A winter would not be complete without a little sledding, sliding, sledging or tobogganing (whichever term you prefer). The Dudes did not waste time getting out an arsenal of sledding implements with which to conquer the mountain.
left: One cannot sled without “escorts”.
right: Ooops, up in the snowbank!
Everything from the old time wooden American Flyer with metal runners to plastic discs were tried. Each seemingly to have it’s own prime conditions in which to work; The American flyer worked best on the road when it was hard packed and with it’s steering control could take one a quarter of a mile, the discs worked best on the back driveway with a slightly icy surface but without steering often landed one in a snow bank, the cruiser (hunk of plastic with rudder control) could blaze through fresh snow in the woods quite well and the bath tubs (long pieces of plastic with shallow sides) enabled the big kids to stretch out and have fun too.
left and below “big kids” in “tubs”.
left: Watch out for the tree!
When Cousin Calvin arrived, he and the Big Dude took sledding to a new level by creating sledding trails all over the property complete with a map and legend to guide those interested in taking on trails with names like the headless sledder and Do or Die.
left and below: Blazing new trails.
right: Whooaa, that could hurt!
Even after a full day of skiing, the boys would come home and get out the sleds and hit the trails (if only I had that kind of energy!). Not to be deterred by darkness, they even went out one night with headlamps.
above: Sometimes it was as exhausting as it was fun.
“The only pictures I have are the ones in my mind, but oh, the memories! On a saucer, toboggan, sled….piece of cardboard I did it all,” Sandy D. on sledding at West Shore Golf Course.
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