go so far as to compete in organized snowshoe races.
Snowshoeing is easy to learn, relatively inexpensive, poses little risk of injury and can help enrich a person’s health – not only does it help maintain and/or improve one’s cardiovascular fitness, it is also a great way to burn calories and lose weight.
Maybe that was why my co-worker asked if I had ever been on snowshoes. I guess she thought snowshoeing might do me some good.
The cost for a pair of snowshoes can vary from around $100 to well over $300. Many retailers offer packages that consist of snowshoes, poles and a snowshoe bag. These are generally pretty good, especially for the neophyte snowshoer.
Before purchasing a pair of snowshoes, however, it is a good idea to try them out first – if at all possible. Many retailers will let their customers rent snowshoes and then deduct the rental price from the purchase price. Another option is to look for a decent pair of used snowshoes.
Make very sure to inspect them thoroughly though –check the frames for damage (including chips), the bindings for stress and the flotation material for holes or rips. More often than not, people are selling outdated technology.
When it comes to size, snowshoes are usually measured in inches (25 inches, 30 inches and 36 inches) and the right length depends upon one’s weigh. I guess I’d need the longer ones.
Like I said, snowshoeing is a highly aerobic activity that produces a fair amount of body heat, depending of course, on the amount of exertion. The trick is to match your clothing to your level of expected exertion, the weather, the duration of your trip and your metabolism.
Try to put together the lightest snowshoe, clothing and boot combination as possible.
If you plan on buying new boots specifically for snowshoeing, look for ones with waterproof uppers. Nylon and/or synthetic uppers dry faster than leather. Purchase the lightest weight footwear that will suit your needs.
You can always treat a pair of non-waterproof boots with sprays or waxes to make them more water-resistant.
If cost becomes a factor in being able to afford what is intended to be an enjoyable sport, remember, an old pair of comfortable winter boots, that are already broken in, are your best best.
While on the subject of being old and comfortable, I should perhaps mention that my co-worker is not only older than I am by a couple of years, but she also seems pretty comfortable with snowshoeing as a form of exercise. Or, as she put it, “It’s a great way to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and take in all the beauty that surrounds us here in the Shuswap.”
