[pct-l] Screws in shoes for traction on ice/snow

[Thomas Ricks]

I used screws in my shoes this morning on my run up Pikes Peak.  Here is an interesting link with information on how it works:

 

http://www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

 

Thomas


 

Last Year a fellow hiker "Double Barrel" took 1/4 inch long sheet Metal screws and threaded them into his trail runners so that the hex heads provided a "bite". He used them on the iced over remains of snow found on Fuller Ridge and swore they worked great. Has anyone else tried this? I know there were times in the Sierra (Purple Lake area) where early morning travel was pretty slick and I could have used extra traction but Crampons would have been ridiculous overkill.
I know about Micro Spikes and all that. I guess you would not want to thread screws into a Gel soled shoes either!
I know he carried a small nut driver used to screw and unscrew them as needed so I am not sure just how convienient or much lighter this would be compared to a set of Kahtoolas. 
I am not recommending this to cross dangerous icy slopes, indeed I have never even tried it myself.
Just wondering if this is common or if anyone has had experiences good or bad with this trick.
I would try this myself but I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains.. We get like 1 millionth of an inch of snow a year and perhaps a bit of ice on trail once a century. :)
-Iceaxe
Sent from my Training Hike with my Peek

 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/