Womens Snowshoes Online

You betcha!

Finding great winter sporting events south of Vermont and East of the Rockies is often a needle in a haystack endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to do, but rarely anything resembling a premier event. Not so when it comes to women’s snowshoe racing (and, yes, men & kids too).

We’re taking a little distraction from reviewing womens snowshoes to let you know about the 9^th Annual 2010 PowerSox United States National Snowshoe Championship because, believe it or not, you still have time to enter or cheer on your favorite racers.

Race dates for the championship are set for March 5-7, 2010 and the race will be held in Highland Forest Park in DeRuyter, New York. If you’d like to participate, the course preview, event registration and athlete check-in will be at 11am on the 5^th followed by an Athlete reception later that night. You can pre-register by mail or on race day.

And, ladies, I’m covering this event here because it really is family friendly engagement. Events include:

• Junior Boys & Girls 5km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Senior Women’s 10km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Senior Men’s 10km National Snowshoeing Championship
• Kid’s Kilo (for ages 12 and under)
• Citizen’s 5km Snowshoe run/walk
• 4 x 2.5km snowshoe team relay

The top 5 senior men and women in the 10km event and the top 3 junior boys and girls in the 5km event will make the US National Snowshoe Team but there are prizes for the amateurs among you, as well, including medals and other prizes.

If you’ve just bought your first pair of snowshoes (read my Atlas women’s snowshoes articles if you’re still thinking about it) then the 9^th Annual 2010 PowerSox United States National Snowshoe Championship would be a great place to meet fellow enthusiasts like yourself and make a few lifetime friends. If my work schedule allows it, I hope to be there myself!For more on the PowerSox championship including event schedules, directions and accommodations, visit:

http://www.snowshoeracing.com/national_championship10.htm

I’m tossing out a quick, short post today. Still working on my next article on Atlas womens snowshoes. That article will cover women’s snowshoes for mountaineering and back country hiking. You can read my previous article on Atlas Women’s Snowshoes for Trail Walking if you want to get to the nitty-gritty, but a conversation I had this morning prompted me to drop what I was doing to hopefully explain away a misconception about snowshoeing.

I was having a chat with my sister-in-law this morning. She asked what I’ve been doing lately so I told her about my new womens snowshoe site. She mentioned she’d never considered the sport, despite being an avid spring and summer hiker, because of the expense. “not only do I have spend a lot for the snowshoes but I have to buy boots for them as well,” she explained.

Good news, folks. Though she’s not alone in that assumption, she’s also wrong. Many people associate winter sports like snowshoeing with specialized footwear. You buy alpine skis, you need ski boots too, right? But the truth that holds true with skiing does not hold true with snowshoeing. In fact, the additional equipment needed in a womens snowshoeing arsenal is probably already occupying storage space in your closet. So let’s talk a bit about women’s snowshoe accessories.

Snowshoe bindings are designed to work with just about any footwear. While, technically, you could slip into your favorite sneakers and strap on your snowshoes, I don’t recommend it. Nothing says uncomfortable like a sopping wet pair of feet on a cold winter’s day. Ideally, you want to wear a pair of waterproof hiking boots. If you’d be comfortable hiking in them, you’ll be comfortable using them in your snowshoes. The three things you should consider in a boot that works well with snowshoeing are medium height, waterproof and the lighter the better. Something like the Asolo Stynger GTX Women’s Hiking Boots is perfect but pursue your own brand loyalty as long as it meets the criteria I’ve outlined. Another great boot I really love is the 2010 Northface ChillKat Woman’s Boot. While there isn’t such a thing as a specific snowshoe boot for women, this is what it would be were they to begin specifically making one.

In addition to hiking boots (which you hopefully already own if you’re the type who likes to get out in the wilderness) you should consider waterproof shell pants like those designed for skiing or snowboarding. Ideally they’ll have a powder boot cuff. While you will be floating above the snow when on snowshoes, you may occasionally sink a bit, fall over or kick snow up on your legs. Keeping the snow out of your boots will make your snowshoeing experience much more enjoyable. Marker and Nils are two companies that both make great clothes for snowshoeing and other winter sports.

From there it’s all about common sense. You’re going out in the cold so dress appropriately. Layered clothing for warmth, a coat or jacket that offers both wind and water resistance, waterproof gloves and, of course, something to keep your head warm. If it’s a particularly cold or wind-bitten day, you might want to consider face protection like that offered by a cozy Seirus Neofleece Extreme Masque. Remember that your outer layer of clothing (gloves, jacket, pants) should always be waterproof.

So don’t be turned off by the price, folks. After you’ve bought the womens snowshoes that are right for your particular hiking preference, the clothing (providing it’s sensible and weather appropriate) is something you probably already own and perfectly useful for other winter sport activities. Here’s a video to give you a bit more advice on layering and dressing appropriately for snowshoeing.