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Snowshoeing
Here is the essential gear to make your snowshoeing adventure a success.
// by Dina Mishev
To keep your top half happy, pair Eddie Bauer’s High Route Grid Fleece 1/2-Zip with Voormi’s Access NXT vest beneath whatever mid- and outer layers the day’s temperatures and weather call for. The High Route offers maximum warmth without bulk, and the Access NXT features 4-way stretch-woven wool, a water-repellent finish, and mesh side panels for breathability. High Route, $99; available at Eddie Bauer (55 S. Cache St., Jackson);
Access NXT, $149; available at voormi.com
POC’s Devour Glacial sunglasses are made for mountain bikers, but we like them even more for snowshoeing (and other aerobic snow-based activities). The oversize sunglasses offer goggle-like protection without the hassle of having to wrap anything around your head, and, despite our best efforts, we’ve yet to get them to fog up. Lenses are interchangeable so you can match the day’s light conditions. $250; available at Teton Village Sports (3285 Village Dr., Teton Village)
Kate’s Real Food bars don’t freeze when the temperatures drop, and they come in a new flavor, Oatmeal Cranberry Almond, that tastes just like an oatmeal cranberry cookie. From $2; available at grocery stores around the valley
Stio’s Buckhorn Insulated Snap Shirt and Royal Robbins’ Ventour Sweater don’t look as technical as most midlayers, but who says your midlayer can’t look as good as it functions? The Buckhorn’s brushed flannel exterior is water-resistant, and its heat-mapped—more in the core, less in the arms—insulation offers the advantages of synthetic insulation with the softness and warmth of down. The Ventour blends merino wool with nylon to create breathable, stretchy warmth with natural odor resistance. Buckhorn, $169; available at Stio Mountain Studio (10 E. Broadway Ave., Jackson); Ventour, $100; available at Royalrobbins.com
We’ve long loved Colorado-based Voormi’s hard-working merino wool baselayers. But we did sometimes find them too warm for aerobic activities like snowshoeing. This winter the company made its baselayer bottoms thinner (evidently we weren’t the only ones who found them too warm). Now? They’re perfection. $119; available at voormi.com
When the weather is at its worst, protect yourself in Nørrona’s Falketind Gore-Tex Jacket and Pants. The brand’s most versatile waterproof, windproof, and breathable pieces, the Falketind duo was originally designed for mountaineers looking for full protection from the elements in a lightweight package, but, because they’re so awesome, they are now among the brand’s bestsellers. We got them for snowshoe adventures and now also use them, with different layers underneath, for Nordic and downhill skiing and even ice climbing. Pants $399, jacket $469; available at Teton Village Sports (3285 Village Dr., Teton Village)
Poles help you keep your balance. Models that are adjustable in height like these by Black Diamond allow you to adapt to a range of snow depths and conditions. From $119; available at Black Diamond Equipment (160 W. Pearl Ave., Jackson)
MSR’s Revo Explore Snowshoes have an easy-entry/exit binding, aggressive teeth and crampons for challenging conditions, and, new this year, EVA foam cushions on their decks to make for more comfortable walking. Heading uphill? A flick of your pole engages heel risers—“televators” in MSR-speak—that increase traction on steep slopes and make climbing easier. $230; available at Skinny Skis (65 W. Deloney Ave., Jackson) JH
See page 42 to find your perfect glove.