Statesman

Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Outdoors

Media Credit: Joe Olivieri Emily Voytek (blue) and Josh Fritz (red) practice weaving braces during a UMD snowshoe construction class.

In a small room in the Sports and Health Center sawdust flurries swirled in the air as UMD students sanded down their new snowshoe frames.

"I can't wait for the first major snowfall," UMD senior Brandon Keinath said.

Students eyed their handiwork with precision on Thursday, Nov. 6 as instructor Pat Kohlin explained to them the history of the snowshoe and the techniques he learned to build them.

"I like hiking and cross-country skiing," said UMD graduate Jo Fritz.

Each of the eight participants shared where they were from and why they were at the snowshoe-building clinic. A majority of the students mentioned liking the outdoors and cost when it came to building their own snowshoes.

When asked how much snowshoes cost, the consensus was that snowshoes could cost anywhere from $25 to $200. According to the REI sports and outdoors Web site, snowshoes cost from $99 to $289. The group at UMD only paid $71 for the supplies, and they're just as durable as their more expensive counterparts.

"You can use [these snowshoes] for years and years," Kohlin said.

Over the two-day clinic, participants sanded down their wooden frames and learned how to put the nylon lacings on the frame. The lacings are what help keep the snowshoes on top of the snow. Although the clinic did not include putting on the bindings (pieces that hold the foot in place) or varnishing the finished product, most participants still hoped to get everything done in time for the first snow.

"That's the plan. I'd like to use them this year," said graduate student Emily Voytek.

As participants started learning to lace their snowshoes, Kohlin mentioned what they should look for when they are looking for good places to snowshoe.

"Streams that are frozen over are good to snowshoe on because you don't have to worry about so much brush, but there's always plenty of snow," Kohlin said.

According to Keinath, some of the best places to go snowshoeing around Duluth include Chester Bowl, Gooseberry Falls and even right here on campus at Bagley Nature Area.

As for reasons why participants of the clinic wanted to get out and snowshoe and why other adventurous souls should want to snowshoe, many of these UMD students mentioned liking the peace and quiet that snowshoeing offered. Of course, for some, snowshoeing offered entertainment.

"It was just something I did for gym class," senior Sami Praus said. "It was fun minus all the rabbit poop."

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