Traditional Wooden Snowshoe Classes Again Offered for 2005

Chuck Nelson, the director of the Sarett Nature Center, located in Benton Harbor Indiana, will once again be offering classes on building traditional wooden snowshoes in the style of the Ojibwa tribe. Mr. Nelson has been teaching how to handcraft snowshoes for 25 years. His class, held on four consecutive Tuesdays, will begin the first week of November at the center.

Unlike the first oval snowshoes, commonly known as the bear paw, and the teardrop shape of the Maine or Michigan snowshoe, the Ojibwa design has a tail, and a tip which rises up like a boat's bow through a wave. "In the Midwest, you get melting and freezing conditions and the snow is awful," Nelson explains. "There was nothing to keep the snowshoe from going under the ice and blam! You would be thrown to the ground."

The building process starts with two pieces of white ash, each 55 inches long. After the wood is plucked from the boiler, the pieces are placed in a bending jig. This wood contraption holds the pieces in place, creating the shape that becomes the frame. Rivets in front and back and two cross-pieces of support wood in the middle complete the framework. Participants will then take this home for sanding and staining before starting the intricate weaving of the babiche, or webbing. The toe and heel take 16 feet of flat white nylon tubing, while the body takes another 60 feet. While the Ojibwa used rawhide for the babiche, Nelson uses nylon, which shrinks in water. Nelson explains that, "If you take it in the shower with you, that nylon tightens right up." After it is tightened, the nylon is varnished to seal it from moisture. Bindings are then created from the rubber of inner tubes.

Outdoor Gear Industry Publisher Issues Advice for Proper Snowshoe Clothing and Apparel

A leading outdoor gear industry publication has recently issued advice for choosing the proper clothing to wear when snowshoeing. Of central importance is selecting suitable footwear. Snowshoe runners and racers wear lightweight sports shoes for racing and training, but if users are adventuring into the backcountry, they will want to use sturdy, waterproof boots with snowshoes. Mountaineers and snowboarders can wear their specialized snowboard boots or climbing boots with their snowshoes, as long as the bindings fit. Many styles of hiking boots also work well.

Snowshoe gaiters are useful for keeping the lower legs dry and comfortable. They are especially practical if a user's bindings are the fixed type, which otherwise throw snow onto the backs of the legs and into boots.

Snowshoeing racers don't use poles, however many backcountry snowshoers use at least one and more often two snowshoe poles. Poles can push interfering branches out of the path and can also improve balance on unlevel terrain. Either collapsible trekking poles with snow baskets or one-piece ski poles work well. Some snowshoers prefer poles that come up to the elbow, while others prefer poles that come up about to the armpit the way they would for cross-country skiing.

Atlas Snowshoes Announces 2005-2006 Team Atlas Roster

Atlas Snow-Shoe Company is sponsoring some of the world’s top snowshoe athletes who use the sport to train, race and pursue their athletic lifestyle in the winter season. The company believes these athletes are excellent resources who can offer first-hand training advice, tips and testimonials for editorial about the benefits of snowshoeing.

Team Atlas, is comprised of a collection of internationally-ranked competitive snowshoe racers who also excel in adventure racing, trail/ultra running, mountain biking, triathlon and cycling. The team has more than 40 men and women located throughout the United States. They will compete in more than 30 sanctioned races throughout the U.S. and Canada including this year’s U.S. National Snowshoe Championships. The United States Snowshoe Racing Association (USSSA) located in Corinth, New York, acts as national governing body for the sport of snowshoe racing in this country. There are a growing number of nations around globe with organized snowshoe racing programs including Italy, Finland, France, Japan, and Canada.

2005-2006 Team Atlas athletes include:

• Dave Mackey: Trail running, mountain biking, ultra running, rock climbing and adventure racing make up this busy athlete’s lifestyle. Not only has he found the aerobic benefits important, but also cites the core strengthening workout from snowshoeing as key for climbing. “Let’s not forget the fun factor – the best snowshoer out there is the one having the most fun.”

• Nikki Kimball: Physical therapist by profession and world-class ultra runner by design, you can catch Nikki at any number of major 50 to 100 mile distance races around the globe. Commented Nikki, “Runners and cyclists don't often venture into each other's realms. But we meet in snowshoe racing. By December our joints and muscles need a break. Snowshoeing allows our joints and specific soft tissue structures a reprieve while we maintain, and perhaps even enhance our fitness.”

• Syl Corbett: Residing in Boulder, Colorado, this 34 year-old business entrepreneur is a dedicated mountain runner and professional triathlete/duathlete. She is a member of many elite teams including the Canadian Elite Mountain Running Team and the Salomon Adventure Racing Team. “Mountain running are snowshoe racing are obvious crisscross sports – they provide the synergistic benefit of increasing both strength as well as cardio capacity.”

• Greg Krause: National snowshoe champion, Greg is a professional triathlete, who competes in both off-road and traditional triathlons and was in the top 15 of American finishes at this year’s Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. “My training on snowshoes is what got me my top triathlon results today.”

• Peter Fain: Considered the top snowshoe racer west of the Rockies and one of the top mountain runners in America, this 31-year old Renaissance man isn’t your ordinary athlete. A former collegiate 800-meter track champion, Peter regularly runs on hard packed snow at clips of 6-1/2 minutes a mile often with outings that last four to six hours. During the off-season he’s a trail marathoner, climbing the 7,000 to 14,000 foot peaks before plunging back down again.

• Karen Melliar-Smith: Professional triathlete and nurse anesthetist, Karen espouses the virtues of snowshoe racing as strength and endurance training for cycling and running. She is currently ranked 9th at the National level, and was also an All-American in the 200 and 500 meter freestyle and an All-Academic American. “Snowshoeing provides a relaxing mental diversion while maintaining aerobic capacity – it is the only sport that I don’t notice my heart beating away at 190 beats a minute.”

• Adam Chase: Long-time athlete and author of “The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running”, Adam is an experienced endurance and adventure athlete who has competed in dozens of world class competitions including the Boston and New York Marathons, World’s Toughest Triathlon and the Eco-Challenge.

Leading Outdoor Gear Industry Publisher Issues Tips for Beginner Snowshoeing

Leading outdoor industry publisher Backpacking Light, recently issued several tips for individuals just beginning in the sport of snowshoeing. These tips include renting your snow shoes the first few times. This will familiarize you with snowshoeing and will allow you to use several different brands to see which you prefer. Use hiking poles for added stability. Go on daytrips with a group. Snowshoe on well-packed trails over gently rolling terrain. Don't get too far away from your starting point. And finally, familiarize yourself with safety aspects of winter recreation, such as minimizing avalanche danger and avoiding or if necessary treating hypothermia or frostbite.

Atlas Snowshoes Joins Coalition to Lobby for California Wilderness Protection

A company spokesman for Atlas Snowshoe Company has announced that, alongside other outdoor industry partners, it has secured a Congressional hearing in Washington DC for legislation that would protect 300,000 acres of public land. Karen Righthand of Atlas Snowshoes, along with Lisa Myers of Patagonia, Alex Kutches from Marmot, Laura Keresty of Wilderness Press and Devaki Murch from prAna, recently traveled to the nation's capitol alongside representatives from The Conservation Alliance to lobby in support of legislation that would protect 300,000 acres of public land on California’s North Coast.

The legislation received a Congressional hearing in July, bringing the bill one step closer to final passage. The outdoor business delegation met with eleven congressional representatives and delivered the message that new wilderness designations on California’s north coast benefits outdoor businesses and California’s tourist economy. “There is a growing consensus that wilderness has real economic value,” stated John Sterling, Director of the Conservation Alliance Program. “As California’s rural economies shift from resource extraction to tourism and recreation, protected public lands become a community’s most valuable natural asset.”

The legislation (H.R. 233/S. 128) is championed by Representative Mike Thompson (D-Napa), and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), would permanently protect 300,000 acres of land, including the King Range and Lost Coast, the longest undeveloped stretch of coastline in the lower 48. The bill would also secure Wild and Scenic River status for 21 miles of the Black Butte River. Karen Righthand, Marketing Director for Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, added that “Outdoor businesses need protected wild places for our customers to recreate and enjoy our products."