• Tuesday-What'sUP August 30 - 08:53 pm

Located along M-28 is the town of Shingleton and if you've ever traveled this highway across the U.P., you know that depending if you're driving east or west, it's one of the "book ends" of the Seney stretch. If you don't know what that is, it's a 25 mile, straight stretch of road, across the Manistique Swamp and is considered Michigan's flattest highway. Marsha Galbraith made a recent stop there to check out a Made in the Upper Peninsula product that is hand crafted there at the Iverson Snowshoe, Company. What she found, is that they make much more than just snowshoes, as you can see in her first two photographs.

In the third photograph, Marsha and her hubby, Gary check out the inventory of different styles of the snowshoes made there, some finished off and some frames waiting to be laced with the webbing. While doing so, they found something very neat...if you purchase a pair of snowshoes from L.L. Bean, they're actually made right here, in Shingleton, so you're buying a made in the U.P. product. I wonder if it says that anywhere on the actual snowshoe. So, if you're looking for a pair of snowshoes for the upcoming winter or maybe a unique, made in the U.P. gift, be sure to check out Iverson's and support Upper Peninsula and U.S.A made products.

I have never tried to snowshoe. Maybe I will some day. These were cool pictures!!

These are AWESOME pics! And oh that Seney stretch! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG road....

I knew Iverson made fishing nets and snowshoes for L.L. Bean; didn't know about the chairs though. Can anyone say "Christmas list"??? ;-)

I would like to check this store out! Thank goodness for websites!

What a neat place. Good to see something made in America. Deb I have to honest I just can't picture you outdoors in any cold activity involving snow :)

I've owned a pair of 10" x 46" LL Bean snowshoes since 1969 and they've seen a fair amount of use, nice to know they might have come from Iverson. Only had to replace one strap of the original leather bindings in that time.

Thanks for choosing my pics today, Mary! It was fun to go into Iverson's and look around. The shop/factory is just a few yards south of the M-28 intersection. My husband has always talked about getting one of those rockers--they are super comfortable!

One blustery stormy Saturday on a trip downstate to our work camp we called Iverson's from Marquette to see if we could drop off a pair of snowshoes to be re-webbed. They said they would be open but when we got there noone was there. Since our cell phone worked we called the shop again to see if someone was in back out of sight. They answered our call and said just to "leave them at the store" and when we repeated there was noone there they said "no, leave them at the grocery store." We did, they did and we picked them up on another trip through the area. We've been across that stretch of road enough times I have the 12 signed creeks, river and ditch memorized and can repeat them forward and backward even now.

Interesting 'stuff'! My husband had some LL Bean boots (made in Maine) but no snowshoes....don't need snowshoes in the Ohio Valley, unless they work on ICE! :]

Deb S. Snowshoeing is fun, until muscles you never
knew you had let you know they are there !! ;-)

Holy Wah Eh !

Marsha, your photos are very nice. I hope you got to meet the owner. He is a very nice man and a true blooded Yooper as well. I have been using Iverson Snowshoes since 1979. They certainly last and I have many miles on them. About two years ago I took them back and Iverson will re-dip them to add a new coating. My original bindings are still on that pair. We own six pairs of Iverson's and would not buy anything other than them. Snowshoeing is such a tranquil and peaceful sport. The terrific thing about it is you can access places with snowshoes that you cannot get to in the other three seasons of the year. Try it Deb you will like it.

Marsha--I've been inside of Iverson's, but have never seen the rocking chair before. Looks like a good idea. I have a pair of Iverson snowshoes.
I wonder if showshoeing is allowed after a hip replacement??

In the interest of trying to support UP industries and to keep my father's head warm this coming winter, we bought him a Stormy Kromer(sp?) hat for his birthday.

Snowshoeing in the winter in the UP is like being on a lake catching fish in the summer. Did it all last winter and the quiet, the soft fluffy snow and the sound of woodland creatures made you feel like you owned the land. It's a great feeling. It's just you, alone with nature at it's best. If you haven't tried it, you have to.

I bought my Iverson snowshoes from the old Northwoods store in Hancock in the mid 70's. I paid around $65 for them at the time.
That seemed like a high price but they are in good shape and I still use them. Not a bad deal.

Still have my Iverson shoes as well, even in Texas. Never know when they might come in handy in the tropics....