by Crystal Leigh

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: January 30, 2009

An inexpensive thrill for the young and old. Sledding will give you the adrenaline rush that thrill seekers crave, as well as providing some quality time with your family.

Now when I say it's a inexpensive thrill, I mean exactly that. Growing up, we didn't have money for many extras and fun things, like sleds, so my Mom taught my older brother, and younger sister and I to improvise with what was probably the most hideous looking sledding outfit in the history of sledding.

We didn't have snow boots, so we were equipped with bread bags. One went inside our shoes, over our socks, to keep our socks dry, and one went outside of our shoes and 2 to 3 layers of pants, to keep our shoes dry, and the snow from getting to them. The bags were held in place by rubber bands placed around the top of the bags.

If you can picture this in your mind, and think about bread bags on your feet. The word "traction" hopefully comes to mind, and no, they did not have any traction at all. Thus making the hill climb an interesting, and difficult challenge. We never gave up though, and eventually, after several failed attempts, and rolls down the hill, we made it to our goal destination, the "Top of the Hill".

We didn't have any sleds, so we improvised, and used a large garbage bag instead. They were definately easier to carry up the hill than a sled would be. We were only allowed one garbage bag each, so we tried to make them last as long as possible, getting in a few hours of sledding before they were shredded and tattered beyond usability.

When placed under you on a nicely packed snow, a garbage bag can provide you with a fun, but very chilling ride. Chilling if you didn't wear more than two pair of pants for protection from the cold. The problem with having so many layers of pants on, they made it difficult to get up from a sitting position in the snow. We looked like beached whales, struggling to get back to water.

The greatest challenge, was getting the nicely packed snow. I remember inching my way along down the hill, trying to get a path flattened out enough to provide a 4 second ride. I'm sure it took the three of us at least an hour or so to pack the snow trail we had selected for the day. We didn't have much as a child, but we sure had fun, and we were very loved.

Another memory is brought to my mind when I think about a humorous sledding story, that doesn't involve a sled at all, again..

I was in second grade that year, and my sister was in Kindergarten. Little did I know, I was carrying

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