Skiing in New England can be fantastic, but it’s not the only wintertime activity available. In fact, in New England Snow Country: 701 Ways to Enjoy Winter Whether You Ski or Not, authors Barbara Radcliffe Rogers and Stillman Rogers describe 700 additional ways to enjoy a New England winter, from snowshoeing to igloo building to ice-bowling with a frozen turkey in the wilds of Vermont. (Don’t knock it until you try it, we say.)

The 188-page soft-cover guide, published in October, 1999, is broken down into regions, including New Hampshire, Maine, the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and the Green Mountains of Vermont.

“We didn’t set out to research and write this book in the usual way,” the authors begin. “Instead, we’ve simply written down those things we’ve always enjoyed doing in the longest season of the year.” Although skiing is near the top of the list, the authors discovered that they spent plenty of time off the slopes, and wrote the guide to appeal to the skier and non-skier alike.

For each region, the authors describe activities ranging from winter recreation (cross-country and alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice skating, ice fishing, dog sledding, and more) to pursuits such as maple sugaring or visiting the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences Raptor Center, where ailing birds are rehabilitated.

The book is sprinkled with New England winter trivia, debunking some myths such as the reason for covered bridges. Were these bridges originally covered to keep out snow? Not exactly, the authors explain:

“We’ve read all sorts of hokum about why New Englanders built covered bridges,” including one that suggested that early Yankees didn’t know how to build anything except barns, so they adapted the barn to help them cross rivers. Sure. First, they are not peculiar to New England … Their purpose was not to keep snow off the road surface; it actually had to be shoveled onto the bridges so sleighs could cross them. The roof was to keep the snow from piling up and causing the bridge timbers to collapse from the weight. The sloping roof helped snow to slide off.”

The guide includes detailed information about places to lodge and dine at each area, as well as event listings. This book is perfect for groups that include a non-skiing member, and will be priceless for those occasions where the slopes turn out to be less than ideal for skiing or boarding - a little freezing rain or a January thaw can make off-slope activities look rather desirable. And, the day doesn’t end when the lifts stop running.

New England Snow Country retails for $14.95 and is a fantastic value. You can purchase this book on-line from Amazon.com for $11.96 by clicking here.