Local traditions of what to do with snow and ice are fun.
In Augusta, Maine, some 25 years ago or so there was something called an annual
downhill canoe race. I was fascinated and repelled by it. With only one
modest canoe to my name it was hard for me to imagine the kind of wealth that
would be required to own a canoe so far past its prime that one would risk it
in ;this manner...no matter how much fun it was...no matter how long it had
been since you had last gotton your boat wet. (I sort of suspected that some
of the entrants were using o.p. boats, so I moved mine closer to the dog's run
in the weeks leading up to the race.
In Milwaukee, my daughters learned the joys of body sledding. It was something
done everyday on the way to school and generally applied whenever the
opportunity presented itself...I'm not sure it was always intentional. There
skills at this sport faded away after we moved to Pennsylvania and they
out-grew their snowmobile suits. Never had a snomobile, but the suits were a
necessity.
-jc