Tuesday, February 28, 2012

It's Still Winter In Muskoka! (March Break Activities)

Winter hasn’t left us yet. Southern Ontario may be experiencing spring-like conditions, but here in Muskoka we still have lots of snow (and the fun that goes with it!). With March Break only two weeks away, it’s the perfect time to get your winter fix. Here are just a few of activities you can try out over March Break:

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is open every day of March Break for downhill skiing. Tuesday, March 13 is their annual Boogie With Your Boots On, an all ages dance party and BBQ.
Arrowhead Provincial Park has 29 km of groomed track set cross-country ski trails and 12 km of skate skiing trails. Plus, they have over 6 km of snowshoeing trails, a terrific tubing hill and, new for this year, a skating trail. Ski and snowshoe rentals are available and tubes can be borrowed free of charge (a day-use park permit is required).
Limberlost Forest Reserve is just 10 km north of Colonial Bay. Access is free to the public and they have 70 km of trails for backwoods skiing or snowshoeing.
Rockridge Tubing Park is open from 10 am to 10 pm every day of March Break. They have 7 groomed runs and a lift to pull you back to the top.
Dogsledding adventures are available at North Ridge Ranch. Advance registration is required.
There are still lots of snowmobile trails open. Check the Trail Conditions before you head out.
Come and visit us for one more winter adventure. You know you want to! Our waterfront cottages offer gorgeous views of the winter landscape and we’re just a short drive away from tons of winter fun! View our availability here.

We hope to see you soon!
The Howell Family

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Ontario Parasport Games are coming to Huntsville!

The Ontario ParaSport Winter Games are being held in Huntsville February 24-26, 2012. For those of you unfamiliar with the events, here’s a quick rundown for you:

ParaAlpine events are being held at Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area and include two competitions: Slalom and Giant Slalom. Skiers with blindness or visual impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using voice signals. Athletes with physical disabilities use equipment that is adapted to their needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopedic aids.

ParaNordic athletes compete in a short distance sprint and middle distance race using classic or free techniques and using modified equipment if needed. An athlete with a lower-body disability uses a sledge, a specially built chair that can be attached to a pair of skis. The skis are almost identical to standard cross-country skis, although shorter, and are attached to the chair with a standard cross-country binding. Visually-impaired athletes compete with a sighted guide who uses their voice or a radio device to guide the athlete through the course.

Sledge Hockey is a fast-paced, highly physical sport played by athletes who have a physical disability in the lower part of the body, including amputees, spinal bifida, cerebral palsy and other conditions. As in Ice Hockey, teams play with six players (5 skaters and a goalie) and attempt to outscore their opponent by shooting the puck into the opposing team's goal while preventing the opposing team from scoring. Games consist of three 15-minute stop-time periods. The players are strapped into custom-made aluminum frame sledges with two blades and a runner. They use 2 double-ended sticks each. With a quick flip of the wrist, the players are able to propel themselves using the spiked end of the stick and then play the puck using the blade-end of the stick.

Wheelchair Curling is open to athletes with a physical disability in the lower part of the body. Each team must be comprised of both male and female players. The sport is played according to the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF), with only one modification - no sweeping.

Wheelchair Basketball was designed for athletes who have physical disabilities that prevent running, jumping and pivoting. It is played by two teams of five players. The aim of each team is to score into the opponents' basket and to prevent the other team from gaining control of the ball or scoring. The measurements of the court and the height of the baskets are the same as in able-bodied Basketball.

Wheelchair Rugby was developed in Canada during the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia. It is an intense co-ed team sport and can be very physical as athletes attempt to carry the ball over the opponent's goal line. Two teams of at least four players each compete for four periods of eight minutes each.

Swimming events are similar to those at the Olympics: Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Medley. Athletes are classified based on their functional ability to perform each stroke and swim in a standard eight-lane 50m pool. Events are conducted as heats for eight competitors per class, and with the fastest eight swimmers per class competing in the finals. There are various forms for swimmers to start their race: in the water, a dive start sitting on the starting platform or the typical standing start. During a Swimming event, swimmers who are blind wear blackened goggles and are required to have an assistant to “tap” them as they approach the swimming pool end wall, either to make a turn or for the finish of the race.

More details and a schedule of events are on the Ontario Parasport Games website. We hope you’ll come out to cheer on these inspiring athletes! For those of you coming from afar, we have cottages available that weekend. You can see our availability here. (And remember, we're already taking bookings for the summer!)

We hope to see you soon!
The Howell Family