December 2016 has already provided Bettendorf with a couple significant snowfalls and excessively cold temperatures. With winter only just beginning on Dec. 21, there is still plenty of potential for more chilly weather and heavy snow. These are ideal conditions for a great sledding season.
Sledding is a fun winter activity for all ages. It provides kids and adults alike with a rare opportunity for outdoor exercise during the frosty winter months. The thrilling rides down the hill combined with the tiring climbs back up are often enough to make partakers forget about the frigid temperatures. As enjoyable as sledding can be, it is also important to ensure that the proper safety precautions are taken.
“You want to be dressed appropriately,” high school nurse Pam Cinadr advised. “You do not want to be sledding in an area where there are a lot of trees.”
“You have to make sure that at the bottom of your run, there is not a running creek–that either the water’s frozen, or you just stop before you get that far. And make sure that someone does have a cell phone to be able to call 911 in case of an emergency,” Cinadr added.
There are designated local sledding hills located at Palmer Hills Golf Course and Veterans Memorial Park that are regularly monitored and inspected by Bettendorf Parks and Recreation. For those looking for a safe sledding hill that’s a little more thrilling than what might be found in the backyard, Palmer Hills and Veterans are two good places to start.
Other locations with great sledding hills include Crow Creek Park, Devils Glen Park, Grant Wood Elementary School, Duck Creek Plaza, and Pleasant View Elementary School. Use extra caution when choosing your sledding route at these locations, as they are not guaranteed to be completely free of trees and other obstacles.
Junior Roshni Penmatcha stated, “I love sledding at the hill behind Pleasant View because it’s really steep and it’s generally not too busy.”
After a day of hitting the slopes, be sure to grab some warm blankets and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate or another warm treat to help alleviate the cold.
Check out The Shield Shows You for how-to videos on baking winter desserts.
