For many people, New Year’s Day is a day to rest, a day to stay inside where it’s warm and dry reading a good book or immersing oneself in a Twilight Zone marathon. Particularly when it’s cold and windy, and the ground is blanketed in snow.

But for some members of the East Haddam Land Trust, there is no better way to ring out the old year and get ready for the new year than with a hike in the woods.

“It starts the new year out on a good foot,” said Sue Merrow, as she and a group of about a dozen hikers and four excited dogs set off down the old Colchester Turnpike into the Babcock Pond Wildlife Management Area on the most recent New Years Day hike hosted by the East Haddam Land Trust.

According to Land Trust President Rob Smith, the group has held a New Years Day Hike for about 8 to 10 years. And no matter the weather, the hike goes on.

“It’s ideal,” said Smith of the day’s temperature.

“Last year it was 10 degrees with 20 to 30 mile per hour winds,” said Smith. Nonetheless, about a dozen dedicated hikers showed up.

Even the snow cover proved to be a boon, as the hikers soon discovered a number of bobcat paw prints winding their way through the woods.

“This is good habitat for bobcats,” said Smith, as he pointed out the prints.

One of a series of hikes that the Land Trust holds throughout the year, Smith tries to make each one unique, going out the week before the hike to find interesting and informative paths, even if it means doing a little “bushwhacking,” as this year’s hike did.

The hike began on a portion of the Colchester Turnpike off Olmsted Road. Built in 1809, large portions of the turnpike are no longer used for traffic, but hikers can take advantage of the still clear roadway.

“Just think about all of the wagons traveling down to the river,” said Smith at the beginning of the hike.

After about a half mile, the bushwhacking began, and the hikers left the road to make their own trail, climbing up the side of hill, crossing water – both frozen and unfrozen – and fighting back brush to reach some of the points of interest that Smith had discovered previously , including old charcoal mounds, dams and the foundation of what Smith said was once the Rathbun House just off Olmsted Road. The foundation was notable for its pointed corners, something that Smith said he had never before seen on a foundation.

At more than 1,500 acres, Babcock Pond was acquired by the state over the course of about seven years, saving the land from the development that was sure to take over.

“Just think of all the houses that would have been built and really changed the complexion of the area,” said Smith. Now, mostly hunters and hikers make use of the land legally, leading Smith to urge hikers to take precautions.

One veteran of the New Year’s Day hike is Linda Ryder-Munet , who finds it a great way to start the new year.

“It’s nice, no matter how you look at it. It’s nice to be with people and take a little walk,” she said.