When I was a kid, we’d happily haul out our wooden Flexible Flyer sled out of the garage for downhill fun. We could sit upright, or lie down head-first, shifting the wooden crosspiece to steer with our feet or our hands. Its wood came from birch, maple and ash trees to make it both strong and flexible.
What about snowshoes? The earliest versions used wooden frames made from ash because its flexible wood can create the webbed shape that spreads your weight over the snow. They provide access to snowfields far from the bustle of ski resorts.
Today, most modern snowshoes are made from metal or plastic, but many traditional makers still turn to wood for its feel.
And skis? For centuries, they were entirely made of wood. Hickory, birch and spruce were favorites — tough, springy and able to glide over snow without snapping in the cold.
Now, modern skis are made from high-tech composites. But many backcountry and Nordic skis still rely on wood for their cores, because it gives them a lively flex that synthetic material just can’t imitate.
So, the next time you’re gliding, sliding or crunching your way through the snow, remember your quiet partners — the trees that carry us across our winter landscape.
