By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The Oswego County trail system boasts 400 miles of trails for snowshoeing. Are you in the market for a pair of snowshoes? Knowing what you need before you buy can save you some money and frustration.
Greg Mills, owner of Murdock’s Bikes in Oswego, sells and rents snowshoes. Finding the right snowshoes relies on matching the user’s weight and planned activity to the snowshoe.
“A person who is 150 lbs. carrying a 20-lb. pack would need snowshoes rated to at least 170 lbs.,” he explained.
This will help the user stay on the snow’s surface instead of sinking below the crust of the snow.
Mills also explained that because snowshoes come in different length and width, users must match that to the appropriate activity. Snowshoeing in the back country will require a wider shoe; those planning to snowshoe on more open areas will be fine with a narrower snowshoe.
“For racing, you would want a narrower and shorter shoe,” Mills said. “Most of the snowshoes I sell are open field and back country for hiking. If I’m on an open field or trail where it’s relatively flat, that’s one type.
“There’s another with a heel lift so you can change the position of your foot as it rotates. It positions your foot into the climb as opposed to being flat on the shoe.”
A snowshoe meant for an area with some climbing would be shorter and with a heel lift.
So where can you go snowshoeing?
• Ask permission before snowshoeing on private property, including farm fields.
• Don’t assume all parks allow snowshoeing.
• Any trails on Department of Environmental Conservation land are available for snowshoeing. Find them at https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/snowshoeing.
• Many county parks also permit snowshoeing.
Snowshoeing Etiquette
Trail Safety
• Stay on the trails. Trails are laid out for snowshoers’ safety and convenience. Leaving the trail may cause snowshoers to encounter unknown terrain hazards and become lost.
• When passing on a flat area, a faster snowshoer should indicate their desire to pass by calling “track.” The slower snowshoer should yield by stepping out of the track to the right, where possible.
• Try not to pass on a downhill. Save it for the flat where the slower snowshoer can maneuver more easily.
• A snowshoer moving downhill has the right-of-way, since they are moving faster and may have less control. Do not descend a hill until the trail is clear.
• If the trail is one-way, be sure to snowshoe in the proper direction. If a trail has two sets of tracks, snowshoe the set of tracks on the right-hand side.
• Move off the trail as quickly as possible after a fall. This will prevent possible collisions and allow other snowshoers to pass. Fill in sitzmarks before proceeding.
• Do not snowshoe alone. Long tours, especially, should not be tempted alone. Hypothermia is a very real and serious hazard when the temperature is below 15°F.
Respect for Trail Conditions
• Fill in holes. A hole in a downhill track can be hazardous to other snowshoers. Once these freeze, they are difficult to fill in.
• Do not walk in tracks. If necessary, walk to the side of the trail.
• Dogs are best left at home, as their pawmarks can create hazards in a track. Dogs themselves can be a hazard by getting in the way of other skiers and chasing wildlife.