The hills around the Charles River are prime spots for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing, according to some local residents.

But Anne DeFailly, a native of England who now lives in Cambridge, plans to go tobogganing in the Peter Hill section of Harvard's Arboretum in Boston. A few city school children yesterday recommended the slopes near Fresh Pond in North Cambridge for sledding.

First Night

For a cultural celebration of New Year's Eve, look into Boston's First Night festival.

Zeren Earls, president of First Night Inc., describes the annual fair, with events scattered throughout Boston, as a "public celebration of New Year's Eve through the arts."

Starting at 2 p.m. on December 31 with a children's program, the festival continues at 6:30 p.m. with a procession from the Hynes Auditorium to Boston Common.

From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., in sites spread throughout Downtown and the Back Bay section. First Night will run more than 100 programs, ranging from music--classical, folk and jazz--to theater, dance, mime and film.

The celebration winds up with a midnight fireworks display at Waterfront Park in Boston. All outdoor events are free, while admission to practically every indoor event comes with the onetime purchase of a three-dollar button.

Reactions to the first major snowstorm of the season this weekend ranged from disgust to indifference to ecstasy.

"I truly detest the snow. It's so dirty and cold," explained DeFailly as she treaded her way through the gray slush of Mass. Ave.

Greg Sprick '85 said he was disappointed because "it wasn't nearly enough for a decent snowball fight."

Bonnie St. John '86 said that "I was ecstatic about it. I'm dying to go skiing!"