The first big snow

While many people were happy to see El Niño keep the weather warm enough to stop all the precipitation Bloomington has had this winter from turning to snow, not everyone feels that way. This year's unseasonably warm weather has put many of Bloomington's best winter activities on hold.\nOne person who has missed out on one of his favorite winter activities -- icefishing -- is Bloomington resident Aaron Barrow. Griffy Lake is a hot spot for winter activities when the weather has been cold enough to freeze the water on the lake, Barrow said.\n"It's usually a winter social event at Griffy Lake," Barrow said. "You can find people out there icefishing, playing hockey, walking their dogs or just walking around enjoying the winter."\nMost of the people icefishing on Griffy Lake are after pan fish, such as bluegill and red ear, Barrow said. For many, icefishing is the only type of fishing they do, Barrow said.\n"For a lot of people, that's the only fishing they do because when the water temperature is that low, there's no algae growing in the lake," Barrow said. "The fish don't taste as fishy as they do when they're in warm water."\nThe Department of Natural Resources Web site, www.in.gov/dnr, states that four inches of ice is needed for safe icefishing.\n"I'm not going out on any less than four inches. I prefer five," Barrow said.\nBarrow said he walks about five feet off the bank and drills a hole with his ice auger to see how thick the ice is. Indiana law limits ice fishing holes to a diameter of 12 inches, but it used to be eight inches, Barrow said. Barrow's seven-inch ice auger is well within the law.\n"It pretty much does it all. If I catch anything bigger than seven inches, I'm in trouble," Barrow said. "But I never have."\nIf the ice is thick enough, Barrow will drag his homemade ice sled equipped with a Coleman heater onto the lake. It's an all-wood sled without the metal runners.\n"I can pretty much stay out there no matter how cold it is," Barrow said.\nThe DNR Web site suggests icefishers wear plenty of warm clothes and a life jacket for safety and added warmth. Barrow said he usually packs plenty of food and something warm to drink as well.\nOther equipment needed for icefishing are rods and reels specifically for icefishing, which are simple and inexpensive, Barrow said. The bait normally used is beemoth, white larvae that come in small plastic containers with sawdust and can be purchased at any bait store, such as Buddy Bill's Bait Barn. Fishing licenses are also required and cost $17. They can be purchased almost anywhere, including Wal-Mart.\nBarrow also warns that icefishing can be habit-forming. Once you have the equipment, when fall comes around, you're checking your gear so you'll be ready to go, he said.\n"When everybody else is hoping for warm weather you're hoping for cold weather," Barrow said.\nBarrow is not the only person who enjoys cold Midwestern winters. IU sophomore Jacob Papp said he likes to find big, open parking lots to do donuts, drifting "and all that fun sliding around when it snows."\n"Building snow ramps is the shit, too," Papp said. "Or running out on the lake and seeing how far you can get before the ice starts cracking."\nThe dam at Lake Monroe is where it's at for sledding, Papp said.\nIU sophomore Isaac "Stone" Simonelli agrees that the Lake Monroe dam is the best place for sledding. It's a double hill, Simonelli said.\n"There's a sharp hill, then it cleans out for 30 or 40 feet and then another hill," Simonelli said. "If you get real compact snow, you can hit them both in one go."\nSimonelli also recommends doing the polar plunge into Lake Monroe. It feels good when you get out Simonelli said.\n"It's refreshing," Simonelli said.\nSledding is also a favorite pastime for IU senior Elise Headley.\nHeadley said she hasn't gone sledding in a few years, but she used to go to Bloomington High School North and sled on the hill by the soccer field.\n"But I was younger and it seemed bigger then," Headley said.\nNow Headley and her friends sometimes go to the Frank Southern Ice Arena behind Bloomington High School South off of Henderson Street.\nFrank Southern Ice Arena offers public skating times and during two sessions on Saturday nights, the arena turns out the lights for lunar skating.\nDuring the lunar skate sessions, the arena must adhere to a certain capacity of occupants for safety.\n"There hasn't been a night without cutting people off for a while," said Nicole Montembeualt, Frank Southern Ice Arena supervisor and an IU grad student.\nThe arena also offers stick and puck nights from November to February. People can drop in to a pickup game of hockey, Montembeault said. It's $7, but goalies get in free because players are always looking for more, Montembeault said. \nTimes can be found at the arena's Web site or by calling the ice information hotline at 349-3741. Public skate time is limited because the IU hockey team practices and competes at the arena.\n"The place really fills up and gets pretty rowdy during games," Montembeualt said.\nThe IU figure skating club also practices and competes at the arena.\nStudents looking for more traditional winter recreation activities such as skiing and snowboarding need to merely head south on highway 37 for about 45 minutes to find Paoli Peaks' full-service ski and snowboard resort. The resort offers a variety of terrain designed for any skill level from beginner to expert, said Brandy Ream, director of sales marketing and public relations. Lessons are available any time the resort is open and clothing rental is available on-site.\n"Students should take advantage of our college night specials," Ream said.\nCollege night specials are every Thursday for the rest of the season.\nStudents with a valid ID can purchase a $29 complete package, which includes a ticket, ski or snowboard rental, and a lesson. That package is normally $71, Ream said. Students can also visit the Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer Garden, which serves from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.paolipeaks.com.