Who Says Adults Can't Sled?

I grew up around the snow and the cold, so I equated snow with fun at an early age. That’s because as a child growing up in Canada, you had no choice other than to think white fluffy stuff falling from the sky meant the greatest thing ever. 

In elementary school, those teachers ingrained in us how lucky we were to get to play outside in 3+ feet of snow and  -10+°F weather, and we believed it!.  While in the classroom during the winter season, should we look outside and see snow falling, like Pavlov's dogs, our little hearts began to palpitate in eager anticipation of the mind-blowing, earth-shattering, drop-the-mic event that was about to go down outside at recess. We couldn’t get dressed fast enough and often forgot or lost a mit, scarf, the occasional hat, all in pursuit of the pure unadulterated joy that comes with playing in the snow.  We would run outside in near whiteout conditions with snow crashing down on us at a 45-degree angle to roll our bodies down a hill with one mission: create the perfect slide.  Each child would take a turn over and over again, rolling down the hill to compacted the snow until it became solid. 

This required tireless coordination and dedication as technique was everything. And once the goal was achieved, ladies and gentlemen, batten down the hatches, because - it was on!  We would slide down head first, backward, knees bent, and every which way.  Whether going down individually, in groups or huge in piles of bodies mangled together in every which way, it didn't make a difference.  We only understood one thing, all of it produced great laughter and true joy. 

So it should come as no surprise to you that given the many days of snow we’ve recently seen here in the Quad Cities, I’ve been filled with nostalgia and fond memories that harken back to my younger years.  I was filled with warm thoughts of frostbitten fingers, frozen tears and icicle nostril hairs.  Ahhh, the good old days.  So on one of our most recent snowy days, in a blissful state of mind, I decided to invite a few of my adult friends to go sledding, and of course, the kids could come along too.  To my surprise, a few of them were crazy enough to accept.

I have to admit, it took a while to remember what it was like to plan an outing with the family. In this current covid climate, we don’t do such things anymore.  So, there I was, trying to remember what it was like to plan something to do.  Ahhhh…..we’ll need coats, yep, and shoes…..no, no… boots, ah yes, boots… how about food? No, better to eat first…… no silly, you’ll get a cramp!…no, no that’s swimming…ahhhh yes ok ah….definitely glasses or is that goggles? No….goggles are for skiing…but definitely, sunglasses… or is that for the beach? Aargh!!  Where are the sleds??  In that instance, the proverbial crickets were heard. No one knew where the sleds were, and we hadn’t seen them in forever.  We weren’t even sure they hadn’t been donated so, of course, panic ensued.  Luckily our quick-thinking teen rambled around, and discovered the two sleds tucked in some obscure corner of the garage. Finally, now, we were ready to face the day.  Just before leaving, I was very proud to remember to pack hot chocolate, a necessity for a great sledding day.

We arrived at Duck Creek Park and Golf Course off E. Locust St., thinking we would be the first ones there.  But to our surprise, there were several families already out there enjoying sledding.

If you haven’t been yet, you should definitely try it out.  It is an excellent hill for beginners and intermediates.  Young and old, and everything in between were running, diving, and doing all the fun stuff to enjoy this great time out in the snow.  Then, our friends showed up bundled down with kids and sleds in tow one by one. We made snow angels, had a snowball fight, went for a walk through the woods, and of course, sled down the hill. The kids paid us no mind. They just took off.

That’s when the adults decided to dig in and go for it.  Although one complained about their sciatica, a few about their backs, while another their knees, it didn’t really matter.  We all took turns going down that hill over and over again.  In the end, we only understood one thing, all of it produced great laughter and true joy.

Written by:  Sharon Cumberbatch

Sharon Cumberbatch is the owner of McFarlane Marketing, a full-service Marketing company that specializes in web design, email marketing, content creation, and graphic design services. Sharon lives in Davenport with her husband and her two children. She loves the outdoors and the kindness of folks in the Midwest.