The Boss is down!

Southside · February 27, 2021, 09:33:20 PM

Jeff is up in da UP and wanted to say hello to everyone. Video evidence of his great snowshoeing skills!

https://youtu.be/EFN32l1FXkg

doc henderson · February 27, 2021, 09:39:17 PM

looks like fun... that is how ole people break their hops! 8)

:(

:D
edit: hips! thanks OGH!

Old Greenhorn · February 27, 2021, 10:26:31 PM

Quote from: doc henderson on February 27, 2021, 09:39:17 PM
looks like fun... that is how ole people break their hops! 8) :( :D

A lot of us old folks don't break our hops, we consume the byproducts of them. Now HIPS, those are a different matter.
Those are Adirondack style snowshoes Jeff has and I have a pair, they are not for sissies and take some time to get used to. Looks like those bindings have the heel tied in pretty good and that makes it even harder, I don't know if I could use them that way so Jeff is doing mighty well with them as rigged. Looks like he has a beautiful day for it!

RAYAR · February 27, 2021, 11:48:52 PM

WoW! ...

The tail of the snow shoes should not be lifting off of the snow, they should drag as a rudder.

SwampDonkey · February 28, 2021, 04:33:56 AM

The glaciers are growing UP there. Been known to consume the unprepared.

I was looking to buy a new pair, and you can't find a pair of snowshoes even at Faber's. Well, you can, but just those crap short aluminum knockoffs. :D :D

randy d · February 28, 2021, 07:18:28 AM

I have all ways felt that snow shoes are a wonderful tool but recreation not so much we have put lots of miles on snow shoes trapping Beaver and coyotes I have the Alaskan trail style. It's always wise to have someone else break trail. Randy

dgdrls · February 28, 2021, 07:22:38 AM

It's always funny when someone else falls on their bum :D

I broke my modern LL Bean snowshoes this year, the webbing failed, and yes, they gave me a credit no questions
Like @SwampDonkey found, non to be had this year.

Trekking Poles are a great idea with the shoes

D

thecfarm · February 28, 2021, 07:34:04 AM

Good thing the path to the outhouse was shoveled!!
I use to come over here and do that. But I was in my early 20's.I use skis poles to keep me upright. Looks looks the same pair my Father had. I really enjoyed it.

SwampDonkey · February 28, 2021, 07:44:33 AM

I've put many miles on snowshoes recreating. Haven't this winter, they are in need of repair, or new. I prefer the new option. ;D My treks to the woodlot are at least 3 miles as I go on unplowed road, then 3/4 mile out my main trail, but out around perimeter trails. Three miles probably don't even cover that path, maybe 4. :D And of course I'm not trying to beat any time record. I like to stop and look things over. ;D

Jeff · February 28, 2021, 08:10:09 AM

Hey! I got cell signal from the outhouse this morning!I took those off the wall of the cabin 5 iminutes earlier where they had been hanging for years. They have a innertube rubber binding.

Hilltop366 · February 28, 2021, 08:23:23 AM

Even a crappy cell signal is better than none. ;D

Snow shoeing its more of a shuffle than a walk for me.

Texas Ranger · February 28, 2021, 08:55:21 AM

What is this "snow" of which you speak? 8)

Corley5 · February 28, 2021, 09:07:58 AM

The "Elongated Bear Paw" is my favorite style. No tail to catch brush. They'll slide past obstacles better. The regular "Bear Paw" is too wide. I've got a couple pair of military snowshoes made of metal with coated cable webbing. They're kind of like that "sport style" in Donk's pic. They're nice, super durable but I still don't like the tail. The tail isn't a big deal most of the time but gets in the way working in brush in the sugar bush. A curled up toe is important to me too.
I've got a modern pair that I use now. They're pretty good. I like the ratchet bindings 8) 8)
Falling down on snow shoes in really deep snow suxs :D :D No good way to get back up. Sometimes a handy tree can help to pull yourself up. I know people that use polls but I'm usually working and need my hands

samandothers · February 28, 2021, 09:24:20 AM

Wow when I saw the title I was not sure what to think. I thought that Southside's wife had Covid.

Glad it was Jeff playing in the snow! More important I am glad he did not break his hop and have to be PUT down!

doc henderson · February 28, 2021, 09:31:41 AM

in all fairness, breaking your hip can break your hop...or maybe it makes you hop! 8)

Ed_K · February 28, 2021, 09:42:22 AM

I have 3 pr of the E B P's that I pulled the bindings off and put the neets foot oil to. Also had some rebuilding of the webbing from using them for sugaring last yr. We thought we'd need them this yr but the last two storms ended in rain an the snows down to 6"s. But ya never know what next week's storm will be. Could get a march blaster

.

YellowHammer · February 28, 2021, 09:44:43 AM

My artificial hip hurt just watching the video. So did my funny bone. :D :D

The good news is that I'm not sure I've even ever seen snowshoes in real life, unless they were hanging on the wall of a novelty restaurant. Just one more reason to live down south. No snow and no snowshoes.

SwampDonkey · February 28, 2021, 02:09:02 PM

Quote from: Corley5 on February 28, 2021, 09:07:58 AM
The "Elongated Bear Paw" is my favorite style. No tail to catch brush.

Mine too.

Jeff · February 28, 2021, 03:09:05 PM

thecfarm · February 28, 2021, 06:04:27 PM

You have some snow up there!!!
Maybe knee high here.

Jeff · February 28, 2021, 08:06:22 PM

About the same there Ray. Maybe a bit more. We are home now.

thecfarm · February 28, 2021, 08:25:58 PM

Trick photo!!

WV Sawmiller · February 28, 2021, 08:32:37 PM

I can't say anything about them since I never tried them. The video did remind me of the little guy on laugh-in on the tricycle. :D Glad no permanent damage was done.

Laugh-In Tricycle on Make a GIF

petefrom bearswamp · March 01, 2021, 04:42:40 PM

Many miles on them marking TSI and sawtimber as well as stringing sap lines
Havent been on them since 2006 when I retired.
Gave my last pair to my son, good riddance.
I imagine Ron Scott got a kick out your attempt.
I fell many times in snow a lot deeper than that and it aint fun.

maple flats · March 02, 2021, 12:05:49 PM

I've got plenty of miles on those things. Doing maple about 10 yrs ago, I was working on some lines in one direction while 2 of my crew were working in the opposite direction. As I crossed a small wash out, my binding allowed one shoe to turn and my foot went down up to my crotch. I at the time was climbing a steep section, at about a 50 degree incline. It seems there was some brush under, where my foot landed. I called for help, but with all the snow and likely 800+ feet distance, my helpers couldn't hear me. We had no cell signal there. It took me about half an hour to get myself out.
After that I bought different bindings, Marc's bindings. Never had that issue again.
I think it was the same year, in the area where my workers had been working, that we had about 4' of snow on the ground. The hills in about 1/3 of my sugar bush were at about 45 degrees. I recall climbing, sideways to get up, but the snow was soft enough that even with my largest snowshoes I sunk in about 14-16". Climbing sidestep, up that steep of an angle with all that snow really took a lot out of me. After one trip up the hill, I opted for future climbs to walk about 100 yds to a spot where the incline was only about 30 degrees. After that I climbed to more gradual slope, then worked the tubing and tapping going down the steeper areas. In time we got done.
The steepness was why I'd been working in the other direction when I got stuck, while my 2 workers who were about 19-21 were working on the steep hills (I was about 63-65 at that time).
whichever year it was, that I think was the deepest snow I ever had to tap in.
Then 6-7 years later I went back to tapping just my own woods, there I have no hills, just gently undulating old lake bottom (that's how my forester described it, he said it had been under a lake at the end of the last ice age.), thus maple flats!