First time out with snowshoes

While the Blizzard of 2015 was a bit underwhelming, it did afford me the opportunity to try out the snowshoes I bought at the end of last winter.  Having bought them late I never got the chance to use them, so with 8” of fresh powder the nearby trails were calling me.  Snowshoeing is new to me so I wanted to hike a trail that was not to difficult but would have varying terrain.  I hiked about 2.5 miles on state forest roads, snowmobile trail and single track hiking trail.  There was nothing really steep but some rolling hills and nice flats. 

Fresh powder

My initial impression of snowshoeing is that it is great.  I had no trouble getting into the rhythm of walking in snowshoes.  It is a bit more of a workout then 3-season hiking but I enjoyed being out in the woods just after the storm passed and that made the extra effort worth it.  It is very peaceful and quiet just after a snow fall; it is one of the best times to be out in the woods.  Snowshoes will allow me to venture out with deeper snow, I like that.  I will be looking forward to more snowshoe adventures this winter.  Keep the snow coming.

First impressions on the Atlas 930’s.  I am using the Atlas Series 930.  This is a 30” snowshoe that can handle loads of 150-250+ lbs according to the Atlas website.  The 9 series of snowshoe is geared toward rolling terrain with “minimal resistance over uneven and side hill terrain”.  They worked fine today.  I liked that they were easy to put on and take off.  The binding system held my boots in place the entire hike without loosening or slipping.

The 930’s went up and down the hills without any trouble.  Uneven terrain was not a problem.  Whether I was on large rocks in the trail or ice covered pine needles, traction was good.  Being that these are my first foray into snowshoes, I will have to wait and see if they continue to meet my needs and abilities as I do more hikes. 

Disclaimer: Andy Fenn purchased the Atlas 930 snowshoes using his own funds.