Exploring the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in freezing temperatures may not sound like much fun, but those who bundle up and venture out on days the mercury drops below 32 degrees not only get half-price admission, they also get to see a different side of zoo life. We broke the ice with curator of animals Andi Kornak, who offered her case for visiting during the zoo's Polar Bear Days.
It's less crowded: "You kind of get the feeling that you have the place to yourself," says Kornak, a Michigan native who grew up going to outdoor northern zoos during colder weather as a kid and continued to do so into adulthood. "You can sit at the exhibits for long amounts of time," she says. "If it's snowing it makes it real quiet, real peaceful. It gives you a different perspective on the entire park."
The polar bear, wolves, reindeer, even tigers, are more active: They're just naturally more acclimated to cooler weather, Kornak says. "They're much more comfortable being active in that climate, whereas when it's really hot and humid, it's more challenging for them to be more active during the day."
More activity means you're more likely to see something interesting: "The best time to go is early in the morning. Animals are always more active then," says Kornak. The zoo sometimes adds enrichment items to an animal's environment to encourage it to perform natural behaviors. "It doesn't happen every day, but with the polar bear, we may hide some feed items in a dirt digging area so the polar bear digs to find them, or we may throw fish in the pool for the polar bear to go fishing after," she says. "But they don't swim as much in the winter as they do in the summer."
Downhill Ski
Boston Mills and Brandywine have long been the go-to for local skiers, and the parent company of the popular Summit County winter spots, Peak Resorts, recently purchased Chesterland's Alpine Valley Ski Area, too. bmbw.com; alpinevalleyohio.com
Cross-Country Ski*
Once there's a good base of snow, the Cleveland Metroparks allows cross-country skiing at six of its eight public golf courses. All of the system's hiking and bridle trails are options, too. Just make sure you yield to horses and hikers. clemetparks.com
Snowshoe*
Rent a pair at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Winter Sports Center or the Boston Store Visitor Center. East Siders can grab some closer to home at the Cleveland Metroparks' North Chagrin and South Chagrin reservations. nps.gov/cuva; clemetparks.com
*four inches of snow or more required
Go Wild
Our park systems aren't hibernating this time of year. We found a trio of January events that'll let you learn, explore and take in a hearty dose of crisp winter air.
Winterriffic, Jan. 6, noon-5 p.m.
"I may be the only one around hoping for snow," says Cleveland Metroparks naturalist Valerie Fetzer. A fresh layer of powder would lend some authenticity to this Mill Stream Run Reservation affair that includes dog sledding, ice-carving demonstrations and snowshoeing. "We'll have lots of different games and activities," Fetzer says. "Without snow, we'll modify if we need to." 16200 Valley Parkway, Strongsville, 440-734-6660, clemetparks.com
Campfire Cooking, Jan. 20, 2 p.m.
Learn how to make a hamburger stew in aluminum foil and bake a pineapple upside down cake in an outback oven. "It's not like grilling hamburgers or hot dogs," says Summit County Metro Parks' naturalist Dave Brumfield. "When people go camping, they don't know what would be easy to prepare. • It gives them a chance to try something new." Registration begins Jan. 16. F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Road, Akron, 330-865-8065, summitmetroparks.org
Full Moon Hike, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park's first full moon hike of the year offers a 3.5-mile amble along the Towpath Trail with a ranger. "It's a really neat experience to be outside with the light of the full moon," says Jennie Vasarhelyi, the park system's chief of interpretation. "And it's an opportunity to experience the park after dark." Canal Visitor Center, 7104 Canal Road, Valley View, 330-657-2752, nps.gov/cuva // Julie Bethlenfalvny
