Maximize Your Winter Adventures: How to Choose Snow and Ice Traction Devices for Your Hiking and Running in Colorado

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There’s something about the tranquility of wintertime in Colorado. As the landscape rests for the season, it can bestow peace and restoration for those prepared to get outside and enjoy it, yet the uneasy feeling of slipping on slick trails detracts from the serene experience. When venturing on snowy and icy trails, regular running and hiking footwear won’t provide adequate stability and traction. To maximize your enjoyment of winter adventures, it’s a great idea to invest in some snow and ice traction products that can attach to your preferred footwear.

Snow and ice can cover shady sections of trails, even along the Front Range, for more than six months of the year, so snow and ice traction devices can dramatically extend the hiking and running season with confidence underfoot.

With countless options for winter traction devices, it can be challenging to find the best products to suit your needs. Palmer’s communication manager, Wesley Trimble, has traversed more than 10,000 miles of trails, and for more than a decade, he has tested various traction devices in snow and ice conditions. He generously offered to share the valuable insights he gained through his experiences with us. 

Note: Hiking and running in snowy and icy conditions inherently include additional hazards and risks. Review our winter hiking essentials and our article on responsible recreation in the winter for additional information to help you prepare and stay safe on your next winter adventure. This article will focus on hiking and running in moderate terrain in Colorado’s foothills. Adventuring into steep terrain or high elevations requires more technical gear and training beyond the scope of this article. Before heading up into the mountains, you’ll want to have a firm understanding of avalanche safety

Types of Traction for Winter Trails

Many gear companies manufacture winter traction products for various activities and conditions. Let’s look at the main types of winter traction for hiking and running. Each type has advantages and disadvantages for different activities, terrain, and snow and ice conditions.

Spikes

Some of the most versatile traction devices contain small steel spikes attached to chains secured to shoes or boots with an elastic rubber strap. The number and size of spikes vary from product to product, but in general, longer spikes provide more secure footing in steeper terrain.

Pros:

  • Versatile for many conditions in easy to moderate terrain
  • Durable
  • Best traction for hard ice

Cons:

  • The upper rubber strap can constrict toes and contribute to friction hotspots
  • A secure fit varies based on the footwear size and materials. The rubber straps may shift on footwear, especially in steeper terrain
  • Snow can ball up between chains and footwear
  • Heavier than other traction systems

Ideal Conditions and Terrain:

Most spikes provide good stability on packed snow and ice on steeper trails (~15% grade). Spikes are great for partially packed down trails or sections with hard ice. Ideal for hiking up to Jones Park Open Space or Section 16 Open Space.

Wesley’s Pick:

After many years of trying out various traction devices that either pinched his pinky toes or rubber straps that wouldn’t stay in place around the forefoot, Wesley discovered Black Diamond’s Distance Spike Traction Device which has a neoprene toe cover that stays in place and more evenly distributes the pressure across the toebox. They are more packable and lighter weight than most other similar traction devices, but they are also more expensive.  The spikes are a little shorter than other brands, but they seem to grip just as well.

Coils

Source: Yaktrax Pro Traction Device

These metal spring-like coils surround an elastic rubber harness and provide moderate stability on flat terrain. Primarily designed for walking on slick streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, they can also be used for casual hikes or runs on flat, snow-packed trails.  

Pros:

  • Lightweight 
  • Easy to get on

Cons:

  • Less durable than the other styles
  • The thinner rubber harnesses aren't as secure as the thicker bans found on spike traction

Ideal Conditions and Terrain:

It’s best to stick to hardpacked snow on flat trails and sidewalks. These would be good for walking the Tudor Trail and Greenway Open Space or the paved trails at Bear Creek Regional Park

Explore & Discover

All of the parks and open spaces listed in this article are permanently protected by Palmer Land Conservancy. Learn more about our work, conservation news and events by signing up for our newsletter and get a free download of our Field Guide to 20 of our protected parks and open spaces. 

Studs 

Similar to the concept of studded snow tires, these traction devices provide adequate traction for walking and running on slick roads and moderate snow-packed or icy trails. Many products consist of carbide or hardened metal studs embedded in an elastic foot harness, but some products can be attached directly to the outsole of footwear.

Pros:

  • Carbide studs are more durable than steel spikes
  • Lightweight
  • More comfortable underfoot, especially in thinner running shoes, compared to spikes

Cons:

  • Provides no grip if there’s even a little fresh snow on top of ice or hardpacked snow
  • Rubber harness often degrades faster than the studs

Ideal Conditions and Terrain:

Best suited for hard-packed snow or icy paths less than 10% grade. Good for hiking or running snow-packed trails at Santa Fe Open Space or Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Wesley’s Pick:

Long-time veterans of the Manitou Incline often drilled 3/8” sheet metal screws into the soles of their running shoes as traction. Beyond requiring thicker soles and strategic placement to prevent the screw tips from puncturing the foot, the heads of the screws would begin to round off and become less effective at gripping ice and hardpacked snow. 

A few years ago, Wesley discovered the European shoe brand La Sportiva marketing screw-in tempered studs designed for automotive use. After several seasons of testing automotive tire studs, Wesley relies on this traction method for most of his winter trail running on hard snowpack. He’ll stick in spikes as added traction if there’s likely to be steep or hard ice in a few sections. Here are a few tips if you want to try them out:

  • Use an older pair of shoes. The studs can be removed, but they will damage the outsole. 
  • Choose shoes that have at least 25mm of cushion.
  • Installation requires a good amount of force and practice to get them inserted right where you want them. 
  • Insert at least 12 studs in each shoe spread across the whole shoe so the studs stick out longer than the shoe lugs.
  • Pro tip: Angle the studs on the back half slightly forward and the studs on the forefoot slightly back to improve grip.
  • Put on your studded shoes at the trailhead since they can damage flooring.       

Flotation 

Photo: Chaewul Kim

Most popular Front Range trails will be packed down within a few days of a snowstorm, but if you want to get off the beaten path when there’s sufficient snow, snowshoes or cross-country skis can provide a new mode of exploration. Skis require specific techniques and are outside of the scope of this article, but the technique for snowshoeing can be picked up pretty easily. Consider flotation when snow depth is above your mid-calf.

Just like the other types of traction, snowshoes come in many sizes and styles. Sizing of snow shoes is based on the user’s weight to provide adequate flotation. It’s a great idea to talk to experts at a local gear shop to guide you through the selection process to find a product suited to you and your plans.  

Pros:

  • Best option for deeper powdery snow

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Bulking 
  • Requires specific technique

Ideal Conditions and Terrain:

Consider snowshoeing at Catamount Ranch Open Space after a recent snowstorm. 

Added Stability with Trekking Poles

In addition to traction devices for your footwear. Sturdy trekking poles with larger snow baskets can provide even more stability by increasing the number of contact points between you and slick trails. 

Disclaimer: Palmer Land Conservancy assumes no responsibility for injuries to persons or damage to property caused by any actions taken based on the information provided herein. Links to external websites are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement. Palmer Land Conservancy is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or content of third-party websites. Use of the information herein is at your own risk, and Palmer Land Conservancy will not be liable for any damages arising from its use.

As Colorado grows in population and popularity, so too do the demands on our cherished land and water resources. Palmer Land Conservancy is a leader in developing innovative conservation solutions to empower community-driven conservation to ensure the Colorado you love is here forever. As a member-supported nonprofit, we believe the Colorado Good Life—a lifestyle connected to Colorado’s land and water—is made possible by people like you for the benefit of us all. 

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