Outfitter: Trial Run, Atlas Mountain Tracker

Essentially a snowshoe’s cleat without the flotation decking, the Mountain Tracker provides traction somewhere between that of a crampon and a snowshoe, without the ungainliness of the latter. Although it’s not meant for deep powder, the Tracker was ideal for hoofing it in my ski boots to the steep terrain above A-Basin’s East Wall; it made my boot-kick hike up the hard-packed trail a heck of a lot easier. For winter training, the Trackers, tethered to my running shoes, performed like studded snow tires on snow-packed trails.

$69/Atlas Snowshoe Company/
800-645-7463/www.atlassnowshoe.com