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Outings Report
January, 2011
The last two years have brought a lot of ADKers out into the peaks, valleys, ponds, fields, and streams of New York, Ontario, and Quebec, and I am continually reminded of how lucky we are to live in such beautiful spaces. Snow blankets northern New York today, and I am drawn to the image of a fresh, blank coverlet drawn across the earth. The tracks of wild creatures are already beginning to leave marks, though, and I wonder whether our footprints will rest as lightly upon the land.
As I pass the outings torch into the strong and capable hands of Bill Mueller, I am thinking about transitions and our place within the order of things and, with the image of those footprints in mind, am resolving to live a bit more simply this year. With gas prices rising and polar ice melting, we could all do a little bit to help protect the wild spaces we adore. So please, as you join us on outings this year, offer to car pool with other hikers, and try to ensure that you will leave few lasting impressions on the land.
Also, this year, cultivate the sense of wonder that springs from time spent observing the natural world. Love the advancing tendrils of cirrus clouds that herald a change in the weather, and listen to the urgent chatter of red squirrels reporting your presence. Learn how to tell the temperature by the squeak of your snowshoes and the feel of your nostrils. Then share the beauty of the outdoors with someone new.
I hope to meet you on the trails! Thanks for all the memories, and I look forward to making new ones together.