Page 66 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2020

neck of the woods | theatrehe good life | great outdoors
t

SNOWSHOEING

DON’T OVERTHINK IT!

by bryant helgeland

inter is just around the corner, and even if you aren’t a skier, you travel on durable surfaces” because you’re on snow and it will melt in
Wshould get out and enjoy it. Snowshoeing is a great way to do just the spring. If you are venturing off trail though, make sure that your
that, but don’t overthink it like most people do. If you don’t already use off-trail navigation skills are up to snuff. If you need to learn wilderness
trekking poles on hikes in the other seasons, consider a pair of adjustable navigation and/or want to brush up on those skills check in with me at
poles as they will help a ton with balance. Beyond that, you don’t really Mountain Provisions in the spring because I will be teaching map and
need any specialized gear aside from what you do for a day hike in the compass classes.
other seasons—other than a pair of waterproof shoes and snowshoes. I’d
recommend renting snowshoes the first couple of times before forking WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?
over the money for a pair of your own.
A daypack and poles. You don’t need the poles but they really help with
WHAT SIZE SHOULD I GET? balance. There isn’t a whole lot to learn about snowshoeing that you
don’t already know from day hiking. Just as in day hiking you should
Check the weight chart. Size depends on how much you weigh with all always carry a daypack with water, snacks, extra layers, and a first aid
of the gear you plan on wearing and carrying, as well as the snow condi- kit.
tions. It all comes down to surface area relative to user weight and den-
sity of snow. In the Pacific Northwest generally you can get away with HOW IS SNOWSHOEING DIFFERENT FROM DAY HIKING?
a smaller snowshoe than in drier parts of the country because we have
wetter snow. Our wetter snow also sets up firmer than drier parts of The first thing is that you need to walk with your feet slightly wider
the country. As such, traction plays a larger role in the Pacific Northwest apart in order to avoid stepping on one snowshoe with the one on
than other parts of the country. That’s why Mountain Provisions rents your other foot. The other thing you’ll learn is that walking backwards
MSR snowshoes. MSR is a Seattle based company and understands the takes some practice and is generally better avoided. This is due to the
unique requirements of the Pacific Northwest. Added bonus—they snowshoes being attached only at the ball of the foot and not the heel.
make their snowshoes in the USA! This allows the snowshoe to fall away from your heel when you take a
step forward dumping snow off the top of the snowshoe in the process.
New users should know though, snowshoes are not some magical “water Otherwise you’d be lifting all that extra snow weight with every step.
wings” that will not sink into the snow. You will still sink in the snow a
bit, but nowhere near what you would without them. Going without WILL I BE COLD?
snowshoes is called “postholing” for a reason. I’ve been on a hike in deep
snow without snowshoes where I sank up to my hip with each step. I No. You’ll stay plenty warm while you are moving. If you stop to rest,
didn’t make that same mistake a second time! you’re going to want some more layers, but while you are hiking you
shouldn’t need many. If you aren’t a little chilly for the first few min-
WHERE SHOULD I GO? utes, you are overdressed. Being overdressed will make you sweat more,
which will then make you colder, leading you to think you weren’t
Where do you normally go hiking that’s now covered in snow? Go there. wearing enough. In reality, the exact opposite is true!

WHAT ABOUT STAYING ON TRAIL?
Bryant Helgeland is the owner/operator of Mountain Provisions, on the Plaza in
You can, but you don’t need to. If everything is covered in snow you Ashland. Active in several outdoor sports (Telemark skiing, XC Skiing, Road and
aren’t impacting the ground. Follow the same Leave No Trace princi- Mountain biking, Hiking, Backpacking, Kayaking), he has been a seminar speaker on
ples you would do during the other seasons. You can ignore “camp and many of those activities. He attended a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)
semester trip to Chile shortly after college. During high school he was a counselor at
YMCA outdoor camps. Contact him at bryant@ashlandmountainprovisions.com or the
store’s Facebook page.
64 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | winter 2020