Outdoor fun offers refuge in a pandemic winter
Outdoor experiences offered socially distanced fun amidst a pandemic winter, when the fresh air became an important refuge during an otherwise isolated time. Residents grabbed sleds, ice skates, skis, and masks to take advantage of safe, outside socialization as much as possible. Relaxing over coffee by the Cochran’s fire pits or gathering for an outdoor birthday party at the Round Church, they bundled up and celebrated winter together. These are some moments they shared, and what they said about the season.
“The Round Church is a great meeting spot,” said Richmond’s Lisa Valyou, who brought her son for a sledding birthday party on a snowy Saturday. “It’s free… and it’s fun!”
Sledding hill at the Round Church, Richmond, VT
“I’ve enjoyed every moment that I have been here, having a cup of coffee and watching his last few runs,” said Giles Anderson of Charlotte, who came with his son for ski team practice. That’s been “the high point of [his] outside activity this year.” While the inside lodge is closed, two cozy fire pits and an outdoor snack bar have made it “a good time to be outside” during the pandemic, Anderson said.
Cochran’s Ski Area, Richmond, VT
“We just started skiing again after about 20 years because our grandson has started to ski,” said Nini Anger of Shelburne. Whether she is skiing with her grandson at Cochran’s or cross-country skiing in a friend’s field, Anger said “the outside activities are definitely a way that we can be together.”
Cochran’s Ski Area, Richmond, VT
Now closed “by order of Mother Nature,” the ice skating rink drew masked crowds through the winter, said Lisa Valyou of Richmond. It seemed that “more and more the community has been involved,” she said, “having fun together while still saying safe.”
Ice skating rink at Volunteers Green, Richmond, VT
“I’ve been really happy that skiing has continued in the pandemic,” said Rebecca Cunningham, of Burlington, who races for both Burlington High School and Mansfield Nordic Club. Freshman skiers and classmates hungry for safe social time have swelled the Burlington High School team this year, and Cunningham said it has been exciting to watch practices grow.
Sleepy Hollow Ski & Bike Center, Huntington, VT
“Here you don’t really feel that there is a pandemic,” said Marielle Macias Aunave, originally of France and now living in South Burlington. Sleepy Hollow has been “the right place to go if you want to keep your sanity,” said Aunave, who was skiing with her children.
Sleepy Hollow Ski & Bike Center, Huntington, VT.
