Madeline Hubbard ‘19
Sports Editor
Winter is coming and with it the crisp New England weather we all love so much. If you’re like me, nothing is more exciting than a day spent out in the cold enjoying the snow-covered landscape.
This winter season, the Smith Outdoor Program is offering many activities to keep you moving through the colder months. If you are on campus for Interterm with nothing to do, it offers several trips and classes that require no prior experience.
From Jan. 12 to 14, there is a trip up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. For $75, you can explore Cannon Mountain on snow shoe, enjoy the winter scenery and retire to a cozy hut for two nights.
This J-Term, there is an Intro to Animal Tracking course that offers to bring you more in touch with nature and learn to identify many types of tracks. The course runs Jan. 17 through the 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. and is a great way to do a little hiking, get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.
If you are looking to go on daring trips, there are snowshoeing adventures from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in February with the dates to be determined.
The Outdoor Program is also offering two cross country skiing day trips — one in January and one in February also from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The trip will include a lesson followed by some groomed trails and some powder skiing. No experience is required for any of these trips and they’re great ways to enjoy the snow and explore.
During the spring semester, the Outdoor Program will start a weekly Thursday shuttle at 4 p.m. to Berkshire East for downhill skiing and snowboarding. The tickets are $17 for skiing from 5 to 9 p.m. Rentals are $17, and lessons are only $15. The outdoor program also has some winter gear to borrow if needed.
The Outdoor Program is also going ice skating from 12 to 4 p.m. for a 1 to 3 p.m. skate time on some select dates in February. For specific dates, check back later in the year to the Outdoor Adventure Program’s page on the Smith Athletics Website.
For those who want to stay active, but can’t stand the cold there is an Interterm class, Intro to Sport Climbing on Jan. 17 through the 19 at 9:30 a.m. to 12pm. The class reviews belaying basics, equipment, lead belaying, anchoring and rappelling on sport rock climbs.
The class will begin teaching the basics of lead climbing where you place protection along the way, as opposed to top-rope climbing, where the anchor is pre-set above you.
Basic experience belaying and climbing is required to take this course.
For something even more casual, grab some friends and head on over to free skate at the Mullins Center at UMass. Free skate is Saturdays 4 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 2:30 to 4:30 for only $5 admission and $5 skate rentals.
If traveling to the ice rink is too hard when the winter laziness sets in; there is always pond skating here at Smith or sledding on Hospital Hill.
Here at Smith, we are so lucky to be surrounded by nature and such idyllic New England scenes that it would be a shame not to go out and enjoy them this winter.
However, if just thinking about cold weather makes you shiver, then I won’t blame you for settling in next to a window with a book and a warm cup of hot chocolate.
