A Brief History of Snowshoeing

As you might imagine, the history of snowshoeing goes back a long, long way. It is believed that snowshoes were originally developed in Central Asia over 4,000 years ago. They were developed out of the need to travel and hunt for food in the winter when the ground was covered in snow. The first snowshoe designs were modeled after the tracks of animals that could easily maneuver in the snow, such as the snowshoe hare. There are also bear paw shaped snowshoes, as well as many other designs that have evolved over the years.

Early Snowshoes

In Europe, historians discovered snowshoes that were made from pieces of leather attached to wooden blocks. Eventually, this design led to the invention of the nordic ski as tribes moved into what is now Scandinavia. Later on in history, when tribes crossed the Bering Strait and settled in North America, snowshoe designs evolved further. The tribes of the American Northeast such as the Huron and Algonquin introduced snowshoes to European hunters, trappers and surveyors. They were sometimes very long (up to 7 ft) and made from ash timber and untanned rawhide webbing. However, even though most tribes had some type of snowshoe they used, shapes and length varied widely among tribes. The Inuit of the far north used almost round snowshoes, while tribes in the south tended to have longer, narrower snowshoes. Some snowshoes were shorter for maneuverability in the woods.

Snowshoeing Evolves

Around 1900, recreational snowshoeing was born as people began exploring the wilderness for leisure and exercise. The earliest recreational snowshoes resembled a tennis racquet. They were originally developed for military use by the Canadians, but recreational clubs were eventually formed that held races and led hikes. The older styles of wooden and rawhide are mostly appreciated today as objects of craftsmanship and art. There are however some snowshoe enthusiasts who still use wooden snowshoes because they are quieter and have a lower freezing point. Mostly though, modern snowshoes are made from aluminum tubing and a nylon decking. Being quite light, they are often used for sporting purposes.

Modern Snowshoes

Modern snowshoes began to move away from the traditional designs in the 1950s as new materials began to be used. Aluminum replaced the wooden frames, and solid nylon decking took the place of the rawhide webbing. The modern snowshoe was first developed in 1972 and included cleats on the bottom to assist in their use on icy surfaces. These were developed by Gene and Bill Prater in the Cascade mountains of the Pacific Northwest. They were originally know as the “western” snowshoe but eventually moved east and were adopted universally.

Snowshoeing Today

Today, recreational and sport snowshoeing is enjoying immense popularity. Indeed, snowshoe participation tripled in the 1990s. Many ski resorts have opened snowshoe trails through the woods. There are 3 types of snowshoe in use today: aerobic/running, which are lightweight; recreational, which are a bit larger and designed for walking; and mountaineering, which are the largest and designed for hill climbing and backcountry use. If you decide to give snowshoeing a try, you now know you’ll be participating in a sport with a long, rich history.