Shovelling is almost a
sport these days. Each morning, fresh powder waits to dust up the blades of our
wooden handled implements. Aaaaah...winter.
The beautiful white has
been falling pretty well every day. And that’s what outdoor enthusiasts look
forward to, once the driving to destination is over. Skiing, sledding, skating,
snowshoeing -all the “s” words of winter - keep us primed for the season.
Part of the reason we
have so much snow is because we have so much water around. Moisture fills the
air and turns into a soft cousin as it leaves the rivers and lakes. The little ones
are frozen over now, but the big ones, like Lake Superior, still are giving up
the steam which morphs into floating white.
It has been most
interesting to watch the transformations. Especially when big brother wind
comes blasting through. Early the other morning, late moonlight was shining up
huge smooth waves as they pushed onto shore. The rolling long lines curled with
white cresting foam across a silky surface. As I looked more closely and as the
light began to grow, I noticed a heavy dark line on the horizon that usually
means one thing - a wind is on its way. Sure enough. Within half an hour the
air was a thunderous roar as massive water mountains slammed into the bedrock.
Spray hit the windows and horizontal snow replaced horizon lines.
I suppose if these
waves were in Hawaii or even some other parts of Superior, we would see surfers
sliding down the water hills. (Although the cold water surfers might end up
singing Elvis’ Beach Boy Blues.) I’d only hit the real slopes, the sliding
hills of winter.
This year, for whatever
reason, there has been a media flurry about sliding hills. City decision makers
in Sudbury fenced off access to their perennially popular urban hill. Would be
gliders are raising sleds in opposition and Sudbury officials are rethinking
that move. Their favourite free playground now is off limits. At the same time
the city of Toronto opened two sliding hills this past weekend. There, children
can take sliding lessons! One young girl announced with pride in a radio
interview that she had learned how to stop.
Sliding is part of
growing up that can give some of the greatest life lessons. I remember well all
that it taught me. First off, you had to know the hill before hitting the
slopes. There were no black diamond trail markers for safety, so watching for
bumps, holes or rocks on the way up the hill was essential. There also had to
be a long runway at the bottom with no cars or creeks in the way. It often was a
contest to see who could go the farthest. The winner could cheer but they also
had a longer walk to get back up the hill.
If you had your own
toboggan, you pulled it up yourself. If you were sharing someone else’s, you
took turns hauling it up. A padded seat was a luxury. Big thick cardboard boxes
were a fun alternative. Crazy carpets were light but you felt every bump.
Then there are the right
clothes to wear. Two pairs of mitts were ideal as the outside pair was bound to
get balled up with snow. The inside layer made sure fingers didn’t freeze if you
had to drag your hands to slow down. A scarf was important to keep the wind
from your face on the way down, but keep it inside your coat. Don’t let it fly
free. You could choke if it got caught in the sled. Long jackets or snow suits
were keys to keeping snow from creeping down your back. Fashionable jeans were
a disaster. They flash froze first run.
As for learning how to
stop, now that is a bit trickier. And it depends on who is steering the
toboggan. At the top of the hill, with a gang on the sled, most yell at each
other to keep boots tucked in so the unit will go faster down the hill. As speed
increases someone invariably starts dragging their feet to slow things down.
Then the others will either poke their boots out too or yell at the cautious
(or smart) one to quit slowing things up. The person at the front, by using
twists, turns or flipping over, is in the most advantageous position to set the
pace. However the front runner often ends up with snow in the face.
But one of the best
things about sliding is the laughter in the fresh air. Plus, running up the
hills and balancing yourself on the way down is a terrific workout. What a
great way to get to know about the ups and downs of life. As a matter of fact,
I think I will go get my shovel and dig out my sled right now.