As winter approaches, get ready for outdoor fun

As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, it may seem like the only activity that you can do is stay inside. If you’re tired of doing indoor activities, here are some winter activities that you can do and where you can do them.

  • Snowshoeing
    • If you like hiking, this is the winter sport for you. Snowshoeing, basically, is just hiking over snow. The shoes used just help to keep you above the snow by distributing your weight more evenly over the snow.
    • Places to snowshoe near us:

Hartmann Reserve and George Wyth State Park both have trails for snowshoers, but keep in mind that concrete trails can damage snowshoes.

  • Cross Country Skiing
    • Cross country skiing is where a skier goes across typically open, hilly country in skis. It originated in Scandinavia where it was used for either travel or recreation. The difference between cross country skiing and alpine skiing is that cross country skis are smaller, narrower, and lighter and the poles are longer than that of alpine skiing. 
    • Places to cross country ski near us:

George Wyth State Park, Katoski Park, Byrnes Park and Gate Park trails are all available for cross country skiing.

  • Ice Skating
    • Ice skating is a sport where you slide on ice using metal-bladed skates. It’s thought to have originated in Finland almost 4,000 years ago. There are also sports that include ice skating including hockey, figure skating, and distance skating.
    • Places to ice skate near us:

Young Arena in Waterloo

  • Snow tubing
    • Snow tubing is very similar to sledding, but on a bigger scale. Participants ride down a steep snow hill in an inner tube. It’s sort of a mix of sledding and a water slide.
    • Places to snow tube near us: Seven Oaks Recreation in Boone, Iowa
    • “You can get a tube and they hook it up to something that drags you up a hill. You then go down this ice slide and pick a lane to go down. You can go on your own or with a buddy,” said Megan Engdahl, a freshman at Holmes.

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