Making Your Own Snowshoes

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Therefore, in the face of tradition, neoprene will be used in the following directions.

Start with 13 yards of 5/16"- to 1/2"-inch neoprene for each shoe of the Massachusetts/Nipmuc style. Since lacing can be a frustrating experience, the added effort of filling the more northern shoes with a selvage thong and weaving will not be discussed here.

We have chosen the one-piece frame with a round toe and pointed heel and the hexagonal filling only between the toe and heel crossbars as characteristic of the earlier New England snowshoes. The lack of netting in the toe and heel spaces seems to make this type no less efficient than the later selvage toe and heel filling. Some feel the former is more useful on crusted snow, while others give strong arguments for its general versatility. Your handcrafted snowshoes will let you draw your own conclusions.

USE: Since both shoes are the same, there is no right or left. Briefly, the dragging tail acts as something of a rudder. Only the toe of the snowshoe is lifted, and then only a thumb's width above the surface of the snow. This is much less tiring than lifting the entire snowshoe. The knees are slightly bent, with the body swinging along in a side-to-side motion.

An experienced snowshoer is known by his or her tracks. The shoe tracks will be close together—accomplished by bringing the rear shoe forward, close to the inner ankle. Snowshoe racers have been known to travel a mile in five minutes.

C. Keith Wilbur, a physician now retired from family practice, is the author of to books. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Reprinted with permission from Indian Handcrafts, by C Keith Wilbur copyright © 1990. Published by The Globe Pequot Press, Chester, CT 06412; $13.95 paper.

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