Discussion: snowshoes ?

I'm looking at buying a new pair of snowshoes. Right now I have the GV Aerolites which are great for cutting trails and deeper snow but I'm looking for a running snowshoe.
Does anyone know what the difference is between the Atlas Race and the Run, other than the price?

Also, do you usually just wear your trail runners and gaitors with them?

I think the race is a little lighter and made of slightly different materials. Durability of the decking is a question in all of them.

I have decided to get the Atlas Run b/c they're a running snowshoe, and there aren't a lot of those, they're also a bit less expensive.

There is a supply issue in Southern Ontario at least - Atlas has no more in their warehouse and most stores are sold out of the running snowshoes, if they had them in the first place.

Finally, I seem to recall reading that you should wear your trail running shoes, gaiters, I think are optional but not a bad idea. However, someone else who has done more snowshoeing than me could probably answer all of these questions with more authority.

One thing to check is whether the snowshoes in question flip snow up and on to your back. Some snowshoes seem to have a lot of spring in them and one's back and back of the legs get covered in snow as a result . I prefer to stay dry on my back .

Gaiters are a good idea for 2 reasons (a) keep the lower leg and feet warmer (b) keep snow spray out of your shoes/boots.

The Atlas Race are made with 7075 aluminum vs 6061 on the Run, and have titanium teeth and a quickdraw binding.
Both Race and Run flip snow up your back, but they are light and fast.

'Bent and I have the Atlas Race because they're a little lighter, but other than the different metal used in their frame, they're identical in design and decking material to the Atlas Run. Either one is a great choice for running. If your primary activity is breaking trail or bushwhacking through deep snow, you might be happier with the mega-teeth of the MSR Denalis.

Yes, the Atlas Run/Race snowshoes flip snow onto your back if you're running in loose snow. On packed trails, they're fine. I don't think our older Tubbs running snowshoes do that.

I wear winter-weight Sealskinz socks with liner socks inside Salomon Goretex XA Pro running shoes, plus an ankle gaiter. The ankle gaiter prevents little hard balls of snow forming on my socks inside my shoes, which can cause blisters.

I have the Redfeather Race and have used for a number of years to run in. I like the low cut titanium crampon and secure binding. The binding can also be repaired/replaced if needed.

You can reduce the amount of snow that sticks to you when you kick it up by wearing a nylon outer layer. I saw an awful lot of snowshoe runners at today's race wearing fleece pants and they looked like snowmen from behind! (Yeah, I'm slow; the fastest folks don't wear fleece, I'm sure!)

I use regular trail runners, and short gaitors to keep snow off my ankles.

If you were in the US, I might recommend Dion snowshoes, but they may not be competitively priced to what you can get in Canada.

For foot wear, I'll generally wear a pair of Nike XCRs - they have a nice Gore-tex upper - along with a set of low (6") gaiters to keep the snow from coming in around my ankles.

I agree with Janet on having the right outer layer. Was at a snowshoe race on Saturday. A couple of people had on fleece-like running tights that were snow magnets. Most everyone else was relatively snow free, even after a few headers into some snowbanks where feet got grabbed by snowsnakes coming down some pretty steep pitches.

This was in NH, so there were a lot of Dion's, especially on the faster folks. Also quite a few Redfeathers. I'm on slightly larger and heavier TSLs - 8x25" I think. Haven't been able to convince myself it's worth the investment in a pricier set - these ran my about $80 at an end-of-season clearance sale a couple of years ago. My lower middle of the pack finish was a result of the state of the engine, not the tires on the race car...

I got the Crescent Moon Gold Series 12 shoes for Xmas and they rock. I just wear a pair of Goretex shoes with gaiters and you are ready to go for any race.

Here is the link:

http://www.crescentmoonsnowshoes.com/gold.html

I like the Dion's too - nice shoes for racing - and the parts are interchangeable so if cleats wear, you can swap a new set on without buying new deck and bindings.

I generally wear nylon running tights, but wear a calf height fleece sock underneath them along with standard running shoes. This keeps the snow off, keeps the lower leg and ankle warm yet keeps the quads lightly encumbered for flexibility and power. On top its generally just a light Pearl Izumi shell for wind protection (and snow repellency when I take a header) and synthetics underneath to match conditions...

Thanks for all the feedback. I have a lot more info now when I go shopping. Is there anything more fun than shopping for techie stuff? and..do you ever have enough? :)

Not sure if you found anything yet but I have Dion 121 racing snowshoes and they are great! Modular so you can interchange things like the bindings and cleats

What did you end up getting?

Pay attention to the advice offered by 'Bent and Bash.
They know whereof they speak.
Based on their results.
With their partners they were respectively first and second in the Masters Category in last weekend's Salomon dontgetlost.ca Snowshoe Raid at Horseshoe Valley north of Toronto. (Translated for orienteers as Score-O on snowshoes.)
They racked up enough points to place 6th and 7th overall.

I hasten to point out that my partner in that race was Hammer, a 3-time North American elite orienteering champion, and 'Bent was racing with a masters North American champion. I'm not sure we're any better at choosing snowshoes than anyone else, but we seem to be pretty good at choosing teammates! :-)

Friends,
I have $200 to blow at MEC, and I think the best choice for me right now is a pair of snowshoes. Has much changed in the advice offered above, 3-4 years ago? I am open to adding $$ to my gift certs and getting something good.

Facts:
- What for? : Snowshoe Raid or any other O-racing. I detest hiking / moving slowly, so you won't find me spending the whole day trudging around in these. Terrain is well known to a few commenters above!
- Level of experience: Until last year, I thought "snowshoes" were the big wicker tennis rackets of olde. So jack-squat.

Here is the current MEC selection: (only Atlas and MSR are carried) MEC Snowshoes

I use MSR denali (old - now its evo) - I use them for snowshoeing, raid/o-events and for my mountaineering trips. Light, multi purpose & have option to add tail for better floatation.
The new MSR lightning flash is super light but has limited flotation unlike the above. So multi purpose vs activity oriented - you have to decide.

Thanks Chief.
Realistically, I don't see myself trekking around on these outside of racing, or at least the proportion of time would heavily favour racing / moving quickly.
I just read the MEC reviews of the Evo/Denali. People think it's good traction and sturdy. Wondering if the speedy light varieties also hold up when you get off trail, like in these races. :) Our friends above seem to use a lot of duct tape. :)

"Speedy light" translates (loosely) to "pretty small" - designed for moving fast on trails that someone has already been down - they are not designed for breaking track in new deep snow.
If you are looking at more off-trail where you are likely to encounter lighter / fluffier / deeper snow, you'll probably want something a bit larger for more flotation. If possible, go longer rather than wider, as wider translates to a wider stance (much more awkward and tiring to maintain a running pace) as well as a lot of dings on the insides of your ankles.

My experience is that most of the quality racing snowshoes are fairly durable - but I can guarantee your frustration level will be high trying to move fast off-trail on a much-too-small snowshoe.

I get about 400k out of the Atlas (Race or Run) before they suffer fatal plastic fatigue somewhere. By then, expect lots of gashes and scrapes on the frames, requiring lots of duct tape.

As stated, once you leave the packed snow (for the powder) with these fast, small snowshoes, you'll be worse off than having no snowshoes on your feet. With each stride, you'll fall all the way through the deep snow and then have that much snow to lift up on the top of your snowshoe.

It's true that the smaller racing snowshoes have less flotation off-trail but in typical southern Ontario conditions (i.e. not deep dry powder), they are usually fine. 'Bent and I have continued to use Atlas Race snowshoes for the Snowshoe Raid and snowy trail running.

Hmmm.... these are all fantastic insights, thank you! There are lots of variables here. Although I'm eager to immediately and recklessly spend these gift certs, I might wait for some snow and try this snowshoeing thing out first, see what my feet like. But now I know what to test for! Thanks all.

Aggosst, there may be some snowshoe demo days at places like Hardwood Hills, Horseshoe or Highlands Nordic. I think Sojourn and MEC in Barrie may organize events like that too. At Run for the Toad last weekend, Spafford Health and Adventure allowed people to test Dion snowshoes on the beach.

You're also very welcome to come up to Palgrave and try our fleet of snowshoes!

Thanks! I do expect to spend a lot of time at these places this winter for xc - provided we are actually blessed with a few blizzards this year.

Alrighty, for better or for worse, just walked out of MEC with a pair of Atlas Run. They were out of Race, but from 'Bent's and Bash's comparisons above, and because the Runs already felt *really* weightless and comfy, I went for it. Also grabbed some short gaiters. Will update from the field. Thanks again!

Perfect conditions for them, Beez. Enjoy!