How to Celebrate Snowshoe Thompson Day

Snowshoe Thompson (April 30, 1827 – May 15, 1876) was a nickname for Norwegian immigrant Jon Thompson who delivered mail for 20 years across the rugged Sierra Nevada from California to Nevada. Snowshoe Thompson used skis, not snowshoes, to hike over the snow-covered winter mountains. He usually made the 90-mile eastward trek in three days and the return trip in two days. His amazing treks made history. Here are tips in how to celebrate Snowshoe Thompson Day.

Instructions

1. Visit the Snowshoe Thompson Memorial Statue in Genoa, Nevada. The bronze statue shows Thompson on skis with his balance pole. He used the pole to help steady his weight on the shifting skis. A large granite stone sent from his birthplace in Norway is part of the base.

2. Celebrate Snowshoe Thompson Day on the date set each year by Nevada proclamation. On his mail trips, he saved the lives of people stranded in snowbound mountains. Nevada honors his contributions with parades, re-enactments and historical characters. Some people honor Thompson on his April 30 birthday.

3. Ski the Sierra Nevada. Thompson made his way across the unmarked mountains along what is now Highway 50. He introduced cross-country skiing to local residents and taught them to make and use skis. Thompson's first homemade skies were 10 feet long and weighed 25 pounds.

4. Hike the Sierra with a pack. In winter, Thompson skied over the 7,500-foot mountains with packs of mail and supplies weighing 60 to 100 pounds. Legend says he carried the first silver ore to be mined from the Comstock Lode.