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Reasons (and places) to love snow, ice and cold

By Jeff Long

Local TV news anchors are aghast, reporting on the recent cold snap as if it were a wild freak of nature that's descended upon us without warning.

Pardon me, but … isn't this typical January weather? It's a time of snow, ice and cold that is best greeted with skis, sleds, snowshoes and skates. If it's going to be cold, that's how you make the best of it.

With 165 parks, sled hills, skating rinks and 48 miles of trails, the Fox Valley Park District is a 2,400-acre playground for winter activities and cold-weather fun. Here are the best places to find it:

Sledding

It's one of the joys of childhood, but please remind the young ones to sled down the middle of the hill and walk up the sides to avoid the dreaded "bowling alley" scenario and potential injury. Here are the go-to hills:

• Lincoln Park: Located at Russell Avenue and Lakewood Place in Aurora, this is a gentle hill suitable for young children and beginners.

• McCullough Park: Launch from the Prisco Community Center parking lot at 150 W. Illinois Ave., and enjoy Fox River views on the way down.

• Waubonsie Lake Park: A bit steeper, this sled area at Montgomery and Kautz roads is rated as intermediate.

• Oakhurst Forest Preserve: The big hill on Fifth Avenue, just west of Kautz Road, offers the fastest and steepest sledding in the area and is maintained by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.

Ice skating

The park district maintains four outdoor skating rinks that are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk as conditions permit. For updates on skating conditions, visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org

• Waubonsie Lake Park: Two rinks; one for hockey and one for general skating.

• Blackberry Farm: One rink for general skating.

• Wilbert Walters Park (formerly May Street Park): One rink for general skating.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is permitted in any of the district's 165 parks and across the 48-mile network of trails. Enjoy the peace, beauty and serenity of winter in the parks.

Whenever the snow cover is 3 inches or more, snowshoes are available for rent seven days a week at the Red Oak Nature Center. For $5, you can rent a pair of Atlas 925 snowshoes - poles included - to navigate across the white stuff. (Red Oak is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Cross-country skiing

Where there's snow, there's skiing. Unlike downhill, Nordic skiing requires no expensive lift ticket. Free fun is literally right out the door. Here are some personally tested favorites with minimal road crossings:

• Fox River Trail: Start in North Aurora on either side of the State Street bridge and stride northward. Both sides are wooded, peaceful and beautiful. The more ambitious can travel a loop to Batavia, crossing the river at the Clark Island bridges.

• Virgil Gilman Trail: The trailheads at Prairie Street or Galena Boulevard are both good starting points. Heading westward, skiers will enjoy a rustic glide, all the way to Waubonsee College. Blackberry Creek parallels much of the route, further enriching the scenery.

• Waubonsie Lake Trail: This popular network of trails can be accessed at Waubonsie Lake Park (off Kautz Road) and from the parking lot at the Eola Community Center. One tour around Waubonsie Lake on skis is all it takes for this destination to be added to the favorites list.

• Stuart Sports Complex/Jericho Lake: A sprawling expanse of snow - nearly 400 acres worth - provides plenty of room for skiers to roam to their heart's content. Park at the south entrance off Route 30 near the dog park.

The above trails are not groomed, relying instead on skiers to carve tracks - so, the more skiers who use the trails, the better the tracks.

Fortunately, it's only January right now - meaning there's plenty more of winter fun awaiting!

• Jeff Long (jlong@fvpd.net) is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.

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