Snowshoeing good for winter sport beginners
Snowshoeing offers a fun and easy alternative to other chilly winter activities.
Jeff Hanson, a graphic design major and shop attendant at the Outdoor Recreation Center, said they are prepared for the onslaught of rental demands they expect from students this year.
Hanson said last year the ORC had only 30 pairs of snowshoes and were rented out most of the time. This year they have invested in 40 new pairs and plan to have them all rented out again.
A lot of students like snowshoeing because it is an easy sport to pick up and doesn’t take much extra gear or skill, Hanson said.
“Telemark skiing is more versatile in the fact that you can downhill ski as well as cross-country, but snowshoeing is a lot easier to handle, especially for beginners and students that just want to have fun on the weekend,” he said.
Hanson said he uses it for more than just pleasure hiking.
“For me snowshoeing is a means to an end,” he said. “I use the shoes so I can hike in the backcountry and then snowboard down.”
Snowshoes are built to allow someone to hike in the mountains during the winter just as they would in the summer, Hanson said. They are built to spread the weight of the hiker on the top of the snow so he doesn’t sink.
“Snowshoes make a big difference especially in deep snow. Without them it would be practically impossible,” Hanson said.
Brian Harris, a student in electrical engineering, claims his major should be in snow physics because of his love for winter sports.
“The main reason I like snowshoeing is because you can be outside playing in the snow and you don’t have to worry about erosion,” Harris said.
He said the only place he has been snowshoeing here was at Tony’s Grove in Logan Canyon.
“It was a great place to snowshoe and I liked it a lot,” Harris said.
He said his favorite snowshoeing experience took place in the mountains near his home in Loveland, Colo.
“I spent an afternoon hiking with my ex-girlfriend to a frozen lake in the mountains. We played a lot in the snow, had lunch and then came home. It was a lot of fun,” Harris said.
He said snowshoeing makes a great date activity as long as you do it on a Saturday afternoon and not late in the evening. That could be disastrous.
Hanson said he likes outdoor recreation for a variety of reasons.
“I enjoy it for the obvious fun factor and the adrenaline rush, but it also provides education and good experience,” he said.
Hanson said the best places to snowshoe around Logan is in Green Canyon and at Tony Grove.
He said, “The good part about snowshoeing is that anywhere there is a hiking trail in the summer can also be used in the winter.
“Just make sure you know the area and you dress in layers. It is very easy to get disoriented in the winter because everything looks a lot different,” Hanson said.
Snowshoeing can make someone very warm while hiking but it is very easy to cool down quickly. If one takes extra layers of clothes they will be able to stay cool while hiking and warm after they have stopped to rest, he said.
The ORC is located at 1050 N. 950 East just east of Romney Stadium. Right now the center offers snowshoe rentals for $6 a day and $8 for 2 to 3 days.
Hanson said the rates should be even cheaper during the holiday break for students who will be in the area.