Now that climate change has really settled in there are loads of free fun winter activities that we can’t do in Pittsburgh. I was reminded of this when I heard that the Beaver County Snow Shovel Riding Championship was postponed last Saturday. Last year it was eventually canceled. As the Beaver County Times wrote last month:
The Beaver County Snow Shovel Riding Championship returns in 2020. That comes with the major assumption that sufficient snow rests on the 165-foot hill at Old Economy Park, just off Route 989 in Economy, on Jan. 11 or the makeup date of Jan. 18.
Beaver County Times, Let it snow, if shovel riding championship is to return
Last Saturday, 11 January 2020, was so hot that it broke a 130-year record. At Pittsburgh International Airport, nine miles from that Beaver County hillside, it was 71 degrees F. Of course there was no snow.
Other winter fun we’re missing includes building snowmen, making snow angels, and cross country skiing. These still might happen for a day or two if we get one big snowfall.
But some winter fun is just plain dangerous in today’s world. Ice fishermen used to count on our frozen lakes but these days the ice is missing or very thin. Unsafe!
To emphasize this dilemma, the Great Lakes were virtually ice free on January 12.
No winter fun.
(photos from Wikimedia Commons; map from U.S. National Ice Center; click on the captions to see the originals)
My grandmother grew up in Michigan in the 1910-20’s era. She used to tell us about skating on Lake Huron ( she lived in Port Huron) and ice sailing, or whatever they called it, in a little boat that would glide across the ice propelled by the wind. The sort of things the Bobbsey twins used to do in those wonderful old books!
I grew up with Lake Ontario in my back yard. Across the street from Lake Ontario was The Irondequoit Bay. I remember skating right across that thing. The whole width. Not anymore. There used to be ice boat races on the Bay too. I don’t think the Bay has been thick enough for any of that in years. It’s sad.