After some requests from people who are interested in seeing what snowshoeing is all about without the stress of either going out at night with the regular group or committing to a race like Super Frosty Loomis, I’ve rounded up some loaner snowshoes and will be at the Cornell golf course on Saturday at 11 AM to answer questions and take whoever shoes up on a short run (no more than 2 to 3 miles). Park to the right of Moakley House.
I hope to have at least six or seven pairs of snowshoes of varying types and vintages, and with luck, @esambo and @Dave_K will be able to join us, since they have a lot more snowshoe experience than I do. Of course, anyone else who has their own snowshoes, like @hubitron, @gumbywhale, @Gretchen, @billwatson, are also welcome!
Since this is just an informal group run, there’s no need for an official signup, but given the limited number of loaners I have, please reply here if you’d like to come and if you need snowshoes. If too many people are interested, I’ll do it again some other day.
Of course, please wear a mask and to the extent possible, keep your distance. (I anticipate some of that won’t be possible, if people need help figuring out the snowshoe buckles, so masks are doubly important.)
In terms of gear, dressing for snowshoeing is similar to running, with a few tweaks:
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Wear whatever running shoes you’re comfortable in. The only ones that might be a problem are Hokas, since they have that huge stack height.
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If you have them, I recommend wool socks. Your feet will get wet, and wool tends to be a good insulator even when wet. Or so the sheep claim.
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On your legs, I recommend two layers: a pair of normal running tights under nylon wind pants or something waterproof. Snowshoes kick up a lot of snow that hits the back of your legs, and normal tights will get soaked quickly. If you don’t have water-resistant pants, maybe try two pairs of tights.
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On top, layer as you normally would for winter running, but try to have a waterproof jacket as your outer layer. You’d be amazed how high the kicked-up snow goes on your back (sometimes over your head).
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Whatever gloves or mittens you normally wear are probably fine, but since you’ll need to bare your fingers to put on the snowshoes, err on the warm side.
Any other questions beforehand, feel free to ask!
People who have expressed interest at one point or another include @Anngel, @aaron.proujansky1, @brian-lazzaro, @julie19, and @caitlin-loehr.
See you Saturday!