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  • HandoutHandout 1: Supply & Shopping List

    Handout 1: Supply & Shopping List Snowshoeing the Wasatch Foothills — Utah Community Learning

    Here's the thing, you do not need to buy much for this. Snowshoeing is low key the cheapest way to get outside all winter, and I get mildly annoyed at how the outdoor world tries to sell you a gear closet before you've even tried the thing. Rent what's expensive, wear what you own, and go. Below is what actually matters, split into budget and nice-to-have, plus notes on where to get it around here.

    The Actual Snowshoes

    Budget: rent them. Places up toward the canyons and a couple sporting goods shops in the valley rent snowshoes by the day, usually cheaper than you'd think. Ask what size they're giving you and why. I didn't ask once, got shoes sized for packed snow on a powder day, and spent a mile post-holing to my shins. Float depends on the snow that day, not just your body weight. A good rental counter person will ask you where you're going and what the snow's been doing. If they don't ask, ask them.

    Nice-to-have: own a pair. Once you know you're doing this more than twice a winter, buying makes sense. You don't need the top-of-the-line pair. Mid-range is plenty for groomed foothill trails, which is all we're doing in this class.

    Poles

    Honestly, contrarian opinion here, I think beginners way overthink poles. What matters is a basket wide enough it doesn't sink straight through soft snow, and whether you'll actually use them. I hike without half the time. If you've got old ski poles or hiking poles in the garage, swap the tips or just try them as-is before buying anything new.

    Boots

    Budget: whatever waterproof (or water-resistant) winter boot you already own. Not fashion boots, not your everyday sneakers. Ankle support matters more than brand.

    Nice-to-have: a boot rated for real cold if you're planning on doing this a lot. Utah dry cold is manageable, but wet feet at 4,600+ feet with wind on a ridge is miserable fast.

    Clothing — the part people get wrong

    This is the number one beginner mistake, so I'll say it plain: underdress on purpose. If you're comfortable standing in the parking lot, you're overdressed and you will be soaked in twenty minutes. Start a little cold. You'll warm into it fast once you're moving.

    • Base layer: synthetic or wool, not cotton. Cotton holds sweat and then you're wearing a cold wet rag.
    • Insulating layer: fleece or light puffy you can stuff in a bag once you warm up.
    • Outer shell: wind and water resistant. Doesn't need to be fancy.
    • Gloves, warm hat, and I always bring a buff or neck gaiter, our wind up in the foothills can turn a nice morning mean fast.

    Water & Food

    Bring more water than feels necessary, dry air up here pulls moisture out of you faster than you notice, and you won't feel as thirsty in the cold. I always overpack food too, hauls of snacks I never eat. I say this so nobody feels dumb packing too much. Better than too little.

    Nice-to-haves, not required

    • Gaiters, keep snow out of your boot tops
    • A small thermos of something hot, this has become my favorite part of the trip honestly
    • Sunglasses, snow glare at elevation is no joke even on a cloudy day

    Shopping notes

    Check gear rental first before you buy anything. Run the numbers, it's genuinely a fraction of what a ski setup costs, and I like announcing that math out loud to anyone who'll listen. A quick stop at Costco or a general store for hand warmers and wool socks covers most of your budget list in one trip. Save the specialty shop visit for once you know you're hooked.

  • HandoutHandout 2: Cheat Sheet — Core Snowshoeing Technique & Settings

    Handout 2: Cheat Sheet — Core Snowshoeing Technique & Settings

    Print this, stick it in your pocket, lose it in the snow, whatever. Here's the quick version of everything we cover hands-on. Nothing here replaces actually walking it out with me, but it's what to run through in your head before you head up.

    ---

    Before You Leave the Parking Lot

    • Dress cold, not comfy. If you feel good standing at the trailhead, you're overdressed. You warm up fast once you're moving. This is the number-one mistake I see, and I made it first, so no judgment.
    • Check the weather. Not once. Three times if you're me. Morning forecast in the foothills is not the noon forecast. Warm front rolling in means slushy mashed-potato snow by 1pm, and that's a miserable afternoon.
    • Pick your turnaround point before you start. Say it out loud. Write it down if you have to. Don't trust "I know this trail" — I got a little rattled once in a flurry on a loop I thought I had memorized.

    Strap-In Basics

    • Boot goes all the way back in the binding, heel snug.
    • Straps snug, not cranked. You want no heel lift when you walk, but you shouldn't lose circulation in your toes either.
    • Test it by lifting your foot and shaking it before you leave flat ground. If the shoe flops, tighten it.

    Walking Technique

    • Slightly wider stance than normal. The frames are wider than your feet, you'll clip yourself at first. Everybody does.
    • Lift and place, don't shuffle. Bring the shoe up and over, especially in fresh snow. Shuffling is how people posthole.
    • Kick steps going uphill. Toe in, stomp a little shelf, weight forward. Don't lean back, that's when you slide.
    • Sit back slightly going downhill. Small steps, let the shoe's traction do the work. Poles help here if you brought them.
    • On sidehills, edge your uphill foot in a bit and keep weight centered. This is the one place I actually use poles.

    Float and Snow Reading

    • Float depends on the snow, not just your weight. Powder, crust, and wet spring snow all behave differently, and the same shoe acts differently in each.
    • If you're postholing straight through, either the shoe's too small for the conditions or the snow's just not supportive that day. Ask the rental person what they'd recommend for what's actually falling this week, not just your bodyweight chart.
    • Watch for low spots, especially anything that looks like a dip with no obvious reason. Could be a buried creek edge. I found that out the hard way, boot full of water, three miles from the car, foot numb the whole hike out. Water runs even when it's covered.

    Poles (Optional, Honestly)

    Contrarian opinion, but here it is: fancy poles are overrated for beginners. What matters is a wide enough basket that they don't sink to China, and whether you'll actually use them. I hike without half the time. If you've got old hiking poles in the garage, they're fine.

    Timing Rule

    Early start beats ambitious plan, every time. A short loop at 8am on firm snow is a better morning than a long loop at 1pm in slush. Foothill conditions swing fast with our freeze/thaw cycle. Plan around the morning.

    The One-Line Safety Note

    We stick to groomed, low-angle foothill trails in this class, on purpose. If the terrain's steep enough to slide, that's avalanche country and a different course with different training. Not what we're doing here, and I mean that plainly, not as a disclaimer to check a box.

    ---

    Bring this, bring snacks (I always overpack, no shame), and I'll see you on the trail.

  • WorksheetHandout 3: Your Trip-Planning Checklist

    Handout 3: Your Trip-Planning Checklist

    Here's the thing, most bad snowshoe days aren't a fitness problem or a gear problem. They're a planning problem. You checked the weather once at 6am and called it good, or you didn't think about where the creek runs under the snow. This sheet is so you build the habit now, while I'm still around to bug you about it.

    Fill this out before your next trip, even a short one. Especially a short one, honestly, since that's when people skip it.

    ---

    Before You Leave the House

    • [ ] Checked the weather at least twice — once the night before, once morning-of. Things change fast up here.
    • [ ] Picked a start time. Early beats late. If it's after 11am, ask yourself why.
    • [ ] Told someone where you're going and when you'll be back. Doesn't need to be dramatic, just a text.
    • [ ] Phone charged, and I mean actually charged, not "it'll be fine."
    • [ ] Snowshoes sized for today's snow, not just your weight. If you don't know, ask the rental person. That's what they're there for.

    Clothing Check (the part beginners always get wrong)

    • [ ] Base layer, one that's not cotton
    • [ ] Mid layer you can take off in the first ten minutes
    • [ ] Outer shell in the bag even if you're not wearing it yet
    • [ ] Gloves and a hat, packed even if it feels too warm right now
    • [ ] Ask yourself right now, standing in the parking lot: am I a little cold? If the answer is no, take a layer off. Bless, I know it feels wrong. Do it anyway.

    Water & Food

    • [ ] Water bottle, and yes you need it even though it's cold out
    • [ ] Some food, but be honest with yourself about how much you'll actually eat. (I overpack this every single time. Don't be me.)

    On the Trail

    • [ ] Noted my turnaround point before I started walking
    • [ ] Checked for open water, culverts, or anything that sounds like running water under the snow — that's where you posthole into a wet boot
    • [ ] Watching the sky, not just the trail. If it's turning, that's your cue to head back, not push on
    • [ ] Not relying on "I know this trail" alone. Trail markers can disappear fast in a flurry, ask me how I know

    After

    • [ ] Boots and gloves actually dry before the next trip (not just "dry enough")
    • [ ] One thing I'd do differently next time, written down while I still remember it

    ---

    One honest note: this whole class sticks to groomed, low-angle foothill trails on purpose. Nothing here covers avalanche terrain, and it shouldn't. If you catch the bug and want to go further up the canyon into steeper stuff, that's a real course with real training, not something you pick up from a Saturday handout. Different lane entirely.

    Next trip, run this list before you leave. Takes five minutes. Saves you the wet-boot, three-miles-from-the-car kind of afternoon. Ask me how I know that one too.

  • HandoutHandout 4: Troubleshooting Guide — Common Beginner Problems

    Handout 4: Troubleshooting Guide — Common Beginner Problems

    Every one of these has happened to me. Some of them more than once, honestly. Here's what goes wrong and what to do about it.

    1. You're sweating by the first bend Fix: You started too warm. Should've felt slightly chilly standing in the parking lot. Strip a layer now, stuff it in your pack, keep moving. Next time, start cold on purpose. This is the number-one mistake and I made it first.

    2. You keep punching through the snow (postholing) Fix: Either your snowshoes are too small for the conditions, or you're on soft, unconsolidated snow that's going to eat anybody. Ask the rental counter what the snow's doing that day, not just what size shoe fits your boot. Float depends on conditions, not just your weight.

    3. Your foot just went into hidden water Fix: Get out, wring the sock if you can, and if you're more than a mile from the car, keep moving to stay warm rather than stopping to fuss with it. Prevention is the real fix here: creek beds and drainages often run under the snow even when the surface looks solid and flat. If a low spot looks too smooth, go around it.

    4. Your poles keep sinking to the handle Fix: Check your baskets. Small baskets made for hiking poles just knife straight through soft snow. You want the wide winter baskets. Or honestly, ditch the poles for easy groomed trail. I hike without them half the time.

    5. You're falling every time you turn around Fix: Snowshoes are wider than your normal stride. Turning is where beginners eat it. Take small steps, lift your foot fully clear before you pivot, don't try to spin like you're barefoot. Slow down for turns specifically, speed up on the straightaway.

    6. The trail markers disappeared and you're not sure where you are Fix: Stop. Don't wander looking for the marker, backtrack your own tracks to the last point you recognized. This is exactly why I always note a mental turnaround point before I trust "I know this trail." I got rattled by this once in a flurry on a loop I thought I had memorized. Nothing dangerous happened, but it taught me not to get cocky about familiar ground.

    7. Your legs are trashed and you're only a mile in Fix: Normal for your first couple trips. Snowshoeing uses muscles walking doesn't, especially your inner thighs from the wider stance. Shorten the loop, take it slower, it gets easier fast as your body adjusts. Bless, that first mile is rough for almost everybody.

    8. You checked the weather this morning and now it's turned to slush Fix: This is a foothills thing. Warm afternoon sun turns morning powder into mashed potatoes, and mashed potatoes are exhausting to walk through. I got caught out this way once after seeing a warm front and going anyway. Lesson: timing beats distance. Start early, be done by late morning, and check the forecast more than once. I check three times a day, no joke.

    9. Your pack weighs a ton and you never touched half of it Fix: Yeah, that's me too, every single trip. I way overpack food and water. Not a dangerous problem, just an annoying one. Try laying out what you think you need, then put a third of it back before you leave the house.

    10. Your reluctant friend or kid is miserable and wants to turn around Fix: Let them. Shorten the goal on the spot, find a close overlook, call it good. Some of my best trips were the short slow ones where nobody was chasing mileage. The win is that they came at all.

    ---

    None of this is complicated. It's mostly about paying attention, dressing a little wrong on purpose, and not trusting the snow to be the same all day. See you on the next ridge.

  • podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 1

    Audio coming soon — show notes below.

    JESS: —okay wait, say that part again, because I don't think I've ever heard someone describe donuts as a "small win" before.

    JUSTIN: They're a huge win. Gas station donuts at an overlook, three miles in, cold enough your fingers hurt. Best food you'll ever eat. I stand by it.

    JESS: This is Justin Smith, everybody, and we're doing the podcast for his new class, Snowshoeing the Wasatch Foothills, and I already know this is going to be a fun one because he showed up with stories.

    JUSTIN: I got stories.

    JESS: For people just tuning in, tell them who you are real quick.

    JUSTIN: Sure. So I'm not a ski guy. Never took to it, too much gear, too much money, and the lift lines make me twitchy, I don't know what it is. But I still need to be outside in the winter or I go a little nuts. Couple years back my wife basically told me to figure something out before I wore a hole in the carpet.

    JESS: Direct.

    JUSTIN: Very direct. So I borrowed snowshoes off my buddy Darren, drove up toward the foothills on a Saturday, and just went. Fell twice. Overheated in like ten minutes because I was wearing way too much. Came home soaked and grinning like an idiot. That was it, I was hooked.

    JESS: Okay, so tell the donut story. That's the one I want.

    JUSTIN: Right, so I talked my brother Bryant into coming with me one time. And bless him, he hated the first mile. Complained the whole way, kept asking how much further, classic Bryant. But then we get to this little overlook, and I've got gas station donuts in my pack because I always overpack food, that's just a fact about me.

    JESS: We'll get to that.

    JUSTIN: We're standing there eating donuts looking out over the valley, and Bryant just goes, quiet, "okay, this is better than sitting inside." And that was it. Sold. I still bring that up to him.

    JESS: I love that the whole pitch was one donut and a view.

    JUSTIN: That's honestly most of the pitch. It doesn't take much.

    JESS: Okay, give the people something they can use today, before they even sign up for the class.

    JUSTIN: Here's the thing everybody gets wrong. You start cold. On purpose. If you're comfortable standing in the parking lot before you start walking, you have got too many layers on. You will be drenched in twenty minutes and then you're cold and wet, which is way worse than just cold.

    JESS: So be a little uncomfortable at the trailhead.

    JUSTIN: A little uncomfortable at the trailhead, yes. That's the number one beginner mistake, I see it every single time. Undress on purpose. You warm into it fast, snowshoeing works you way harder than people expect.

    JESS: I feel like that's true of a lot of things in life honestly.

    JUSTIN: Don't get philosophical on me, Jess, this is a snowshoe podcast.

    JESS: Fair, fair. Okay, what about gear, do people need to go buy a bunch of stuff before session one?

    JUSTIN: No. That's honestly my whole soapbox about this sport. Rent the shoes, that's it, wear what you already own for the rest. I get a little annoyed how the outdoors gets sold to people as this expensive gear hobby. Snowshoeing's the cheap door in. I did the math against what a day of skiing costs me once, out loud, to my wife, like I'd won a prize.

    JESS: How'd that go over?

    JUSTIN: She was not as impressed as I was. I was very impressed with myself though.

    JESS: Okay, last thing, what's session two, give people a reason to come back.

    JUSTIN: Session two we're actually getting out on the trail, low-key one of my favorite parts of the whole class. We're gonna talk timing, because in the foothills a short loop early in the morning beats an ambitious afternoon plan every single time, especially with our weird warm-up, refreeze swings we get here. I'll tell you about the time I ignored my own advice and turned a trail into mashed potatoes.

    JESS: Mashed potatoes doesn't sound like a compliment.

    JUSTIN: It is not. You'll hear about it next time.

    JESS: Perfect. Alright, that's episode one, thanks Justin.

    JUSTIN: Thanks Jess. Check the weather before you leave the house, by the way. Always.

  • podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 2

    Audio coming soon — show notes below.

    JESS: —wait, say that part again, because I don't think people believed you the first time.

    JUSTIN: Which part.

    JESS: The whiteout part. On a groomed loop.

    JUSTIN: Oh yeah. So this is a trail I'd done probably ten times. Foothill loop, groomed, markers every so often, real casual trail. I'm out there thinking I know this like the back of my hand.

    JESS: Famous last words.

    JUSTIN: Basically. And it starts flurrying, not even bad at first, and then it just picks up, and all of a sudden I can't see the next marker. Not like, disaster conditions. But enough that everything looked the same. White snow, white sky, and I'm standing there going, huh, which way did I come from.

    JESS: Were you scared?

    JUSTIN: Rattled more than scared. It was a groomed loop, not the backcountry, I wasn't going to die out there. But it was this moment of, oh, I actually don't know where I am right now. That's a weird feeling even on a trail you've done ten times.

    JESS: So what'd you do.

    JUSTIN: Stood still for a second, honestly. Stopped moving, thought about which direction the wind had been hitting me on the way in, and just worked backward slow. Found a marker within a few minutes. It was fine. But it stuck with me.

    JESS: And now you do the thing you tell everyone in class.

    JUSTIN: Yep. I always note my turnaround point now. Like actually look at it, a bend, a big tree, whatever, and register it. And I don't trust "I know this trail" anymore. That phrase is basically a trap you set for yourself.

    JESS: That's a good one for people who aren't even taking the class, honestly. Like a real tip they can use this weekend.

    JUSTIN: Totally. You don't need snowshoes for this one. Anytime you're out walking somewhere, even a normal summer trail, just glance back every so often and actually clock a landmark. Not "I'll remember," actually pick one. Weather changes fast up here, and it's a lot easier to do this before you need it than while you're squinting into snow going, was it this ridge or the next one.

    JESS: I feel like that's a metaphor for something but I'm not going to make it one.

    JUSTIN: Please don't.

    JESS: Okay, no. So related question, since we're on the topic of things going sideways. Navigation. Real talk, is that a strength of yours or is that a gap.

    JUSTIN: Gap. Straight up. I'm not a map and compass guy. Never have been. I lean on knowing the trail and my phone, and that whiteout day is kind of the reminder of why that's a real limitation and not just me being modest. If my phone died and I didn't know the trail, I'd be in trouble. So in class we're sticking to trails where that's a manageable risk. If people want the real backcountry navigation skills, that's a different class, a real one, not me winging it.

    JESS: I appreciate you just saying that instead of pretending you're an expert in everything.

    JUSTIN: Nobody needs that guy. There's enough of that guy already.

    JESS: Fair. Okay, so next session, what are we doing.

    JUSTIN: Next time we're actually getting into layering and pacing, which, low key, might be the most useful hour of the whole class. Because here's the thing, most people's first bad experience out there isn't a whiteout, it's just being miserable. Too hot, too cold, wet socks, done in twenty minutes. We're gonna do the thing where I make everyone take a layer off in the parking lot and then tell me in ten minutes if I was right.

    JESS: You do this every time.

    JUSTIN: Because it works every time. If you're comfy standing still, you're overdressed. I learned that one the hard way, first real solo trip I ever did, layered up like I was summiting something, sweating through everything by the first bend.

    JESS: We've all heard about the Everest layering.

    JUSTIN: It's a classic for a reason. Anyway, bring your own jacket next time even if it's the wrong jacket. Especially if it's the wrong jacket, honestly, that's more useful for the lesson.

    JESS: Great pitch. "Bring the wrong gear, we'll fix it live."

    JUSTIN: That's basically the whole class.

    JESS: Alright. See everybody next week, and, watch your turnaround points out there.

    JUSTIN: There it is.

  • podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 3

    Audio coming soon — show notes below.

    JESS: —so wait, you're telling me the entire group just stood there while you took your jacket off?

    JUSTIN: Yep. I do this every session now. I make somebody who's bundled up like they're summiting something take the jacket off at the trailhead and just, wait. Ten minutes. I tell them, you're gonna be mad at me for about six of those minutes and then you're gonna get it.

    JESS: And do they get it?

    JUSTIN: Every single time. That's the thing about being overdressed, it doesn't feel wrong til you're already sweating. By then you're stuck hiking in a wet base layer for three miles. Bless, everybody does this their first time. I did it my first time, worse than anybody.

    JESS: This is episode three, for anyone just joining us, we're doing the class podcast for Snowshoeing the Wasatch Foothills through Utah Community Learning. Justin, tell them the story, since you brought it up.

    JUSTIN: The Everest story?

    JESS: The Everest story.

    JUSTIN: Okay so this is a couple winters back, my actual first real solo trip. Before this I'd borrowed shoes off my buddy Darren, gone up once, had a decent time. So trip two I'm thinking, I know what I'm doing now. I put on basically everything I own. Base layer, fleece, big puffy jacket, the works. Get out of the truck at the trailhead and I'm already a little warm, but I think, well, it's cold out, that's just how it is.

    JESS: Uh huh.

    JUSTIN: First bend in the trail, maybe four minutes in, I'm sweating through my shirt. By the first hill I've got the jacket off, tied around my waist like an idiot, still cooking. I get back to the truck soaked, like, wrung-out soaked, and I'm sitting there going, that was miserable, why did I do that to myself.

    JESS: And that's where the rule came from.

    JUSTIN: That's where the rule came from. If you're comfortable standing in the parking lot, you are overdressed. Period. You want to start a little cold. Like, notice-it cold. You warm into it fast, way faster than people think, because you're working harder than a regular walk. Give it ten minutes and your body catches up.

    JESS: Okay, so that's the tip today, right? Someone listening who's never coming to a session, never renting shoes, what do they actually do with this.

    JUSTIN: Here's the thing, you don't even need snowshoes for this one. Next time you're headed out into the cold for anything, walking the dog, whatever, dress for a temperature that's like ten degrees warmer than what you'd normally grab for. Feel a little chilly stepping outside. If you're moving at all, you'll even out. It's the single biggest thing I see beginners get wrong and it costs nothing to fix. Doesn't cost you a rental fee, doesn't cost you gear. Just costs you being a little uncomfortable for five minutes, which, honestly, is cheaper than a wet base layer for three miles.

    JESS: You say "honestly" right before you're about to tell people what you actually think.

    JUSTIN: Do I?

    JESS: You do it constantly.

    JUSTIN: Huh. Okay, honestly, I stand by it.

    JESS: [laughs] Okay, before we wrap, what's next session look like?

    JUSTIN: So next time we're getting into float. Like why the same pair of snowshoes can feel totally different depending on the snow that day. I rented a pair once that were sized wrong for the conditions, not wrong for me, wrong for the snow, and I spent a whole afternoon post-holing straight through crust into deep stuff. Just sinking every other step. Miserable. Turns out float's got way more to do with the snow than with your body weight, which nobody tells you when you walk up to a rental counter.

    JESS: So people should actually ask questions at the rental counter.

    JUSTIN: Ask questions at the rental counter! I didn't used to, now I always do. We'll run an actual experiment next session, different snow conditions on the same loop, see it for yourselves. Should be a good one.

    JESS: Love it. Alright, that's episode three. Justin, same time next week?

    JUSTIN: Same time. Dress a little cold. 😎

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