Snowshoes:
RX for Cabin Fever

Interested in a winter sport that's easy to learn, widely accessible, and inexpensive? Try snowshoeing. It's the hottest new winter activity, with its popularity skyrocketing throughout the '90s. No long drives, no ticket prices, no waiting in lines; just strap on a pair of snowshoes and head for the nearest golf course or local field. After about 15 minutes of learning to use the shoes, you'll be hiking around your neighborhood or setting off on an inviting trail through the woods.

Cabin fever? Winter blues? No more! Step outside and enjoy the sun, the snow and the fresh air. Best of all, you can snowshoe just about anywhere, even in a city after a blizzard!

Snowshoeing is the perfect way for the entire family to enjoy the beauties of winter. From young children to grandparents, there are snowshoe sizes, shapes, and weights to suit everyone. In fact, the stability of snowshoes even makes it possible for parents to carry their infants with them, with no fear of falling. And once you are accustomed to walking in the shoes, your winter horizons will be practically limitless. Walk, run, jump over snow that would be too deep to traverse in boots alone. See the snow glistening on trees in the snow-filled woods that you've never been able to reach before!

These are some of the attractions of snowshoeing. Another is the affordability. A pair of snowshoes costs anywhere from $59 for children's shoes to $350 for high-tech gear, and they can be used with a variety of boots. Serious snowshoers may invest in pricier gear, but for the recreational snowshoer, the cost of enjoying the sport is low.

The snowshoe originated in its practical form between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago in central Asia. Later it was used by those who migrated northeast, crossing the Bering Strait into what is now Alaska. Snowshoes have been used in North America ever since.

Native Americans perfected snowshoe design. The Algonquins, in the Northeast, perhaps basing their designs on the feet of animals they saw moving swiftly over the snow, developed snowshoes that allowed them to maneuver easily through trails in the forest. Their shoes were small and well-suited to the heavy, wet snow of the Northeast. In Alaska, snowshoes were adapted to large open spaces with a deep, light snow. These shoes were much longer than those developed by the Algonquins. For these early snowshoe users, as for fur trappers, explorers, early mountaineers, and miners drawn to the gold rushes in Alaska and the Yukon, snowshoes were a necessity. But it was not long before they were used for recreation as well. Snowshoe clubs have been forming since the 18th century, but it wasn't until the 20th century that these clubs began to blossom throughout the U.S. and Canada.

In the 1920s, outing clubs in New England organized "tramps" through the Green and White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. Snowshoe fever continued unabated until it was eclipsed by skiing in the 1930s.

In the '90s, however, snowshoeing has seen a resurgence, largely in response to the need felt by baby boomers to find outdoor activities that they can enjoy on a regular basis. Sales of snowshoes are soaring with outdoor centers and shops offering numerous classes and workshops on snowshoeing and new clubs springing up throughout the northern U.S. offering "demo days" and festivals for snowshoers.

"It's winter's fastest growing sport," reports Kathy Murphy, marketing/public relations director of Tubbs Snowshoe Company, noting that the company, which has seen tremendous growth over the last six years, "can expect at least a 25-30% growth this year."

Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, at Sugarloaf Mountain, ME. opened 95 km of cross country trails to snowshoers and recently cut 20 more kilometers of snowshoe-specific trails. Sugarloaf and Tubbs sponsor a twice-weekly "Snowshoe Safari" complete with flashlights for a fun night hike, as well as other winter events.

Today, snowshoeing has evolved into three distinct markets: the recreational hiking market, the advanced mountaineering segment, and the snowshoe racing or sport category. Even now, many snowboarders use snowshoes to allow them to reach slopes inaccessible by other means. Telemark skiers, similarly, find snowshoes useful on rugged backcountry terrain. In the racing arena, snowshoes are not limited to winter use. Race promoter Andrew Bielecki, of Breckenridge, Colorado., has for the last two years organized the Extreme Heat races in the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa, Colo., and hopes to bring snowshoe racing to Hawaii as well!

Snowshoes come in all sizes, shapes and weights. They can fit anyone's needs -- from a small child snowshoeing in the yard to a mountaineer negotiating steep hills. Recreational snowshoes are generally lighter weight, have less complicated bindings and less traction than is needed for hiking and climbing on more rugged terrain.

For more information on taking a day trip to a local area or planning a week-long vacation, the Winter Active Sports Kit offers basic information on how to get started snowshoeing. It's available for free by calling the Winter Active Sports Kit Hotline at (703) 506-4232. Another way to try a pair of snowshoes for free and take guided trail hikes is through participation in Winter Trails '99 -- a national day celebrating snowshoeing and trail use. Winter Trails is sponsored by American Hiking Society, SIA and snowshoe companies. For more information, call (888) SNO-HIKE.