8 Good Reasons to Skip Skiing

Not a skier? That’s OK. You can still get outside this winter. Here are eight ways to enjoy the snow that don’t involve plunging down a mountainside (on skis, at least.)

Rush a Bobseld Course

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See what it feels like to be an Olympic bobsledder speeding down a track at 60 miles per hour. In Lake Placid, New York, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, a professional driver and brakeman will guide you down the track at the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience. In Utah, a pro pilot will lead the way down the official 2002 Olympic track at the Utah Olympic Park.

Join an Organized Snowball Fight

A snowball fight in the backyard is one thing. But an organized snowball fight with hundreds of people in a city park? Now we’re talking. Last winter, the Washington D.C. Snowball Fight Association organized three official events across the nation’s capital, including one battle staged at night. When a storm hits, you’ll be given a few hours’ notice to get to the chosen location and start lobbing snowballs.

Soak in a Mountaintop Hot Tub

At Squaw Valley, California, you can ride the aerial tram to High Camp, then soak in a mountain-top hot tub at 8,300 feet. You’ll be treated to bubbling jets and views of Lake Tahoe, while skiers and snowboarders slide down the slopes nearby. Afterward, cruise back down the tram and go sip a hot toddy by the fire at the bar at Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn in the village.

Fat Bike on Snowy Singletrack

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We don’t have to tell you that it’s latest hot sport in mountain towns. Fat bikers can ride singletrack all year round and when snow conditions aren’t great for skiing, they’re ideal for hitting the trail on big tires. Rent a bike in Killington, Vermont, from Fat Bike Vermont and take to groomed cross-country trails or pave your own path through the woods. In Jackson, Wyoming, Teton Mountain Bike Tours leads guided fat bike tours (including bike rental) with a hot lunch and wildlife spotting through Grand Teton National Park.

Snowshoe Around a Volcano

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Snowshoeing becomes a lot more exciting when you’re looking at something interesting, like bubbling geysers in Yellowstone National Park or the rim of a volcanic crater at Crater Lake National Park. In the winter, rangers at Oregon’s Crater Lake lead two-hour guided snowshoe walks on weekends. Or head to Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park and follow a ranger on a two-hour snowshoe trek up the flanks of the volcano.

Scale an Ice Wall

Ouray, Colorado, is the epicenter of ice climbing, but you don’t have to be an elite climber to start sending. Sign up for a private lesson or group clinic geared toward everyone from newbies to experts looking to up their game with San Juan Mountain Guides in the Ouray Ice Park and beyond. Or show up during the Ouray Ice Festival in mid-January to see how the pros do it.

Drive a Litter of Huskies

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You and the family can perch in a wooden sleigh while an experienced musher leads a team of Alaskan huskies to pull you through the woods. Or hop into the driver seat at places like Grizzle-T Dog Sledding in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where you’ll learn how to drive your own team of dogs along groomed backcountry trails with the occasional elk sighting.

Become a Champion Pond Hockey Player

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Dust off your hockey skates and sign up for a league. We like the Tivoli Beer Pond Hockey Championships, held in early January on a frozen lake in Evergreen, Colorado. Teams compete for a $1,500 prize purse. A beer company is the lead sponsor of the championships—a positive indicator of good vibes.