CHENANGO COUNTY — The 2026 grand prize winner of the Explore Chenango Outdoor Challenge is Penni Bradley. A lifelong Chenango County resident and longtime hiker, Bradley visited all of the locations in the challenge this summer on her own. To her, hiking has been a way to stay healthy, decompress and appreciate different landscapes. Now, she finds herself preparing for an attempt at the Appalachian Trail in 2027.

Despite hiking for years and at one time being a Boy Scout leader, Bradley still found new sights across the county through the challenge. Her favorite discovery was at the Greenway River trail system in Norwich, where she hiked the stone quarry.

“I've never been there, so it was very interesting. There were a lot of different trails in that same area. So that was my favorite,” she said.

Hunts Pond, Whaupaunaucau Forest and the lean-to-lined trails at Rogers Environmental Education Center were also new stops with winding paths and unexpected features she hadn't realized were there before.

“You can hike all of the four or five different trails that are right there, and you can camp in a lean-to,” Bradley said, “which would be good for me as far as prepping for AT [Appalachian Trail],” referring to her discoveries at Rogers.

Bradley said she likes to go for hikes alone “because if you're hiking with other people, you're not really focused on you.” For her, hiking alone provides the time and space to decompress from everyday life.

“Every hike to me is mental therapy as well. When I'm out there, it gives me time to sort out things,” she said. “It really does help my mental clarity. I can come back and I'm kind of refreshed.”

She does sometimes go on hikes with her husband.

When hiking alone, Bradley said she carries the 10 hiking essentials with her on each outing. The National Park Service list includes navigation, such as a map, compass or GPS system; sun protection, including sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat; extra clothing, such as a jacket, hat, gloves, rain gear or other layers; illumination, such as a flashlight or headlamp; first aid supplies; fire-starting supplies, including matches, a lighter or fire starters; a repair kit and tools, such as tape, a knife, multi-tool and scissors; extra food; water or water-treatment supplies; and emergency shelter, such as a tent, blanket, tarp or bivy. Find the list at nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm.

“I take the 10 essentials every time so that I'm always prepared,” Bradley said, “and always let everybody know where I'm going.”

Her favorite piece of gear is a well-worn fanny pack because it makes the other items easy to access.

When she heard about the challenge from a friend, she saw it as a prime opportunity to practice for her ambition to complete the Appalachian Trail and train her recovering knee. She also said it helped her stay active in retirement and maintain her weight over the summer.

Her grand prize for completing the challenge was a Coleman Snap N Go cooler, which she has already found a purpose for. She'll use it for an upcoming road trip to visit family, and she plans to keep it in the car for spontaneous day hikes with her husband.

Bradley's experience with the Explore Chenango Outdoor Challenge reflects what organizers intended it to inspire. Designed by the county's Health and Planning departments, the challenge aimed to get people outside, exploring the county and being active.

According to Christina Arnold, senior public health educator at the Chenango County Department of Public Health, only 24 participants submitted completed brochures for the raffle, but engagement far exceeded expectations.

“We had 24 submissions for the raffle prizes but gave out over 2,000 brochures and had over 50,000 social media and website hits with our Challenge over the summer,” Arnold said. “We consider this project highly successful for that reason.”

She said they received a lot of positive feedback.

“We heard from a lot of people that loved the idea and enjoyed visiting local places they had not been before. People enjoyed taking their pets on walks, planning day trips with their children and visiting a pond or lake they had never been to,” Arnold said.

The challenge provided a way to encourage outdoor activity at spots right here in Chenango County.

“The goal is to get people out into nature with their families and out visiting our local parks, hiking trails, bodies of water and bike trails,” Arnold said. “The other benefit was the physical activity that was increased because of this project.”

Planning Director Shane Butler emphasized that the challenge aligns directly with the county's 2050 Vision Plan.

“One of the four main pillars of the Chenango County 2050 Vision Plan was Community Health and Wellbeing. Specifically, ‘Strategy 1: Support Healthy Lifestyle & Enhance Quality of Life,’” Butler said. “What better way to support healthy lifestyles and enhance quality of life than being outside in the fresh air, spending time with friends and family and just enjoying the natural beauty that Chenango County has to offer. Even if you wanted to complete the challenge by yourself and focus on your own mental health, this challenge, we hope, has been beneficial to those who took the time to experience it.”

Bradley hopes more people will try the challenge next year. Her advice is simple.

“Just do it. Just head out and do it,” she said, noting that the challenge is accessible because it includes trails for all skill levels and is flexible with how much someone wants to walk.

For Bradley, the hiking trips won't end with the summer challenge. The Appalachian Trail is on the horizon for 2027, and she is looking forward to seeing the fall foliage across New York state.