Ithawca

How not to start your morning: slip on the ice outside while walking your dog and fall, then slide about 15 feet until you land in the remains of a snowdrift. In your pajamas.

That was how Queezle and I started our day, and though no injuries were sustained, I don't recommend it.

It is now a beautiful day in Ithaca - sunny, blue skies and 55 degrees! While exceedingly pleasant, the thaws and freezes that we've been having all week have made life on the hill a very slippery business.

Queezle and my midday walk led us to the park, along with several other people out enjoying the weather. Our outing wasn't to be a simple walk in the park though. Like everywhere else that doesn't get plowed, the park's well-packed trails have turned to ice, and in several places have also become little rivers for melting snow to head down to the creek. These conditions make it the perfect stage for an America's Funniest Home Video bloopers reel.

To get into the park, you have to go down a slope and around an old stone embankment, then up and over a ridge before you reach the level area that leads back to the waterfall. I opted to inch slowly down, picking where I put my feet and hoping the spots would hold (and shrieking and flailing my arms when they didn't). One man opted for the run-and-hope-you-make-it version, and did a 360 as he slid down! A young couple almost got to the top of the ridge, only to slide back down, and a girl came crawling up from the other side on her hands and knees, covered in snow.

Getting back out of the park was just as complicated, because the front of the park is largely blocked by the embankment, a cliff and an old foundation, with the icy entrance path as the only formal entrance. Queezle and I sort of half-climbed the embankment, grabbing onto the park bench on our way and then using the foundation for support. The young couple had parked in the lot up above, so they chose to climb over the foundation. Once clear of all that, it was a quick slide to the sidewalk and safety!