As New Englanders, we’re lucky enough to experience all four seasons. While most of us love this part of living up here, winters can get pretty brutal. When temperatures drop to freezing, it can be tempting to just lay inside all day and binge watch whatever show you’re watching on Netflix. But we live in New England and even in the winter, there are so many ways we can still enjoy the great outdoors in every season.
1. Go Skiing/Snowboarding
Whether you’ve been skiing your whole life or you’ve never been, it’s something everyone needs to at least try if you live where we live. Most mountains are within an hour and all are within two hours – Bretton Woods, Cannon and Sunapee are some of the favorites in NH. Although skiing is pretty expensive, college students get discounts at mountains and “super passes” which are season passes to 4 different mountains.
2. Go For A Run
Going for a run, especially in the winter, is one of the most energizing things you can do. Just make sure you bundle up for it. And if you’re running at UNH, try and avoid the sidewalks around campus because chances are there’s still snow on them.
3. Ice-skating
We have a ton of places we can go for ice skating. There’s ice skating on Mondays at the Whit. There’s outdoor rinks in Boston and Portsmouth. Or if you want to make it more competitive, you can play some pond hockey.
4. Take a Hike
Winter hiking takes more preparation so plan ahead for this one. You’ll need lots of layers and micro spikes for traction. Go with someone who is more experienced and always be on the safe side and be overprepared rather than underprepared. Even though you aren’t wearing shorts and you might get snow instead of sunshine on the hike, it’ll be just as fun. In fact, most trails are even prettier in the winter.
5. Keep It Simple
Some of the best times in the winter are doing things that you did when you were a kid. The next time there’s a big snowstorm and you’re stuck at home, break out the snow pants and gloves. Make a snowman, go sledding, and enjoy some hot cocoa after.