Three years ago, before I left for Thailand, I spent quite a bit of time researching and contemplating buying snowshoes. And then I reminded myself that I was moving to a nearly tropical and certainly snow-less country for just over two years and that would be a ridiculous purchase to make and that I should just wait. Well, now that I’m back in Michigan, and winter is supposedly approaching (though this El Niño affected weather system has me fooled), I thought this is the time to get those snowshoes.
Then I learned that there is a snowshoe making class at Ludington State Park offered several times in the late fall and early winter, that provides all of the materials and an instructor to make your very own traditional snowshoes and I jumped on that opportunity and decided to make a bit of a trip out of it.
Traditional Snowshoes
Snowshoes are a very old invention, with the people who were living in the Siberia region probably inventing them and then using them to walk across the land bridge into North America. The idea behind snowshoes is that by making your footprint larger, you won’t sink into the snow as much, thus allowing you to spend less energy on each step forward.
There are a couple different shapes of these traditional snowshoes. First there is the Huron, or Michigan style, which are rounded in the front and pointed in the back:
Then there is the Alaskan-style snowshoes, which are similar to the Huron-style, but the front part curves up:
Then there is the Bear-Paw-style snowshoes, which are rounded at both the front and the back and are the style that almost all modern (metal) snowshoes are made in:
And finally, there is the Ojibwe-style snowshoes, which are pointed at both the front and the back:
Snowshoe Making Class
In the class, you have a choice of what kind and size you want to make. I went with the very large Ojibwe-style snowshoes, because I wanted to have a bit of a connection to Michigan (the Huron-style frames were all gone for the season) and I wanted a larger size in the event that I use them in deeper snow, then I won’t sink as far.
For $200, which is the cost of the provided materials, you spend the next couple of hours weaving either nylon cord or reinforced neoprene to make the webbing part of the snowshoes, following very nicely copied instructions.
Additionally, Alan, who has been hosting this class for around 20 years is on hand to help you through any confusion and point out any spot where you might have gone over instead of under or vice versa and help you get back on track.
I would highly recommend making your own pair at the park. You can check on the class dates on the Visit Ludington Web site.
Visiting, Hiking and Camping at Ludington State Park
One of the great things about this class being hosted at Ludington is that you also have the opportunity to stay either at the hike-in Jack Pine campsites or by renting a heated mini-cabin and take some time to explore the trails the park has to offer.
I did just that with the hope that there would be snow on the ground for me to use my new snowshoes, but El Niño had other plans. So instead I stashed my new snowshoes and just hiked around the park.
Campsites and mini-cabins can be reserved up to a year in advance on Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources Reservation Web site and entrance to the park requires a Recreation Passport, which is an annual $11 pass that is good for all the state parks in Michigan and may be added to your car’s registration.