How to Endure Winter

A select few (skiers, snowmobilers, etc.) relish winter. To the rest of us Frost Belters, winter ranges from being an annoyance to a curse. The trick to getting through the season is to develop a cold weather activity that you enjoy and look forward to - and it doesn't have to be expensive!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• warm clothes
• snow
• ice
• toboggan, sled, ice skates and/or cross country skis.

1. Gliding and sliding on Boston's Frog Pond. Ice skating is fun and great exercise; and you'll meet a much nicer class of people than you will in bars. Many towns have small free outdoor rinks or fields that they flood and freeze. Frog Pond on Boston Common is not a natural pond, but an outdoor rink complete with freezing pipes, music, refreshments and a warming hut. For a natural experience, skate on frozen ponds and lakes. Ducks, swans, geese and coots will cluster in unfrozen patches (don't get close). One year, several days of hard freeze and no snow resulted in ideal black ice skating conditions on Spy Pond in Arlington, MA. To my amazement, I observed a large orange goldfish swimming beneath me and the ice I was on!
2. A snowshoer explores Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, MA. Snowshoeing and cross country skiing are are good exercise as well. The scenic winter beauty and snow muffled silence is awesome. Equipment for these sports is less expensive than for Alpine skiing, and once you get it, you can go virtually anywhere there is snow, for FREE!
   If you're feeling more adventurous, grab a toboggan, sled or tube and hit the slopes! Who cares if you're not a kid? I enjoy these activities and I'm --- well, over 30!
3. Wild turkey in Saugus, MA sighted one February day. Far from disappearing, signs of wildlife are all around us in the winter. The snowy white egrets of Wollaston Beach head to Florida; to be replaced by brant geese of the Arctic. To the brants, Massachusetts is their winter Florida, believe it or not! Brants look like Canada geese, only smaller, with shorter necks and lacking the white triangle on the cheeks. Red tailed hawks arrive in mid-February to scout out territory and hunting grounds.
   Following and identifying animal tracks in the snow is easy and requires no special equipment beyond warm clothes.

Tips & Warnings

• Ice skates and cross country skis can often be purchased 2nd hand for big savings. My hockey skates were purchased at Play it Again Sports for $10, were pre-broken in, in great condition and I've used them for years!
• Get your ice skates professionally sharpened periodically.
• Maine's L.L. Bean markets a fine toboggan.
• There are different types of wax available for cross country skiing, depending on whether it's above or below freezing.
• New technology has been developed that make modern snow shoes far superior.
• When winter gets REALLY out of control, consult my "How to Enjoy the Blizzard of the Century" by George Sommers
• When skating on a natural lake or pond, be sure the ice is thick enough (3 - 4 inches) to be safe. It usually takes several days of freezing temps.
• There's nary a frog to be found at the Frog Pond, even in mild weather. During colonial times, it WAS a natural pond - in fact, the entire surrounding area was a huge wetlands abutting the Charles River. Plenty of frogs in those days! Now, however, the Frog Pond is a children's wading pool in the summer, and an ice rink from late November to mid-March.