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Behind the Snowshoe Art with John Predom

December 23, 2021 by Angie Hilsman 3 Comments

March 2021 snowshoe art design.
John’s final snowshoe art piece from the 2021 season was an improvised design.
Photos courtesy: John Predom

The sub-zero temperatures didn’t stop John Predom from heading out onto his Island Pond property with an iron rod and spool of rope in March 2020. The 15-acre field has been a sanctuary for his art. Within the next four hours, he creates a 100’-diameter, geometric pattern… entirely by snowshoe.

The design is best viewed from above, and he captures his fifth finished product of the 2021 season with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. “This is the only one this year I did not preplan,” John writes on his Facebook page, @SnowdogSnowshoeArt. “I relied on step count to get the correct placement, and everything went smoothly.”

John Predom's original snowshoe art designs; interlocked circles and a freeform flower
Left, John used a hiking pole and ball of string to create these circles, his first attempt at snowshoe art back in January 2019; right, This freestyle flower design was more about play and less about geometry. It was John’s second effort at snowshoe art, from March 2019.

John had improvised his designs in years past, but they’ve evolved drastically since he started in 2019. Inspired by British snowshoe artist, Simon Beck, John’s original designs include a freeform flower and two interlocked circles. The artwork now reflects intricate patterns of straight lines and circles that John preplans on paper with a protractor and compass. Even the metal rod is an upgrade; he first used a hiking pole and string but found the combo too flimsy.

snowshoe art design is a combination of compass points and eighth circles
This combination of compass points and eighth circles was the most complex snowshoe project to date, says John. This project required six hours and 21,200 steps to complete!

His largest project required six hours and 21,200 steps — or 10.1 miles, according to his Fitbit. John anchors the metal rod and attached rope to outline arcs; he’ll walk with the unraveling spool taut and at chest height until the length of the arc is right. The projects require a lot of focus; John counts his steps to create the symmetrical patterns and counts again as he backtracks along each line.

An avid winter hiker (as his trail name “Snowdog” suggests), snowshoe art provided another medium for John to get outside. So, he continues to strap on his wooden, teardrop snowshoes — which reach 12” across and 46” long — to float atop the deep powder each winter.

“I like being outdoors in the wintertime, and the snowshoe art is a great way to get exercise without climbing a mountain,” says John. “People have enjoyed it so much; it makes me want to go out there and do it again. It’s fun to inspire others to get outside and try it too.”

GMC logo in the snow, created by snowshoe
John led a 2020 workshop in which he led folks to recreate GMC’s logo in the snow by snowshoe.

Last year, John led a workshop through which GMC members replicated the Club’s logo. John says other entities have asked him to lead such workshops since then.

He’ll start his designs again this January when there’s at least a foot of snow on the ground. Already, he plans to improve upon previous designs and keep the imagination flowing, he says.


This post was written by Angela Hilsman, GMC communications coordinator. It appeared in the Winter 2021 edition of the Long Trail News under the headline “Geometric Snowshoe Art.”


GMC logo in snowshoe art
In March 2020, John led Green Mountain Club visitors in creating the Club’s logo via snowshoe art! “I was really nervous when I was first asked. All the snowshoe art I had done before was by myself in my back field. If I make a mistake, no one knows,” says John. “But it turned out great and everyone had fun. Doing the logo was a great suggestion!”
John Predom's teardrop-shaped, wooden snowshoes
John prefers to etch his winter designs with his wooden, teardrop snowshoes – which reach 12” across and 46” long.
Seven-circle design in the snow.
This seven-circle design was John’s favorite to work on because his friends helped him to create it. The project took four hours to complete and included two hours of help from Susan Winsor and Julie Barr.
On-the-ground view of art in the making.
This action shot gives an up-close view of the team making the seven-circle design last February.
First attempt at axis points in snowshoe art.
John’s first attempt at laying axis points with a compass was a bit of a learning curve. “I discovered that compasses and large metal poles do not work well together,” he writes of his February 2020 design. “Luckily I was able to recover a bit.”

Filed Under: News, People

Comments

  1. Karin Gottlieb says

    December 23, 2021 at 1:46 pm

    Incredible work! Makes me glad I saved my old wooden snow shoes. Maybe I can try.

    Reply
    • John Predom says

      December 28, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      Yes! Glad I can inspire

      Reply
  2. John Predom says

    December 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm

    Yes! Glad I can inspire

    Reply

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Leave No Trace, Then and Now: a Timeline of Trail Etiquette Language

March 1, 2023

This article previously appeared in the Winter 2022 Long Trail News, under the headline “Leave No Trace: Then and Now.” It was written by Sasha Weilbaker. To celebrate 100 years of the Long Trail News, we read back issues to learn what they said about trail stewardship and etiquette. The seven … Read more

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The Green Mountain Club is the founder and maintainer of the Long Trail - the oldest long distance hiking trail in America. Established in 1910 to build this trail stretching the length of Vermont, the club now also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and trails in the Northeast Kingdom in its mission to "make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people." Read more...

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