Page 18 - FEB2026

Page 18 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM February 2026 Community Woods, Waters, and Wildlife: Snowshoeing
By Jeff Beach
I have found great pleasure in snowshoeing for many years. I was very interested in the out- doors and outdoor skills at an early age. I read books on the outdoors and followed stories of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and Jack London. While I did not venture out on snowshoes until a job required me to be- come proficient with them, I followed others' footsteps and discovered the trailblazing joys of snowshoeing. Snowshoes were found from thousands of years ago.
They were formed by groups of people who had to make a life in the winter wilderness, with skills born of necessity. And being close neighbors to the wild critters that lived among them, they craftily copied the features that allowed these animals to traverse the snowpack. Snow- shoes are footwear designed to distribute weight over snow. The
winters of bygone years were very snowy and of long dura- tion. Snowshoes were a require- ment for traversing the woods, fields, and ridges. Traditional snowshoes, crafted from wood, rawhide, and leather straps to secure the boot, feature distinct shapes named after animals or regions. The Beaver Tail, or Huron, for versatility in deep snow, the rounded Bear Paw for thick woods, and the Alaskan or Green Mountain, sometimes re- ferred to as swallowtail, as they are long and narrow for varied terrain and long travels. All are designed for superior flotation and stability.
Today, the modern architec- ture uses lightweight, narrow aluminum frames, neoprene, and plastic straps with attached crampons for widely versatile uses. Learning to walk with snowshoes is a new effort that, once accomplished, you fall into a wonderful rhythm. You can’t
glide forward as you might with skinny skis, and you can’t walk a normal gait because your feet are heavier and have a wider, longer platform. The snow con- ditions will affect how deeply you sink in as you walk. Fluffier new snow will compress more than a settled older snowpack. This determines how high to raise your leg to carry to the next step. Be assured, the rhythm comes quite fast as you find yourself immersed in a snow-filled won- derland of your journey.
Whether you are on a groomed trail or bushwacking in your favorite woods and fields, be sure to take in all the sights and sounds of your majestic sur- roundings. The sight of newly fallen snow that drapes and fash- ions the evergreen trees reminds me of powdered-sugar-coated treats that I can lap up all the good stuff and throw away the stick. The sounds in your forest and field walks are many, with various bird calls and fluttering wings as you move them from their hiding place in the brush. The sound of a light breeze flut- tering the oak leaves stubbornly clinging to the branches, ignor- ing the fall season’s call to drop
away to the forest floor. Some- times, and precious times at that, there is complete silence, and as you stop, it adds another level of silence. So quiet that it sounds like puffy clouds bumping into each other in the sky above. With all of that joy you find in the woods on a snowshoe, there is always lurking a pitfall that one would be wise to notice and be forewarned. It is a void under small fallen trees and under the limbs of the most beautiful and innocent evergreen trees, of which most are Hemlocks. Their graceful, drooping branches, in their pyramidal shape, unknow- ingly hold up the snowpack from settling onto a solid surface of the forest floor. The smooth upper snow surface looks decep- tively smooth and solid. As you step alongside these stunning winter-dressed trees, you will find yourself in a quick descent into the hidden void below the snowpack. Now, if it’s only 10 – 16 inches of snow, you can work yourself out. But after a couple of feet of snow in the middle of winter, you will be caught in a predicament that may involve removing the snowshoes, allow- ing you to clamber out and reset.
Don’t ask me how I know this. Predicaments are a common- place to us humans. Thankfully, God has given us a hope to work through them. God declares in Joshua 1:5, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor for-
sake you. God is a source of comfort and strength. He has compassion on us and is a light to our path as we call out to Him. He gives us the strength to get through the predicament. Isaiah 40:29 says; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Get out on snowshoes into the woods and fields around you this winter and find that joy in the natural realm. There are a few snowshoe clubs in the region, and many cross-country ski businesses offer snowshoe rentals and hikes. The backyards will be your special place to find quiet peace and enjoyment. The February full Snow Moon will give you an opportunity for a night hike if you're bold enough! See you on the trails!
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