A LITTLE SNOWSHOE FOR YOUR EXERCISE POPULARITY OF ACTIVITY SPREADS INTO CALIFORNIA.Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer The image of snowshoeing snow·shoe n. A racket-shaped frame containing interlaced strips, as of leather, that can be attached to the foot to facilitate walking on deep snow. intr.v. is of a grizzled griz·zled adj. 1. Partly gray or streaked with gray: a grizzled beard. 2. Having fur or hair streaked or tipped with gray. outdoorsman struggling to take steps to take action; to move in a matter. See also: Step through a pristine Alaskan wilderness. His steps in the heavy and wide shoes, made of a wood with a catgut catgut or gut, cord made from the intestines of various animals (especially sheep and horses, but not cats). The membrane is chemically treated, and slender strands are woven together into cords of great strength, which are used for stringing netting, are awkward and labored. But it's not what snowshoeing is today. Shoes are sleek, lightweight, and made of aluminum and carbon fiber with improved bindings and crampon cram·pon n. 1. A hinged pair of curved iron bars for raising heavy objects, such as stones or timber. Often used in the plural. 2. systems. The difference has been phenomenal to the snowshoe Snowshoe a recently recognized cat breed; it is a medium- to large-sized cat with blue eyes, and coat color similar to a sealpoint or bluepoint Siamese, but with a white nose, chin, and ventral midline, and white boots on all feet. industry. The sport has grown 71 percent in the past four years with 5.1 million people using snowshoes snowshoes, footgear enabling the wearer to walk on soft snow without sinking. A snowshoe consists of a light frame of tough wood or aluminum, roughly the shape of a large tennis racket, which is strung with caribou skin or other material and is attached to the shoe last year. Sales of shoes have more than doubled from last year. Although that growth has taken place primarily in other parts of the nation, there has been increased usage of snowshoes in Southern California. Shoes are available for rent at Big Bear Mountain and Mammoth Mountain. ``The workout is phenomenal,'' said Big Bear resident Judi Bowers, a former Bear Mountain employee. ``People go up the hill in them 10 times and they really burn the calories.'' Molly Maher of the Stowe, Vt.-based Tubbs Snowshoe Company, which is one of the leading sellers of snowshoes, said that if users know how to walk, they can master the use of snowshoes in minutes. ``When we started making aluminum snowshoes about a dozen years ago, their sales really started to take off,'' Maher said at a recent outdoors retail trade show. ``I think when it comes to fitness and health, Californians are much trendier (than the rest of the nation) and would adapt well to this.'' But there is the caveat: where? ``For most people,'' she said, ``you put on the shoes, step outside and you're ready to go.'' But since snow failed to stick for more than five minutes along the San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. foothills last week, and when it snows again in the next decade, it's not going to stay then, either, it's at least a one-hour drive for many to get to an area to access snowshoe trails. ``It's really become a social sport,'' Maher said. ``There's a lot of appeal for women.'' Shoes cost an average of $150 and special footwear is unnecessary. Shoes are made for hiking and backpacking, recreation and fitness, and running and aerobics. Most are about 8 to 10 inches in width and can be between 21 and 36 inches in length. They weigh no more than 6.3 pounds each. ``Snowshoeing is experiencing tremendous growth because of a heightened emphasis on physical fitness and family-oriented winter activities,'' Tubbs general manager Kathy Murphy said. ``From kids to grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl , snowshoeing is a great equalizer sport as far as ability and balance.'' Shoes do not allow travelers to walk on the snow's surface. They are designed to keep travelers from sinking into the snow, making for a more efficient form of transportation. Different snow conditions require different types of shoes. Wet and icy conditions require smaller shoes. Hiking boots with gaiters, for ankle support, help keep feet dry. At Mammoth, shoes are available at the resort's main lodge. ``There are a lot of good trails here for them,'' Mammoth's Joani Lynch said. |
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