My wife and I attended the winter carnival events at Alton Bay a couple of weeks ago. Being that we live here on the bay and it’s the dead of winter you really want to get out and do something after being cooped up with cabin fever. I guess the best description for this event is organized chaos. There was more traffic than the 4th of July. People everywhere. I have to say this year was great with all the snow we’ve had. The snowmobilers had to have the time of their lives. The trails looked great, groomed wide and miles to ride, more snowmobilers than I’ve seen all winter. Alton Bay is also a landing strip for planes when the bay freezes over. The planes really are something to see. They are small; some of them just having a net in the cockpit that you sit on. It’s amazing that the wind doesn’t blow them over. You hear the engine roar as they try to get off the ground and you see them sort of waffle swaying from side to side when the wind gusts. The same thing happens as they approach to land. There are helicopter rides as well.
Some of the other events include snowmobile drag races, the “Bob House decorating contest”, Miss Alton Bay, and you can’t forget the bed races on the ice and all the ice fishing. It’s a real carnival of events.
It’s great to see the local restaurants busy and people really having a fun time. My wife and I have lived in Alton Bay for 26 years, it’s a great place with events that happen during all the seasons – not just the during summer months.
