Just in case you may be new to this winter recreating thing -- or are a recent transplant to Arizona from a much snowier latitude -- the following list of activities should be a good starting point for burning off some of those holiday calories. You need to exercise common sense more than any muscle and make sure you are capable physically and equipment-wise for the planned activity. Check the weather as winter storms can roll in quickly and heavy, wet, slippery snowbanks can hang up even a pickup lifted half-way to the international space station. And it doesn’t take snow drifts that deep for DPS to close some of the roads around here. It’s a good idea to pack a survival kit for the vehicle and then plan not to use it.

Starting with some of the more popular “spectator sports,” the White Mountains offer activities for the entire family -- some of them within the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Limits. The White Mountain Eagle Fest kicks off on Friday night, January 24 and continues the next day with informative talks and a field trip to a local lake to hopefully view our national symbol. Call (928) 532-2308 for more information.

Look for information on the White Mountain Winter Games being held at Sunrise Ski Resort. Plans include dogsled and ski-joring races, and an opportunity to get up close to the sled dogs. Check back next month for more details. Just in case you can’t make it for the Winter Games weekend, Sunrise Park Resort already has lots of snow and continues to make it pretty much every night. Sunrise Mountain is completely open with plenty of groomed trails for every level of skier or snowboarder. Equipment can be rented at local businesses -- like Krissy’s in Pinetop, Hondah Outdoor Sports or the Sunrise ski hill.

Cross-country ski conditions are excellent after a fresh snow but the intense high-altitude sun can do a number on the sharp crystalline edges of those millions of snowflakes that make cross country skis actually propel you forward. Icy trails are not much fun with cross-country skis but they can provide lots of good video of your partners stretching muscles in ways they forgot they knew how to stretch. Breaking trail through a fresh blanket of powder can be done almost anywhere that it’s relatively flat here in the White Mountains but plan on taking turns leading the pack with others in your party before you start sweating. The extra energy needed for cross-country skiing is usually rewarded with wildlife sightings since you can travel so quietly and the fresh snow muffles most sounds.

Once the deep snow develops that crust from repeated cycles of heating during our surprisingly warm winter afternoons and the sub-freezing evening temperatures, the conditions usually call for snowshoes instead of cross-country skis when you are not shussing down the slopes. Even though snowshoes may be quicker to master, they require more use of some normally dormant muscles used to lift or flex your legs. A mile of trekking through powder in snowshoes is a good way to introduce yourself to these muscles and learn to respect them a little more. Especially if your snowshoes start accumulating slush or ice or even snow and turn into kettle weights for the feet. Treks in snowshoes take at least twice as long compared to hiking the same trails during the summer so plan accordingly unless you like hiking in the dark.

With consistent snows and cool weather, there are a number of areas to get creative with implements of minimal friction on snow. Local stores sell saucers and plastic sleds but you can also find inner tubes, air mattresses (maybe twice), shovels (grain models work best), cardboard boxes and even cafeteria trays to catch as much speed as possible. The best sleds will wake up those tear glands better than a Hallmark Christmas special. The only problem can be when the tears freeze to your face but, if you work quickly, a good photograph will make it worth it.

Good places for sledding can be found in many neighborhoods but, in case you’re looking for some more thrills, you can try the hills near the Rails to Trails rest stop on AZ Route 260 just west of the junction with the Sunrise Park Resort turnoff onto AZ Route 273 This location, near the original ski hill in the area, is about 20 minutes from Round Valley and about 30 minutes from Pinetop-Lakeside. Or, Sunrise Park Resort has just moved their sledding hill behind the Fun Land building — close to the coffee/hot chocolate shop and a warm building. Normal summer activities like hiking and fishing are a bit more limited in the White Mountain winter but, thanks to our varied terrain and elevations, you can usually find a dry trail and an ice-free lake. Contrary to usual situations, travelling north actually finds less snow and warmer temperatures in this area, due mostly to declining elevations. The local Forest Service Ranger Stations can provide more up to date information on some hiking trails during regular Monday-Friday business hours. They say the trout are always hungry at the Silver Creek fishing area just outside of the hatchery, found less than a half hour northeast of Show Low on Bourdan Ranch Road off of Highway 60. Fool Hollow Lake is usually ice free and provides coves and arms to get out of the wind if needed.

For the most adventurous anglers, rental snowmobiles are available to get into the highest White Mountain lakes that make thick enough ice to safely fish through. Many lakes have hidden springs that can make the ice unsafe so always play it safe and rely on local experts if possible. Snowmobiles can be notorious for not starting so travel in pairs at least and always let someone know when you plan to return.

Winter in the White Mountains can offer some unique opportunities even if you’re more of the stay-at-home type. Feeding birds outside your most visible window provides hours of entertainment trying to identify winter residents or the migrant birds that are here today and gone tomorrow. Vehicle-based field trips to some of the agricultural fields around Snowflake usually turn up flocks of various waterfowl and even some sandhill cranes on occasion. All of the White Mountain lakes with open water can draw in other varieties of waterfowl including the divers and the huge pelicans. With all of these potential meals, eagles will use these waterways as their travel routes both south and north on their migrations through our area. The many immature bald eagles using the area can be easily confused with the golden eagles also found in the White Mountains so use a field guide or phone app to help distinguish between them.

There’s nothing like a few hours of high elevation exercise wading through our White Mountain version of “beach sand” to get in shape. Or we can sit in front of the window with a warm cup of something working on our “life list” of birds. So, what do you do for fun during the White Mountains winter? Hopefully, it involves family and friends with a layer of sparkling snow and some fresh mountain air.