A Bittersweet Season

Though the cold keeps many people indoors, winter weather comes with an assortment of activities that we should take advantage of. With a large amount of snowfall predicted for this Thursday, those interested in some fun should find their hats, gloves, and boots.

Bittersweet is a popular location in Otsego where skiers and snowboarders of all levels hit the slopes together. Don’t have equipment? No worries! You can rent equipment at the resort for $42 during the daytime and $37 after 5 pm (excluding Fridays). Helmets are always available for $15, and remember, no helmet, no steeze! The resort is open from 10 am to 10 pm Monday thru Friday for an all area lift ticket cost of $54. On Saturdays and during Holiday periods (like this Presidents’ Day Holiday Weekend) the resort is open from 9 am to 10 pm with a more expensive rate of $72. The cost for a Sunday is $70 and the slopes are open from 9 am to 9 pm. The evening rates (5 pm to close) are a bit cheaper, $52 Sunday through Thursday–Fridays are the same–and $56 on Saturdays and Holiday Periods.

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If Bittersweet doesn’t sound appealing, but you’d still like to go skiing, you should take a look at Timber Ridge. There, in addition to skiing and snowboarding, you could try snow tubing. Snow tubing doesn’t require as much skill as skiing or snowboarding and it’s still a lot of fun! It’s $28 for a two hour ticket, open Wednesday through Friday 1 pm to 9 pm, Saturday 10 am to 9 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 7 pm. At Timber Ridge, it’s less expensive to hit the slopes. Rentals are $40 and an adult lift ticket costs $50 or $47 after 5 pm no matter what day of the week it is.

If the hills and the chairlifts don’t sound appealing, you could try on some ice skates! Ice skating is great because you can talk to your friends while you’re skating and attempt new tricks together. Wings West hosts indoor Public Skate for two hours almost every day of the week. On Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, on Saturday the session runs from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and on Sundays it’s from 1:45 pm to 3:30 pm. No matter what day of the week it is, admission is $10 and rental skates are $3.

Want to outdoor skate? No problem! Millennium Park in Portage has a great rink with cheaper rates than Wings West. It’s closed Monday through Thursday, but it opens on Friday from 3 pm to 9 pm, and Saturday to Sunday 12 pm to 6 pm. Admission is $5, rentals are $3, and skate sharpening is $5. If you really enjoy skating there, you could buy a skate card for $25, which is good for the price of admission, rentals, or skate sharpening. The season ends on March 2nd, so hurry over if you want to get some outdoor skating in!

Want to have fun without breaking the bank? There are many cost-free ways to have fun in the snow. If you own a pair of ice skates, you could try lake skating–just be sure to check that the ice is thick enough first. Or you could find a nice snowy hill, grab some friends, and go sledding. If you want an activity that requires no equipment, you can always build a snowman, start a snowball fight, or make a snow angel. You’re never too old to have fun in the snow!