Showing posts with label Sled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sled. Show all posts

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Down on Bended Sled

All aboard the Suicide Sled. . .
What's up, fanbase.

You'd think being as snowy as it is around these parts, we would've gone sledding a crap-load of times already this winter.  We have little kids, God knows that's something you're supposed to do with them during the winter in order to maintain your Parenting License.

Well, it's also been cold as shit out.  Cold to the point where I don't want to be outside any longer than it takes to walk from my home to my car, from my car to my school building, from my school building back to my car, and from my car to my house.  There's absolutely no reason to be outside in this nonsense.  Screw that.

Maddie, Alayna and Abby, on top of the sledding hill, preparing for their first run. 
After a couple of months of either a.) no snow, b.) too much snow and hazardous roads, or c.) adequate roads and snow levels, but sub-polar temperatures, we finally had ourselves a weekend with clear roads, good snow, and relatively decent weather (sunny and high-20s.)  So, pouncing on the opportunity to be decent winter parents, Kris and I loaded up the girls and sleds - and Alayna's BFF, Maddie - and ventured out to Midland City Forest.

Not surprisingly, many folks had the same idea, as the hill was definitely busy, but fortunately not to the point where it got on your nerves.  We ended up meeting Kris' friend Kim and her daughter Makala up there, and ended up spending about two hours on the hill before kids began to tire out.  I can think of far crappier ways to spend an afternoon.

Check it out. . .

Of course.
The agony of defeat.
Fashionable knit hats are all the rage among kids these days.
Three-at-a-time.  It's a disaster every, single run.
What's great about the sledding hill they have over at Midland City Forest is the little dividers they create, sectioning off various 12 or 15-foot runs across the hill.  It was pretty icy in spots, so these dividers also served as pathways for kids to walk back up the hill after a run.
This was so painful to watch. . .
I hate these sleds so much - they're beyond dangerous.
The old lady finally gets her butt on a sled.
Abby, pumped as always.
At the end of our sledding outing, on our way back to the cars, the girls' decided their final run would be a combo run where they doubled up.  This led to a few sleds being left behind at the top of the hill, so Kris and I grudgingly went down on these stupid things. (Kim snapped this.)
You can't tell from the picture, obviously, but I got about two feet of air after hitting a bump on the hill, and totally wiped out at the bottom.  My ass hurt for hours.

- Brian

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Over Snow, Slush, Ice and Grass

Lovely views await you at Overlook Park.   Or not.
Welcome back, Internet.

You know, everybody up here keeps telling me that this has been a 'mild winter.'  Like I'm supposed to be grateful for how abnormally warm it's been.

I don't know what the hell these people are smoking, 'cause, personally, I think it's REALLY COLD out.

Sure, I'm comparing this to Florida.  Sue me.

Anyway, today was one of those 'warm' days.  By 'warm,' I mean it was in the low-30s.  Heat wave for some, but for us pseudo-Floridians, it was still pretty frickin' cold out.  Not so cold as to prohibit us from taking some time today to spend sometime outside in the snow with the kids, though.  They've only been sledding once this winter, so we knew we had to take them out again.  And doing so in the low-30s is a lot better than doing so in the low. . . 0s.

Kris wanted to take them out to Overlook Park, which is a fitting name since this particular local park overlooks the scenic Dow Chemical Plant.  Her and the girls have been sledding there before with some of our neighbors, but honestly it's little more than a big hill:  I'm not really sure what the appeal of this park is outside of sledding in the winter.  I could have used more snow on the ground - the warmer weather wasn't helping the ground conditions at all - but it worked in the end, and the kids had a blast.

Check it out. . .

A discarded broken sled near a park plaque.
Kris stayed at the top of the hill and facilitated the girls' turns on the sled (we only have the one, having not had much need to buy an additional sled. . . up until now.) 
Abby runs back up after a run down the grass/slush/ice/snow. 
The Cannonball attempts a head-first ride. . .
Another Cannonball Run
You couldn't tear this kid away from this sled. . .
Post wipe-out, Abby grabs a quick snack.
Next time, we definitely bring two sleds. 
Of COURSE Alayna had to be dramatic about pushing the sled up the hill following a run.
Mid-scolding.
A solution to the one-sled dilemma. 
Abby biffs it.
Abby shows of her famous Antietam impression.
This walk got pretty old after awhile.
Kris decides to take a turn. . .
(This was waaay funnier in person.)
And now with the other kid. . .
The Antietam impression.  Again.
This kid spends a lot of time face-down in the snow. 
Another wipeout
Taking a break from all that sledding to get herself stuck up in a pine tree. . .
Noted.  Probably not a good idea to have the sledding path head straight into traffic, Overlook Park.
Farewell for now, from scenic Midland, Michigan

- Brian