New Year, New You – Get Outside More

Posted : January 7, 2022

Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.

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Can you believe it’s 2022 already? We can’t either! 2021 was a year of ups and downs, but as unpredictable as it was, there were some surprisingly uplifting moments as well. Let’s keep the positive momentum going and look forward to what our New Year’s resolutions are going to be.

Here is a typical January 1^st: You look out your window, and the first thing you see are a bunch of runners enacting their own resolutions. While this is perfectly fine, and even admirable, we at YDH think we can do better. There is so much to do in York Durham Headwaters during the wintry months. After all, what is more exhilarating than crystalline blue skies or a sprinkling of big, fat snowflakes on your cheeks? Winter is the perfect time to get outdoors and explore the wild, white north, so deciding to get outdoors as a New Year’s resolution is simply convenient (not to mention thrilling and refreshing).

Have we convinced you yet? Good. Here are some ideas to get you exploring our Winter Wonderland for your 2022 New Year’s resolution to get outdoors!

Skiing and Snowboarding in YDH

If you’ve visited our blog before, then you are well aware of all the amazing ski and snowboarding facilities we have here in York Durham Headwaters. With our rural settings so close to downtown Toronto, we are a ski and snowboard mecca, to which people from all over Ontario flock for a taste of thrills and chills on the hills. There is nothing like cutting that fresh powder to get your adrenaline kicking into high gear. But if death-defying stunts (figuratively, of course; please enjoy safely) are not quite your jam, each of these locations offer gentler slopes for the beginner and intermediate participant. Also, great news if you’re new to skiing and snowboarding: many of these locations offer renowned ski schools and ski instruction. You and your adventure on the slopes are in good hands at one of our YDH ski and snowboard resorts!

There is a resort near you, so check out this list to get your started on your outdoor resolution:

Check out this how to video from Hockley Valley Ski Resort!

Skating

It’s the Great Canadian Pastime: skating! Well, of course it is, considering the fact that our national sport is hockey (actually, it’s lacrosse; but unofficially… y’know). The great news is that you don’t need to be an expert “on your edges” to enjoy this activity. For many of us, leisure skating is how we learned to do it as kids. And if you didn’t have the opportunity to learn when you were little, there is no time like the present. In fact, it’s wonderful to see so many new Canadians lacing up and taking to the ice to enjoy this winter tradition. Gliding on smooth ice with the breeze on your cheeks is a kind of exhilaration that simply has to be experienced to believe. This is especially true when it comes to skating outdoors—are you picturing those crystalline blue skies and big fat snowflakes we mentioned before? It’s a good thing that there are so many great outdoor skating venues around YDH. Try one near you, or go big and try them all this winter. If it’s a resolution, you have to be consistent, right?

We’ll help you get started with these wonderful locations for outdoor skating:

Pat Bayly Square (Ajax)

Terra Cotta Conservation Area (Halton Hills)

Spray Lake (King)

Richmond Green Skate Trail (Richmond Hill)

Riverwalk Commons (Newmarket)

Enjoy an Outdoor Winter Package: Heartwood Estate Cidery

If you want to see winter at its finest, visit Heartwood Farm and Cidery in Erin for a magical horse-drawn sleigh ride. After an autumn of working on the orchard, Heartwood’s draft horses are eager to get out into the snow to take you on an adventure around their picturesque home. Bundle up and learn about life on the farm in winter as you visit Heartwood’s sheep, cattle, pigs and chickens. And when your sleigh-ride has concluded, you are invited to enjoy a mug of hot cider (alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions available) as you warm up with Heartwood’s woodland campfire. The experience will be so magical that you will want to stop by the farm store to pick up some gifts and treats to take home. Those memories you’ve just made will need to be captured somehow!

To learn more and to book your very own outdoor winter sleigh ride, visit:

Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides

Need some more ideas to fill out your calendar now that you’ve resolved to get outdoors more in 2022? We have loads of great articles on our York Durham Headwaters blog. Here are just a few you can peruse for inspiration:

What’s the Hype About the Ice? (Ice Fishing)

Snowshoe the Trails of YDH this Winter

Defying the Odds—Extreme Winter Sports

Story by Katherine Ryalen

Don’t miss the other posts in our New Year, New You series. For more inspiration on how to make 2022 the best it’s ever been, check out these articles:

New Year, New You – Do More Date Nights

New Year, New You – Discover a Hobby

New Year, New You – Try Something New

For more ideas see below

Get Outside This Winter

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