Think Snow - 6th Grade Snow Shoe Project

Explorer West has a tradition of winter outdoor education dating back to our very first year, 1996-97, when students, faculty and parents drove up to Snoqualmie Pass to ski.  Today, the program is well developed and integrated into the school curriculum.  For the past five years, the sixth graders have designed and built snowshoes in their science classes and spent four days using them out on the snow.  It is a marriage between winter recreation and Research and Development. 

Each year the design undergoes changes, and the students add their own modifications as the season progresses.  Last year, we made the decision to switch from PVC frames to a more environmentally friendly choice, willow.  Not only was the willow more sustainable, it held up better under cold conditions, so it is back this year.  Students spent time learning about the relationship between humans and willow, including how the bark can be used as a painkiller.  The willow branches were soaked in water and fabric softener, and just prior to bending and shaping the branches, we looked at the kinds of stress that might affect the bending process:  tension and compression. 

Local outdoor company, Cascade Designs, has once again generously donated the buckles, webbing, and fabric that make up the decking and bindings.  In December, we toured their factory and saw the metal frames being cut with high-powered water jets, and the bindings punched out in seconds. 

This year we adopted an assembly-line approach to some of the processes, and it turns out that Henry Ford was on to something.  The total building time was cut by at least a week, and it turned out that the students still felt an incredible ownership in the process.  For those who spend time in the outdoors, weight is an important consideration.  Another change we made this year was a lighter-weight lacing line, which is cheaper and comes in neon colors.  So far it has held up just great.  This year’s duct tape tally is 11 rolls!

Just prior to our first trip, the students learn about frostbite and hypothermia.  They are charged with keeping an eye on their buddy all day in the snow and to recognize the signs and symptoms in themselves and their partner.  The lesson?  Stay dry!

Out on the snow, students learn about backcountry travel in the winter when trails can be obscured and the woods open up.  They observe avalanche chutes from a distance and practice calculating the angle of the slopes that are most likely to slide.  Students also read about various styles of snow shelter and which conditions are best for which type of structure.  Then they get out with snow saws and shovels to spend a day building their own.  We take a tour through the newly built snow “neighborhood”, and each group has a chance to share their triumphs and lessons learned with everyone else.

Finally, there are games that take on a whole new meaning in the snow.  Duck, Duck, Goose is much more challenging as are various relay races and Frisbee.  A perennial favorite is the very simple game of “run and scream” – running as far as possible using only one breath and screaming all the while.  These games are hilariously fun, but they can be played with or without snowshoes.  The latter quickly teaches the value of distributing your weight over a larger area. 

The snowshoes are built, and the trips have begun. The snowpack is pretty low up at the Pass, so the only thing left to do is to think snow!