|Wanderung| Newsletter - How to (not) kill yourself snowshoe

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|Wanderung| Newsletter - How to (not) kill yourself snowshoe

The current conditions on the North Shore occur almost every year yet don't
get talked about much: a hard, icy snowpack thanks to a combination of rain
falling on the snow before the surface re-freezes. They are also about the
worst possible conditions for wearing snowshoes. We'll let Mike Coyle of
Coquitlam SAR explain why in his well-known two-part series on snowshoeing
in and around the North Shore:

http://blog.oplopanax.ca/2010/10 ... urself-snowshoeing/

http://blog.oplopanax.ca/2010/11 ... urself-snowshoeing/

It's well worth reading (or re-reading) both articles for information and
advice on travelling in the local mountains.

Check out this recent post from North Shore Rescue too:

https://www.facebook.com/NorthShoreRescue/posts/10155851150296351

Do yourself a favour: don't rely *only* on snowshoes for travel in the
snow. We know that sounds like a contradiction but most snowshoes simply
don't have good enough traction for hard-packed and/or icy conditions.
Invest in micro-spikes, which are small enough to be kept in your backpack
at all times. Avoid travelling in steep terrain where you might not be able
to stop if you slip and fall. Know that "steep" in the winter may be much
less steep than when there's no snow. Venturing onto steeper slopes
requires crampons, ice axe, and the knowledge of how to use them, which
begins to sound more like mountaineering than hiking.

However, if you *do* find yourself stuck on a steep slope, here's what to
do:

https://twitter.com/lithohedron/status/963528022300098560

As ever, tell your friends and family.