snowshoeing question(s)?

hey, I got some nice snowshoes for christmas but I have never been snowshoeing. I am a photographer and I go to school at NMU in the U.P.(Upper Peninsula) of Michigan. My parents figured I could use the snow shoes to go hiking through the crazy amounts of snow and get some sweet pictures. The only things is, like I said, i have never been snowshoeing.

Does anyone have any advice or knowledge I should obtain before wandering out into the snow?

Also, if anyone has any other questions about snowshoeing post them and lets try to get a Q&A thing going on here.

-Slaze

 

There isn't a whole lot to learn, especially if you have the modern compact snowshoes. You basically just walk.

Dress in layers, you can build up a sweat easily and will want to be able to remove layers or add layers depending on your activity level.

Oh and take snacks and water! There is nothing quite as delicious as an orange in the middle of the woods in winter.

And best "no one ever does this but everyone should" advice is: go snowshoing sometime on a moonlit night. It will be very cold, so dress well, but its a must do.

And if you don't know this already, always tell someone where you are going and when expect to return.

 

fair enough, thanks for the advice. I never thought about bringing food.

 

I was stationed at KI Sawyer outside of Marquette in the 80s and snowshoed all over up there. I didn't use poles the first time and turned an ankle. You can buy cheap hiking poles at the big department store or get used ski poles at a thrift store. They'll help with balance until you get accustomed to having snowshoes on your feet. I highly recommend them.

 

pretty much what everyone else said.
bring a map and shit and know where your going. if you havnt hiked in the area before, its a good idea to bring someone with you. always tell someone where your going and when youll be back. and then dont go off somewhere else, they need to be able to find you if something goes wrong.
snowshoes are easy to walk in, but poles for balance are a good idea.
loose layers, wool and fleece not cotton, bring extra wool socks.
bring snacks like energy bars and a litre of water. the nalgene type of bottle with a wide opening is good, its easy to get snow in there if you need to melt water. the best source of water is icicles, they fit in a water bottle easily and have much more water to them than snow. carry your water bottle near your body to melt water.
bring a waterproof source of fire, just in case.
have fun, im jealous of your snowshoes. ive always wanted a pair, but cant afford them yet.

 

my advice is to try out the snowshoes in a park nearby first, try with differnt boots and/or shoes if you got them... find the ones that work best with the snowshoes you got and practice a couple times before going out on a real hike. poles can and do help with balance. the first couple times you may also get tired quickly, depending on the style of snowshoes you will need to adjust your gait, or walking style if you will. and like people already said follow the same rules for a snowshoe hike as a regular hike, be prepared...

we'll be waiting for some primo pics, good luck.

 

Sweet, I'm getting really excited to try this out. sadly I am back home downstate Michigan and our ten inches of snow just melted... it was 60 out today =(

I haven't hiked around Marquette yet, but I just took an outdoor living skills class this semester so I have a map of the area with tons of notes on it; it also helps that I'm an Eagle Scout =P

Another plus is that the snow shoes came with poles, so I am all set there. Thanks for all the tips, I will surely let you all know how it goes and post some pics when I get to try them out. Also, the snowshoes are Yukon Charlie's 7000 series... anyone know anything about this make and brand?

-Slaze

 

I got to try out my snow shoes the other day! They worked alright, the snow was really light so im not sure they did a whole lot of good but it was still fun to stomp around with them.

Does anyone have any tips on the hight I should set my poles too?