Winter activities, besides skiing and snowboarding, add to snowy vacations
Snowmobiling, fat-tire biking, dog sledding, plus ice fishing, skating, and climbing can be found across the country.
About 14 million people go downhill skiing each winter, and 8 million hurtle down mountains on a snowboard. That’s out of a total Unites States population of over 330 million.
If you’re among the great majority of non-skiers, you don’t have to wait for snow to melt and the sun to warm the air in order to enjoy outdoor activities. There’s an inviting choice of pursuits throughout the country that can bring you into close contact with Mother Nature.
Some require a bit of strenuous effort while others are much more relaxing. They include both those which are easily anticipated along with a few surprises. You may be able to participate near where you live or where you travel further away.
Snowmobiling through the snow
People who opt to ride a motorized vehicle may can find plenty of places to snowmobile. Neophytes usually stick to groomed trails and often make their first runs with a guide.
Maine has over 14,000 miles of spectacular trails, some of which connect with routes in New Hampshire and Canada. Popular snowmobiling destinations further west include Eagle River, Wisconsin and Priest Lake in Idaho.
A much quieter venture through the woods awaits snowshoers who are more likely to see animals because of their noiseless movement. Snowshoes have been used for some 6,000 years, including by North American Natives. A familiar saying is that if you can walk, you can snowshoe.
Many ski resorts rent snowshoes and offer lessons and sometimes guided tours. Among the leading snowshoe destinations is the Black Hills National Forest, which straddles the South Dakota-Wyoming border. It has nearly 60 miles of marked trails.
Fat tire biking: Colorful name, captivating experience
Another self-propelled alternative is colorfully name fat tire biking. This involves bicycles built with a sturdy frame and wide tires that provide good traction on snow and ice.
The Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming was one of the first to embrace this outdoor activity and welcome riders to its groomed trails. Cuyuna Lakes State Recreation Area in Minnesota is developing into one of the country's most active fat bike destinations.
Let the dogs do the work
Mushing rather than pedaling is the transportation mode for outdoor enthusiasts who go dog sledding. Like snowshoeing, dog sledding was invented thousands of years ago, most likely by the Inuit people in
present-day Canada. As recently as the 1960s, the U.S. Postal Service used this form of transportation to deliver mail in some areas of Alaska.
The Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming are among the places with dog sled tours available. The Basecamp at Bigfork, Montana, offers a hands-on approach, allowing participants to harness and care for their team of sled dogs before driving them on a run.
Horses provide the power for people seeking to dash through the snow in a sleigh. Passengers snuggled under a warm blanket may relax and take in the scenery as a steed does the hard work.
Journeys through the National Elk Refuge offer unbeatable views of the Wyoming landscape and the animals for which it’s named. Sightings of eagles, wolves, and swans also are possible.
The family-owned 2 Below Zero outfitter in Colorado combines a ride beneath snow-capped mountains, a three-course dinner in a cozy cabin, and a country music jam. It’s centrally located to serve several resort communities.
Ice skating —
Not surprisingly, the winter also provides opportunities to enjoy activities related to the presence of ice. Skaters head for frozen ponds, lakes, and artificial rinks to cut their figure 8’s.
New York City is home to what may be the world's most famous ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center. The urban backdrop of Manhattan’s sparkling lights adds to the magic of the setting.
Skyscrapers also set the scene for the 100,000-plus skaters who glide over the ice at Millennium Park in the heart of downtown Chicago. A “skating ribbon” curves through whimsical play spaces neighboring Maggie Daily Park. Some who seek to get out of the cold head for the indoor Alpine ice rink at the Navy Pier, which offers skating thrills without the chill.
Ice climbing —
Scaling replaces skating for hardy folks who are fans of ice climbing. They ascend frozen waterfalls, cliffs covered by ice, and other frigid vertical surfaces.
Smuggler’s Notch State Park in Vermont is known as an ice climber’s paradise. Favorite upward routes include Grand Illusion, Blue Ice Bulge, and Workout Wall.
And ice fishing —
Much less strenuous is sitting with a fishing pole in your hand. Drill a hole in lake ice with a power auger, bait a hook, and wait for a seafood dinner.
Brainerd, Minnesota, has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best winter fishing destinations in the country. More than 460 lakes within 25 miles attract angling enthusiasts from near and far.
Lake Habeeb in Maryland’s Rocky Gap State Park is said to have the bluest water. Ice fishing produces smallmouth and largemouth bass, some weighing over 10 pounds.
At this time of caution due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s best to check ahead to see if a destination you might like to visit has changed its schedule or available activities.
Victor Block
After gallivanting throughout the United States and to more than 75 other countries worldwide and writing about what he sees, does, and learns, Victor Block retains the travel bug. He believes that travel is the best possible education and claims he still has much to learn. He loves to explore new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won many writing awards.
