White Ash
Could it be that the wood of white ash was specially designed for the manufacture of snowshoes? First, the trees almost always grow straight as an arrow; the grain is beautifully aligned, which is essential in a snowshoe frame. Second, ash can be steam bent than most other woods- into the shape of a pretzel if so desired, which, come to think of it, is similar to that of a snowshoe. Pretzelability is a trait shared with other ring porous species, such as American elm, slippery elm and red oak. In ring porous wood, the vessels formed early in spring are large, which helps conduct steam through the wood. The vessels of white as are also relatively free of tyloses, vessel-blocking structures which impede the penetration of steam.
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