5 Awesome Alternatives to Ski Resorts This Winter

Jan 19, 2021

Let’s face it: resort skiing can be great, but it’s not for everyone. With single-day lift tickets cracking the $200 mark and a pandemic raging across much of the country, maybe­—just MAYBE—sitting in a dank, humid lodge or standing in a packed lift line just aren’t on your to-do list for this year.  Lucky for us, winter is a total playground and there are a ton of alternatives to ski resorts for winter fun. Here’s a quick reminder of some fun to be had that doesn’t involve a chair lift. Snowshoeing I know, big surprise coming from MSR, but snowshoeing is arguably the easiest and most accessible way to embrace winter away from the crowds. You can literally go anywhere there is snow. A good dump of snow can even…

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10 Amazing Places to Snowshoe in North America

Nov 17, 2020

Your favorite hiking trails may be under snow until spring, but snowshoeing is an affordable, accessible way to keep winter fun. The solitude of snowshoeing is also a bonus: there are no crowds, heavy machinery, or endless lift lines. The following destinations have some of the best snowshoeing in North America, from groomed Nordic tracks and valley floors, to lakeshore forest glades and rugged ascents. 10 Best Places to Snowshoe in North America 1. Ashcroft, Colorado: Ghost town turned dining destination Eleven miles from Aspen, this ghost town has been turned into an ungroomed, unmaintained Nordic playground. Explore the miles of trails that traverse meadow, creek and evergreen forest dotted with the remnants of the mining boom town of Ashcroft. Your destination should be the famed Pine Creek Cookhouse, which…

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Snowshoe Sizing: How to Pick Your Perfect Length 

Nov 10, 2020

Aside from bringing a thermos with a hot lunch and/or drinks, one of the easiest ways to ensure a great time snowshoeing is to make the right choice when considering the right snowshoe sizing. One of snowshoes’ biggest jobs is to provide “flotation” to keep you from sinking too deeply into the snowpack, so the amount of flotation you need is what drives your choice of snowshoe length. A bigger snowshoe means more surface area which, in turn, means more flotation. Generally speaking, the “right” snowshoe is one that delivers the flotation you need, while being small enough to keep you nimble on the trail.    Here are some quick tips to help you make the right choice in snowshoe sizing: First: The Majority Rule When considering the following variables, it’s easy to get bogged down in the thought that you want a snowshoe that does it all–from…

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