Barely a mile up the Apex Trail on the east side of Lookout Mountain, a visitor on snowshoes was greeted the other day by a young coyote, ambling along the path not 50 feet in front of him.
The animal circled around, trotted upslope a bit, then sat calmly on its haunches for perhaps five minutes, studying its fellow traveler. Finally it headed off toward the higher reaches of the trail, as if in search of a more promising dinner date.
It was a memorable encounter, and one the human witness might well have missed if he hadn’t been wearing snowshoes, for the snow in the gulch was too deep to hike in and too shallow to ski.
Simply put, it is the versatility of snowshoes — their ability to put people in places they wouldn’t otherwise see at this time of year — that explains much of their growing popularity.
Boulder author Claire Walter describes the gear in her introduction to “Snowshoeing Colorado” as the “sport utility vehicles of the winter backcountry.”
Snowshoes also are much easier to master (and much easier on the wallet) than skis, the other traditional means of getting around in winter.
Alan Apt of Fort Collins, author of “Snowshoe Routes: Colorado’s Front Range,” puts it this way: “I think a lot of people who have tried cross-country skiing or telemarking, and didn’t find it as enjoyable as they thought it would be, have found that if you can walk, you can snowshoe. It doesn’t require any special skills.”
Or, as Jack Daniels, an action sports manager with Recreational Equipment Inc., told listeners at a recent in-store clinic, “Snowshoeing is for people who want to cross country ski but are afraid of hitting trees. You lose the gliding, but you get more control.”
And there are health benefits to snowshoeing, says Apt. “Because snow is soft, it’s much easier on the joints than hiking a trail in summer, and you get a great aerobic workout, too.”
For novices, getting into the sport calls for some basic knowledge of what to take, where to go and how to deal with the elements. First, though, a word about snow “because you’ve got to have snow before you can go snowshoeing,” says Bryan Fons, a U.S. Forest Service staffer who manages the Outdoor Recreation Information Center, a one-stop source of free maps, trail reports and other guidance for backcountry users.
“As a general rule, you want at least a foot of snow, and preferably 2 feet,” Fons says. “And you want a north-facing as opposed to south-facing slope, so you won’t have bare spots.”
To locate the most favorable conditions, he suggests, consult the volunteers who man the Outdoor Recreation Information Center desk inside the REI flagship store, 1416 Platte St. in Denver. Or check the snow and temperature reports posted on the center’s website, . The stats are continuously updated by Snotel, a federally funded network of automated weather stations installed at more than 660 remote sites throughout the Mountain West, including about 100 in Colorado.
And while you’re online, check the road conditions via the webcams available at the Colorado Department of Transportation website, at . Also, see the latest avalanche and weather forecasts put out by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, at .
WHAT TO TAKE
Snowshoes, of course, are key. They cost from about $100 to $350 per pair and come in three types — for trail, backcountry or racing use. Unlike the heavy, wooden, tennis-racket-shaped snowshoes that held sway a generation ago, today’s models typically consist of a flexible weatherproof deck attached to a lightweight aluminum frame, with a binding on the top side to secure the boot and metal teeth on the bottom to grip the snow.
The leading manufacturers are Atlas, based in San Francisco, and Tubbs, based in Vermont. Other suppliers include Redfeather, a former Colorado firm now based in Wisconsin; Kahtoola, based in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Crescent Moon of Boulder; Pacific Outdoors; and Yukon Charlie’s. Mountain Safety Research of Seattle makes a rigid, platform-style model with an extension that can be snapped on the tail to provide extra flotation in deep snow.
Snowshoes are sized to accommodate the weight of the user plus a pack, and generally run from 21 to 36 inches long. Female-specific versions — narrower than the standard model and with bindings sized to fit smaller feet — are also available, as are kids models.
For footwear, Daniels recommends boots that are warm, waterproof and comfortable to hike in. “Don’t wear your Sorels,” he cautions. “They (pac-style boots) don’t give you the torsional support you need.”
Take a warm hat, gloves and a windproof jacket, and dress in layers, so you can take clothes off or put them on as conditions warrant. “Don’t go out in jeans and a sweatshirt,” Daniels warns. “You want to wear wool or synthetics (which retain heat even when wet). And instead of fleece pants, wear a light shell, because you’ll be kicking snow up your back. Also, wear gaiters, because you can’t assume you’ll always be on top of the snow.”
Poles are not as crucial as in alpine skiing, but most snowshoers find that cross-country ski poles or trekking poles help them maintain their balance, especially when breaking trail or going downhill.
Other items to take along in a daypack include water (figure 1 liter for every hour on the trail), high-energy snacks and the rest of the “10 essentials” — a first-aid kit, flashlight or headlamp, map and compass, waterproof matches or other fire starter, pocket knife, emergency whistle, sunscreen and sunglasses. Goggles, says Daniels, tend to fog up under such heavy exercise.
He suggests, too, that it makes sense to carry duct tape, a piece of wire or cord and a pair of Leatherman-style pliers for on-the- trail repairs.
WHERE TO GO
Apt likes Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park, for beginners. “It has gorgeous trails and spectacular scenery, and you don’t have to go very far from your car to see it.”
For an easy introduction to the sport, consider Winter Trails Day, a free festival at the park on Saturday, featuring lots of demo snowshoes for adults and children, guided hikes, winter gear displays and giveaways from various manufacturers. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so an early start may be advisable. Normal park entrance fees apply. For details, visit .
Rocky Mountain National Park also hosts free, ranger-led snowshoe ecology tours at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday through March. Reservations required, at 970-586-1223.
“I love cross country skiing, but the slower pace of snowshoeing enables you to see so much more,” says park naturalist Kathy Brown, one of several leaders of the two- hour treks, which are geared to beginners. “Whether it’s the eyes of a snowshoe hare, or scat or tunnels under the snow, or a little patch of fur where a weasel caught a vole, it’s always fun and interesting.”
Farther south, the Wild Basin area of the park also offers good snowshoeing, on well-marked routes such as the popular 2.8-mile trail to Calypso Cascades, with more challenging options available for visitors with winter mountaineering experience.
West of Boulder, the Brainard Lake area near Ward offers excellent snowshoeing when the weather isn’t too windy, including snowshoe-only trails created by the Colorado Mountain Club. If the snow has been blown free in open areas, the Jenny Creek trail at the Eldora Mountain Resort or Lost Lake trail west of Nederland can be good alternatives.
Closer to metro Denver, the trail to St. Mary’s Glacier, northwest of Idaho Springs, usually has good snow, Apt says, “And you get off I-70 before you hit the ski traffic.”
If that doesn’t look promising, try the old Squaw Pass road east of Echo Lake, off the Mount Evans road south of Idaho Springs. Or try Butler Gulch, reachable via a good gravel road that heads west from the first switchback on U.S. 40 at the eastern foot of Berthoud Pass.
Along the Interstate 70 corridor, Apt recommends the Silver Dollar Lake trail off the Guanella Pass road south of Georgetown, although “once you’ve reached the lake, don’t go beyond or around it or you’ll be in avalanche territory.”
Another option is Grizzly Gulch, west of Georgetown off the Bakerville exit, although it too can be risky if you go too far up the valley.
Southwest of Denver, REI’s Daniels likes Kenosha Pass, which offers easy access to sections of the Colorado Trail via U.S. 285.
“For something different,” suggests ORIC’s Fons, “try the Abyss Lake trail on the south side of Guanella Pass (also reachable off U.S. 285). It’s a little less used, and you don’t have to get on I-70.”
Wherever you go, the experts advise, practice proper trail etiquette by staying off any tracks left by skiers. The holes and soft spots created by snowshoes can trip them up.
HOW TO BE SAFE
The major risks in snowshoeing involve hypothermia or frostbite (because of the cold), dehydration (the exercise and altitude) and avalanches (the terrain).
To stave off hypothermia, a dangerous and potentially deadly drop in the body’s core temperature, take pains to stay warm and dry.
Use chemical hand warmers and foot warmers if necessary to protect your extremities. Take along an extra pair of gloves for your return trip, when the circulation in your fingers may be shortchanged by the blood flow to your legs.
To prevent dehydration, which can impair your judgment and sap your energy, take plenty of water — and drink it, every time you stop for a breather. If you carry a Camelbak, make sure it’s insulated, and keep the drinking tube from freezing by blowing the water back into the reservoir after each use. Carry water bottles inside your pack rather than in mesh pockets on the outside.
To keep from getting buried in an avalanche, pay close attention to the forecasts, watch for evidence of slides and, in general, avoid slopes with angles of 30 degrees or more.
“Stay below tree line and on trails unless you’ve had an avalanche awareness course and you take along a beacon (radio transceiver), a shovel, probe poles and someone with the same equipment to dig you out,” Apt advises.
For further safety tips, attend the next in a series of free avalanche awareness clinics at the REI flagship store, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For more detailed guidance, a session on avalanche transceivers will be offered by the National Ski Patrol at REI’s Boulder store, 1789 28th St., at 7 p.m. Feb. 20. And a program on winter backcountry rescue will be presented by the patrol at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at REI in Denver.
