FREDERIC, Mich. -- Archaeologists believe that about 6,000 years ago in central Asia, some bright fellow figured out that he could lash thin slabs of wood to his feet and walk through deep snow.
The Asians carried the idea across a long-gone land bridge from Siberia to Alaska, where the slab evolved into a light, bent wood frame with caribou hide lashings that formed a platform for the foot -- first true snowshoe.
Those ancient people would have no trouble recognizing the elements of their idea in the devices worn by Amy Curtis, but they'd probably give their best bearskin for her modern snowshoes made from aluminum and carbon fiber and synthetic skins.
"I tried this for the first time two winters ago, and I really like it," said Curtis, a Plymouth, Mich., resident who was on a packed trail at Hartwick Pines State Park. "I like cross-country skiing and used to do it a lot. But I'm a runner, and when I found out that they made snowshoes for trail running, I had to try it.
"I like it as much as running in summer, maybe better. In the winter you can get out on trails where there aren't any other people. It's hard to find any place in summer that doesn't have a lot of other runners and hikers, or roller bladers and cyclists."
A couple of miles up the trail, the Hartwick system connected to the trails run by Dave Forbush at his Forbush Corner cross-country ski area just east of this Crawford County hamlet.
There, Sita Doddamani, a Detroiter, was getting basic snowshoe instruction from Walt Mayer of Traverse City, a manufacturer's representative for MSR Showshoes, who was putting on a demonstration day.
Mayer said that despite what people see in movies, "Snowshoes won't float you on top of the snow. You'd sink even if you put a 4-by-8 foot sheet of plywood on the snow."
But snowshoes will reduce the distance a human foot sinks to a few inches, making it easy for the walker to lift the foot over the snow for the next step.
Doddamani said that she used to enjoy downhill skiing but had to give it up after she damaged her knees. She decided to try snowshoes "because it's something different to do in the winter."
Modern snowshoes look small compared to wood-and-rawhide models, which sometimes are 4 feet long. Mayer said a 25-inch modern snowshoe is a good all-around size for most people, because the solid decks made from flexible synthetic offer more flotation than an open-weave deck on a traditional snowshoe.
"Most people think they need bigger snowshoes than they really do," Mayer said. He pointed to fitting at the rear of a 25-inch snowshoe and said, "We did that because if people want more flotation, we'll sell them a flat piece that fit right onto the back. But my rule is to go with the smallest shoe I can get away with, because it's a lot easier to maneuver."
Traditional snowshoes still have a lot of adherents, often because the traditional shoes have graceful shapes and a beauty not found in the utilitarian modern models. And in wet snow some people think that the open webbing of a traditional snowshoe makes it easier to lift.
When it comes to climbing hills, the modern snowshoes stand out because they are made with gripping teeth on the outside frames and transverse support struts, allowing them to get a grip even on icy surfaces.
Modern snowshoes run about $100-$250, or about the same as good cross-country skis, with the more expensive models usually being lighter and designed for people who take part in snowshoe competition events. That's about the same price as traditional snowshoes, which usually require more maintenance.
Todd Hubbard of Ann Arbor is a long-time cross-country skier who has taken to snowshoeing. "One big advantage is that you don't need to have a (prepared) trail like you do for cross-country," he said. "You can just head out through the woods any place you have snow."
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