Take a trip to your favorite New England ski area, or any ski resort for that matter, and you assume that there will be plenty of good skiing and snowboarding available. After watching patrons of my favorite New Hampshire family ski resort on and off for several weeks, I’ve noted there are a lot more uses for snow than just skiing and snowboarding. Some are pretty amusing to witness.
It really wasn’t much of a surprise to note that snow tubing is a fairly popular method of enjoying a snow-covered slope, but the different approaches to sitting in an oversized inner tube and sliding down a banked, well-groomed track are pretty funny. Seasoned veterans of the tubing track, usually around the age of 10, rip through the course like a bobsled driver in the Olympics--although at much slower pace--screaming and yelling with joy, and laughing all the way to the bottom of the run. Their less experienced parents, more often than not, casually make their way through the course at a leisurely rate of speed. They sort of remind me of folks out for a Sunday ride.
One group of youngsters looking for an alternative to skiing or riding, ditched their skis and snowboards and tried winter body surfing. All they needed was a small pile of snow, and room enough to lay down, lift their legs into the air and they were off. The run was short, just a matter of a few feet, but they were having fun. Obviously this form of getting down a slope can't and shouldn't be attempted where it would interfere with anyone on skis or a snowboard.
Snow also makes for great defensive fortifications. A group of kids, also apparently tired of skiing and riding for the day at this New Hampshire ski area, but not too worn out to break up into two groups, built some snow fortress walls and commenced taking turns charging the group making a stand behind the almost-well-constructed defensive snow barrier. The weapon of choice for both sides...what else but a handful of snowballs!
One of the cutest uses I noticed was a young child and her dad playing King of the Mountain out in front of one of the lodges. The little one kept trying to race to the peak of a 3-foot-high pile of snow only to be intercepted by her dad. Both would slip and slide down the hill tangled up in each other's arms, with the smaller of the two laughing and giggling the whole time. The little one always ended up on top and got the best of dad by the time they came to a stop at the bottom. She would smile and laugh some more and then beg to do it again! Nice to see.
Have a good one! -Bud
It really wasn’t much of a surprise to note that snow tubing is a fairly popular method of enjoying a snow-covered slope, but the different approaches to sitting in an oversized inner tube and sliding down a banked, well-groomed track are pretty funny. Seasoned veterans of the tubing track, usually around the age of 10, rip through the course like a bobsled driver in the Olympics--although at much slower pace--screaming and yelling with joy, and laughing all the way to the bottom of the run. Their less experienced parents, more often than not, casually make their way through the course at a leisurely rate of speed. They sort of remind me of folks out for a Sunday ride.
One group of youngsters looking for an alternative to skiing or riding, ditched their skis and snowboards and tried winter body surfing. All they needed was a small pile of snow, and room enough to lay down, lift their legs into the air and they were off. The run was short, just a matter of a few feet, but they were having fun. Obviously this form of getting down a slope can't and shouldn't be attempted where it would interfere with anyone on skis or a snowboard.
Snow also makes for great defensive fortifications. A group of kids, also apparently tired of skiing and riding for the day at this New Hampshire ski area, but not too worn out to break up into two groups, built some snow fortress walls and commenced taking turns charging the group making a stand behind the almost-well-constructed defensive snow barrier. The weapon of choice for both sides...what else but a handful of snowballs!
One of the cutest uses I noticed was a young child and her dad playing King of the Mountain out in front of one of the lodges. The little one kept trying to race to the peak of a 3-foot-high pile of snow only to be intercepted by her dad. Both would slip and slide down the hill tangled up in each other's arms, with the smaller of the two laughing and giggling the whole time. The little one always ended up on top and got the best of dad by the time they came to a stop at the bottom. She would smile and laugh some more and then beg to do it again! Nice to see.
Have a good one! -Bud
