Outdoor Winter Fun

BY DAVID ROSENBAUM

In the late nineteenth century, Currier and Ives made beautiful and iconic engravings of New England winter scenes. They depicted gleeful children sledding, or skating on frozen ponds, surrounded by a snowy landscape. Fast forward 150 years or so, and you can still do those things, and more, in Concord during the winter. Let’s look at how you can have your own Currier and Ives adventure in Concord, with all the rich winter sports opportunities we have today!

Ice skating is quite popular, and now there are indoor rinks you can enjoy. Local rinks are in Concord (Valley Sports on Main St, West Concord), Boxborough (Olympia), Bedford (The Edge Sports Center), and other local towns. All offer instruction and ice time, but not all have rental skates so check first. When the weather is cold enough, head outdoors with your skates to Macones Pond (Lowell Rd, near Barnes Hill Rd), or Kennedys Pond (more remote, off Old Mill Rd in the Old Rifle Range). If you do skate on a pond, make sure you know the ice is at least 6” thick and go with a buddy. Never skate outdoors alone. Finally, there are a lot of folks who have built their own ice rink in their yard and do-it-yourself kits are readily available on the internet. Have fun!

As soon as it snows, you can see the kids heading outside with their sleds. There are lots of hills in Concord where you can sled, including Nawshawtuc (off Nawshawtuc Rd by Willard Common) or the hill at Concord-Carlisle High School. I have seen kids sledding at other places, like golf courses or backyards as well-anywhere with a slope will do. Be safe, and make sure your path won’t drop you in the street!

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are also fun family activities when you have a new snowfall, and there are many trails you can use. If you have your own skis or snowshoes, the Bruce Freeman Rail trail (from Concord Prison to Powder Mill Rd), Walden Pond (Rte 126/Walden St), Reformatory Branch Trail (Lowell St at Keyes Rd to Bedford), and the Battle Road path that parallels Lexington Rd and 2A through Minute Man Historical Park are great! If you are just skiing and need to rent gear, and maybe want some instruction (or if you just like groomed trails), nearby Great Brook Ski Touring Center (greatbrookski.com) on Lowell St, in Carlisle has it all! A quick search on the internet will yield other, similar options in nearby towns.

While you can’t downhill ski in Concord, nearby Nashoba Valley (Westford) has downhill skiing and tubing options for you. A small hill, Nashoba is a great option for an early season tune-up, lessons for the kids (or yourself), or a quick half-day on the slopes. Larger, and about 45 minutes away, Wachusett Mountain (Princeton, MA) is bigger, has more varied terrain, and beautiful scenery—and you can get there by train from Concord or West Concord.

There is so much outside to do in Concord during the winter! If you have your own favorite places to ice skate, sled, ski, or snowshoe, or a favorite winter activity we didn’t mention, post or message us on Facebook @discoverconcordma, tweet @DscvrConcordMag or tag #discoverconcordmagazine and let us know what they are.

We hope you get outside and have fun this winter with some of these activities. But, even if you just sit outside by the fire pit sipping mulled cider or hot chocolate, you may still feel the Currier and Ives echoes from the past. Enjoy our beautiful New England winters!

David Rosenbaum is a Concord resident who loves outdoor sports, whatever the season. His day job is Solutions Engineer for Kaltura, Inc.