Ahh, New Year’s resolutions—what is on your list? Spend more time with family and friends? Spend less money? Lose weight? Learn something new? One of the great things about living/playing in Eagle County is that the outdoor playground in our backyard is the perfect setting to accomplish all of these goals. Whether you are taking a snowy hike or neighborhood stroll, walking the dog around Nottingham Lake, or ice-skating at the new Edwards ice rink, throughout the county are opportunities to work toward your New Year’s resolutions.
Let’s take a look at some of the outdoor activities that might help you reach your goals. Walking Mountain Science Center is a great resource for snowshoe adventures and winter hikes. Monday through Saturday, join a naturalist for a gentle and educational hike through snowy aspen forests, and learn about the plants and animals who live there. Walking Mountains also has Thursday through Saturday snowshoe tours that leave from the Nature Discovery Center at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead. To find out more and to register, visit www.walkingmountains.org.
Want to try something new? How about ice skating? There are now multiple options in the valley to practice your gliding and double axels: Beaver Creek, Solaris in Vail, Eagle Town Park and a new rink by the Mountain Recreation field house in Edwards. No skates? No problem. The Edwards location has a box of different sizes for skaters to try out at no cost.
For the kids in your life (or maybe one of your resolutions is to get your children outside more) Generation Wild, a Great Outdoors Colorado campaign that aims to get more youth outside, has a list of 100 Things To Do Before You’re 12. https://www.generationwild.com/the-list Some of these (“Blow dandelions into the wind” ) might not be ideal in an Eagle County winter, but, hey, they have twelve months to complete it. Making a a snow angel, catching snowflakes on your tongue, building a snowman, and eating snow ice cream, are just a few of the things that every Colorado kid should check off their list, according to Generation Wild.
Perhaps your New Year’s resolution is on the more altruistic side. Buddy Mentors, a program of Bright Future Foundation in the model of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, connects adult volunteers to Eagle County youth. The buddy pairs agree to meet up two to four times a month for one year. Although Buddy Mentors offers free monthly activities, most of the time it is up to the buddy pair to come up with the activity, and most of the time these activities take place outside, since they are free and Covid-precautionary friendly. In fact, helping a youth complete the “100 Things To Do Before You’re 12” checklist is a perfect buddy challenge! To learn more about Buddy Mentors and to find applications to become a Senior Buddy (the adult mentor) or Junior Buddy (the youth), please visit https://mybrightfuture.org/buddy-mentors/.
So, take a look at that list of resolutions you may have drafted, then take a look outside. This is the place where goals are achieved!
