The water’s really not THAT cold, I mumbled last Jan. 1, while running with a lemming-like mob toward frigid Palmer Cove in Noank.

I’ve been telling myself the same lie every New Year’s Day, and every year, that plunge into the icy water feels like getting smacked in the face with a 2-by-4.

We celebrants have been participating in this crazy ritual since Nixon was in the White House. It’s a great way to start the year – that’s how I began 2023, and how I plan to kick off 2024 on Monday.

You, too, can join the fun, for free. Just show up at noon at the Johnny Kelley Statue in downtown Mystic, tag along at a slow jog for 3.2 miles to Esker Point Beach, and jump in. Some die-hards then run back to Mystic. What could be simpler, or more refreshing? Plus, the water’s really not THAT cold … (right).

Anyway, 2023 was a fun year, even though the COVID virus finally caught up with me in September. I’m just happy I had been vaccinated and boosted four times, so was only out of commission a week or so.

I spent the rest of the year pursuing adventure near and far – revisiting familiar, favorite haunts on land and sea, as well as exploring a bunch of new destinations.

I never tired of hiking at such magnificent local attractions as Bluff Point Coastal Reserve and Haley Farm in Groton; High Ledge, Bear Cave and Mount Misery in Voluntown’s Pachaug State Forest; Stepstone Falls in Exeter, Rhode Island; and the Tri-Town Ridgeline Forest in North Stonington, Preston and Griswold; and Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Stonington.

As for first-time hikes, some of the best were on trails at Block Island that led to stunning ocean vistas at Clay Head, North Lighthouse Point and Black Rock near Rodman’s Hollow. Maggie Jones, Phil Plouffe and Andy Lynn joined me on those spring hikes, and came along on dozens of additional outings the rest of the year.

An array of other friends and family members came along on various rambles hither and yon – I almost always had plenty of company.

I also spent a demanding but rewarding day helping a group known as The Rock Stars repair and rebuild stone steps on a steep shoulder of 688-foot Chauncey Peak in Meriden. Led by Wayne Fogg, these amazing volunteers help make the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s 825-mile network of blue-blazed hiking trails safer and more accessible.

Many of my hikes were research for a guidebook to trails in Connecticut and Rhode Island that I’ve been writing, editing and revising all year for the Appalachian Mountain Club. The 350-page volume is scheduled to be published in March 2024.

Plenty of people accompanied me on dozens of kayak trips that, like the hikes, collectively covered hundreds of miles. I counted more than 50 different people that I paddled with throughout the year, including frequent companions Curt Andersen, Marco Barres, Bill Bright, Dave Fasulo, Robin Francis, William Kenyon, Elyse Landesberg, Andy Lynn, Kate Powers, Nick Schade, Bob Ten Eyck, Phil Warner and Gretchen Whitteberry.

We often steered from Esker Point toward Fishers Island, regardless of the season. We swam at Isabella Beach on the Atlantic Ocean side in summer; and paddled among migrating seals near Hungry Point on the Long Island side in winter.

The Connecticut River also proved to be a favorite kayaking route at different times of year. Our group viewed egrets and great blue herons in spring and summer; bald eagles in winter; and huge, swirling flocks of migrating tree swallows in early fall. At one September sunset, a tornadic murmuration kept us mesmerized for 45 minutes.

In March, my son, Tom, and I also returned to the Salmon River in Colchester to continue an annual whitewater tradition. The highlight: a heart-stopping, six-foot drop over a tumbling waterfall. Whee!

Kayakers in southeastern Connecticut are lucky to have such easy access to Long Island and Fishers Island sounds, as well as so many rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. I particularly enjoyed paddling on the nearby Niantic, Fourmile, Thames, Shetucket and Yantic rivers, and Alewife Cove, as well on out-of-town waterways in Guilford, East Haven, Litchfield, Newport, R.I., and Maine. These included an extraordinarily scenic, 50-mile, multi-day voyage on a section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail; and a first-time paddle on sprawling Moosehead Lake, featuring occasional views of Mount Katahdin.

More adventures beckon in 2024. I always enjoy sharing my experiences with readers, and hope they encourage others to get out and enjoy The Great Outdoors.

Happy New Year, everybody!