ATLAS SNOWSHOE BINDING REPAIR

 Beau has been talking about picking up a pair of snowshoes for doing some winter trekking in Colorado.

So with that in mind, I dug up the pair of atlas snowshoes we got him over ten years ago only to find the plastic bindings had rotted away.

Atlas has a pretty good racket going if you look at the price of repairs on their web site.

Rivet/Buckle Replacement- $12 to $20+ price varies depending on what needs to be done.
Binding and Crampons Replaced at the same time- $65 pair (most common repair)
Bindings Replaced- $50 per pair (only installed in pairs & only available in some cases)
Crampons Replaced- $20 each
Toe Cord Replacement- $40 each (see disclaimer* below)
Arch Strap on Electra Bindings- $18 each
Heel Straps (rubber)- $15 for one, $25 per pair


 I ended up swiping the bindings from this old pair of Snowtread snowshoes.
in the 1960's plastic snowshoes were the next innovation in the mountain snowshoe world.
 These “Snowtreads” in Green Mountain modified bearpaw designs were

also the first commercial snowshoes with integrated frame and decking, thus reducing labor costs during manufacture.

Snyder chose polypropylene for these snowshoes because of his background, and because of its lightweight, maintenance-free, and rodent-proof nature. The “greasy”polypropylene frame and decking also prevented snow from sticking. A nylon webbing binding attached to a polypropylene hinge that

was integrated into the frame. These inexpensive snowshoes were marketed

by Sportsmen Products of Boulder, Colorado.

 

 I split the old rotten binding plate
of the atlas.

Slid the nylon bindings from the snowtreds in and wired them down with some copper wire.


A couple of old ski poles and I'm good to go.



Snowshoes not only open up a vast world of wintery wonders, they are a great way to get a solid workout in the process.
Big Jim had a couple pair of wood framed snowshoes around as I was growing up.  But my first memory of shoeing was with my neighbor Cary.  We took some old badminton rackets and tied them to our feet and hiked the snowdrifts along the railroad tracks.  Outdoor activities are the key to making the most out of the winter wonderland. An ancient way of crossing wintry landscapes, snowshoeing is steadily gaining popularity as an adventure activity today. Snowshoes give you float in deep snow and make the vast wilderness areas reachable even in wintertime. The extraordinary mystique of a quiet winter forest is best explored on snowshoes.  It all sounds nice but, I myself prefer cross country skis.
If I was in Colorado it might be a different story.