The Young Women's Leadership School of The Bronx brought forty-three, yes forty-three, young adventurers to Bear Mountain on Saturday, February 9th. It was a frigid day, but as long as we kept moving, we stayed happy. We began with some getting-to-know-each other games, followed by a quick retreat to warm up by the fire in the lodge. Then we ventured back out for some ice skating. The girls, many of whom had never been on the ice before, laced up their skates and enjoyed an hour and a half of skating. They encouraged one another, offering hands to hold and basic tips. One of our girls, a very experienced figure skater, gave lessons on skating backward. Thanks to Trip Leader and ICO photographer-in-residence, Megan Robertson, we have beautiful photos of the TYWLS girls on the ice. We then retreated back to the warm lodge for lunch, a run on the snack bar's hot cocoa reserves, and a well-Instagrammed ride on the carousel. We finished the day with a visit to the Bear Mountain Zoo. Despite the cold weather, the animals were awake and active. Fun fact learned at the zoo: bears don't actually hibernate! They go into a state called torpor. Google it for more information. At the end of cocoa-fueled day, we loaded back onto the bus and headed for home. Thanks to Megan, Alyssa, Katie, Colin, Craig, and Krisy for bringing TYWLS Bronx out and for sharing your expertise, gloves, hats, snacks, and joy.