Linden Rayton lives in Hopkinton.

It seems like spring is finally here, but I’m still looking back on this winter and shaking my head in amazement. What an incredible run of wintery weather we had.

As a general winter enthusiast, this winter was heaven for me. But what made it truly special was serving for the first time as the coordinator of the Hopkinton youth Nordic ski program, known locally as BKL, part of the larger New England Bill Koch Youth Ski League.

I love two things about Nordic skiing: The first is going fast, the second is going fast through the woods. I like pushing hard and gliding far. I like watching the snowy trees and icy brooks pass by, especially on a sunny day. But in 2025, it’s hard to love a winter sport that can’t rely on machine-made snow.

Each winter, not a December-to-March day goes by that I don’t worry about losing this fun to climate change and our warming winters.

How do I justify teaching this to kids? Is it truly better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?

When I agreed to lead the Hopkinton BKL, I decided it was most important to me that kids were being active, outside, in winter. Nordic ski proficiency was not my ultimate goal. Why? Because after winter 2024, I wasn’t even sure there would be a winter 2025. My late-autumn self was confident that we would have only intermittent snow cover, and I was prepared to help BKL be ready for a variety of conditions, including fun non-snow practices.

I even reached out to the Beaver Meadow BKL leader at the beginning of the season, and the two of us conferred nervously. Would we have enough snow? Should we combine practices and forces for the greater good of Nordic skiing?

Our season surpassed my wildest expectations.

We had consistent snow cover for a month over at the Hopkinton fairgrounds where we ski, and we used every bit of time we could. Our sign-ups grew from 30 to 38 and, finally, to 43 kids by the end of the season. We had 13 committed high school volunteer coaches who loved spending time with “their” kids, plus a group of parents who skied for fun while their kids were at BKL practice. I knew our snow could disappear at any moment, so we skied unless there was hazardous weather or the temps dropped below 10 degrees. And there was definitely a long stretch of cold, windy days!

Sometimes I worried for the youngest skiers, but then their group would pass me and they would be laughing, falling, laughing some more and getting back up to try again. Kids gritted their teeth and pushed their bodies as they mastered a new way of moving. They shrieked with joy as they skied in fast pursuit of their coaches in endless rounds of “Fishy, Fishy, Cross My Ocean.” They made new friends,= and delighted in after-practice hot cocoa.

Our last day was race day, and I had a front-row spot at the finish (with a cowbell in hand, a critical race element). Every kid crossed the finish line to the cheers of their teammates, and the smiles on their faces were so darn wholesome, it was all I could do not to explode with happiness when I went home.

Then it came time to wrap up the season. What could I say to these young skiers who just had the time of their lives? All I could think about was how they might only get a few more winters like that — ever.

I’m not here to suggest new ways of fighting climate change. At this point, we all know what we need to do: burn fewer fossil fuels, protect our biodiversity and work to create resilient communities. I’m here to tell one more story of why we need to do that difficult work.

It’s a story worth telling because these BKL kids got everything we adults claim to want for them: character-building, exercise, new friends, screen-free afternoons, time outside… the list goes on. It was a remarkable experience for me and for them. I want so much for them to have it again. I want you to want them to have it again.

To our Concord legislators, as you look ahead to spring and the state budget, please: Protect our winters!