Snowshoeing

Reasons to Snowshoe
Modern snowshoes are a growing trend. Modern snowshoes provide a comfortable to explore the backcountry in the winter with mimimum damage to the environment. Snowshoes are the most environmentally acceptable way to get off trails and into the heart of the bush. Snowshoes are loved by naturalists because it gives them an opportunity to track wildlife in the bush, and perhaps even find various elusive animals. Snowshoes are cheaper and safer than other winter sports making it an excellent winter recreation choice for families.

Traditional snowshoes have not been killed off by modern snowshoes. Some people like the snowshoes because of nostalia. Others may find traditions cheaper than modern snowshoes new, and traditional snowshoes are much easier to find on the second hand market.

While snowshoeing seems to have a sedate image, snowshoeing can have a wilder edge. Some people jump off hills doing stunts. Other may slide down on snowshoes on hills with steep grades (at least a 20% grade or more). A new category of snowshoe called a gliding snowshoe adds even more speed. Stranger still is a rare use of snowshoes -- to walk on top of bogs in the summer, and explore previously unexplorable terrain.

Snowshoes are excellent for fitness. It requires more energy than hiking and is a full body workout if ski poles (definitely recommended) are used. Diehard fitness people may even race in specially designed racing snowshoes.

Types of Snowshoes
Traditional Snowshoes
Snowshoes were a First Nations invention. Traditional snowshoes are essentially based on their design. Traditional snowshoes are all made of a curved wooden frame, a harness and rawhide lashings in a crisscross pattern. Traditional snowshoes come in two basic shapes -- an elongated teardrop or oval. An oval shape is called a bearclaw, and a bearclaw is often modified with a turn up on the toe. This design is the most popular of traditional snowshoes.

Modern Snowshoes
Modern snowshoes are made of aluminum. They have revolutionized snowshoeing because modern snowshoes are more durable, more maneuverable, lighter, lower to no maintenance as compared to traditional snowshoes.

Racing Snowshoes
Try to run on traditional snowshoes. It's awkward and hard to keep your balance. Modern snowshoes are more useful for running, but snowshoes especially made for running are the best.

Gliding Snowshoes
One problem with snowshoes is they are slower than skiing. But skiing doesn't work well in deep snow. Instead of taking both skis and snowshoes on a trip, a gliding snowshoe is a solution.

One gliding snowshoe available is the yupi skishoe. It looks very much like a smooth bottom snowshoe. http://www.yupisnowshoes.com/

A more interesting gliding snowshoe has quills coming out the sides of the bindings, just below the binding plate.. When walking the quills spread out providing more floatation. When guilding, the quills retract to minimize drag. This design is mimics how the tiny strider spider achieves both floatation and glide. A manufacturered product that mimics nature is some way is called biomemicry. The unfortunate thing is, the inventor -- Ernest McCrank, is a scientist not an entrepreneur, and the completed invention is not currently being developed. http://www.explore-mag.com/issues/article.cfm?artid=96

Something similar is the skiboard (aka snowskates). Skiboards are short skies that perform like in-line skates on snow. Some of the shorter ones are quite like gliding snowshoes. http://www.snowlink.com/newsresearch/consumer/pdf/03-04skiboards.pdf

Bog Walking with Snowshoes
What environments can snowshoes be used for outside of winter? One possibility is walking over quicksand. Another answer is a bog. A small number of individuals have tried crossing bogs in Death Valley using snowshoes. This entiles some risks as those bogs can be very deep and can break. Rescue personal have had to resort to using snowshoes to rescue these people. It is not known if there ever have been specific shoes designed for use on bogs.

Links
http://www.snowlink.com/learnimprove/kids/kidsnowshoe.shtml Snowshoe for kids
http://www.fortwhyte.org/fwSchool_Programs/fwsp_snoshoeadv_e.html Types of snowshoes and terms
Death Valley bog trip discussion Search on "snowshoes bog" in newsgroups at goggle.com
http://www.multisportscanada.com/Forms/MountEverestTraining.PDF Snowshoe training & downhill technique