December vacation will involve...

[amyg]

...snowshoes!!! I went snowshoeing once and had a complete BLAST. Now I have to find a pair for me and for DH. We don't have skis or anything. Anybody go snowshoeing?

We're going up to the summer camp where we met, but we've never been there in December! I'm so excited. http://www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com/yuletide.html
http://www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com/activities.html

I'm practically jumping up and down I'm so excited!!!

Do you guys have December traditions that don't directly involve Christmas?

 

[andtckrtoo]

Oh! I LOVE to snowshoe! My family goes skiing in Tahoe and I always sneak a day or two to take my Aussie snowshoeing (well, he runs and has fun in the snow). That trip looks incredible! I hope you have a wonderful time! I really enjoy the Sequoia/Kings Canynon area. Yosemite also has some nice places to snowshoe in the winter - and you can actually get reservations.

 

[Debra L]

REI has a wide line of snowshoes. You'll need poles, & probably gators, along with typical cold weather hiking gear.

Kings Canyon & Sequoia have a lot of trails, but check the snow report before the cancellation deadline hits. DH & I were up there last December. We had a grueling day of hiking in mud & switching to snowshoes when conditions allowed. Sorry to be a muddy blanket. I think we had more snow in So Cal mountains than we found at Kings Canyon. Mammoth had about 200% of normal.

This December, we're headed to Mammoth before the primary schools are out.

Debra

 

[amyg]

Thanks for all the tips, Debra!! I don't think it will matter too much, since we love the park anyway. It will be kinda cool to be driving up the "hill" and have to pay attention to the yellow signs about what is open or closed... in July we don't pay attention to them!

 

[nancy324]

No, I've never been. Should I try it? Is it like cross-country skiing or what? Please tell me more Amy!

-Nancy

 

[purple_magada]

Sounds like fun. I'd love to try it as well. Yes please tell us more! (like is it expensive - buying the shoes, poles, etc).

 

[Debra L]

snowshoeing

Snowshoeing gear isn't very expensive, though it depends on what hiking & cold weather clothing you already own. For recreational snowshoeing, simple low-end snowshoes will do fine. You do need hiking poles with snow baskets, though ski poles would be ok. Footwear depends on the type of snow you're on, but generally regular hiking boots with gaitors are fine. A woman I met at an REI snowshoeing clinic said that she uses hard core trail runners with gaitors.

One generates a lot of heat, so wicking fabrics & layering are key. It's a great workout, like nordic skiing without any gliding. Well, you can glide a little down hills but most of the time you're working.

If you can walk & swing your arms, you've probably got all the skills you need to snowshoe.

Debra

 

[amyg]

I did it once in 8th grade, and at the time I swore I would never get any colder. I was on a school trip, and it was raining in the snow. All the other groups turned back, except for ours. We were so proud of ourselves! Now when I get cold I think about how cold it was that day, and I was right- I've never been as cold as I was that day.

Hmm. I'm not sure why I thought it was fun. But I know it was!! Just kind of a silly thing to do, kind of like skiing is a silly thing to do. But you can't hurt yourself snowshoeing like you can skiing (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). It makes me glad our ancestors were so smart to think of things like snowshoes and skis. I just think skiing is more expensive, since you have to pay for the lift tickets and rental skis. I think we'll buy snowshoes.

I'm still proud of us, come to think about it. It was the greatest thing, coming back and seeing everyone else so amazed.