Snowshoes

Snowshoeing

How did the invention of snowshoes make it possible for people to live in cold environments such as Minnesota?

Snowshoes were essential to survival in Minnesota winters because they allowed people to travel over snow no matter how deep it was. Deep snow is a challenge to humans who walk upright and cannot spread their weight out. Wearing snowshoes allowed people to hunt during the winter. Native Americans chased their prey into deep snows or unto ice until they could be cornered and killed.

How have snowshoes changed?
According to the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, the design for snowshoes was modeled after the feet of animals who were able to travel over snow. Animals such as the lynx and the snowshoe hare evolved large feet and long legs that enable them to stay atop of the deep snows. Early hunters took note of the success of the animals that they could hunt in the winter. "The first snowshoes were nothing more than bent twigs with rawhide lacing." states the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau. Like other early tools, humans used what they found in their environment. They used willow and cedar branches that could be bent into the shape of shoes and created bindings from leather. Snowshoes evolved depending on their use. Large wide shoes are used to carry heavy loads across great distances. However their long tails make them extremely hard to use on anything but flat terrain. Small, round snowshoes can be used on any terrain and will not get caught in underbrush but they are more likely to sink into the snow. The Ojibwa tribes used a canoe-shaped shoe that matched the terrain of Minnesota woodlands.

Today's snowshoes are lighter and easier to maneuver than the first pairs. The frames are made of lightweight aluminum. Bindings can be made of canvas straps. Pivot systems allow the user to move the foot away from the snowshoe. Crampons and claws provide traction.

How are snowshoes used today?
Most people who use snowshoes do it for recreation although Len McDougall believes that snowshoes can be used to save lives during extreme weather conditions such as the blizzard that struck the Midwest in 1997 in which more than one hundred stranded motorists were killed. Snowshoes can be used for hiking or racing. It is an activity that provides cardiovascular exercise, builds muscle strength, and increases flexibility and coordination. It is also a great way to observe nature and discover that Minnesota is not a dormant place in the winter.

Sources
http://www.anchorage.net/1283.cfm
The Snowshoe Handbook by Len McDougall
Snowshoeing by Sally Edwards and Melissa McKenzie