Pandemic restrictions got you down? Getting outdoors will always perk you up

This column is an opinion piece by Gord Follett, an avid outdoorsman who lives in Mount Pearl. For more information aboutCBC's Opinion section, please see theFAQ.

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions.

Well, maybe a couple, 15-20 years back. I vaguely recall, late one December, vowing to give up smoking. Another year around the same time I thought it would be a good idea to get back to regular exercise such as walking and maybe even a trip to the gym couple times a week.

Neither pledge lasted beyond the second week of January.

This isn't to suggest I'll never try again, however, even at my age. Better still, with COVID-19 bringing about numerous lifestyle changes these past two years not the least of which has been (re-)introducing people to the safety of the great outdoors in numbers and durations we've not witnessed in a generation or two perhaps I can offer a few simple outdoor-related resolutions for all to consider.

First up: simply get out there! Start with a refreshing winter hike two or three days a week. And don't use snow as an excuse not to go. Once it reaches the point where your winter hiking boots aren't up to the task, there are several brands of light aircraft-grade aluminum snowshoes on the market that will keep you "afloat"and make your casual jaunt the pleasure it was intended to be.

For the price, though, the locally made traditional bear paw-style snowshoesyou see residents selling from their homes or hanging off their pickup trucks in high traffic areas around town can't be beat. A friend in Trinity Bay who makes theseinforms me that while he wouldn't go so far as to say sales last year were brisk, he did sell a lot more than in pre-COVID days.

Snowshoeing is more than great exercise and good all-around for the body and mind; it's actually fun!

Need another suggestion? Boil-ups. Nothing conjures up an image of the Newfoundland and Labrador outdoors like the good ol' boil-up. Who hasn't seen or taken a photo of a copper kettle hanging off a stick over an open fire? Bring a man to tears, it would.

And if you've spent even the slightest amount of time on social media the past 20-plus months, no doubt you've noticed how popular this simple outdoor cooking activity has become. The boil-up isn't some sort of ritereserved for anglers and hunters. People with no previous attachment to or appreciation of the outdoors have been flocking to the countryside with beans, bologna, homemade bread and salt fish to warm over an open fire or cook on a simple modern device like a Kelly Kettle or single-burner propane stove.

Oh, and a cup of tea. Can't forget the tea. Anybody who's had it will tell you, "Ya just can't beat a cup of tea in the woods." As my buddy commented last spring, "everybody and their dog is having boil-ups these days."

If you're not on the boil-up bandwagon just yet, there's an endless amount of space and it could be your most rewarding resolution.

Family fishing adventures, introducing kids to rabbit-snaring, taking advantage of offers from friends and family to spend a few days at their cabin, hunting and bringing nutritious wild game to the table, camping with a group of friends the list of available and easily accessible outdoor activities is virtually endless.

The primary plus-side to all of this, no matter the season, is that it's the safest place to be. Since the spring of 2020 in particular, health officials have been telling us to get out there as much as possible. And we can do it maskless!

There are so, so many ideas, tips, informative pieces, opinions and stories to tell to help inform and entertain our residents about the wonderful outdoors of Newfoundland and Labrador. And that's exactly what I hope to accomplish with this new column.

Happy New Year to all, and please stay safe.

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