Winter Outside Activities

One of the most common questions I hear is, “What do you do during the winter?”. And you know, when the high over the last few days was 4 Fahrenheit, I understand that. However, do not fear, there are still plenty of things to do during the winter term. Carleton has plenty of events on campus, plus one big off-campus opportunity that are all great for spending time outside, no matter how cold it is.

1. Traying

So while Minnesota is known for being incredibly flat, we promise that Northfield does in fact have hills. Our soccer field, Bell Field, rests at the bottom of one of these hills behind one of the dormitories. In the winter, that hill becomes a prime spot for sledding, although sleds might be a strong word for the things students ride down the hills on.

There are old pizza boxes, frisbees, or, most commonly, dining hall trays. It’s super fun to do with friends, and while I won’t officially recommend that you accost any Carleton property, let this be a warning if you choose a less ideal sledding implement.

2. Skiing in the Arb

One of Carleton’s calling cards is its proximity to our 800-acre arboretum that wraps around most of the campus. During the fall and spring, this is a fantastic resource for students, both academic and personal. It is a popular running or walking place for people looking to get away from the stress of classes, and while in the winter running is not exactly advisable, the trails are groomed for skiing, and the rec has a stock of skis and snowshoes that students can rent out for those who either don’t want to bring their skis from home or who have never tried before!

3. Ice Skating

Carleton transforms our typical in-campus outdoor activity space for winter as well! During the warmer months, the Bald Spot is home to people studying, playing frisbee, spike ball, or relaxing in the sun, but in the winter, it is frozen over into two ice rinks! Right next to them is a warming hut with skates, sticks, and helmets for people to play hockey or go skating. We also have broomball, which I always tell people is hockey for people who can’t skate. Instead of using a puck, you use a ball, and it is played on ice in regular shoes.

4. Book Across the Bay

And last but certainly not least, the off-campus opportunity that I alluded to in the beginning! Book Across the Bay is a 10k skate, ski, or snowshoe across a bay of frozen Lake Superior! It’s not a Carleton-exclusive event; our outdoor student organization and interest house CANOE takes around a hundred students to participate, but we join as many as 4,000 people from all over. If you consider yourself a competitor, it is technically a race, although most people are there for the excuse to spend some time with their friends outdoors. At the end of the event, there is a concert under a massive tent, a nice warm way to end a long day.

Will’s (he/him/his) favorite thing about Carleton is the amount of open space that the campus has, as it is a good reprieve from stress. He has seen the movie The Princess Bride at least 20 times, and can recite large portions of it! Outside of the classroom, Will is a member of CHOP, one of Carleton’s D3 ultimate frisbee teams, and is a member of disc golf club and board game club.