With Christmas music steadily playing across radio stations and Thanksgiving approaching, Siena Saints are turning their sights towards the next season. Whether one’s favorite part of winter is celebrating the holiday season or the scenic snow, the Capital Region provides plenty of chances to partake in winter activities that are both enjoyable and close to the Siena campus. Regardless if one enjoys colder temperatures or who hopes for as little snow as possible, the winter months offer an array of activities that cater to everyone’s interests.
The chilly weather in the Capital Region from late fall to early spring provides the perfect opportunity for Siena students to take part in an array of winter sports. Whether one’s preference is skiing or ice skating, Siena’s location allows for quick access to any Saint’s favorite winter sport. For a limited time only, Siena students have special access to discounted Ski Season passes at Gore Mountain. From now until Dec. 7, 2022, Saints can purchase a discounted SKI3 College Club for $339. Students that are interested can also contact Siena’s own Outing Club to use their sponsored transportation to Gore Mountain for select dates this winter.
If one would prefer to ice skate, The Empire State Plaza Ice Rink in Albany, New York, opens Dec. 2. Much like many of the other winter sports available, the rink closes in March which means Saints will have plenty of time this winter to take advantage of this opportunity. The Empire State Plaza Ice Rink is open both in the daytime and the nighttime, so students can choose a time that works best for their schedule. During the rink’s nighttime hours, an innovative lighting and sound system curates a visual and audio show for skaters.
A popular winter activity among Saints in past years has been the Lake George Winter Carnival. Although the travel time to Lake George from Siena is about an hour, the festival provides an array of activities that will make it a visit that will be worth the travel. Some of last year’s events included Chilli and Barbecue cook-offs, life-sized wood carving statues, helicopter rides, and fireworks.
If one would prefer to stay on campus this winter, Siena students brave enough to face the cold can take up photography this winter. The Siena campus offers many beautiful vistas to photograph, especially in the snow. A walk around Siena’s soccer field and the surrounding trails will make for some striking photographs when the woods are covered in a blanket of snow. Regardless of how students spend this winter, it is safe to say that Siena provides plenty of great opportunities to take advantage of the inevitable snowy months that are to come.