It's Cold Outside! Brrrrrrrrr!

Ok - It is with heavy heart that I sit down to type this posting. The Packers lost to the Giants last night in what was the third coldest NFL game ever played (wind chill around 25 below 0). I could go on and on about what happened and what should have happened, but since I feel a bit like a kid who just got pulled out of a candy store, I've decided it's best to just buck up and move on! So what does a disheartened Packer fan do with his free time for the next few weeks?

Well if you are a Golf fan, as I am, take comfort in knowing that the Golf season has begun and the Buick Invitational will be televised from Torrey Pines next weekend with Woods and Mickelson battling it out for the first time this season.

Also there is a huge amount of outdoor fun to be had in the next few weeks. It is supposed to warm up by the end of the week so get out there and have some fun. Here are some ideas...

While decidedly a spectator sport, it's definitely spine-tingling watching skiers fly for hundreds of feet. The Upper Peninsula's ski jumping history is synonymous with Suicide Hill, established in 1925 at Copper Peak, in Ishpeming, Mich., also home to the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. The world's tallest constructed ski jump, the fabled hill is home to the Ishpeming Ski Club, the oldest active ski jumping club in the United States. The club hosts a SuperTour ski jumping event Feb. 13, and the hill hosts the 2008 USSA Chevrolet Junior Olympics Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined, Feb. 26-March 1.

The Noquemanon ski marathon is this Friday and Saturday January 25th and 26th. Over 1,000 skiers from all over the United States and Canada participate in the annual freestyle (skate) and classic point-to-point race. The ever-growing Noquemanon Ski Marathon offers cross-country skiers a spectacular trek through the wilderness of Marquette County. It starts in Ishpeming at and finishes at the world's largest wooden domed stadium, the Superior Dome.

The Michigan Ice Fest at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising showcases the chilly thrills of ice climbing along Lake Superior's sandstone bluffs. "A majority of our visitors have never climbed before," says Bill Thompson, organizer of the 25-year-old festival (Feb. 1-3 this year) and owner of Downwind Sports. "There's a good energy because not only are people trying the sport for the first time but we have the world's best climbers here to learn from."

Also coming up are the UP 200 Sled Dog Championship and the Big Bay Fishing Derby, both of which are an experience unmatched.

So if you are a disappointed Packer or Lion fan and you need something to get your mind off your woes - get out there and have some winter fun. There's always next year. :-/