Scenes from last year's Tiki Torch Trek in Hartland. This year's event will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $10, $25 per family, kids 12 and under free. Ski, snowshoe or walk on a 1.5-km. trail lit by torches and lanterns. Includes bonfire, music and food. Bring headlamps. Park at Recreation Center with free shuttle to the event. No dogs. Proceeds benefit Hartland Winter Trails. For more information, visit www.hartlandwintertrails.org/ (Courtesy of Hartland Winter Trails)
Scenes from last year's Tiki Torch Trek in Hartland. This year's event will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $10, $25 per family, kids 12 and under free. Ski, snowshoe or walk on a 1.5-km. trail lit by torches and lanterns. Includes bonfire, music and food. Bring headlamps. Park at Recreation Center with free shuttle to the event. No dogs. Proceeds benefit Hartland Winter Trails. For more information, visit www.hartlandwintertrails.org/ (Courtesy of Hartland Winter Trails) Credit: —Courtesy photograph

The first weekend of February is almost here and winter events in the Upper Valley are going strong.

Two that sound particularly good to me are Family Fun Night at Storrs Hill in Lebanon and the annual Tiki Torch Trek in Hartland, both on Saturday. Both are family-friendly activities and include things to do for children of all ages.

Snow is in the forecast over the next few days, and if that comes to pass it’ll add an extra layer of fun to these events and others.

While I know I am not alone in wishing for more snow, I respect that others do not feel the same way. There are also plenty of indoor activities — films, talks and plays, to name a few — taking place this winter. Be sure to check out our Valley Calendar listings for details.

And now I’m going to give a plug for an activity that I think anyone who enjoys ice skating — and being outside in winter — should do. Last weekend, after more than five winters in the region, I finally made it to the Lake Morey Ice Skating Trail. It was a classic New England scene: pond hockey games underway, ice fishing shacks along the shore and parents skating while pulling their children behind them in sleds.

Unlike the arenas I’m used to skating in, it felt like there was more than enough space for everyone who wanted to be there. In the late afternoon, as the sun began to set behind the mountains, I felt like I was living in a postcard.

The trail, which is a little under 4½ miles long and is billed as the longest such skating trail in the country, is free to use. On weekends, figure, hockey and Nordic skates can be rented for $10-$30 at Lake Morey Resort’s Skate Shack. Trail conditions are posted on the resort’s Facebook page.

It took my co-worker Eleanor Kohlsaat and I about an hour and 15 minutes to complete the trail. It had been years since either of us had skated outside, and I had forgotten how wonderful it feels. The ice skating trail was the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon and is a must-do Upper Valley winter activity.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.