Contrary to popular belief, these are not tiny pine trees. Their common names of princess pine, ground pine, and groundcedar lead you to believe they are. However, they are part of an ancient family of plants called a clubmoss. Clubmosses are old, really old, over 400 million years old. They are the earliest group of
Tiny trees or ancient plant? Read More »
Guest post by Sandi van Everdingen http://sandivan.com My husband CJ and I have always enjoyed hiking and love having a goal on our adventures. The goal is often to find some sort of landmark, like a waterfall; lately it has been the challenge landmarks for the WNY Hiking Challenge. We had a blast this past summer
Family Orienteering Fun Read More »
Story by Heather Wakeley This was my first year taking part in the WNY Hiking Challenge. I have always enjoyed being outside and getting in touch with nature. Although the desire was there most times I could come up with one excuse or another not to hit the trails. I was becoming adventurous in spirit
More Than a Trail Read More »
Here is an extensive collection of books about all things outdoors that was curated by people who love all things outdoors! This list is a work in progress. If you have a favorite title that you don’t see listed, leave it in the comments and we will add it! Happy reading Outsiders! Here is Mike’s
Outdoor Books To Read For People Who Like Outdoor Things (and Reading) Read More »
Written by Mark Bontempi I thought to myself, oh my god there it is. We reached the top of the ski hill and the clearing was just enough to see down into the trailhead parking lot. I looked down the hill and through a few trees. I could just barely see the hood of my
A Dad’s First Backpacking Experience with His 9 Year Old Daughter Read More »
Written by Penelope Bontempi Hi everyone my name is Penelope, and this is my blog on how I started hiking and about me! I love hiking alot. I really love hiking because I like spending time with my dad and I like exploring. I started hiking in the middle of winter by snowshoeing in December.I
Nelly’s Backpacking Trip Read More »
Winter is amazing at Letchworth State Park. It features frozen waterfalls, gigantic icicles, and the ice volcano. It’s like walking through the frozen landscape Narnia or The North in Game of Thrones. Letchworth State Park is one of the most scenically magnificent areas in the eastern U.S. The Genesee River roars through the gorge over
Letchworth State Park: Frozen in Winter Read More »
John Muir was a true mountain man, naturalist, and a key player in the preservation of wilderness in the United States. Muir was known as “John of the Mountains” and “Father of the National Parks”. In 1892 he founded The Sierra Club, which is now the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Muir
Inspiring John Muir Quotes for Adventurers Read More »
By: Justin Devendorf In certain parts of the Adirondacks, overcrowding on the trails has become a major problem. One need only look at tweets from Forest Rangers that show the parking lot of the Adirondack Loj completely full by 6:00am or the weekly email reports from the Department of Environmental Conservation that highlight the numerous
Taking the Path Less Traveled: Hiking in the Hitchen’s Pond Primitive Area Read More »
Autumn during peak Fall foliage is an amazing time to visit Letchworth State Park. Letchworth State Park is one of America’s Top State Parks (USA TODAY Readers’ Choice Award for Best State Park in the United States). It is referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East”. Letchworth State Park in Autumn or Fall
Letchworth State Park in Autumn – Peak Fall Foliage Read More »