A couple of small snowstorms, sandwiching a minor ice event and followed by plenty of cold, have left our woods skiable, sparkling and frosty.

With hopes that this base will carry us through the ski season, I’ve again sought out secret, quiet spots for my first skis of the season.

Following my tracks home in the frosty December woods.

I like forgotten wood roads, disused railroad right-of-ways, long-abandoned farms and isolated hiking paths for my solo cross-country outings. Sometimes I share these routes with snowmobiles, but I prefer to break the trail myself and stay off the winter sledding highways.

This time of year, with Christmas past and New Years almost here, I’m often out by myself. If dads always waited for kids before skiing,  hiking, kayaking, we’d be sitting in the house far too long.

A solo ski is mind-cleansing. The rhythm, the cold air, the twisting trail wash away stress and negativity.

Which might make me better company when I venture out to the Saranac New Land Trust, a favorite trail complex in this end of the Adirondacks, or when my kids want to come along for a ski.

Here’s wishing you a New Year full of skiing, hiking, kayaking and all the other time outdoors that brings us balance, healing and hope.