ca. 1930, Stephen Leek Collection, American Heritage Center

It’s winter in the Rocky Mountains, and one of the best ways to beat the doldrums that come with the season is to get outside for some exercise!  Snowshoes make it possible to do just that!  The style of snowshoe pictured here was most commonly constructed from white ash and rawhide but since the 1960s, outdoor recreation companies have been manufacturing them from diverse materials like aluminum and neoprene.  According to the United States Snowshoe Association, the technology of the snowshoe originated 6,000 years ago in what are now Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and virtually every American Indian tribe in North America developed its own version prior to European contact.  Originally intended to facilitate hunting and other work in winter conditions, the snowshoe is now used more often for recreation.

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