snowshoeing question

[malaholic]

I do a ton of snowshoeing with my snow dogs, and the MSR Denali Ascent or Denali Evo Ascent are the answer:

http://www.msrcorp.com/snow/ascent.asp or http://www.msrcorp.com/snow/denali_evo_ascent.asp.

They are a bit non-standard, but I love these things for several reasons:

• The "Televator" heel bail - Best. Invention. Ever. All my snowshoeing is in the mountains, and this is a lifesaver for going up steep slopes, as it effectively reduces the angle of the slope. If you plan to snowshoe uphill at all, this feature alone is reason to buy one of the Ascent line.
• The rubber pull-bindings are *so* much easier to operate than most lacing systems and you can get them on & off even wearing heavy mittens.
• The plastic frame sheds snow better than the leather of the more traditional styles, so your feet are lighter not carrying as much snow with them. They are also a little bit lighter themselves than many other snowshoes.
• In addition to the toe crampon, they also have side rails which give you extra bite on icy snow, and make traversing a slope a lot easier.
• They accept optional "tail" attachments. I rarely use them, but if you felt like you needed more flotation you could pick up a pair of tails for more surface area without additional width.