Spikes and footwear for mixed snow/rock/mud conditions

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
Post Reply
User avatar
acvdmlac
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 12:34 pm
Experience: N/A

Spikes and footwear for mixed snow/rock/mud conditions

Post by acvdmlac »

Recommendations regarding spikes and footwear for mixed snow/rock/mud conditions we're likely to encounter day-hiking up out of Big Pine North Forks area in August? I've read some of the posts on snow travel, and if we were planning full-on ascent of glaciers, steep snow-fields and couloirs, etc. it's obvious we'd need crampons, but I'm thinking for negotiating shorter stretches of less steep snow at various times of day, suncups, scrambling over rocks, muddy stretches of trail, etc. micro-spikes and heavy hiking boots may be the best combo, but not sure among the variety of styles and makers...common sense tells me the better it works in snow, the worse it will be on bare rock, so best just to go with snow safety and hang the nuisance of having to frequently take them on and off...but I'm interested in the experience and advice of others regarding which is likely to be safest in the more critical conditions, and also easiest to take on/off as needed? let the debate begin!
User avatar
paul
Topix Expert
Posts: 787
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:35 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Spikes and footwear for mixed snow/rock/mud conditions

Post by paul »

In August I myself would not take any traction devices; but I would accept that I might have to detour around anything steep and firm, or turn back if no other option. Boots are better than trail runners in that you can kick better steps with them; but still I doubt I'd switch from my trail runners, I'd accept the fact that I have to pick the details of my route - and the timing of my snow crossings (early= crusty, later in the day=soft) with that in mind. I have never used any traction devices beyond a ski pole in the summer in over 40 years of hiking (come to think of it, haven't used them in the winter either, despite carrying crampons on several ski trips - but ski boots will do thing that hiking boots will not.). But I have backed off of things I clearly could not traverse safely without them. So to me, it's more a question of your approach. If you are thinking - "I really want to get to this particular spot", and are willing to do what it takes to get there, then appropriate equipment is key. If, on the other hand, your approach is that you will go wherever the conditions allow you to safely go with the footwear you like, then you don't need anything else. It's up to you.
But I can't imagine you'd need anything beyond Microspikes and trail runners for what you describe - anything other than sound judgement, that is.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests