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Basic Snowshoeing Course - Foothills - 2024

Snowshoeing Course

Basic Snowshoeing Course

An introduction to snowshoeing with Activities in Issaquah and Snoqualmie Pass.

Contacts

Luis Zuniga
Luis Zuniga
Leader
John Gilbert
John Gilbert
Leader
Michelle Peterson
Michelle Peterson
Leader
Gabie Mathiesen
Gabie Mathiesen
Leader

Want to learn to snowshoe? This course is designed for those with little or no experience who want to learn the basics of snowshoeing.
Whether you are new to snow sports and want to have fun in the winter outdoors, or yearn to extend the hiking season to include winter adventures, this is the course to get you started.
This course will cover basic balance, maneuvering on snowshoes and handling uphill and downhill travel through a combination of lecture and field practice.
Topics include selection and use of proper equipment, renting equipment, choosing a trip based on conditioning and skill level, winter clothing and winter travel safety.
Graduates will be eligible to participate in Basic-rated snowshoe trips.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Course Lecture. This will be in-person and  will include a show-and-tell by several leaders using their personal gear. Students are welcome to bring their own gear if they have questions about whether it is adequate / appropriate.
    Attendance at the lecture is required.
    See below for date, time and location.
    There is no make-up date, so mark your calendar.
  2. Avalanche Awareness Badge. Your website profile page must show this badge by December 31st.
    You earn this badge taking the  Avalanche Awareness Online Course. This online course is free to all Mountaineers members and is available right now.
  3. Low Impact Recreation Badge. Your website profile page must show this badge by December 31st.
    Earn this badge by taking the Low Impact Recreation Course. This online course is free to all Mountaineers members and is available right now.
  4. Course Field Trip. You need to attend 1 of the several course field trips. These will be held at Snoqualmie Pass in the Commonwealth Basin area.
    Sign-up for the field trips dates will open in mid-December.
    The specific field trip dates are still being determined based on instructor availability. They will be posted at least 1 week prior to the full course refund cancellation date.
    The field trips will be on a variety of Saturdays and Sundays in January and February.NOTE: Field trips may need to be postponed or moved due to inclement weather, road conditions, snow levels or other unforeseen circumstances.

Considerations:

  • While this is an introductory course for beginners, snowshoeing is a highly aerobic exercise, and a moderate level of physical conditioning is expected. A typical field trip will involve approximately 4-5 miles of travel round-trip and up to 800 feet total elevation gain on snowshoes. This is the equivalent of a summer hike of approximately 6-8 miles and up to 2,000 feet elevation gain wearing hiking boots on summer trail.

  • If you are new to the outdoors and don't have equipment, you can expect a moderate level of investment in equipment and clothing ($500-1000 for entry-level gear). Used quality gear and clothing is a good way to begin building your inventory. It is also wise to rent or borrow snowshoes before investing in them.
    See the Required Equipment tab below to see what you need for this course and for snowshoeing in general. We will cover clothing and gear in detail at the lecture.

  • Graduates will be eligible to participate in Basic-rated snowshoe trips. Those wishing to attend Intermediate snowshoe trips, which require additional skills and knowledge, must take the Intermediate Snowshoeing course in addition to this course.

  • Scrambling and Basic Climbing graduates are not required to take this or the intermediate Snowshoe course. They are automatically eligible to participate in all Mountaineers snowshoe trips.

COMMUNICATING WITH COURSE LEADERS:

Please note that our VOLUNTEER leaders have busy lives and don't have time for questions you could have had answered by reading the notes on the website or in the email messages they send you.
In general, leaders will email you information 5-10 days before the start date.
For questions about the following topics, please contact the corresponding person:

  • Course registration & graduation:  John Gilbert
  • Lecture: Luis Zuniga
  • Field Trip scheduling, registration and questions that pertain to all field trips: Gabie Mathiesen
  • Field Trip questions that pertain to a specific date:  Contact the "Primary Leader" listed for that field trip
  • General Snowshoe Committee questions:  Michelle Peterson

Badges you will earn:

Course Requirements
Course Activity Date Availability Leader
Basic Snowshoeing Lecture
Eastside Fire & Rescue Headquarters
Thu, Nov 14, 2024
Registration closes Nov 14
11 participants
0 instructors
Luis Zuniga

Additional badges needed to graduate

Completed

Roster
Required Equipment

A large part of the Lecture is devoted to gear and clothing, how/why to choose it and where it may be purchased or rented. We suggest that those new to snowshoeing refrain from purchasing new equipment until after the classroom session, or try borrowing it from friends before you spend money. This will probably avoid a few of the missteps of over-purchasing or purchasing inadequate gear.

EQUIPMENT

  • Backpack  A 30 liter or larger is needed for winter & emergency gear. 
    Ideally it should have a way to strap your snowshoes on the back.  Often it is necessary to hike quite a ways before putting on your snowshoes.
    Any large day pack is adequate for the course field trip.

  • Snowshoes with metal rails such as these. Many less expensive snowshoes have metal tubes around the perimeter, such as these.  The tubes don't provide enough traction in the wet/icy snow we have in the Northwest.
    A limited number of MSR snowshoes will be available for students to rent from the Foothills Branch. This rental option will be discussed during the course lecture. Rentals will be provided to you at the field trip location.

  • Trekking poles with large baskets  such as these. Many summer hiking poles have small tips which sink into the snow too much to be useful.  Fixed length ski poles don't work well for snowshoeing, but are adequate for our field trip.

Boots

  • Boots must be sturdy lace-up warm and waterproof.  Expensive mountaineering boots such as these are ideal and needed for Scrambling and Climbing trips.  However, less expensive winter boots such as these, these and these are adequate Snowshoeing trips. 
    NOTE: Lightweight nylon summer hiking boots, such as these nor cushy city style boots, like these are not adequate! They don't provide enough support, are not warm enough and/or are not sufficiently waterproof. 
    Ideally the "Upper" section directly on top of your foot should be stiff so that the snowshoe straps won't compress your foot boots and cut-off the circulation, which hurts and makes your feet cold.

Inner Layer:

  • Thick hiking socks. Wear one pair and carry a second pair in case the first pair gets wet
  • Synthetic Long underwear, top & bottom.  Wear them on cold days and carry in your pack for emergencies on warm days.

Insulating Layer:

  • Pants  Summer hiking pants on warm days. Insulated synthetic pants on cold days. Thick ski/snowboard pants are generally too warm for snowshoeing, but are adequate for our field trip.
  • Shirts  Thin or medium weight for uphill travel. Thick shirt or vest  for breaks and downhill travel.
  • Warm Jacket  A fleece jacket is normally fine.  Thick down jacket is great on very cold days when there is no chance of rain.
  • Gloves  Mid-weight for uphill travel. Extra warm ski mittens or gloves for breaks and downhill travel.
  • Hat  Thin knit cap or wide headband  for uphill travel. Thick knit cap one for breaks and downhill travel.
    Many people like to wear nylon ball caps like these for uphill travel especially on summer days
  • Neck Gaiter  For breaks or as emergency insulation, a neck gaiter or buff like these provide great insulation.  Not required for our field trip.

NO COTTON

Nothing you wear should have any amount of cotton in it.  Cotton absorbs water/sweat and becomes very cold.

Protective Layer:

  • Rain jacket A waterproof jacket with a hood that can be worn over your warm jacket is essential.
    Breathable fabric is ideal, but is not required for our field trip.
  • Rain pants  Waterproof rain pants with side zippers are required.  Pants with zippers, such as these can be put them on without taking off your boots. 
    Breathable fabric is ideal, but is not required for our field trip. 
  • Long gaiters  Sturdy waterproof tall gaiters like these are required.  They must be big enough to fit over your boots.  Test them with boots prior being able to return either one. Breathable fabric is not very important for snowshoeing.  Low-top hiking gaiters won't keep the snow out of your boots.
    Tip for very cold day: You can insulate your feet and ankles by cutting an Amazon bubble-wrap envelop so it fits over the top of your boot and ankle.  Hold in place before putting on your gaiters and snowshoes. 
  • Wind Breaker  For uphill travel, ideally bring a thin jacket like these.  For our field trip a rain parka is adequate.

TEN ESSENTIALS:

  • Map   Provided for the course field trip.
  • Compass   Phone compass app is adequate for the course field trip.
  • Sunglasses & Sunscreen   Sun protection is a must. Snow reflection is highly damaging to eyes; UV damage and sunburns are common if proper protection is not used.
  • Extra clothing   See details above
  • Headlamp   Full charged. Bring extra batteries if they are replaceable.
  • First-aid supplies
  • Extra food and water
  • Snowshoe repair kit   The summer 10 essentials lists a "knife". For snowshoeing what is more helpful are a few heavy duty 12" zip ties to repair broken hardware or straps.
  • Emergency shelter   Not required for our field trip. For regular snowshoe trips, you should ideally bring an insulating pad at least 4' long and 2' wide as well tarp or Mylar space blanket.
  • Fire starter  This is on the summer 10 essentials list.  It is not required for snowshoe trips.
  • Matches  This is on the summer 10 essentials list.  It is not required for snowshoe trips.

Additional Recommended Equipment/Supplies for the Field Trip:

  • Foam sit pad. (Many people simply sit on their packs).
  • Hand and toe warmers
  • Toilet paper, sealable plastic bags, and hand sanitizer
  • Pack cover (if your pack is not very waterproof).
  • Dry clothes and shoes in your car for the trip home
  • Duffle bag like these are great for keeping your snowshoes, poles and other loose gear separate from the other folks you might carpool with. 

Course Materials

There are no materials for this course.