NEW DATE: Floating on Snow: 6,000 Years of Snowshoeing
Snowshoes and snowshoeing have been practiced for 6,000 years. This program illustrates the history of snowshoeing from prehistoric times to the present. The use of snowshoes by North American Indigenous peoples demonstrates that different types of snowshoes were created to accommodate varying terrain and snow conditions.
The program examines the sport of snowshoeing in New Hampshire from the 1880s to the rise of skiing in the 1930s. Its popularity resurged in the 1970s, driven by new designs and materials. Today, snowshoeing in the White Mountains and other snowy regions is more popular than ever. The program ends with a demonstration of different types of snowshoes used today.
David Govatski spent over 30 winters snowshoeing in the Great Lakes States and Northern New England for the US Forest Service. He also served as a snowshoeing instructor in the military for several winters. Today, he continues to enjoy snowshoeing on daily walks in the White Mountains.
