Living in Erie, Pa., brings about a lot of cool opportunities, especially during the winter. The winter season brings out a lot of different activities, such as skiing, ice fishing, and other forms of having fun in the cold. Some Prep students shared what they’ve been up to in the cold and how they’re managing to pass the time.

Erie is located near Peek’n Peak Resort, so multiple students have taken trips there not only to ski and snowboard but also to go tubing on their tubing hill.

Senior Colin Taraski has hit the slopes a couple of times this year already.

“It’s a great way to hang out with friends and prevent the spread because we’re outside and already wearing masks,” Colin said.

Junior Christian Gordon is another avid skier.

“I didn’t hit the slopes as much as I would’ve liked to this year,” Christian said, “but whenever I did go it was great time and the runs were perfect.”

Christian has been skiing since he was young; however, Colin just started this season. Both enjoyed it when they went.

“Peek’n Peak is such an amazing experience,” Colin said. “It is very easy to learn, and I suggest it to anyone interested.”

Moving past the slopes the winter season, the cold also brings frozen-over lakes and other water sources. The Presque Isle bay freezes over almost every year during winter, and this year was no exception. While driving across the Bayfront you can see multiple hutches out on the ice where people are fishing through a little hole in the ice with a tiny little fishing rod.

Junior Mason Orlando enjoys ice fishing very much.

“It’s very calming, yet uneasy knowing that you’re sitting on about 7 inches of ice that’s above any amount of water,” Mason said. “There’s just something extremely satisfying about pulling fish out of a hole with very little fight due to the fish being a bit out of it from the cold.”

Ice fishing can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, so if you would like to give ice fishing a try, it is highly suggested you go with somebody with experience and knowledge of proper safety protocol.

Lastly, some Prep students have tried completely new things and found them to be very fun and something they would love to try again. Seniors Joe Bucci and Noah Rupp, accompanied by junior Brody McIntire decided to try out ice skating while the ponds and lakes were frozen over. The three decided to go out to Presque Isle to the two ponds located there.

“It was kind of cold, but I was just excited to lace up the skates again,” said Joe, who used to play a little bit of hockey back in his younger days.

Noah added, “Some stick and puck with the boys out on the ice with nobody around you is something I think everybody should experience at some point in their life.”

“I’d definitely go again just to see Bucci attempt another hockey stop and falling on his face again,” said Brody.

To wrap things up, just because it’s cold outside and we’re in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have some fun with your friends. You just have to find new things to do and not be scared to try them out. Everybody falls their first time snowboarding or skiing, and the same goes for ice skating. It’s just a matter of if you are willing to get back up and keep trying. Overall, the Prep student body has found ways to have fun during the winter through skiing, ice fishing, and even ice skating.