Snowshoe the Berkshires

Looking for a great winter workout in a stunningly serene landscape? Give snowshoeing a try.
By Kathleen M. Mangan

If wintertime's snowy streets and sidewalks have your running shoes gathering dust under the bed, maybe it's time to try an alternate activity. Consider trading your trainers for snowshoes—you can burn as many calories at a slower pace thanks to the resistance of the snow. Plus you can vary the workout depending on the snow conditions and trail terrain you choose. This cold-weather exercise has been gaining popularity since the early 1990s, when a revolution in snowshoe design and materials turned snowshoeing into a burgeoning recreational activity among fitness fanatics and those who simply want to get outdoors to enjoy the beauty of the quiet landscape. (Made of wood and laced rawhide, the old-style snowshoes were large, heavy and cumbersome.) Today, there are some 5.5 million snowshoers.

On snowshoes you can choose your intensity level, from a stroll on flat, groomed trails to cutting a path up a steep, snow-covered mountainside. Some enthusiasts go slowly, adding in time to spot winter birds. Others want a challenge, snowshoeing to the top of a peak, and skiing or snowboarding down virgin powder. Athletes use the sport for cross training.

But you don’t have to be a pro—or even an amateur—to give snowshoeing a try. All you need is a snowy destination, snowshoe rentals and a place to walk where you won’t get lost. Good options include cross-country ski centers, rail trails, bird sanctuaries, nature centers and well-marked trail networks in state parks. The Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts are an excellent choice. They offer rentals and a wide variety of places to snowshoe with hearty Yankee hospitality.

Getting Started
It all begins with the shoes. Modern snowshoes have a lightweight aluminum or plastic frame with synthetic decking, a binding to attach your boot to the snowshoe and metal cleats to provide grip. The biggest benefit is improved flotation, keeping you on top of the snow, according to Graham Gephart, global brand manager for Tubbs and Atlas snowshoes, the two largest brands. Snowshoes now are small, compact and ergonomic, providing a more natural stride and better maneuverability, he explains.

Binding advancements include a pin at the ball of the foot or toe cord so the toe of the boot can pass through the snowshoe and dig into the snow with crampons. Additional traction rails and heel cleats provide more stability and control on steeper terrain and icy crust, explains Gephart.

To choose the right snowshoe, consider your flotation needs (your weight with a backpack and the type of snow you’ll be on) and intended use (recreation, mountaineering or mountain running). These factors will help determine the style of snowshoe, size and desired technical features.

You won’t need much else to get started—just layered clothes suitable for winter activity, warm boots, a hat and gloves. Take poles for added stability or an upper body workout. Bring water, snacks and extra layers in a backpack.

You don’t need a lesson, either—if you can walk, you can snowshoe. There’s no age barrier or learning curve, and you don’t have to be in great shape. Risk of injury is minimal. Families can snowshoe comfortably together and talk to one another while walking along.

Easy entry to the sport and affordability make snowshoeing super attractive. You can rent snowshoes for $10 to $25 a day, or buy a good pair for $130 to $250. That’s about 10 percent of the purchase price of downhill ski equipment, never mind the cost of ski lift tickets. Plus snowshoes last longer—many brands come with a lifetime warranty.

Fitness Benefits
As a sport, snowshoeing is a boon for the body. The soft snow absorbs impact, giving joints a break. Snowshoeing builds strength and endurance, enhances cardiovascular capacity and metabolizes body fat. It strengthens the quadriceps, hip flexors and extensors.

On flat, packed snow, you’ll burn 500 calories per hour. For a tougher workout, increase the speed or duration of your outing, add longer or steeper hills, or step off the groomed trail into deep powder. You can burn more than 1,000 calories per hour on a steep, deep-snow trail. In comparison, cross-country skiers burn 600 calories per hour and take breaks on the downhill glide while snowshoers have to walk down.

Perhaps the more universal appeal is the role snowshoes play in getting people into the fresh air for a dose of nature’s inspiration. The views are better without the foliage, and the snow creates a peaceful hush. There’s also a good chance of seeing wildlife like snowshoe hare, fox, otter, owls and hawks.

“Winter is a beautiful time of year, and to be able to go out and enjoy it is pretty neat,” says John Kane, owner of Greylock Outdoor in Lanesboro, a snowshoe rental shop near the Mount Greylock Visitor’s Center. “The Berkshires offer nice views, a lot of state parks and easy access to great trail networks,” he adds.

Destination: Berkshires
Mount Greylock is Massachusett’s highest peak at 3,491 feet, and it is rated the most popular spot in the state for snowshoeing. The Appalachian Trail runs over the top of the mountain, and there is a huge network of well-marked trails at all ability levels.

Kane recommends the Stony Ledge Trail that leads to a rocky outcropping with views of the top of Greylock. Alec Gillman, Greylock visitors’ services supervisor, recommends the route to Rounds Rock, about seven miles roundtrip from the Visitor Center with good vistas and fairly level terrain. The Hopper Trail from Williamstown and Gould Trail from Adams are the best routes to the summit. You’ll be rewarded with a 90-mile view in all directions on a clear day taking in five states.

If you prefer to start on groomed trails with packed snow, look for cross-country ski centers that also rent snowshoes. Stump Sprouts Ski Touring Center in West Hawley offers 15 miles of trails packed by snowmobile through gently rolling terrain. Canterbury Farm Ski Touring Center in Becket offers seven miles of snowshoe-only trails packed by snowshoe.

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail offers a flat, easy 11-mile trek from Lanesboro to Adams, with parking lots en route. You may have to break trail after a fresh snowfall, but the snowshoers have it packed down pretty quickly. The rail trail journeys past Cheshire Reservoir, along a river and through woodlands. Rent snowshoes at Berkshire Outfitters in Cheshire, right across the street from the trail.

Groomed or Backcountry Trails
Choose your trail experience at Notchview in Windsor, owned by the Trustees of Reservations. There are 17 miles of groomed trails and seven miles of ungroomed backcountry trails in this 3,108-acre land trust of rolling hills. Most of the topography is higher than 2,000 feet in elevation, providing snow cover for more than 80 days a year. Watch for pileated woodpeckers, broad-winged hawks, fox and moose in this old-growth forest. Warm up with hot chocolate at the visitors’ center when you return your snowshoe rentals.

Experience traditional snowshoeing at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, where you can rent wood-and-rawhide snowshoes. There are seven miles of trails in this 1,400-acre sanctuary owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Head out on the Yokun Brook Trail to see beaver dams and lodges on two ponds. Or climb the Overbrook Trail to the summit of the 2,126-foot Lenox Mountain.

You’ll want to snowshoe at Hilltop Orchards in Richmond as much for the outdoors experience as the après snowshoeing relaxation. There are two-and-a-half miles of groomed trails through apple orchards with a 20-mile view of the Connecticut Valley, plus six miles of backcountry trails. Private guides are also available.

Once you return your rental snowshoes, warm up in the Barrell Room by the fireplace with a mug of hot mulled cider made on the premises and fresh cider donuts from the bakery. You can also taste some of the award-winning wines by Furnace Brook Winery. There’s nothing like sipping wine by a crackling fire after an invigorating day in the winter landscape.

The information in this story was accurate when it was published in the November/December 2009 issue of AAA World, but details such as dates, times and prices may have changed since then. We suggest you verify such details directly with the listed establishments before making travel plans.