Glissading? If yes, glissading is one of those things I really don't have much intention of doing. Read too many instances of where that goes really wrong, really quick, and after hiking over a section of trail where there was 100% the dead body of a guy who died glissading under snow melt earlier this year, nope nope nope. Yep! As long as you have some semblance of balance, that makes a ton of sense! Figured you might be one of a handful of people here with experience in this kind of weather and terrain. Ice axes are super badass, and make an amazing crutch if you're getting tired while crossing a snowfield! You're about the first person I've seen recommend trail crampons over the microspikes, why do you prefer them?I have, so far, not killed myself snowshoeing. Gothics was probably my closest when I fell in some deep snow on the summit. I also slid into a tree on Big Slide (I was sliding intentionally but got out of control).
The third time, I went down it backwards and did not fall.
I suspect Adirondack glissading barely qualifies. I've seen videos like this one from Mt. Adams, and it's nothing like what I'm doing. I'm sliding maybe 20 feet, 100 feet tops. I feel it's safer as I can't fall; I'm deliberately on the ground to start with. I do give some thought to what's at the bottom. Usually the slide stops because the trail levels out, stopping with no effort. I did have a scare on one of those. I would put a foot down right at the end and use my momentum to stand back up, and I had a weird twinge in my knee. I'm more careful now. I mostly use my poles as crutches to rest on. Not everyone uses them, but I like them both summer and winter. My axe is on the shorter end to make it easier to fit in my luggage, and for my use the short size works well. It might be too short for more serious mountaineering. The Hillsound trail crampons have a plate on both the front and the heel. The Kahtoola microspikes are primarily tied by chain links. I think the solid piece feels more stable. The major drawback with both is the lack of toe and heel spikes. They're great on sort of hilly terrain, but when it gets steep they struggle. Lots of people use them exclusively and don't carry full crampons, but I feel it's a safety risk for me. Without heel and toe spikes, natural stepping causes loss of traction. One has to step with their foot flat to the terrain. I think it risks injury but again, many do it. "Hike your own hike," as they say. I'm not judging them, and I hope they aren't judging me for possibly seeming over equipped. One thing I haven't mentioned: avalanches are rare in the Adirondacks. I have no experience safely traversing places with an avalanche risk. It's one of the points that drew me to New York rather than the Rockies or Cascades.