Winter Family Fun Off the Slopes

on Dec 15, 2024

By Candyce H. Stapen

How did we learn to love winter? By dogsledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and exploring snow-blanketed national parks. Such off-the-slopes activities enabled my family and me to enjoy the snow and the cold without downhill skiing. Although my kids can gleefully maneuver black-diamond mountain trails, I fall even on bunny hills.

But all of us have savored the trips we've taken to the storybook setting of glistening woods where the wind bent the snow-dusted branches, creating a fluttery dance of sun and shadow on the fresh morning powder. Here are some of our most-loved cold-season adventures.

Dogsledding combines two of our favorite things -- happy dogs and icicle-laden forests. At Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge in Ely, Minnesota, operated by well-known musher-adventurer Paul Schurke, we relished the chance to go beyond being mere passengers by learning to mush. The basic rules are similar to good parenting: praise, patience and no yelling.

To keep the gang line taut (that's the long chain linking the dogs to the sled), we had only to shout, "Tighten up, Sheba," and "Good Sisu." The pure-bred Canadian Inuit dogs loved to pull, and their excitement proved contagious. When we approached them, they howled and yelped for joy, raring to run.

The two-person sled footboards designed by Schurke allowed us to pair up. The dogs pulled us across sunlit frozen lakes and through snowy woods. We heard only the soft padding of paws and the occasional bark. Dogsledding gave us the awe-inspiring gift of meeting nature freely, without the din of motorized vehicles.

We eschewed a camping trip to opt for the four-night lodge option that rewarded us with hot showers, hot food and warm beds at the day's end. All trips welcome children and teens, and the company also operates special family trips for parents, grandparents and children ages 7-12. Mushing requires standing for four to five hours in the Minnesota cold with breaks for outdoor lunches. Bundling up is key. Follow the packing list carefully and consider buying or renting warm boots, gloves and other gear from Wintergreen Northern Wear.

Mohonk Mountain House, with its turret towers and lakefront site amid 40,000 acres in the Shawangunk Mountains, has a castlelike feel. Add snow and the property turns into an enchanted woodland reminiscent of fairytales. We -- both kids and adults -- grew wide-eyed at first sight. Founded in 1869, the National Historic Landmark property, about 95 miles north of Manhattan near New Paltz, New York, is worlds away from the city.

We liked the opportunity to cross-country ski and snowshoe on 30 miles of groomed trails. Those activities enabled us to slow down and see forest details that ranged from deer tracks to birds and berries. In recent years the resort has added an outdoor covered ice-skating pavilion perched above the lake and a snow-tubing hill. After play outdoors, it was fun to gather around the fireplace in one of the grande dame Victorian resort's many sitting areas.

At the complimentary Kids' Club -- available year-round on weekends and midweek on holidays and in summer -- ages 4 to 12 ice-skate, snow-tube, create snow sculptures and enjoy indoor games and crafts. That gives parents and grandparents time to savor the 30,000-square-foot spa. The resort's all-inclusive pricing covers all meals, afternoon tea and most activities. It's no wonder that Mohonk Mountain House is an award-winning resort.

Winter is my favorite season to visit Yellowstone National Park. Blanketed by snow, the park exudes a mythical beauty. The crowds are gone, but the world-famous geysers, bubbling mud pots and hot springs remain. Plus, the animals become easier to spot as they gather in the lower elevations where conditions are less harsh. Near the roads you might spot red foxes and wolves. The bison often gather near Old Faithful and the snowy fields near Mammoth Hot Springs.

In winter, only one park road remains open, and it's treacherous. Instead, opt for organized outings. Stay warm in a snow coach as guides point out animals, get the wind in your face on a snowmobile outing (the noise warns many animals away, although some tours stop within walking distance to Old Faithful) or sign up for a naturalist-led cross-country ski tour. You won't soon forget gliding by bison, their shaggy coats encrusted with balls of snow.

Only two lodges remain open in winter. Many tours depart from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, including wildlife tours and geyser basin tours. Both Mammoth and Old Faithful Snow Lodge offer group and private cross-country ski lessons and tours.

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WHEN YOU GO

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge: dogsledding.com

Mohonk Mountain House: mohonk.com

Yellowstone National Park: nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Yellowstone National Park Lodges: yellowstonenationalparklodges.com

Yellowstone Vacations: yellowstonevacations.com

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Candyce H. Stapen is a writer at www.greatfamilyvacations.com. Follow her on Instagram @candycestapen Twitter @familyitrips (Candyce H. Stapen), www.facebook.com/FamilyiTrips/ and at www.hennyskids.org, her non-profit that brings solar-powered computers and soccer balls to rural schools in Africa. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.