5 Winter Adventures To Wake You Up (Instead Of Hibernating Until Spring)
Winter does not have to be the season where you drift, disconnect, and wait for “real life” to start again in the spring. It can be the season where you learn new skills, move your body differently, and build memories with people that actually stick.
Here are five concrete winter adventures to try, plus how to approach them so they forge you instead of fry you.
1. Learn To Ski Or Snowboard
If you’ve been “meaning to” learn to ski or ride for years, this is your sign to stop talking about it and book the lesson. A beginner package at a local mountain gives you instruction, a safe environment, and permission to fall down a lot without shame.
Treat the learning curve like reps in the gym, awkward at first, then slowly more natural as your brain and body catch up. Bonus, this becomes a tradition you can build with your kids as they get older instead of just watching from the lodge.
2. Try Snowshoeing Or Cross-Country Skiing
Snowshoeing and cross‑country skiing are the blue collar workhorses of winter adventure. Low ego, high return. They’re easier to learn than downhill skiing and give you access to quiet trails and backwoods that most people never see once the snow falls.
Start with a local trail system or golf course that grooms XC tracks, or rent snowshoes at an outfitter and hit a beginner loop. Focus on steady movement, conversation, and being outside longer than feels “comfortable” instead of chasing speed or distance.
3. Winter Hiking (And How To Not Be Miserable)
Winter hiking can be magical or miserable, and the difference is usually layering. Before you head out, learn how to build a simple system: a moisture wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer, and a waterproof/windproof shell. Avoid cotton, keep your extremities warm (hat, gloves, wool socks), and pack a dry layer for the ride home.
Pick shorter, well traveled trails at first and start earlier in the day to give yourself plenty of daylight. The goal is not to “conquer” anything, it is to get comfortable moving in the cold so the rest of life’s discomforts feel less intimidating.
4. Ice Fishing And Slowing Down On Purpose
Ice fishing forces you to do something most men are terrible at, sit still, be present, and slow your internal pace down without immediately reaching for a screen. There is a simple satisfaction in drilling a hole, setting up a shelter, and waiting with a thermos of coffee and a buddy next to you.
If you are new, go with someone experienced or book a guided trip so you learn ice safety, gear basics, and local rules. You might bring home dinner, or you might just bring home the feeling of having actually exhaled for the first time in weeks.
5. Build A Backyard Rink (And Use It)
If you have the yard and the climate for it, a backyard rink is one of the best winter investments you can make in your family and your own inner kid. A simple frame, liner, and some cold nights are all you need to create a space for skating laps, practicing edges, or playing late night shinny under cheap floodlights.
Block off a couple “rink nights” each week where phones stay inside and everyone gets on the ice, even if it is just for a few laps. You are not just building a rink, you are building a winter rhythm your kids will remember long after they forget what was on TV.
Pick One And Commit
You do not need to cram all of this into one season. Pick one or two new winter adventures, put dates on the calendar, and commit to showing up even when your brain offers you a dozen excuses. The cold, the learning curve, and the inconvenience are not obstacles, they are the forge.
If You’re In The Northeast
Or anywhere near upstate New York or eastern Ontario, you can do basically everything in this post without getting on a plane.
Skate: The Rideau Canal in Ottawa becomes a massive skating highway when conditions allow, with spots along the way for hot drinks and snacks.
Family winter wonderland: Just outside Ottawa, Saunders Farm runs its “Country Christmas” with light walks, mazes, play areas, bonfires, and all the cozy, kid‑friendly holiday chaos you’d expect on a farm in December.
Ski / Snowboard: Titus Mountain in Malone, NY is a super family friendly hill with night skiing and a laid back vibe, while Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid gives you big mountain vertical plus that Olympic history feel.
Cross country ski / Snowshoe: The Nicandri Nature Center in Massena has access to mellow trails and winter programs, and the Adirondack Mountain Club opens up endless options for winter hiking, XC, and snowshoe routes across the park.
Winter town weekend. A visit to Lake Placid, NY in winter checks a lot of boxes at once, downhill skiing, skating, coffee shops, Olympic sites, and that cozy mountain town energy after you come in from the cold.
You can ski, snowboard, snowshoe, cross country ski, winter hike, skate, and soak up full Christmas market energy within a few hours of each other up here as long as you’re willing to layer up and actually go outside.
From The Forge 🔥
Zachary
