Avalanche Pass

Some pics from a recent hike into Avalanche Pass from the famed Adirondack Loj in Keene Valley.

I haven't been to many national parks, but the one in my corner of the world ain't bad.

I would say I am an outdoors-ey person. I don't have to hike every high peak in a 100-mile radius to feel content being outside. It's just about getting away from the hustle and bustle and heading into the mountains to wet a line or go for a day hike.

It really is a different world out there; beyond the bright lights and off the grid. Rules and laws that we abide by every day don't apply. Spend any length of time outdoors and you learn that it has its own, primitive constitution and survival depends on a lot more than iPhones and mocha lattes.

There is a delicate balance in the wilderness that is far more advanced than the latest smart phone. In fact, it's perfect - and it doesn't need batteries to function!

This delicate balance is easily disturbed, as we have learned, by oil spills and other manmade disasters (not getting into global warming and CFCs here). This is the reality that we, the human race, has to live with and often ignore.

Now, I'm not a conservationist or an ambassador of the wild. I don't always walk the walk, but I do respect the outdoors and would like to see it preserved. What does this mean? I would say less development, more reclamation of old properties, an end to processed foods and mono-crop planting, and a return to slow food and neighborhood markets that sell local goods and services.

All this being said, you might notice more outdoor-related posts on cas:ev relating to conservation, notable environmental issues in the Adirondacks and beyond, and some links to outdoor gear (who doesn't love outdoor gear?).

I'll start by directing you to an outdoor company out of Steamboat Springs I learned of recently. Big Agnes makes handmade equipment that I've heard great things about. Check out the site here.

-J