Instructor s Suggested Outline: Beginner Snowshoes Clinics CMC Denver Group Quick Start School 2018-19 Instructors, please send any suggestions or comments to cmcdgdmic@gmail.com Rem 11-2018 Notes to Leaders: 1. Clinic instructor must have completed Avalanche Terrain Avoidance class and otherwise comply with Denver Group general winter trip leading rules. 2. Take spare SS & poles if you have them -- leave in car if no one needs them 3. Carry spare snow baskets, handwarmers and SS straps in backpack if you have them 4. Bring a slope meter for avy demonstration 5. Italic means pre-reading material was provided through links in the trip detail sheet. However, we cannot assume every student has read anything or everything just hoping we can move along without too much delay. You should view the materials. They are included at the end of this Outline. Segment 1 -- Parts and Types of Snowshoes (5 minutes at the TH or meeting location) Quick review because presume all covered in pre-reading/videos. Components Shapes Sizes, widths Purposes, Places: generic, packed trails, powder, running/racing, mountaineering By weight includes your pack clothes, boots Heel Lifts Attachable Tails MSR types (unique) Atlas types (unique) Poles, Snow baskets Rent before you buy Recommend $70 set at Costco for beginners Segment 2 -- Preparation (5 minutes at the TH or meeting location) Quick review because presume all covered in pre-reading/videos Classifications of SS trips Off trail means Pace means New SS ers should begin with easy SS until comfy Gear: 10 essentials plus Winter gear: insulation -- snow pants, down jacket, wool cap, neck gaiter, thin gloves & mittens Insulated /waterproof (winter) boots Knee-high gaiters Wind protection --hard shell, goggles, balaclava Chemical hand warmers Traction Backpack ties for SS (practice tying SS to pack at home) Insulated water Segment 3 -- Techniques (5-10 minutes before and as leaving the TH) Quick review because presume all covered in pre-reading/videos. Students check one another with fitting and foot placement. Instructor focuses on movement. Mounting the SS to the pack Mounting the SS to your foot (placement on pivot point) Typical problems with different mounting systems and how to deal with them Traversing, demo and practice Breaking trail, alone and as a team. Make them do it. Use of pole straps Trail Etiquette Crossing logs, streams Tree wells Trekking Uphill, demo and practice Trekking Downhill, demo and practice 1
Segment 4 -- Recovering from Falls (5-10 minutes at first appropriate stop) 1. [Ideally, a snow drift at least 3 feet deep but work with what you have] 2. Maneuver to get feet downhill and butt over at least one foot 3. Cross poles on snow in front of you 4. Push down on poles while rising on leg(s) 5. Post-holing considerations Segment 5 -- Practice on Trail, the Actual Trip. Practice first and second person breaking trail thru snow and those behind finishing trail by stamping down snow still not tramped upon, to make a completely smoothed trail. Segment 6 -- Avy Considerations (5-10 minutes at next appropriate stop) Emphasize that most trips will plan to NOT be in avy territory, but everyone should know something. Quick Review of italicized items because all covered in pre-reading. Be familiar with CAIC.org website and CAIC danger rose Read CAIC forecasts before every winter SS trip All trip leaders must have ATA or AIARE training Recommend ATA and or AIARE for non-leaders, too 1. Identifying avy paths and runouts 2. Point out slope angles and how to measure them (show tool) 3. When crossing avy runout, take 30-50 yard spacing, depending on conditions 4. One crossing at a time is recommended. Does not mitigate terrain risk. Simply lowers the number who are caught 5. Discuss rescue techniques, shovels, snowshoes, etc. 6. Urge that everyone invest in the one-day ATA course Finish the trip, Back at the TH Segment 6 Wrap-up (5 minutes back at TH) Recap 5 segments as needed 1. Parts and types of SS 2. Preparation 3. Techniques 4. Fall and Recovery 5. Avy Considerations Final Questions 2
Here is some helpful illustrations and videos about how to snowshoe. You may have to copy these links and paste them into your browser: Wikihow: How to choose Snowshoes: https://www.wikihow.com/choose-snowshoes Wikihow: How to snowshoe: https://www.wikihow.com/snowshoe Attaching snowshoes to a backpack: https://sectionhiker.com/how-to-attachsnowshoes-to-a-backpack/ Avalanche: Always check your route at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=caic.org&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 o Consider taking CMC Avalanche Terrain Avoidance (1-day) or AIARE (3-day) o Instructor will discuss avy paths, avy crossing, avy rescue Wikihow: Dressing for the Cold: https://www.wikihow.com/dress-for-the-cold 3
Suggested SS Trip Detail info Note: assume this trip will attract newer members other than more experienced ones, so more detail is better than less Rem 11-2018 Beginner Snowshoes -- a Clinic for Never-Evers Location (this is what gets e-mailed when they register, so using it for this info): Snowshoeing is almost as easy as walking. We recommend you do NOT buy snowshoes before this clinic. Borrow some or rent a pair at REI or your local mountain store, get snow baskets (usually the same brand) to fit your hiking poles, be sure your hiking boots are waterproof, add some high gaiters, and you will be good to go. This clinic is for CMC members and prospective members who have NEVER SNOWSHOED BEFORE (or have had only bad experiences). IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON A TRY SNOWSHOES OR CMC BEGINNER SNOWSHOE TRIP BEFORE, please wait until the day before the trip date to sign up, in order to reserve scarce places for true newbies. There are plenty of regular snowshoe trips on the calendar. If you are nervous about that, be sure to speak to the leader before the trip and to your fellow shoers at the TH. Everyone will want to be sure you have a good time. TO ENSURE THE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE ON TRIP DAY, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS BRIEF PRE- ASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO TRIP DAY Read Preparing for a Snowshoe Trip, which also provides links to some very short videos and illustrated instructions on how to snowshoe at the cmcdenver.org member resources page. Directions Box: Meet Place: Trailhead: Contact Box: Comfort Stop: Name, email, phone Whenever you have to cancel out of a CMC trip, it is your responsibility to do that online. I will see that you cancelled. Here's how: Log in to cmc.org>members>my Membership>My trips> find this trip (all your upcoming trips are listed in date order) click "cancel." IN ADDITION: Please TEXT me if you have to cancel the night before or the morning of. Emails will be lost in my inbox. 1
Suggested SS Trip Detail info Note: assume this trip will attract newer members other than more experienced ones, so more detail is better than less Rem 11-2018 Details: We'll show you how to select and wear snowshoes, a few principles of snow travel, trail choice, fastening snowshoes to your pack, and anything else you want to know. We want you to leave this trip excited to sign up for the next one. Please bring the 10 essentials appropriate to the weather and a guided day trip: Sunglasses/sunscreen Clothing Layers Headlamp/extra batteries Personal first aid kit Knife Extra food Map and compass Fire starter kit Emergency shelter or bivy. Water/hot drink If you haven't yet re-provisioned your pack for winter sports, consider these items: A bigger backpack for winter sports (to hold cold-weather gear) with a trash bag inserted as a liner to keep everything dry Chemical hand/toe warmers Balaclava or neck gaiter Microspikes or Yaktrax Ties or bungies for attaching snowshoes to your pack Thermos with hot drink High boot gaiters Sit Pad for lunch stop And don t forget to put the snow baskets on your hiking poles! Notes: I will send out an email a day or two before with trail conditions. Do not assume bad weather means the trip is canceled. We only cancel if the roads are treacherous. We just try to dress appropriately. The round-trip driving distance is --- miles. (--- miles x $0.30 per mile) = $--.00 per car to be split equally between all riders in the car, including the driver. Please bring small bills to reimburse your driver. Students, please send any feedback, suggestions or comments to cmcdgdmic@gmail.com 2
Preparing for a Snowshoe Trip 1 There is no bad weather, just bad gear A very brief online video/illustration list is included at the end. Rem 11-2018 1. CMC snowshoe trips are classified by expected challenge. Take note of how you do on your first few trips as to distance and elevation gain, so you can select subsequent trips with confidence. Easy: Up to 5 miles round trip or no more than 600 ft. elevation gain Moderate: Up to 8 miles round trip or up to 1200 ft elevation gain Difficult: Over 8 miles round trip or over 1200 ft elevation gain 2. If a trip description states Off Trail, there will be no established trail and you will be traveling over snow covered logs, branches, etc. If a trip description states Exploratory it indicates the leader has not previously scouted the route. 3. We recommend borrowing or renting snow shoes at REI or another retailer until you gain some experience, observe other hikers gear and know what you want. Or, buy a pair of generic snowshoes at Costco or Sam s Club for about $70. These are perfectly acceptable for most CMC trips, although single-pull bindings can be problematic. Some prefer individually-tightened rubber straps. Trekking poles with snow baskets are a necessity. 4. Even established trails used for hiking in the summer are not visible when snow-covered. Following one s tracks back to the TH is a tried and true strategy but remember that wind and snowfall can obscure those tracks completely, so everyone on the trip must pay special attention to landmarks, junctions, etc. Consider creating a surveyor tape trail as you go out. 1. Sign up for a CMC snowshoe trip as far in advance as you can. Many trips fill up fast. But even if the trip you select is full, consider signing up for the waitlist because cancellations are common and many wait-listers routinely move up to the roster. And if you have to drop off the trip, cancel out as soon as you know so others have a chance to move onto the roster. 2. Begin with easier trips until you become familiar with snowshoe trails, the styles of a couple or more leaders, and which (different) muscles are used for snowshoeing. A rule of thumb -- snowshoeing can take twice the time and energy for the same hiking distance or elevation. 3. Begin watching weather reports for the area and elevation of your snowshoe trip several days before the trip. Look for trends. Pay closer attention if the trend worsens as you get closer. See http://forecast.weather.gov/ 4. Don t assume that because high winds or snow is forecast, the trip will be canceled. The leader should have a Plan B and would likely change the route or the destination to a location in the trees and out of high winds. So gear up for the forecast weather, which you should check on your own. Don t rely solely on the trip leader. 5. If the lowest forecast temp is single digits or below, wear long underwear, snow pants, down jacket, mittens, neck gaiter, watch cap and insulated boots. If cold AND windy, add balaclava, ski goggles and shell (wind) jacket. Of course, these are in addition to CMC s required 10 essentials. Here is some detail about these items: 1 John Walter s and Linda Lawson s snowshoe clinic was developed from published resources, other snowshoe clinics and personal experiences from hundreds of CMC snowshoe trips. Some of the info, such as tips on avalanche avoidance, is safety related. But dozens of small details are offered that can make snowshoeing one of the most pleasant and enjoyable of all mountain activities. Updated November 2018. 1 P age
a. Layering is best. Bottom layer is for wicking moisture away from your skin typically silk, very thin wool, or technical fabric. Next comes an insulating later that traps air. The final layer is a wind/waterproof layer. The colder the temperature forecast, the heavier these layers should be. Layer your legs as well as your torso. Better to carry too much and shed than not enough and suffer in the cold. After a while, you will become accustomed to anticipating what you need for various conditions. b. For a low temperature in the single digits or below, your insulating layer may be as heavy as snow pants and a down jacket. On a day in the 20's, lighter weight pants and a fleece may be the best. You don t want to be cold, but you also do not want to sweat too much. Snowshoeing is a real workout! c. Mittens will always keep your hands warmer than gloves but are not as flexible. Consider water-proof gloves/mittens or shells to keep your hands dry. Wear liner gloves under your heavier mittens or gloves - typically silk, smart wool, or a technical fabric. Liners can guard your hands from getting cold too fast if you need to remove the mittens. Bring an extra set of liners in case they get wet while you are eating, bio-breaking, or fastening snowshoes. d. Bring chemical hand/toe warmers and get them started at the meeting location. It can take an hour for hand/toe warmers to fully generate chemical heat. Toe warmers can be used in gloves/mittens also. Place the adhesive upward so the heated portion is on the back of the hand, or wrap your hands around them, between hands and the poles. Toe warmers can be placed between the sock and tongue of the boot, or even on or under the toes if the toe-boxes are big enough. e. Speaking of socks, some people prefer liners under their socks while others prefer just a single layer of thickly-padded smart wool socks. f. Insulated boots have thicker soles and built in insulation to help you keep your feet warmer. Be sure and buy them at least a half size bigger to accommodate thicker winter socks and toe warmers. g. A neck gaiter can keep the wind from going down your jacket front and can be pulled over your head to keep ears warm and hat/beanie on in the wind. 6. When temps fall into single digits, carry insulated water bottles inside your backpack. Putting hot water in an insulated bottle will keep the water warm for hours. If you prefer to carry a water bottle outside your pack, then carry the cap downward which will result in any freezing at the bottom of the bottle rather than the top. If you use a bladder system like Camelbak, you can keep it from freezing by blowing back the water down into the bladder after every use and keeping the mouthpiece inside your coat. 7. Carry traction devices (typically Microspikes or YakTraks) in addition to snowshoes. A malfunction may disable your snowshoes, or you may not need them. Bring straps, bungees, or carabineers for binding snowshoes to your backpack. Practice strapping your snow shoes to your backpack at home, before your first trip. Many people bring duct tape and zip ties in case their snowshoes need a repair. 8. Bring a sit-pad for sitting on a rock, log or snow. If you don t carry a sit pad, sit on your mittens while eating lunch and wear glove liners while eating. Once bare hands get cold, it can take 30 minutes on the trail to get them warm again, even with hand warmers. 9. Consider bringing a hot liquid in a thermos in your pack. Tea, coffee, cocoa, soup all work well to warm up at lunch. 2 P age
Here is some helpful illustrations and videos about how to snowshoe. You may have to copy these links and paste them into your browser. Wikihow: How to choose Snowshoes: https://www.wikihow.com/choose-snowshoes Wikihow: How to snowshoe: https://www.wikihow.com/snowshoe Attaching snowshoes to a backpack: https://sectionhiker.com/how-to-attach-snowshoes-to-abackpack/ Avalanche: Always check your route at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=caic.org&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 o Consider taking CMC Avalanche Terrain Avoidance (1-day) or AIARE (3-day) o Instructor will discuss avy paths, avy crossing, avy rescue : Wikihow: Dressing for the Cold: https://www.wikihow.com/dress-for-the-cold Wikihow: How to choose Snowshoes: https://www.wikihow.com/choose-snowshoes Wikihow: How to snowshoe: https://www.wikihow.com/snowshoe Attaching snowshoes to a backpack: https://sectionhiker.com/how-to-attach-snowshoes-to-abackpack/ Avalanche: Always check your route at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=caic.org&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 o Consider taking CMC Avalanche Terrain Avoidance (1-day) or AIARE (3-day) o Instructor will discuss avy paths, avy crossing, avy rescue Wikihow: Dressing for the Cold: https://www.wikihow.com/dress-for-the-cold 3 P age
Beginner Snowshoes -- a Clinic for Never-Evers Register online at: List Date(s) and Time(s) with links We'll feature different types of snowshoes; how to determine snowshoe size needed; techniques for traveling on different types of snowpack; how to get up if you should fall down or post-hole, how to stay warm, how to select trails. Links to preparatory material provided.