It's all down hill for sledders at Chagrin River Park (with video)

Jeff Forman/

Arianna Chandler, 6, of Madison, enjoys a ride down the sledding hill with her aunt, Heather Chandler, Saturday at Hidden Valley Park in Madison Township.

C.J. Williams went sledding for the first time in his life Saturday.

The 12-year-old Mentor resident chose Chagrin River Park in Willoughy for his first sledding adventure, and he wasn't disappointed.

"This is the first time I've ever been sledding, and I think it's fun!" he said after the experience.

C.J. wasn't alone in taking advantage of the snowy weekend weather at the park, which attracted large crowds throughout the day.

"We had some friends come over and it snowed, so we decided to come out," said Mentor resident Cathy Blaney, who took her three children and three of their friends to the popular hill.

One of those friends, 9-year-old Emma Bills of Mentor, got creative on the way back to their car.

"I am trying to pull four kids on a sleigh and eating snow at the same time," Emma said.

Willoughby resident Ed Alberts bonded with his 4-year-old son, Eddie, on the hill.

"We come out here every year since he was pretty much born," Alberts said. "This is just a good park. We usually wake up earlier and just go. But today, he woke me up with my hangover and forced me."

Eddie said he enjoys spending time with his dad sledding.

"My daddy gave me a extra push, and then my sled went faster and faster!" he said.

Dawnn Danaher of Willoughby Hills went sledding with her husband, Greg, and their 7-year-old son, Michael.

Danaher said she likes Chagrin River because it has a fire pit near the sledding hill.

"I'm just trying to stay warm," she said. "Our son likes to be out here a lot, and I get cold."

Willoughby fire Capt. Dennis Anderson said for the most part, serious injuries are few and far between on the sledding hills.

"It's usually bumps and bruises but just like any sporting activity, it does have the potential to be dangerous," Anderson said.

Earlier this week, a 10-year-old girl died at her grandparents' house in Minnesota when her sled hit a stump.

"Collision is the biggest cause of injury," Anderson said. "The most common things are head injuries. A lot of those could be prevented with the use of helmets. Most people don't think of helmets when you're sledding, but we advocate them. You also need to wear the proper clothing to prevent frostbite. Sledding can be a fun activity, but you have to be careful."

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