A Trailside Guide: Snowshoeing

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 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.