While postholing your way up to the summit of Mt. Washington may make you seem manly and evoke a George Mallory-esque feeling of venturing into the unknown, there is a much more efficient and elegant way to move up the trail. Snowshoes have long been used by the Inuit and native people of arctic regions to move through the snow. They developed snowshoes as a way to displace their weight over a larger surface area so that they didn’t sink into thigh-deep snow. Modern versions are a far cry from wood-and-rawhide versions of centuries past, but the principal is the same. These eight snowshoes utilize some of the best modern technologies available, and will help to extend your days in the mountains straight through to spring.
At $105, the Massif is a steal. It features a simple and intuitive Boa binding closure that fits great with a variety of different boot sizes and shapes.
Louis Garneau – Massif $105+
The Tubbs Flex Ridge features a flexible plastic body with metal-toothed rails down the sides for plenty of traction on steep pitches.
Tubbs – Flex Ridge $145+
The North Cliff offers unmatched versatility. It can be used for a leisurely stroll in your backyard, or for steep mountainous terrain.
Faber – North Cliff $156
The Canadian-made GV Snow Trail offers a lightweight aluminum body and a pivot bar that helps to save energy on long treks.
GV – Snow Trail $214+
Crescent Moon’s Gold 9 snowshoes feature a highly adjustable and quick in-and-out binding system that can easily be used with gloves on.
Crescent Moon – Gold 9 $227
The 12 series is Atlas’s flagship model, and for good reason. It features a spring-loaded suspension system to help reduce fatigue.
Atlas – 12 Series $232+
The unique multi-directional pivot that the binding is attached to allows you to switchback steep pitches with better balance.
Fimbulvetr – Hikr $270
The Lighting Ascent is the pinnacle of snowshoe performance and features a 360-degree traction frame and module tails that can be added for more flotation.
MSR – Lightning Ascent $290+
