Have you ever experienced
Central Park
laden with snow? It is one of the most beautiful sights to be seen and enjoyed.
Children bring their sleds, saucer discs, and cardboard pieces to help them coast
down tiny hills. It is surprisingly safe and well organized. The kids are
accompanied by their parents and they all take turns gliding down one by one. I
have never seen so many children so patient waiting for their turn.
Central Park transforms into a mini Winter wonderland.
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| Sledding |
In January, the New York City Parks Department, along with
the Olympic Regional Development Authority and Gore Mountain, hosted the 2013
Winter Jam. Winter Jam is an annual event which glorifies snow and Winter
sports. I went to check it out and made sure to wear my snow boots.
Gore
Mountain provided tons of
synthetic snow. You would have never known the snow was fake since it actually
snowed the day before and the snowy landscape blended all together. Winter Jam
gave New Yorkers a chance to try out a few Winter activities like skiing,
snowboarding, sledding, and snowshoeing without having to travel upstate or to any
other of the nearby mountains in New Jersey
and Pennsylvania.
There were snowboarding tricks demonstrated and sponsored by Red Bull, ice
sculptures you could sit on and pose with, and a doggie snow zone. The festival
had entertainment in every corner. In addition to the sports and recreational
areas, there was also a live band, food vendors, free samples, and an animal
adoption agency on site. Needless to say, there was a lot going on!
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| Red Bull Metrorail |
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| The happiest dog ever! |
The festival was geared largely to children. There was a
Learn to Play Quidditch area through a local Meetup group, Radio Disney on
site, and various games to play. I took interest in an educational Winter
camping and survival demo. Learning how to shield oneself from the snow and
wind while collecting water to boil are important skills to master.
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| Survival Skills 101 |
 |
| Learn to Play Quidditch |
Everyone was required to sign a waiver if they wanted to
participate in the activities. The festival was divided into sections. The
snowshoeing area had no line. I walked right in and was seated to be fitted
into snowshoes. Much to my surprise, snowshoes did not look like tennis
rackets! I had watched one, too many cartoons. The snowshoes I tried on snapped
onto my boots and when I walked, they moved with me. They looked and felt like
they were made out of plastic. They were very durable despite their lightness.
The snowshoes gave my boots a larger support surface and I was even able to run
in them. Snowshoes prevent you from sinking into the snow. I had a great time
stomping around and am now ready for a Winter hike! After snowshoeing, I wanted
to try cross-country skiing but the line was a good hour long wait. I took it
as a sign to move on. There was much to explore!
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| Getting strapped in. |
 |
| Our Snowshoes |
I spent a good two hours at the festival overall. I walked
through
Central Park the rest of the afternoon.
I came across Betheseda Fountain. Behind the fountain, the same lake I rowed a
boat in had now become iced over. I could not believe this was the same park that
was usually green and filled with people in shorts and t-shirts. Now the park
looked like a page out of a L.L. Bean catalog, Winter edition.
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| The Lake |
Photography Credits: Roxwriting, Desmond Chow
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