For many, the winter doldrums are real. The cold weather and shorter days keep some of us inside more and make us less active overall. But then there are winter sports enthusiasts who count the weekends in January. If you’re curious about ways to embrace the cold, here are some activities you can try this year.
Fat Tire Snow Biking
Man rides fat bike in the snow forest. He is wearing unbranded clothes and helmetWhen it snows, Adam Ray is like a little kid who can’t wait to get outside. That’s because for the owner of Ridgefield Bicycle Co. snow is a chance to get on his fat tire bicycle and do some serious snow biking. The fatter tires allow him to cut through fresh snow with relative ease and remind him of riding his bike as a child. “When you look down and you’re riding through six inches of fluffy white snow on a bike, it’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘This shouldn’t be possible.’ But it is, and it’s super fun,” he says.
Ray is also a fan of the fat tire bikes for their year-round uses. “People might initially buy them for riding in the wintertime, but they find that they are super fun to ride year-round,” he says. Additionally, Ray says the bike is fun to ride on mountain bike trails, can be used for road biking and can be particularly great for biking on sandy beaches. “I ride mine with my two kids around the neighborhood because it’s just a really fun, easy bike to ride,” he says.
Snowshoeing
Mature couple hiking with snowshoes in winter snow mountain landscape. Grasgehren, Riedberger Horn, Allgau, Alps, Bavaria, Germany.Parker Weintz, who works at Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton, says one of the joys of living in Connecticut is hiking on fresh snow. “You may think that it’s bad weather outside, but if you have the right clothing and the right gear, it can be a really, really special experience,” he says. “I’ve been in the middle of Wilton or the middle of Redding, and it felt like I was in Montana.”
Unlike some other winter sports, snowshoeing doesn’t require a big learning curve. “If you can walk, you can snowshoe,” Weintz says. Another winter hiking option is shoe spikes, which strap onto hiking shoes and Weintz describes them as “tire chains” for your shoes.
No matter how you’re hiking, it’s always key to keep at the right temperature. Proper winter clothing is vital for this, but Weintz says people often overdress, which makes them sweat and then that makes them colder. He says at the beginning of the hike you should feel a little cold and like you didn’t quite dress warm enough. “Once you start moving, you’re going to heat up,” he says. Weintz brings a down jacket in a daypack to pop on when stopping for breaks.
Ice Fishing
Young girl who has just caught a perch while ice fishing on a beautiful winter day. The fish is just coming out of the hole in the ice.If you’re really looking to get outside in the winter, there’s probably no better way than casting your line with ice fishing, says Justin Wiggins, a biologist for the DEEP Fisheries Division. “Ice Fishing is the best way to beat the winter doldrums, get some fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and have a little adventure with your family,” he adds.
While you need to take some safety precautions, Wiggins says the sport is not expensive to get into and you can learn it at any age. “I have introduced many of my friends throughout my life to ice fishing as adults,” he says.
For newbies, he does advise fishing with an experienced ice fisher the first few times. The DEEP also offers both in-person and online classes. Wiggins says you can learn more about them at https://portal.ct.gov/deepcare. Some recent winters in Connecticut have not allowed as many ice-fishing opportunities as in the past, but when the weather cooperates, Wiggins says there’s nothing quite like it. “Anything outside is good. It’s good for just your mind, body and soul, and ice fishing is a great way to get that fix in the wintertime,” he says.
Snow Tubing
Even if Mother Nature doesn’t provide enough snow, Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort CT offers snow tubing from the day after Thanksgiving through the winter season thanks to their snow machines.
Laura Loffredo, Powder Ridge Mountain Park Director of Sales & Marketing, says tubing is popular because anyone can do it. “People love it so much because it’s easy and fun,” she says. The only limitation is children need to be big enough to go down on the tube themselves without sitting on anyone’s lap. This generally means kids need to be ages six or older. For younger kids who are still big enough to sleigh ride, Powder Ridge has a small play area with a much smaller slide for them to go down.
There’s also more than just tubing at Powder Ridge. From Black Friday until Christmas, the park has outdoor festivities with visits from Santa, music, and light shows for nighttime tubing. “We have a giant inflatable igloo that we put up out there,” Loffredo says. “So, it becomes like a beverage station for adults and children with hot ciders, hot teas, and cocktails. We have fire pits going, it’s a really cool environment for winter.”
Whether you’re riding, walking, reeling, or tubing, grab your boots, hats, and gloves and get out and enjoy the season! •
