It’s school vacation week and there’s plenty of fresh snow on the ground.
What’s your sledding hill of choice? What are the conditions at the moment?
We’re just back from the golf course on Nahantan Street (left). It was a great afternoon, not too many people, and good conditions. After an hour and a half on the main hill, we moved to the shorter hill, down the path through the woods, and had it all to ourselves
BTW – There were a few folks kicking it old school with classic Flexible Flyers. Alas, the cheap inflatable rings were blowing them off the course.
I think the only time the old style sleds are the vehicle of choice are with really icy conditions. The one downside of nearly all the current styles of sleds though are that they are almost completely unsteerable. Once you start down the hill, gravity and terrain are in control – SO WATCH OUT!!!!
If it’s not icy, the hill at the arboretum in jp is a real thriller. But best for the over-9 set.
@Andrea – Peter’s Hill in the Arboretum was my childhood sledding spot. One of my craziest memories from Peter’s Hill was the year we got our hands on an old leaky row boat and an old pair of wooden skies. We made a ski-boat and about ten neighborhood kids carried it to the hill, dragged it to the top, piled in, flew down the hill and nearly killed ourselves.
On the third run down, the ski-boat smashed at high speed into a tree at the bottom of the hill (the ski boat went much much further and faster than any sleds). All but one of us jumped over the side before impact. Our unluckly friend who went down with the ship broke his arm but it could have been a lot worse.
I knew immediately where that picture was taken! I have to admit that, as non-skiing newcomers to New England in 1972, my husband and I detested New England’s isolating winters. That is, until about 3 years later when we hesitatingly purchased a real four-person toboggan and sneaked onto the Nahanton hill pictured above to find our winter sport love! We took many treks up that hill with combinations of all three of our kids and even watched our 3 oldest grandkids do the same when they vacationed here when they were very young. BTW, I understand that the Leo J. Martin golf course in Lower Falls is also a source of sledding fun.
That picture is the 16th hole at Charles River C.C.. It’s a much easier sledding hole than a golfing hole.
“Death Hill” at Brae Burn CC is another classic.
Does anyone have pictures of the old wooden toboggan run that used to be at the Newton Centre playground by Mason Rice?
@Terry – There’s a summertime photo of the starting ramp on page 14 and a winter time photo of the chute on page 26.