Hello Friends,
With snow in the immediate forecast, parents
all over the state are likely (if they haven’t already) digging out the winter
gear, complete with mismatched gloves and stretched-out beanies, so that their
kids can go outside and enjoy the fluffy, white magic stuff that falls from the
sky.
While many parents and
adults are content letting children have all the snowy fun, there are those who
are just as enchanted by the winter weather. Some even take the snow play to a
whole new level. Here are five snow-filled activities that even adults can
enjoy.
Sledding
Sledding is a favorite
pastime for many children, including Kelli Hansen’s six little ones. And while
she does take her crew for fun-filled trips down the hillside, she reserves
early mornings for her own mom-time adventures.
With toboggan in hand,
Hansen goes up Neffs canyon on the north side of Mount Olympus. She said it
takes an hour to get up, but the 15-20 minute ride down is pure joy.
“It's really just my therapy,” she said. “I
couldn't survive raising these six kids without a little mommy time. It's the
perfect mix of exercise, enjoyment of the outdoors and God's creations — and
it’s fun! The higher you hike, the longer you get to sled!”
Building a snowman
Mother of three and
grandmother of 13, Holly Brown, was born to love the wintertime. With a
December birthday, and a name like Holly, it was inevitable that each year when
the snow began to fall, she couldn’t help but play in it.
This was the case
during a recent snow storm, when she just had to go out on her balcony to build
a snowman.
“We were staying in a
condo over the weekend, and I just couldn’t help myself,” Brown said. “I didn’t
have much to decorate with, but I did have some pretzels that I used for the
hair, broccoli for eyes, Ritz Crackers for ears, cherry tomatoes for buttons,
lemonade cans for arms, and of course, a baby carrot for his nose. Sometimes
you just gotta.”
Backcountry skiing
When he’s not out tracking mountain lions or mountain goats,
professional outdoorsman Matt
Galland of Orem said he prefers backcountry skiing.
“Utah truly does have
the greatest snow on earth,” he said. “Our dry environment makes for some low
water content snow, causing it to be light and fluffy. Utah's Wasatch Front has
endless backcountry ski options. In Utah county especially, you can ski 10,000
vertical feet a day without seeing a single person.
"Skiing by far is
my favorite winter sport because it lets you go places you could never get to
in a pair of shoes, snowshoes or even a snowmobile. It's fast on the way up and
even faster down.
Galland advised
backcountry skiers to take caution though and to be prepared before heading
into the hills. “Be careful though. Avalanche conditions and steep terrain
require a beacon, shovel, probe, and always a buddy for safety. Utah avalanche
center has a ton of useful information and an app to keep you safer on the
mountain. Until you have skied the face of Timp in 3-feet of powder, you
haven't truly soaked in the best that Utah can offer in the winter.”
Fishing
For some, fishing is a sport for the warmer months, but for
fisherman and KSL.com contributor, Spencer Durrant, there’s
nothing quite like tossing lines out when there’s snow on the ground.
"Fishing in the
winter is about being alone, about seeing the fresh snow and being the first
one to step through it on your way to the river,” Durrant said. “It's about
that serene beauty and lack of awareness of the world, of its problems, of
life's general scariness, that almost makes you feel like a kid again. All you
can do at that point is to continue to go fishing until someone else shows up
on the river. ...
"In all reality,
though, fly fishing in the winter is more relaxing than any other time of the
year, except mid-June when the Pale Morning Duns hatch. Bundled up in layers,
casting light line to spooky trout in crystal-clear water, and having the river
mostly to yourself is the epitome of serenity. And as angler who fishes to gain
a tighter grip on my sanity, that's more than I could ever ask of this
sport."
Running
Playing in the snow in its most simplest form requires little
more than a pair of running shoes — and an ugly sweater. At least that’s what
over 100 adults found to be the case on Dec. 3, when they ran the first annual
Ugly Sweater Run hosted by Park City Running Company.
People who dare call
themselves adults from all over the Wasatch Front, including mother of five,
Sara Malohifo’ou, headed out to run over 6 miles, including 1,300 feet of
elevation gain through the winding mountain bike trails in Park City while
wearing ugly holiday sweaters.
“It was a fabulous
morning with amazing friends,” Malohifo’ou said. “Just a bunch of goofballs
running through the mountain trails of Park City in ugly Christmas sweaters.”
The next time you find
yourself sending the kids out to play in the snow, you might want to take your
cue from these five fine examples of how to do "adulting" correctly,
and get outside, too.
Thanks so much,
ERA Skyline Real Estate
3376 Harrison Blvd.,
Ogden, Utah 84403
(801) 627-6500
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