What the Adirondacks Gave Me
Ten years ago I was a little girl who only danced competitively, spent most of my time indoors, and did all things obsessive ten year olds do like put on way too much makeup and obsess over the newest hair styling tool or AIM messaging my friends. But there was something so great that I was missing from the outdoors and I didn't realize that until I was much older. I didn't realize that earlier because I didn't need what the Adirondacks give me now.
I've lived in the Capitol Region my whole life so the Adirondacks were like a distant neighbor to me, a place my family would go to enjoy it's many recreational benefits and beauty a few times each year. Before I was about 15 I would say I maybe went hiking once.. and I say hiking loosely, but nevertheless it was time I was spending out in the air and not in the studio. Dance was a beautiful and soul-powering therapy of it's own for me and it now leaves in me a void because I miss it that much. Although dance gave me all the benefits recreational sports would provide any kid, being outside and truly appreciating nature was something I didn't always take enough time for. I would gaze at sunsets and appreciate some small things here and there. Through my environmental studies in my later years I've realized just how under appreciated nature was for me. I started learning just how threatened our planet and these natural wonders really were and as I fell deeper in love with the outdoors I just kept learning more which fueled a passion and a drive to protect the most natural and beautiful places this world has to offer. I began hiking more and more my senior year of high school and not only hiking but biking, and taking my nieces and nephews to the park, taking my dogs to the trials to run in the woods, going outside just to be outside, and spending every moment I could in the sun. What was once small observations became an appreciation for the sunset and the clouds that swirled around it, the smell of a summer night, the tingle of a night wind hitting my skin before I was ready to call it a night, the beauty of the stars and moon, how stunningly diverse this planet is biologically and the calming cyclic state of nature's processes. As time progressed I peaked more mountains and checked more natural beauties off my list here and across the states. My distant neighbor became my best friend as I fell in love with the Adirondacks and what it gave me.
In my time at Hudson Valley Community College before I transferred to Plattsburgh I spent a vast amount of time in my classes studying the surrounding area doing hands on labs ranging from eel population monitoring with NYSDEC, to salamander studies, to tree and flower studies to bird banding at the Albany Pine Bush, to water population studies and more. All of this time spent these past few years have reinforced in me that I've made the right choice and I can't wait to experience and see even more as I carry my passion with me.
With my growing care for nature came growing dreams as well. These motivations pushed my boyfriend and I to save for over a year to take a cross country road trip this summer for 4 weeks to see as many National Parks as we can. I believe it's vital that we not only support these parks for their recreational and ecosystem roles but because it's good for the soul. As time and damage from climate change progresses more and more natural spaces like Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and even state parks will be threatened by it's effects. So enjoy it, utilize it, benefit from it physically and mentally: nature is for you and so are these spaces that are funded. Go grab your kid or furbaby and make a healthy choice for the body and mind and embrace the outdoors!
Attached are some pictures and a video from this past weekend of my 5 1/2 hour journey to two Adirondack High Peaks: Cascade Mountain and Porter Mountain. Additionally I included some pictures from my hike two weeks ago up Baker Mountain. All shot with my GoPro.
Thanks for reading!