[pct-l] Post

[Nathan Miller]

>I have to wonder how much strong ankles and good balance help with hiking on snow.  Last year hiking on snow was a nightmare for me because my ankle was injured, which screwed up my balance.  This year I flew across the snow thanks to my ankle being nearly 100% and having better balance than last year before the injury.  So my recommendation is to do supplemental exercises specifically to strengthen your ankles and improve balance.

Strong knees are important, too!  I kept "trying" to hyper-extend mine the whole time I was on the snow.  Sometimes I'd be just standing there and my heel would suddenly shift backward, resulting in an unexpected and abrupt knee extension.  Other times I'd post-hole and nearly hyper-extend a knee.  Hiking with my knees slightly flexed at all times helped a lot.

-Nate the Trail Zombie
Newberg, OR