By: Kris Bunk 

     The winter season is upon us. The weather may be intimidating, but do not let it affect you. If you are looking for something to do outdoors during this snowy weather and you have no ideas, The Squire has you covered. Just a few of the many outdoor activities consist of downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, hunting, ice fishing, tubing, sled riding, building snowmen, ice skating, and snowmobiling.  

     The most popular option in our community from the list of activities we provided is downhill skiing. Just over the New York state line, there are two winter resorts within driving distance. Those resorts are Peak n’ Peak and Holiday Valley. These resorts both offer downhill skiing, tubing, and snowboarding. Holiday Valley offers a few more activities, such as cross country skiing and hiking.  

     The Squire interviewed Mr. Criswell, a sixth grade teacher at Eisenhower and avid outdoorsman, and asked him about outdoor winter activities. Mr. Criswell explained that he enjoys many outdoor activities, “In the winter you’ll mostly find me out hunting or doing something related to hunting; sometimes scouting, shed hunting, or hanging game cameras.” He went on to share, “Hunting deer in the Allegheny National Forest is the activity that I’m most passionate about.” 

     Criswell is an experienced outdoor enthusiast, which may lead readers to wonder how they can get involved in similar activities.  He gave some great advice, “My suggestion to someone looking to get involved in this activity would be to find a few people that are experienced and trustworthy that already do this activity.  Tag along with them a few times at first if they don’t mind.  That way you can see if it’s something that you enjoy.  You’ll learn so much by being out there with others that have a lot of experience.  If you find that hunting is for you, then I would start by take a hunter safety course so that you are familiar with the rules and regulations and know how to participate safely, as hunting can be dangerous.” 

     Next, The Squire shared their curiosity about how long Criswell has been interested in spending time outdoors.  Criswell’s response was, “…I have been interested in the outdoors all my life.  I started fishing and hunting at a very early age.  My father was the one who introduced me to these activities.”  

     Finally, Criswell shared some useful tips for anyone interested in starting a new outdoor hobby, “My advice to someone who is new to the activity is to take it slow and ease your way into it.  Start off simple with just the basics.  Hunting can be expensive and require a lot of gear, but it doesn’t have to.  You might also be able to borrow equipment from someone or buy some things used to help reduce expenses.” The Squire thanks Mr. Criswell for him taking the time to talk with us. 

If you don’t want to hunt or go to a winter resort, you can always just go outside and spend time in the snow. Building a snowman or sled riding is a very inexpensive and easy way to have fun outdoors during the winter as well. You can also drive up to Jamestown to the Northwest Savings Bank Arena to ice skate and drive ice bumper cars. Additionally, if you own a snowmobile, Warren County offers quite a few trails for snowmobilers. There are endless options for fun activities to keep you busy this winter. 

     Now that you know how to spend free time in the outdoors with some of your favorite activities, if you snap a picture of you doing your favorite activity and post it on social media, please feel free to tag The Squire for a feature on our social media! 

Read more: Staying Active this Winter