acadia snowshoing

[wayward son]

I would like to do some winter hiking in Acadia this year (valley trails and peaks). Could I easily get by with just snoeshoes (with attached crampons) or would boots/crampons be the wiser choice?

 

[king tut]

The weather can be real weird at the coast, so it depends on which month you are hiking and what the recent weather has been like. There could be a couple feet of snow, or there could be no snow at all and just some ice. It's normal for a foot of snow to fall and then have coastal fog dissolve it all in 3 or 4 days. That being said, you will probably be ok w/ just snowshoes w/ aggressive crampons. But if you have crampons, bring em, there could be no snow and lots of ice. There does tend to be a good amount of ice on the hikes since there is lots of warming/freezing on the island and plenty of cliffs.

 

[wayward son]

Morning King Tut! Thanks for the input! I had a feeling that would be the answer. I don't have crampons, in fact never even wore them. My winter hiking/snowshoeing boots are the Columbia Bugabootoo. Are they compatible with crampons? I do have a pair of LL bean Stableicers (I think that is what they are called) that I wear for flat land traction. How much grip would they provide on moderately iced slopes and cliffs?

 

[Lawn Sale]

King tut is right, the weather on the coast is unpredictable at best. Some days we'll have no ice and all snow, and other years (like last year), you plan on ice only to wade through 36" of snow.

Stabilicers won't hold well if there is any vertical gain, they tend to slip easier unless the ice is slightly rotten on the top or too thin for crampons.

 

[king tut]

I have done a lot of snowshoeing in the camden mountains, and my snowshoes and boots are all i need in the winter. But, a few years ago I hiked Dorr Mt from sieur de mont on the island in january. There was a ton of snow on the island, and lots of ice higher up on the mountain. I used my snowshoes and poles, and i made it to the top, but it was very difficult. It was a very steep trail up the face of the mt. I would suggest doing something w/ a gentler grade, about 1/4 of the hikes on the island i would rule out for winter travel b/c the trails are too steep and they are going up the sides of cliffs, where a fall could be deadly.

 

[wayward son]

Hey guys, thanks for the info and advice. Having hiked in Acadia during the fall since the late 1980s I have gotten quite familiar with the trails. Some like the front side of Nurombega, Cadillac's west face, etc., would be extremely hazardous without the proper gear, experience and common sense. I just need to carefully chose the trails that I can realistically handle. Thanks again.

 

[John S]

My winter hiking/snowshoeing boots are the Columbia Bugabootoo. Are they compatible with crampons?

The Grivel G10s (G10 Wide for larger sizes) work fine on the Columbias and I suspect any of the flexible strap-on crampons would also work as long as they fit properly. It's a good idea to bring the boots when you shop for the crampons.

 

[Waumbek]

Last January in icy conditions at Acadia I used MSR Denali Ascent snowshoes. They have a fairly aggressive "bite" in the crampon bindings. They worked just fine on the average ascent hills there.