Winter Trails Day

Saturday, January 9 is the 15th annual Winter Trails days at 90 venues throughout the U.S. Children and adults can try snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing FREE at participating locations. They vary with their offerings. Check http://www.wintertrails.org/ for details.

It's great exercise and FUN!

Winter Trails is part of Learn a Snow Sport Month.

Leki Nordic Walking poles giveaway!

 Bad news: It's still summer.

Good news: We're giving away a pair of Leki Nordic Walking poles!

Just enter before September 30th to get your chance to win a pair of Leki Nordic Walking poles to bring along on your next adventure.

Here's what Leki has to say about their Nordic Walking poles: With a pair of LEKI Nordic Walking poles in your hands, the most basic stroll becomes a surprisingly easy full-body workout.  Enter now and by the time fall comes around, you'll be ready to enjoy the cooler weather outside!

Click here or visit winterfeelsgood.com to enter!

Kids & Snow Sports

Kids are lucky: they quickly forget the cold once they find that learning a snow sport at a young age is not only extremely fun, but is ideal because they often learn quickly.  Of course, it depends on the child, but it is usually agreed upon that kids can start learning a snow sport between ages 3-5.  I started learning at 3- and I've been hooked ever since!   

Recent years have better than ever to teach your kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, whoever is young in your life, with a score of resorts offering incentives let kids ski free or at a deeply discounted rate, and others offering new and exciting programs that are fun and creative.  Perhaps the best benefit besides all of the fun is gifting a child the know-how to stay fit and enjoy the outdoors throughout the winter season.  

We like this K2 Women Blog post and Snow Monsters for more about kids learning fun winter sports.  

Who Introduced You to Snow Sports?

My favorite snow sport, skiing, has always been all about family for me. My parents loved to ski and from age 3 on, they would drop my brother and I off at ski school while they hit the slopes. As for ski school, I hated every second that I wasn't on the slopes. I didn't want to watch videos or color or even eat lunch: I wanted to be like Mom and Dad and get out on that snow! Luckily, my whining paid off and they decided that teaching me to ski (on a leash!) was a better idea.

More recently, I've passed along my love of snow sports to two close friends, and now we go on an annual trip where I ski, they take their annual snowboard lesson, I laugh when they complain at how sore they are, and then we end up snowshoeing the rest of the weekend. I may not have passed along my hunger for fresh powder, but I always smile when we're able to spend time together outdoors in the winter rather than staying cooped up all weekend.

I'm interested to learn who introduced you to snow sports, and who you have introduced!

Resort Finder

Once you've decided to embark on, or start planning a winter getaway, where do you start!? There are so many great resorts out there and everyone has their own personal preferences. We'd definitely suggest consulting with your friends, but if all else fails we like Skiing Magazine's Resort Finder.

Here's why we like it: you can search based on what you need. Search by state, or by either Eastern or Western North America. Or, search by value, family-friendlyness, off-hill activities, scenery, and a host of other options.

For example, we chose to search for a resort in Eastern North America with weather, lodging, scenery, and family as our top priorities. Our top five resorts were: Bretton Woods, Smugglers' Notch, Sugarbush, Tremblant, and Stowe. From there, you can check ratings and comments left by visitors. Definitely a good tool for our next getaway!

Winter Feels Good for Kids

Here at Winter Feels Good we're all about presenting snow sports to kids as a way to get active and have fun outside during those colder months. We love reaching out to Physical Education teachers, club leaders, and other individuals and helping to provide them with the tools they need to make winter an active season for kids. If you're interested in recieving a Learn a Snow Sport Toolkit CD in the mail, check out our website here.

In that light, we've also created a Leadership Club comprised of activity and recreation professionals who spread the good word about fun on the snow! Paula Summit, leader of the group, has this to say about Winter Feels Good:

"As the leader of the Winter Feels Good Leadership Club and an active member of AAHPERD, [American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance] I am frequently reminded that there is a need for quality information for winter activities for educators.

It is important for our youth to be exposed to winter activities during their development so that they will make intelligent choices for participating in cold weather activities as a lifetime activity. Currently, there are limited educational resources available to educators. Winter Feels Good offers a tool kit that enables educators to integrate winter activities into the school curricula.

I have witnessed first hand how important it is for educators to interact with the Winter Feels Good staff at both local and national conferences for educators. Winter Feels Good, thru the education of educators is touching the lives of our youth by exposing them to active participation during the winter months and enriching their lives forever. "

Thanks Paula! Remember to visit our Web site to request a Learn a Snow Sport Toolkit CD, and for other information on kids and winter sports.

Top Ten Things You Might Forget to Bring...

So you're packing for your first ski trip of the season, or maybe your first ski trip ever! As you run through your mental list of what to bring...what are the top ten things you might not remember? Of course you'll remember the basics, but there's nothing worse than having to pick up something at the ski shop when you know you've already got it at home. We've forgotten it all and this time around, we've got you covered!

10. Cell phone- for last minute weather checks, and in case of emergencies.

9. Water bottle and snacks

8. Thin gloves- for use driving & around the resort before you hit the slopes.

7. Neck gaiter

6. ID- you never know when your status as a college student, member of the military, teacher, or member of the 50+ club might come in handy for a discount!

5. Insurance card- just in case.

4. Goggles or sunglasses

3. Sunscreen

2. Lip balm with sunscreen

1. Camera