If asked to take a hike, I recommend doing so
Considering the fact that our state has thousands of miles of public hiking trails, you can’t make the claim that there is nowhere to hike. Knowing when and where to go can be a little tricky though.
I was contacted a few weeks back by Peggy Fuller, a member of the Bullthistle Hiking Club. She had some wonderful information on hiking, its benefits, safety precautions, and how our area became part of the Finger Lakes Trail. She was responding to a column written a few weeks back about state property not having adequate shooting ranges. I had been talking about how it could be dangerous to hike because people may be shooting or hunting. She wanted to get the word out that there is a safe way to go out hiking and that hunters and hikers tend to get along just fine. Like anything else, having the right information can make all the difference, so if you plan on hiking in the future please do some research.
I first would like to thank Peggy and all the members of The Bullthistle Hiking Club for inviting myself and my girlfriend on a hike this past weekend. We had a wonderful time and learned so much about hiking and the outdoors.
We arranged to meet this past Saturday at Jackson’s pond to take a short hike and get to meet some of the group members. On the way to the pond, I mentioned how I had been involved in our local archaeological group and I expected, as with that group, that youth involvement would be almost nil. I wasn’t surprised on arrival to see not a single child. I want to make the point that groups such as this encourage youth involvement, but the kids just aren’t as interested these days. I have read several times that today’s youth have less participation and understanding of the outdoors than they used to. The technological age has created a world of expediency that clouds childrens' perceptions of what real fun and accomplishments are all about. When asked why youth involvement was so low, electronics quickly became the topic of discussion. Not one of us was able in some way to not point the finger at modern technological devices. So what can be done?
Wegmans, along with the Finger Lakes Trail volunteers, and cosponsors Monroe Muffler/Brake and Service, and Excellus Blue Cross and Blue Shield, have made an effort to change things. They are sponsoring a great program called the Passport Program that is aimed at getting families outside exercising and eating healthy. They offer several incentives, such as coupons and gift certificates to those who hike the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). There is a booklet you can grab at Wegmans store locations. Inside it explains how to live a more healthy life, outlines hiking locations, and includes information on rewards and prizes. They use a pretty unique method to verify that you have hiked the trails listed. In the booklet there is a page with a bunch of empty rectangles. When you reach a trail marker, you will open the booklet and place the blank rectangle over an inscribed plate on it. You then make a rubbing of the plaque to verify you have been there. When 4 of the 12 included hikes are completed, you can send the info in and receive some coupons for discounts or free merchandise and an FLT patch indicating your participation in the Passport Project. If at least 10 of the 12 required hikes are completed, you can enter your name in a drawing for bigger prizes. For more information, go to www.FingerLakesTrail.org.
It looks like the time is now to get outdoors and have some extra incentive to do so. I beg of everyone to do all you can to involve youth in anything outdoors. The future of outdoor activities will one day be in their hands, and we will be to blame if they don’t care. It's our job to pass this stuff down. Otherwise, only luck and chance will lead the next generation to the outdoors. The sad thing is, it seems almost all youth do these days leads them in the opposite direction. It’s time to take a stand and attempt to block some of the physical and mental pollution being ingested by today’s youth. If we don’t, the future doesn’t look too bright for wild places.
As usual, there was too much information taken in for a single column. The history of our local hiking group and safe hiking techniques will have to wait for a future column. Thanks again to everyone in the Bullthistle Hiking Club, the sponsors, the private landowners who so graciously allow the trail to pass through their land, and all others involved getting people outdoors and living a more healthy life.
Good wishes and happy hiking.
I was contacted a few weeks back by Peggy Fuller, a member of the Bullthistle Hiking Club. She had some wonderful information on hiking, its benefits, safety precautions, and how our area became part of the Finger Lakes Trail. She was responding to a column written a few weeks back about state property not having adequate shooting ranges. I had been talking about how it could be dangerous to hike because people may be shooting or hunting. She wanted to get the word out that there is a safe way to go out hiking and that hunters and hikers tend to get along just fine. Like anything else, having the right information can make all the difference, so if you plan on hiking in the future please do some research.
I first would like to thank Peggy and all the members of The Bullthistle Hiking Club for inviting myself and my girlfriend on a hike this past weekend. We had a wonderful time and learned so much about hiking and the outdoors.
We arranged to meet this past Saturday at Jackson’s pond to take a short hike and get to meet some of the group members. On the way to the pond, I mentioned how I had been involved in our local archaeological group and I expected, as with that group, that youth involvement would be almost nil. I wasn’t surprised on arrival to see not a single child. I want to make the point that groups such as this encourage youth involvement, but the kids just aren’t as interested these days. I have read several times that today’s youth have less participation and understanding of the outdoors than they used to. The technological age has created a world of expediency that clouds childrens' perceptions of what real fun and accomplishments are all about. When asked why youth involvement was so low, electronics quickly became the topic of discussion. Not one of us was able in some way to not point the finger at modern technological devices. So what can be done?
Wegmans, along with the Finger Lakes Trail volunteers, and cosponsors Monroe Muffler/Brake and Service, and Excellus Blue Cross and Blue Shield, have made an effort to change things. They are sponsoring a great program called the Passport Program that is aimed at getting families outside exercising and eating healthy. They offer several incentives, such as coupons and gift certificates to those who hike the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). There is a booklet you can grab at Wegmans store locations. Inside it explains how to live a more healthy life, outlines hiking locations, and includes information on rewards and prizes. They use a pretty unique method to verify that you have hiked the trails listed. In the booklet there is a page with a bunch of empty rectangles. When you reach a trail marker, you will open the booklet and place the blank rectangle over an inscribed plate on it. You then make a rubbing of the plaque to verify you have been there. When 4 of the 12 included hikes are completed, you can send the info in and receive some coupons for discounts or free merchandise and an FLT patch indicating your participation in the Passport Project. If at least 10 of the 12 required hikes are completed, you can enter your name in a drawing for bigger prizes. For more information, go to www.FingerLakesTrail.org.
It looks like the time is now to get outdoors and have some extra incentive to do so. I beg of everyone to do all you can to involve youth in anything outdoors. The future of outdoor activities will one day be in their hands, and we will be to blame if they don’t care. It's our job to pass this stuff down. Otherwise, only luck and chance will lead the next generation to the outdoors. The sad thing is, it seems almost all youth do these days leads them in the opposite direction. It’s time to take a stand and attempt to block some of the physical and mental pollution being ingested by today’s youth. If we don’t, the future doesn’t look too bright for wild places.
As usual, there was too much information taken in for a single column. The history of our local hiking group and safe hiking techniques will have to wait for a future column. Thanks again to everyone in the Bullthistle Hiking Club, the sponsors, the private landowners who so graciously allow the trail to pass through their land, and all others involved getting people outdoors and living a more healthy life.
Good wishes and happy hiking.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks