Stuff I Love, Also Known as Reviews

YakTrax have pretty much replaced my snowshoes for winter running in Summit County, Colorado.

As spring nears and Summit County, Colorado gets hit with 50-degree days, those 300+ inches of snow we’ve seen so far this season begin to melt. With the piles of snow that line the sidewalks and, in places, tower above our heads, that melt has nowhere to go. So at night, it refreezes and creates a bit of a skating rink outside our front door.

Between twice-daily dog walks and late evening runs, I find myself skating along the sidewalks pretty often. Thanks to my Yaktrax, I skate no more.

Since we knew we’d be using them for hiking and running as well as daily walking, we went with the Yaktrax Pro. They’re one step above the Yaktrax Walker, which is perfect for the to-and-from work routine. The Pro is billed as a work/run model and I’ve pretty much replaced my snowshoes with the Yaktrax Pro.

On fall and spring hikes, when it's common to encounter snow and ice up high, Yaktrax often come in handy. And, they're much lighter and easier to pack than snowshoes.

Many of the easily accessed town trails here in Summit County, Colorado get packed down with the foot traffic of abundant outdoor enthusiasts. And when I don’t have the worry of postholing, I don’t bother with my snowshoes. I just pull on the Yaktrax and run or walk my way along the trail.

The other nice thing about YakTrax is that they pack very easily. I always bring them on early and late-season summer hikes and they’ve made my life easier on many of those occasions, including an overnight on Ute Pass.

The most recent model (I think) – the XTR (extreme traction) – I discovered on the Yaktrax website. I’ve only seen photos but it’s built with plates to prevent snowpack. Heavier-duty design, along with spikes, seems to be what makes it beefier than the original.

The lack of spikes is one of the many reasons I love the regular Yaktrax – it’s not the end of the world if I hit a little rock and mud, or even dry pavement, which we’ll be experiencing when spring really rolls in.

Ever run a marathon? Those silvery sheets they cover you with to keep you warm post-run is the same technology Columbia incorporates into their Omni-Heat products. Trust us. Those little silver dots keep you darned warm.

So we’ve heard a lot about Omni-Heat lately. At least I have. And it looks like their marketing is working, because the technology even made the Today Show. The nice part is that the jacket I have lives up to the talk.

After a pretty warm (mid-upper 30s) December, Summit County and much of Colorado got hit with some mighty cold weather. Highs didn’t even make it into the double digits and combined with the wind atop the chairlifts, it was pretty brutal. I get antsy if I stay indoors too long, so I’m a fan of combating cold with good gear. My new jacket came just in time.

What’s to love about the Black Diamond Dash Parka? The liner and shell integrate seamlessly with no bulky or complex zip-in system and they can work as two separate jackets. So on those not-so-cold days, I wear only the shell and I’m perfectly comfortable. And on those brutally cold and windy days, this coat keeps me toasty.

That little zipper at the neck lets me fit a scarf inside my jacket. That's a smile underneath!

Beyond that, I like the details. There’s a zipper at the neck that you can open for a little extra room, which means a scarf fits nicely underneath.

The snow skirt snaps away so it’s not flapping around when not in use. And the pit zips on both the liner and the shell keep me comfortable as the day warms up.

That last one is essential for me. As someone who gets warm quickly, it’s easy to get too hot, sweat and then catch a chill that I can’t shake until I get a hot shower. So far, I’ve worn this jacket to ski at my limits, hit the groomers and stand around watching events outside. And it’s served me well. Nice job, Columbia.