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Ice skaters on a pond in Jericho, Vermont -- Photo by Stephen O. Muskie

Don't you feel sorry for those poor folks who think they have to head to Florida to enjoy winter? They miss out on all the skiing, skating, sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, ice boating, ice climbing, mountaineering, winter camping, surfing, and under-ice scuba diving. Whew! There's a lot to do outdoors in New England in the winter!

No matter what winter sport entices you outdoors, having fun in the winter starts with staying warm and we provide some timely tips to help you stay warm and comfortable no matter what the thermometer says.

Do you prefer ice or snow? Mechanized or human powered? Vertical or horizontal? Fast and furious or slow and contemplative? Cheap or expensive? Civilized or deep in the wilderness? It's all here and all available to anyone with a little time and money.

The Currier & Ives view of New England in winter always includes happy skaters on a frozen pond or sledding on a sloping field. Most New England communities have a traditional skating pond and sledding hill somewhere.

For the skating, all you need is a pair of skates and a snow-free frozen surface. Adults should buy the best skates they can afford -- they'll last most people a lifetime, even with regular resharpening. Kids need good skates, too, but they outgrow them so fast that you'll rarely get more than one season of use. If there's a skating pond nearby, chances are there's a network of families trading hand-me-down skates. Or you can check with thrift and second-hand stores. Start early -- skate bargains are a lot easier to find in October than December. Just remember to follow the few ice safety tips to have a fun family outing.

Likewise, sledding is a traditional part of a New England winter. All you need is warm clothes, a hill (common everywhere in New England), some snow (ditto, at least in January, February, and early March), and a sled you can purchase for a couple of bucks at the local hardware or discount store. If you don't have kids of your own to make you go sledding, borrow some. Sledding can be as much of an aerobic activity as you want to make it -- it just depends on how many times and how fast you want to climb that hill.

Ice fishing is a fun, easy social activity that doesn't require much equipment. You can even make a competition sport of it if you enter one of the many ice fishing derbies held throughout New England each winter.

Talk about tradtional: The native New Englanders who greeted the Pilgrims so hospitably used snowshoes to get around our winter wonderlands, and you can, too. Snowshoeing has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years. It's as easy as walking, safe, and can be enjoyed at a sane pace. If you don't own snowshoes, check with your local outdoor shop about rental programs. Some ski areas, notably Sugarloaf (www.sugarloaf.com) in Maine and Waterville Valley (www.waterville.com) in New Hampshire, offer rentals, instruction, and guided snowshoe hikes.

When you think of New England skiing, you almost automatically think of the big ski resorts. These areas are genuine winter playgrounds. They offer downhill skiing and snowboarding supported by an incredible array of lifts, and, more important, snowmaking and grooming, which means that you can almost always find good skiing no matter what the weather.

While it's true that New England has some of the finest resort skiing in the world, it's only part of the story.

A number of smaller family ski areas offer skiing for a very limited budget (call it cheapskate skiing), close to major urban centers. Many of these also offer night skiing.

In addition to reviews of ski areas that we provide here, you should also read about current ski conditions provided by www.boston.com for dozens of New England ski areas. That Web site also offers useful information about ice skating and other winter activities.

Though it doesn't get as much attention as its more glamorous sibling, cross-country skiing can be a low-budget backyard family activity, or you can make it an adventure by heading for one of the many cross-country ski centers. This winter, L.L. Bean has a promotion where, if you buy a package of cross-country ski equipment, they'll throw in a free "Premier" pass which will give you a free clinic and two-day trail pass at eight different New England ski centers.

Today's lightweight, powerful, reliable mechanized sleds have opened up the winter woodlands of northern New England as never before. If you own your own snow machines, there are snowmobile clubs that maintain their own trail systems and hold rallies and events. Don't worry if you don't own a machine. Northern Outdoors (www.northernoutdoors.com) in Maine offers snowmobile rentals and instruction. If you do own a snowmobile, contact the Maine Snowmobile Association (www.sledmaine.com) for information about the sport in that state. Scenes of Vermont (www.pbpub.com/snowmobile/) is a Web site offering good information on Vermont snowmobiling.

Surfing off the coast of Kennebunk, Maine -- Photo by Stephen O. Muskie

If ordinary things like skiing, snowmobiling, skating, and sledding sound a little bit . . . well . . . tame to you, there are still plenty of other things you can do:

You could, for example, throw your tent and sleeping bag into a pack and try winter camping. Trust me, it's more fun than it sounds.

Too slow? You could always try flying across a frozen lake at 60 miles per hour on an ice boat.

Or maybe the vertical madness of ice climbing and winter mountaineering appeals to your adventuresome soul. Stonehurst Manor (www.stonehurstmanor.com) offers ice climbing programs in North Conway, New Hampshire. After your workout you can relax in the comfort of an elegant, turn-of-the-century mansion.

On Cape Cod and the Maine coast, winter surfing has a dedicated corps of frozen followers.

And if you really want to get away from it all, why not don your scuba gear and go diving under the ice? Mad Dog Expeditions (www.mad-dog.net) offers training and adventure trips.

Then there are always the spectator sports such as ski competitions and snowmobile races. But you know what? It gets cold just standing around watching someone else do something.

Copyright ©1997, Stephen O. Muskie and Tim Jones. All Rights Reserved.