Hockey participation in the U.S.

If you play adult hockey and you think you're part of a small elite group that participates in the sport, you would be correct.

Check out this chart on the New York Times website that shows hockey participation on a state-by-state basis, based on USA Hockey registrations.

California has a population of 36.7 million people and only 20,404 hockey participants. Of course, not every player is registered with USA Hockey -- but still. According to this count, only one person out of every 1,800 Californians plays hockey.

There are probably more people in Fight Clubs.

--S.H.

Skating on Twin Lakes, Mammoth Lakes, CA

Skating on Twin Lakes, Mammoth Lakes, CA, a photo by JulieAndSteve on Flickr.

That's me out there at Twin Lakes above Mammoth. I was up there last weekend skiing and on the way out of town stopped at Twin Lakes to try outdoor skating.

It was my first time on a lake. The ice was actually pretty smooth, although harder than at the rink in Pasadena. Temps this day were in the low 30s but it had been in the single digits at night for the four nights we were there.

I'm still bummed I didn't get to the Yosemite high country before Tioga Pass Road was finally closed for the winter in mid-January. It was open during the holidays, allowing folks the rare chance to skate on the likes of Tenaya Lake. If the road opens before winter is over, my ass is in the Subaru and I'm there.

If you're staying in Mammoth, just take Lake Mary Road until it ends at Twin Lakes and Tamarack resort. It's a five-minute drive from town.

--S.H.