Winter seems to have finally settled over New Hampshire. The ice has come in, the snow is here to stay, and us here at the Squam Lakes Association have slowly shifted into our winter activities and duties. I’ve always liked the wintertime and missed it when I moved down to the Southeast and out to the Midwest. It’s nice to be back within the part of the US that actually has four seasons, and this winter is doing a great job of reminding me why I like it so much.
The education programs we run here have definitely taken a swing to the cold and icy; if not about winter adaptations or centered on some form of winter recreation, the recent programs have been virtual so people can join in from the toasty comfort of their own homes. Our guided hikes are now always accomplished with the aid of microspikes or snowshoes and we’ve all been challenged in trying to find new things to engage our audiences and get them to try something new. That being said, it feels like we’ve accomplished that. From painting to trivia night to hikes across the lake ice, it’s nice to know that there’s so many diverse things to do in the winter.
We’ve also begun water quality monitoring for the winter, which was something I was really looking forward to. I have some experience with water quality monitoring, but usually as a precursor to some other research, like macroinvertebrate counts or fish sampling. I’ve certainly never done it on a frozen lake. If you have to see some folks dressed up like Arctic explorers, or perhaps some suspiciously tall penguins with a color palette from the Neon 1980s dragging a sled full of equipment behind them, stop and say hi! We’re out getting information on what’s going on under the ice and adding to a long dataset that the SLA has maintained for years. It feels like some real science out there, which has been great.
Our winter recreation activities are in full swing as well! The only winter sport I have much experience with is skating, and even then it’s not much; it’s a bit of a goal of mine to at least get on a board or skis this winter at least once. The last time I went skiing, I was about four feet tall and had the motor coordination of a particularly challenged baby deer. I’m a bit taller now, of course, but the coordination part is still a work-in-progress. Eric and Kyle have been hitting the slopes on their boards when they can, and a small hill in our backyard when they can’t, so maybe I can cajole a few tips n’ tricks out of the experienced fellas before I go for it. I’ve been partially demoralized and partially inspired by the X Games, which we watched bits of as a house. I assume the upcoming Beijing Olympics will be much of the same! I myself will be striving for gold in the Couch Olympics as I get settled in to watch hours and hours of hockey, curling, and figure skating. I think I’m going to try and knit a few pairs of Olympic mittens and hats, as I’ve been on a furious knitting kick lately. Who knows? You might catch me on a guided hike with some spiffy, hand-made new threads.
At the end of it all, winter is a time for trying new things. The bare bones of the earth seem more exposed without all the green obscuring the shape of the land, so it feels a bit like time for a reimagining your place in the world. What new things are available to you once you shift your perspective? At the LRCC, it’s a time to gain even MORE new skills (like plowing, or using a snowblower, or snowshoeing, or auguring holes in the ice, or or or…) and go after new challenges. Hopefully the winter brings everyone else time to try, too.
When she isn’t knitting, you may find Bri looking for the local hockey scene. Learn more about Bri here!