Before Robin Lasseter shot down Shiawassee Hill, she had three thoughts: the hill looked pretty steep, she hoped she wouldn't break any bones, and she hoped she would ride all the way to the end and hit the hay bales.

Lasseter, who is from Atlanta and grew up in southern Georgia, was visiting her boyfriend's family in Farmington Hills and went sledding for the first time Sunday. She said her experience was thrilling. The bumps on the hill made her feel like she was flying. She didn't even mind wiping out.

"I was kind of hoping I'd wipe out at some point," Lasseter said.

Farmington and Farmington Hills have two popular sled hills: the scenic overlook at Heritage Park, which is open until dusk; and Shiawassee Hill behind the Farmington Public School Schulman Administrative Center, open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Dave Fink, of Farmington Hills, was at the hill with Lasseter and his son and said he went sledding around four or five times a year when his kids were younger. They would sled at Heritage, Shiawassee, or on little hills in their neighborhood. There wasn't a hill in Farmington they preferred over another, he said.

Kevin Yezbick, of Ferndale, said his nephews know Shiawassee as the "hill of doom." He said he likes feeling a little out of control while sledding, still knowing he's safe.

"It's fast and it's a bit like riding a bronco. The sled's trying to buck you off every chance it gets," Yezbick said.

David Sternberg, of West Bloomfield, said the sledding hill's speed makes the activity thrilling for kids. His family moved from New Jersey three months ago. When he asked which hills in the area were good for sledding, two people told him to check out the hill on Shiawassee.

"This hill is really fantastic," Sternberg said. "I'm happy Michigan has these kinds of facilities for kids. It makes it a really kid-friendly place to raise a family."

Get your sledding in early this week. The weather forecast calls for temperatures climbing over 40 degrees, with a chance of rain, by Friday.