A Trailside Guide: Snowshoeing

By Larry Olmsted

Book Overview

In this indispensable guide, avid snowshoer Larry Olmsted enumerates the many reasons for snowshoeing's meteoric rise. Advances in design and construction-including quick-entry, high-performance bindings-have made snowshoes even easier and more enjoyable to use. Scores of enthusiasts are hitting groomed cross-country ski and snowmobile trails across the snowbelt, running on scaled-down versions of traditional 'shoes. Snowshoeing explains how to experience this recent evolution of the sport.

Even greater numbers of snowshoers come from the ranks of America's hikers and backpackers, who have discovered that wintertime can be the best time to hit the trail: no bugs, no mud, no crowds. And backcountry Alpine skiers and snowboarders climb to their summits on snowshoes, the most reliable, versatile mode of travel across snow. No new use or technique is left untreated in this, the first guide to snowshoeing since snowshoeing has come of age.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039331720X
• ISBN13: 9780393317206
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Concise, accurate and beautifully written

The best outdoor guides I've ever read. This book targets the recreational snowshoer who might do strenuous day hikes, but doesn't attempt to be a detailed manual for the fanatic spending a week snow camping. IMHO, the book succeeds admirably in meeting the needs of its target audience. It covers all the basics - gear, clothing, the few elements of technique required for snowshoeing, and safety. The prose is very accessible, the pictures add a lot of warmth to the text, and there's even a chapter on snowshoe running. The author captures the feel of the snowshoes rather well and I often found myself nodding my head in agreement with the tips for climbing, descending and traversing that I had to learn by hard experience. I live in California and usually snowshoe in much warmer weather (mid-30s F) than the northeast or midwest, so the clothing suggestions are way too conservative for me - but that's the only fault I could find with the book.

This is a great beginners snowshoeing book

This book takes you through the history of the snowshoe both past and current. Other sections concentrate on the different types of equipment needed for wintery travel and camping. If you know nothing about snowshoeing or winter camping make this your first book.