Q. I am designing a snowshoe. Can you help me find information about the snow compression, and the characteristics of snow when you walk on it?

Our SpringerLink database would be a good place to look for this information. See the link below for SpringerLink and try this search strategy: "compressive strength" and snow .  You should find some useful articles.

See also the following online resources:

Snow Mechanics: Review of the State of Knowledge

http://cgiss.boisestate.edu/~hpm/SnowIcePhysics/Shapiro&al97.pdf

Material Selection for Snowshoes

http://mickpeterson.org/Classes/MEE320/Projects/Good%20Final%20Project/snowshoe.pdf

The Compression Test after 25 Years  http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/asarc/files/asarc/CT_25y.pdf