Imagine touring your favorite remote wilderness area after a 12-inch snowfall, silently and effortlessly creating your own path of discovery.
Bird and rabbit tracks are recorded in pristine snow. Tops of hibernating seedlings peek through a blanket of white. You set your own pace — one not dictated by the slope of the hill, grooming conditions or the length of a ski-lift line.
You are traveling by snowshoe, covering terrain you would not dare attempt on cross-country or downhill skis.
“Around Santa Fe, areas that hold snow in the winter are rugged, steep and unsuitable for cross-country skis,” says Frank Wilwol, manager at Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works. “Snowshoes are the right equipment for the uneven terrain and provide the means to enjoy Santa Fe’s natural winter beauty.”
“Any trail you can hike in the summer, you can snowshoe in the winter,” says Steve Bing, another manager of Mountain Works. “Snowshoeing is also a nice way to enjoy the backcountry without a lot of commitment of energy and cash. Mountain Works has a rental program so you can try before you buy to see if the sport is for you.”
“People who enjoy hiking and want to extend the hiking season turn to snowshoes,” Wilwol said. “We used to say if you can walk you can cross-country ski. Snowshoes are even easier.”
Today’s snowshoes are lightweight, durable and easily maneuverable. Usually made of thermoplastic fittings and the same type of aluminum used to build aircrafts, they withstand most weather and are available in many styles and sizes.
The snowshoe size is determined by the user’s weight, which is equally distributed across the surface of the snowshoe to provide buoyancy.
“Tubbs, a well-known snowshoe manufacturer, even has a scale that reads snowshoe size instead of weight so you don’t have to give anything up,” says Bing.
“Atlas Snowshoes has designed a snowshoe suited to a woman’s gait with strapping to better fit her foot,” says Jon Asher, owner of Wild Mountain Outfitters. The newest showshoes are light but strong and feature bindings that are easy to use.
A suggested trail for beginning snowshoers is Aspen Vista Trail off Hyde Park Road. It is wide and open with a gradual incline and great views along the way. After you’ve mastered that, pick your place. Anything is possible.
Bing recommends the “Santa Fe Trail Map” by Bill Drake as a reference guide for trails in the region.
Aside from snowshoes, the rest of the gear you need can be found in your winter closet.
Getting out in the backcountry on snowshoes is fun, easy, relatively safe, inexpensive and (depending upon the amount of effort you’re willing to expend) a great aerobic workout.
Anywhere snow has accumulated, you can snowshoe. Just drive to your favorite hiking trail, strap on your shoes and go.
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Finding snowshoes
To rent
Alpine Sports (505) 983-5155
Snowshoes and poles: $10 per day
Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works (505) 984-8221
Snowshoes and poles: $10 per day, $20 per weekend
Wild Mountain Outfitters (505) 986-1152
Snowshoes and poles: $10 to $15 per day
To buy
Alpine Sports (505) 983-5155; $165 to $229
Oshman’s (505) 473-3555; start at $99
Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works (505) 984-8221
$169 to $350
Wild Mountain Outfitters (505) 986-1152; $99 to $250
Wilcox & Williams, found at http://www.snowshoe.com,sells traditional white ash wood-and-nylon-string snowshoes in a make-it-yourself kit or assembled.
Gear tips for snowshoers
* Dress in layers: You expend more energy than you think, and you will heat up.
* Any kind of pant will work - jeans, tights, ski pants - but any water-resistant pant is best.
* Pack a lightweight jacket or shell to wear when you stop for lunch.
* Wear gaiters (the fabric or leather coverings that protect the lower leg from wet snow accumulation). Snowshoes kick snow up onto the back of the leg as you walk. That can be a chilling experience without the gaiter.
* Hiking boots are a good choice for footgear. They tend to breathe and keep your feet dry without overheating.
* Cross-country or trekking poles help with balance and walking in and out of ravines, but they are not essential.
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