BEST SNOW IN YEARS!

It seems like the snow just keeps getting better. With new powder coming nearly every couple of days, we headed back to Galena Creek Park, located south of Reno via the Mt. Rose Highway, for some sledding.

The snow-covered hills are packed with great white stuff, which makes it ideal for the kids to toss down a sled and let gravity do the rest.

We hiked a bit into the park and found an awesome spot that boasted lots of snow, a good incline, a previously-smoothed area for sledding, and no other people. My 18-year-old son, Hank, went first. He ran down the hill, jumped on his stomach, and began his slide. He skimmed across the slick surface like a puck on an ice hockey rink.

After a lengthy ride, he slammed into a pile of soft snow and collapsed in a laughing heap, the sled shooting off to the side.

After watching him, my 11-year-old daughter couldn’t wait for her turn. Julia climbed up the hill to a spot even higher than where my son had started. After taking a short running start, she followed his lead by jumping onto the snow on her stomach, lifting up her legs, and then taking the ride of her life down the hillside.

As she floated across the ice, her hat slid down over her eyes, but that didn’t keep her from continuing. Since she weighs less than my son, her ride was a little slower but lots longer. In the end, she slammed into the snow pile at the end of the run, flipped over, came up laughing, and was ready for more.

And on it went. I think we’re going to have to consider buying another sled since the only time they stopped sledding was when they argued about who should have the next ride. It took me about two hours to finally get them off the hill. And I had to promise them we’d head back later in the week.—-Richard Moreno