Inside/Outside State College is a regular column by Jeff Deitrich offering views on downtown and the outdoors within a 30-minute driving distance.
I don’t know about you, but winter is my least active and, therefore, least favorite time of year. And this winter is shaping up to be a long, cold one.
But I encourage myself and the rest of us in town to keep that youthful delight in winter alive. It does a body good to get out and be active, and there are many ways to do that. With this tremendous recent snowfall and cold temperatures that will keep it around for a while, there are plenty of opportunities.
Let’s be clear: Tussey Mountain is the first thing that springs to mind when snow visits Happy Valley. Someone in your family would absolutely love to go skiing or snowboarding (they no longer offer snow tubing due to increased demand for skiing and boarding). That’s great fun!
But there are many other outdoor winter activities that make one feel alive – and some frozen ones take place indoors. Ice skating, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting and, of course, fishing. And don’t forget sled riding and tobogganing on any hill nearby. Let’s take a look at a few that you may be unaware of or have forgotten about and where/how you might get started again.
Skating
Let’s start inside: Pegula Ice Arena isn’t just for hockey games. Open skating is available on its Community Rink. See the schedule here. Likewise, Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club and both adult and youth hockey leagues use Pegula. Another fantastic use for Pegula is the co-ed State College Coyotes sled hockey team for people with disabilities. It’s an amazing group and maintains very close ties with the Penn State ice hockey teams.
Outside in a winter like this, you can find a lake or pond that may be suitable for ice skating. Always make sure the ice is thick enough (visit the PA Fish & Boat Commission for guidance). Ice thickness is measured frequently at Black Moshannon State Park, where they post a Winter Report that includes ice depth, and the easier-to-get-to-in-winter Bald Eagle State Park. Both parks rent equipment, too.
Just over the mountain at Lake Perez, Stone Valley Recreation Area does allow ice skating at your own risk, though they don’t measure the ice. It’s up to you to be sure the lake is properly frozen. Blue Spring Park in Boalsburg allows skating when conditions are safe (check Centre Region Parks and Rec’s alerts page), and I’ve heard that Howard’s community park also has skating.
And this year, ice skaters have a brand new opportunity. This coming weekend, Penn State is allowing you to lace ‘em up and skate inside Beaver Stadium on the ice prepared for the men’s and women’s hockey games. Remaining public skating hours are Friday 7:45-8:45 pm, Saturday 8:15-9:15 pm, and Sunday 5:45-6:45 pm. Registration is required.
Snowmobiling
Easily one of the most popular winter activities that many town residents never consider is snowmobiling. A great number of people take to the trails in the northern part of the county, primarily at Black Moshannon State Park, which has numerous snowmobiling trails, as does the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association (SSRTA). The former’s trails are open to the public. SSRTA requires users to purchase a membership. Virtually all of their trails are for motorized vehicles.
Cross-Country Skiing
Any extended, moderately flat area can become a cross-country ski run, but the best places for them are flat running and walking trails that we use during the summer and that other XC skiers help to groom. Nittany Nordic’s Facebook page is a great resource to find other places.
Generally speaking, with at least 4-6 inches of snow both Black Moshannon and Bald Eagle State Parks will have trails open for XC skiing. Scotia Barrens is also a popular spot along with Bellefonte Rails to Trails. In Overlook Heights/College Heights, the trail behind Bobby Rahal Toyota-BMW to Toftrees is an easily accessible choice.
Sledding
Any backyard hill is awesome, but for a real sled riding treat, visit Bald Eagle State Park. They have a 1,300-foot run on a manicured five-acre hill. Slab Cabin Park also has a nice sledding hill.
Ice Boating
Both Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Parks offer ice boating. You do need a PFBC boat launch permit.
Hunting & Falconry
Big game seasons are closed, but a variety of small game may be hunted with firearms through Feb. 28. These include pheasants, rabbits and squirrels. Other less common species can be hunted or taken with a fur bearer’s license through the winter. Likewise, falconry may be practiced through the winter through the end of March. See the PA Game Commission for exact seasons and limits.
Fishing
Ice fishing is certainly possible during a winter like this, with the same cautions about ice depth and more information at the PA Fish & Boat Commission’s site. PFBC also has an interactive map that shows good ice fishing locations, including at Black Moshannon and Bald Eagle State Parks, Colyer Lake, and Lake Perez.
Don’t forget stream fishing either. State College is like Mecca for spring-fed streams that typically keep water temperatures high enough to allow for good trout fishing throughout the winter, as long as you can safely enter the stream.
On a warm winter day, it’s not uncommon to find quite a number of fishermen out on Spring Creek, and its entire length is open to fishing year-round. Likewise, a “Delayed-Harvest, Artificial Lures-Only” section of Black Moshannon Creek that starts about a mile or so below the dam is open year-round. A fairly new section of Bald Eagle Creek is open year-round for about three quarters of a mile around the confluence with Steel Hollow Run northeast of Julian. This section includes a handicapped accessible platform at the Soaring Eagle Wetlands.
Hiking & Snowshoeing
Every hiking trail is available in winter, too. It’s fabulous to be out in the woods with a full snowpack. Incredible how calm and quiet a hike in a snowy wood can be. Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Park trails are open for snow shoeing, and Black Moshannon offers loaner kits at the park office.
As a hunter, I love hiking off-trail, especially during the winter. You get to places most others never see. But of course that’s often difficult in deep snow, which is why various cultures invented snow shoes. Give them a try. It’s just a better way to hike in the snow.
One kind of hike that is far better in the snow than at any other time is a good night walk without a light, whether in the woods or just down a path or a street. Especially with 6 inches or more of snow, all of the weedy brush is covered, and you can see surprisingly clearly – even with no moon. When it’s a calm night, like my walk down our street after Sunday’s snowfall, the serenity of such moments is incomparable.
It’s always great advice to take extra precautions in the winter, including hiking with a companion rather than alone, taking extra water, sun and wind protection and a light in case of emergency.
Maple Harvest
And, on the last weekend of winter, don’t forget the Maple Harvest Festival March 21-22 during Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center’s 50th anniversary. Their Sugar Shack produces sweet stuff.
Summer Activities Indoors in Winter
Of course, there are a few summer activities that you can still do indoors in the winter – and at least one winter activity that you can do out of the cold. Golf, tennis and rock climbing are just a few. Here are some places that you can do them:
Golf: Penn State Golf Courses have simulators open to the public, as does Centre Swing 24/7 on the Benner Pike near Bellefonte. Hanover, PA-based The Golf Loft is expected to open a new indoor golf simulator and bar in The Plaza at Aspen State College apartment complex off East College Avenue, though their website doesn’t yet allow bookings or have food & beverage information online.
Tennis: Your student can use Penn State’s Sarni Tennis Facility’s indoor courts. Non-Penn Staters can join the Central PA Tennis Center.
Rock Climbing: Your student can do it at Penn State’s IM Building anytime, but the rest of us have two options: Climb Nittany in Boalsburg and the YMCA of Centre County, which sometimes offers courses.
And if all else fails, just build a snowman or a snow fort – or have a good old fashioned snowball battle with someone. Guaranteed you’ll laugh at least for a while!
Jeff Deitrich is a retired hotelier and outdoors writer living in State College. He welcomes comments at psumohs@yahoo.com.
