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Jump Start 2020 With a Day Outside

Adventure your way into the new year.

By: The Outbound Collective + Save to a List

The first day of a new year can be a stressful one. Apart from potentially nursing a pounding headache from the night before, there's the whole business of falling in line with the planning mania for the year ahead. Do you have all your resolutions written? Are you ready for a new beginning? Did you set your yearly intention? Are you appropriately dressed for such an auspicious day?

We say, throw all those expectations out the window and enjoy the day outside. Whether you choose to go solo, hang with friends, or explore with family, make the New Year a day for fun and connection in the outdoors.

Here are just a few of the ways you can have fun this New Year's Day.

Play in the Snow

Photo by Amy Kesic // Adventure: Ski or Snowshoe McCullough Gulch

If you're lucky enough to live within driving distance of a snowy landscape, spend your day playing in a fluffy white wonderland. Strap on your snowshoes, go alpine skiing or snowboarding, race through the woods on Nordic skis or backcountry skis, or grab the kids and go sledding.

Stretch it Out

Photo by Jeremy Meek // Adventure: Practice Yoga Atop Piestewa Peak

For those who live in fairer weather, head outside for a yoga session to welcome the New Year. Check out local offerings to see if there is an outdoor class on January 1. If you can't find one, create your own experience with the help of a mat, a phone or tablet with cell service, and one of the many free yoga classes available on YouTube.

Skip the Party

Photo by Eric Bennett // Adventure: 10 Things I Learned From Hiking By Moonlight

If partying like it's 2019 isn't really your style, gather up some friends and take a moonlight hike on New Year's Eve instead. Grab your headlamps, plan a route, and say "hello" to 2020 far from the lights of civilization. If you're feeling particularly keen, spend the whole night under the stars!

Pedal Into 2020

Photo by Matt Hage // Adventure: Snow Biking in Alaska's Arctic

If you have the right gear, cycling is a year-round sport. Hop on your favorite bike for a cruise on New Year's Day. Challenge your legs and lungs to a nice, long ride, or pedal to the nearby cafe for a heaping plate of your favorite brunch foods. No matter where you go, the fresh air will do you good.

Take a Hike

Photo: Lucas Gashi // Adventure: Hike to Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Breathe in the crisp air of 2020 with a hike or walk. Bring the dog, bring the kids, bring your grandma...just get out there and enjoy the views. Bonus: if you've been hanging with your family too long over the holidays and need a break, a little solo hike will set you back to rights.

Happy New Year, adventurers!

Cover photo by Jason Zabriskie, Cross-Country Ski the Rendezvous Huts

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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