know of any trails with wider tracks?

[forestgnome]

Please, don't anyone get mad; I am not interested in the tired, old debate about the narrow tracks made by MSRs vs Tubbs-style snowshoes. I've accepted reality MSRs are here to stay, and that's fine, but I won't use them because I like to descend off-trail. I might even try them off-trail once just to see what happens.

But has anyone been on trails this past weekend that have a wider track and would be suitable for the Tubbs-style shoes?

happy trails

 

[bikehikeskifish]

The skate-groomed 40K track at Gunstock XC was wide enough for those snowshoes.



Tim

 

[DougPaul]

Last time I was on Lincoln Woods Tr (several years ago) it was groomed for skiing (trad tracks on both sides and a flat area for skating and snowshoeing in the center). If they still groom it, it should be fine for even the widest snowshoes.

Tuckerman Ravine Tr is generally pretty wide. Snowmobile trails tend to be wide too.

Another approach is to be the first to break out a trail--you can make it any width you want...

Doug

 

[peakbagger]

I wore my tubbs this weekend on Stony Brook up Moriah for a ROT event. I was there early and broke out the lower 2/3rd of Stony Brook from a single snowshoe track to one that would fit my tubbs. It worked most of the time but on occasion the old trench in place would make it tight for tubbs.

Not many animal tracks along the way in general. Depressingly, snow machine tracks work real well for wide shoes.

 

[loanshark]

wide tracks

Hi Patrick, 8 of us tramped up and down Carrigain yesterday. We left a well packed out wide trail.

 

[vegematic]

Yesterday I climbed Mt. Caribou from the east (Bog Rd in Gilead, ME) and it was well packed out before us by a group pulling sleds. The track should easily accommodate Tubbs.
-vegematic

 

[Bob]

most of the snowmobile trails are wide enough.

 

[una_dogger]

Ran across two guys at Galehead Hut saturday that came up Gale River Trail in big snowshoes saturday and two other guys this sunday that came up Wildcat Ridge from Carter Notch with big snowshoes. Also, the Firewardens Trail to Hale had a very wide track at its base where it turns off from the N Twin Tr
Happy hiking and welcome home!

 

[FARMER]

The ski trails at Waterville and Wildcat shouldn't trip you up too bad.. AND they are on WMNF land so hike away brother! FWIW I've descended in my MSR's before in fresh snow and made it out OK!

 

[forestgnome]

thanks!

Awesome! Thanks everyone...some great options here; just what I had hoped for. Fire Warden's Trail and Carrigain sound very interesting...thanks, Una and Loanshark

I'll be travelling east behind the big storm.

happy trails

 

[Woody]

I hiked the Hancocks last Tuesday wearing my Tubbs Snowshoes for most of the hike except for the climb up North Hancock. It was easier to climb with crampons.

I know what you mean about a narrow trail. I often feel like the outside of my snowshoes is breaking trail!

 

[Paradox]

The trail up Cabot from the Fish hatchery is broken out to MSR width, But the first 1.5 miles are on a logging road that is quite wide with lots of marshy areas on either side. We saw a very large moose standing in a low area on the south side of York Pond Road about a mile from Rt 110 this past weekend.

 

[FARMER]

I know they aren't ideal, but if you wore MSR's and carried the 8 inch tails in your pack and put them on when you wanted to go off trail. I'm sure someone must have mentioned this before me.