Brooks-Range Sharktooth Pro Shovel

Bill Brown November 3, 2008

Picture this-you’ve hit a gorgeous climbing spot, only to find that there’s two feet of snow (in May!) covering your starting point. You can either take an hour to dig out your starting point with a gardening spade that your buddy inexplicably has in his backpack, freezing your hands in the process, or you can bring along a snow shovel and put your friends in your debt by digging out the starting area in five minutes.

While we’re at it, imagine this scenario-you’ve just spent an hour hiking in the backcountry with your snowboard, searching for the perfect spot. Once you find and plot the perfect jump, you bust out your lightweight shovel and start digging your masterpiece…and then your shovel snaps in two, leaving you and your angry buddies to attempt to dig a monster kicker with your  snowboards. I’ve been unfortunate enough to experience both of these situations. Never again!

I’ve gone through several shovels since moving to the mountains and tromping through the snow every winter (and fall, and spring), and I’ve found that shovels usually have one of two key problems-they’re either light, but way too flimsy to last long or they’re sturdy, but too heavy and bulky to carry around in a pack.

The folks at Brooks-Range have come up with a solution to those problems and have thrown in a few perks of their own. The Brooks-Range Sharktooth Pro retails at $50.00 and is available at www.brooksrange.com.  Weighing in at 3.1 pounds, you can’t even tell that it’s hitching a ride in your pack, but when it’s time to get to work, the tempered aluminum scoop eats up snow like its aquatic namesake. The serrated edge cuts through dense snow and ice like a knife through butter, the shaft telescopes to 44”, giving you way better leverage than most shovels, and the D-grip means you don’t have to remove your mitts to use it.

I’m impressed that something so light can have the sturdiness and efficiency of a heavier shovel. It’s tough and sturdy enough to handle a wicked amount of torque, and it won’t break your back to lug it around the great outdoors.


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