Page 9 - Indulge December 2017

Mancave

By Patrick O’Donnell ski instructors and options for group or individual lessons, and – my
favorite as a wiser adult — a comfortable lodge with food and a bar,
When I was growing up in the Poconos, winter used to be my where I can watch other people wipe out on the slopes while I enjoy a
favorite season. I lived on a farm, so admittedly my preference cold beer and a warm fire.
was driven partly by knowing I wouldn’t be spending muggy afternoons
yanking weeds, clearing rocks or precariously perched on a moving If you have a need for a bit more speed, there are plenty of places
wagon trying to stack hay bales. in the Poconos to ride — and rent — snowmobiles, including Pocono
Outdoor Adventure Tours (poconosnowmobilerentals.com). And if global
But I also loved snow; the more, the better. And back then, we really warming crimps your style, you can opt instead for a UTV (utility task
did have a lot more of it. vehicle, also called a side-by-side). Sorry, kids — you’ll need a valid
driver’s license to hit the trail solo, and towing anything (or anyone) is a
We also almost always had school unless there’d been the equivalent BIG no-no.
of what’s called a “snowpocalypse” today. While I didn’t have to walk
to school and back — uphill both ways, barefoot — I did live in an area Don’t despair, though; you can still get pulled along on a sled if you
with a lot of hills. There was our own very long driveway, for starters; in know where to look.
addition to the Blue Mountain behind us, and a nearby ski area called
Little Gap. Arctic Paws in Swiftwater, Monroe County, offers sled dog tours
where, as their website (arcticpawsdogsledtours.com) states, “You Are
Some mornings I’d take advantage of that hilly driveway and sled The Musher.” Weather permitting (i.e., if there’s 4-6 inches of snow
down to catch the bus. When I‘d return in the afternoon I’d pull the sled, on the ground) you can get your Jack London on, minus the peril and
now loaded with homework and books, up to the top, ditch the cargo, misery of “Call of the Wild.”
and race back down again, repeating the process until my legs were jelly.
As for me, I’m considering skipping the season altogether this year: I
My neighbor, though, had one of the best sledding hills around. just read an article in the Smithsonian magazine that talks about Lotska,
When they built his house, contractors carved out a dirt driveway that a kind of human hibernation in long-ago Russia. Apparently, peasants
quickly became unusable. During a hard rain, a veritable river of runoff would avoid the hardships of cold weather by sleeping practically all
formed, never failing to wash out one side. A new driveway was soon cut day, every day — waking just long enough for a drink of ale and a slice
in a different spot, and the old one was blocked off. As it fell into disuse, of bread.
a gully formed, getting deeper and deeper with each storm.
Now that’s a winter activity I can get on board with.
After a good snowfall, we’d use the right side of that old driveway
for “regular” sledding, but we’d wait for the snow in the gully on the left introducing the
to deepen and get a coating of ice for “extreme” sledding. We’d do our
best imitation of Olympic bobsledders then; the difference being that New Lincoln Continental
we were using wooden Flexible Flyers with steel runners, and our event
involved not fast, graceful turns, but dodging obstacles like boulders, All the Limo Amenities You Prefer in a Classy
scrub growth and fallen trees at a breakneck pace. There were never any Smaller Package!
medals, but I suppose it was reward enough that we managed to escape
with only a few bruises, scratches and bloody noses. How we avoided 6R Worldwide Transportation AG REENCOMPANY
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skills were learned: We quickly became experts at fixing broken sleds Lehigh Valley
with bits of wire, scrap wood and nails (yes, nails, because safety first).

Eventually, we graduated to snowmobiles, and spent countless
afternoons zooming through fields and woods at breakneck speed. And
because that wasn’t dangerous enough, we hatched a plan that involved
towing the aforementioned Flexible Flyers behind the snowmobiles in a
game you could call, “Yes, but can you still hold on if I do this?”

I don’t like winter nearly as much these days (which you may
have guessed if you’ve read previous columns). I still have that much-
repaired Flexible Flyer, though, and now I join my own kids for (safer)
sledding excursions. I also still snowmobile, and sometimes I even visit
the aforementioned Little Gap — which you probably know as Blue
Mountain Ski Area.

If you’re looking for snow fun, I’d start there. Blue Mountain has
a lot more options than when I first strapped boards to my feet and
tried to navigate moguls. With 39 trails, 16 lifts, a spot for snow tubing
and terrain parks for snowboarding, it’s practically an all-in-one winter
destination. It has a top-notch rental facility, a winter sports shop, great

December 2017 • indulge LV | 9