At UConn, if you follow the road past East Campus out to the horse barns, there is a hill given the obvious name of Horsebarn Hill. This hill’s claim-to-fame is not its location, but its reputation for providing a great time sledding once it is covered in snow. Its steep incline and long slope help to make for a fast and exhilarating ride. The only problem is the hike back up to the top!
On most normal days the hill is relatively empty. Due to conveniently timed snow storms, UConn has been experiencing a fair share of snow days this semester, prompting adrenaline junkies and bucketlisters to make the trek out to the campus’s best sledding location. Many people bring plastic bin tops, lunch trays, trash bags and even a canoe, to improvise for a lack of a sled. For the lucky ones who do have sleds, there are several makeshift piles of snow turned into jumps that lots of kids use to catch some air, and sometimes flying off them by accident when the sled steers off course.
When you are actually sledding down the hill, there is snow flying in your face, you are probably falling off the sled because you obviously tried to cram all your best friends onto the same sled, and you are either wondering why are we going to fast or how come we haven’t picked up speed? Finding a smooth spot that isn’t filled with fluffy powder can be the killer to a thrill seeking ride because it slows the sled down. Near the end of the day generally after many people have worn down the side of the hill is when the best sledding can happen. That’s when UConn’s Daily Campus Photography staff snagged a photo of some students charging their way down the hill in a canoe!
So even though Netflix calls and our beds feel extra warm on snow days, it is worth the walk out to Horsebarn Hill if you haven’t already been. In case you need more motivation, here is a video from last year featuring yours truly at the end showing just how fun it can be!