Snowshoes in old drawings and photographs look like humongous tennis rackets without handles. They were made of bent wood and leather webbing. Newer snowshoes, made of aluminum framing and space age plastics or nylon, are smaller, quite sleek, and lightweight. Some are even designed for racing, and some foot racers prefer to train on snowshoes because there is less impact on the knees. Because modern snowshoes are so much narrower, walking in them is much less the task that it used to be.
Most models have claws to grip in hardpack and give sure footing for climbing up hills.
The best part of snowshoeing is that it s easy to do. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. It s fast to learn and gives a large quotient of fun for the effort required. It s a terrific feeling to bound over fresh snow, even uphill, to places you wouldn t think to walk, ski, or snowboard. With snowshoes you can walk off any trail or road and in ten minutes enjoy the quiet wilderness.