That familiar squeaky crunch of snow and ice under your boots and those awkward breathing sensations because your nose hairs have ever so delightfully frozen mean winter is in full force.
Tis the season of skis and snowboards lining hallways, massive ice hockey bags taking up of space in dorms, and roof racks on cars making it tough to tell if it’s a cop car behind you or just a regular car.
And there’s the lovely feeling of praying to the winter gods that your car will start when the mercury is in negative numbers.
“It’s happened to me twice already,” said sophomore and Okemo ski instructor Matt Nota.
Hoping your car will start isn’t the worst on the list of problems people dislike about winter. Having a job that requires you to constantly break ice in water buckets and do physically demanding chores all day in sub-zero temperatures isn’t all fun and games.  

“I’ve woken up every day this month with an angry feeling because it’s so cold out,” said a frowning senior and barn manager at Tedesco Stables Jenna Guarneri. “There is nothing enjoyable about being frozen and having to work outside.”
And she’s not the only person who feels this way. Senior Carly Pepin said that the cold and ice ruin her day because she hates being cold more than anything else in the world.
But the haters might be in the minority among Castleton State College students.
“I like harsh winters, they’re fun,” said junior Alex Denny. “The cold sucks, but I’d rather have it cold than hot.”
Junior Nick Bruch agrees, saying there’s nothing better than a good hot cup of coffee to start your day in the winter.
This winter season could be one for the record book according to the 2013-2014 farmers almanac. It has been predicted that it is going to be one of the harshest winters yet. The harshness so far, however, has come in the form of cold, not snow.
“It’s been a pretty cold winter so far. Pretty crazy, too,” said Reid Lesswing, senior and captain of the men’s ice hockey team. “It’s gone from warm to cold to warm to cold.”
Ali Spencer, senior and captain of the women’s ski team agrees.
“It’s a harsh winter so far because it has gone from extreme negatives one week to the next where it’s raining and slush,” said Spencer.
But when the snow has arrived, students say they enjoy snowball fights, snow angels, catching snowflakes on their tongues, ice fishing and ice skating. And there’s nothing like going star-gazing on a clear winter night, they say.
“The lakes freeze so you can go ice skating and play pond hockey,” said Lesswing. “I like the snow, it’s majestic.”
And even though winter isn’t everyone’s favorite season, all seem to find a way to endure.
“I reward myself with more wine at night for surviving such extreme weather,” said Guarneri laughing.