First Tracks — Just a Little Too Late

First hike with the MSR EVO Trail snowshoes

My First Time Using the MSR EVO Trail Snowshoes

I finally ordered snowshoes.

Then they were delayed a few days.

And in those few days, winter started slipping away.

The good snow had already come and gone. The kind that falls quiet and clean and transforms everything. What was left by the time the box showed up was late-season Indiana snow — thinning in the sun, hanging on in the shade, heavy in spots and crusted in others.

I should have ordered them two weeks sooner.

But I strapped them on anyway.

Stepping Into What Was Left

There was still enough snow in the woods behind the house to make it worthwhile. The shaded trails on the property held onto 4–6 inches. Not perfect. Not fresh.

Just enough.

The MSR EVO Trail snowshoes felt solid right away. Simple straps. Rugged deck. Steel traction rails that bit into crust and held on uneven ground. No complicated adjustments. No delicate parts.

When I stepped off the packed path and into softer snow, I didn’t sink nearly as much as I would have in boots alone. In heavier patches, they worked. In crusty areas, they held.

It wasn’t dramatic.

It was steady.

And steady feels right these days.

To Tail or Not to Tail

The EVO Trails have optional flotation tails you can add for extra surface area.

At my current weight, I could probably justify them — especially in deeper snow. A little more float. A little less sink.

But I didn’t order the tails.

Partly because winter was already fading.

But partly because I’m working on something else.

I’m in the middle of a weight loss journey. Nothing extreme. Nothing flashy. Just consistency.

Part of that plan is simple: walk the dog on the trails here on the property.

Not when I feel like it.
Not only when the weather is perfect.
But consistently.

The trails are already here. They wind through the woods, across the quiet parts of the land. No commute. No membership. No excuses.

These snowshoes aren’t just winter gear.

They’re part of that rhythm.

Right now, I sink a little more than I’d like in softer snow. Each step takes effort. My legs feel the work.

But next winter?

If I stay consistent walking those trails — miles stacking quietly with the dog — these same snowshoes will feel better without changing a thing.

No added tails.

Just a lighter engine wearing them.

Why I Like Them

Overall, I really like these snowshoes.

Not because they’re flashy.

Not because they turned a mediocre snow day into something epic.

But because they remove an excuse.

I love being outdoors — hiking, fishing, camping, moving through woods and water in every season. The older I get, the more I realize I don’t want to sit inside waiting for “better conditions.”

Sometimes the conditions are wet.
Sometimes they’re cold.
Sometimes they’re less than ideal.

Having the right gear doesn’t make everything easy.

But it makes it possible.

And that’s enough.

Winter was on its way out.

The snowshoes were a few days late.

But the habit is just getting started.

And that’s what matters most.