The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation this week will begin accepting applications for their 2012 summer camps. Those include two camps in the Adirondacks — Camp Colby in Saranac Lake and Pack Forest in Warrensburg — as well as two other camps (Rushford and DeBruce) in southern and western New York.

Depending on the location, summer camps are open to youths between ages 11 and 17. There are seven week-long sessions that begin July 1. The cost is $350 a week for each child.

There is an endless amount of learning and social activities that take place at these camps. Not only do they participate in outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, camping, swimming and canoeing, they also have the opportunity to learn about the environment and can even take their hunter education training.

“Kids don’t play outside a lot anymore; we have our kids outside every single day,” said Danielle Perry, a teacher from Cortland who served as manager of Pack Forest last summer and who also attended DEC summer camps as a youth.

“Camp is different than school,” she continued. “At camp I shot my first bow and arrow, I went on a canoe trip for the first time. Kids act differently at camp. Nobody’s different here. It’s a judge-free zone. You don’t get bullied here, you don’t get picked on here. We’re really strict on respect and relationships, communication and building memories.”

And the kids like it, too!

“It is adventurous here and it’s a lot of fun and we met a lot of new friends,” said Cody Gibson, 13, of St. Regis Falls, who, along with his older brother, Alan, spent a week at Pack Forest last summer. The Gibson brothers (no relation to the bluegrass band) attended the camp on a scholarship from the New York State Outdoor Writers Association.

“I enjoy the outside,” Alan said. “I really like to hike, I like to swim, I like the kayak, and I like to do a lot of stuff that has to do with the wilderness.”

The two brothers enjoyed staying in the cabin with 24 boys their age from all over New York. Along with usual activities they did early morning “polar bear” swims, had an arm-wrestling contest and took their hunter education course. “These guys have been keeping us really busy,” Alan said of the camp counselors.

But as Perry reiterated, camp is about friendships.

“I’ve made friends with almost the whole cabin,” Cody Gibson said. “I really want to come back next year. This camp is a very nice place because you get to meet new people, you get to do new stuff and just have a blast!”

Parents who can’t afford to send their kids to a summer camp should keep an eye out for scholarships that are often offered through local sportsman’s organizations. In fact, the Lake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited is offering six of them this year. For information on the TU scholarships, send an email to wellman1985@charter.net. For more information on DEC’s summer camps, including applications, visit the website at www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html or call 402-8014.

Ithaca may be best known as the home of both Cornell University and Ithaca College, but the city offers a cornucopia of attractions for outdoors enthusiasts.

Situated in a valley on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, about a three-hour drive from Albany, the city’s streets slope steeply toward the water. There are more than 100 waterfalls and gorges within 10 miles of Ithaca, leading to the local slogan, “Ithaca is Gorges.”

Inveterate hikers, my husband, Herb, and I figured gorges and waterfalls meant lots of hiking. We spent a winter weekend there and found plenty to keep us busy, but none of the crowds the summer months would bring.

When we stopped by Robert H. Treman State Park, our only company was a photographer who had set up his camera to take pictures of the

200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY

small cascade over the swimming pool.

From June through September, the stream-fed pool at the park is packed with families seeking refuge from the summer heat. Winter is a different story. The dam that raises the water level for the pool was open, and we walked out into the middle of Enfield Creek to admire the view of the nearby poolhouse (built by the Civilian Conservation Corps) and the snow-dusted gorge that rose steeply to either side.

Away from the pool, we had the park’s trails to ourselves. The 2.25-mile Gorge Trail along the northern side of the ravine was closed due to icy conditions, but we were able to hike almost to the end of the Rim Trail on the southern side, catching a glimpse of the magnificent Lucifer Falls from the base of the (closed) Cliff Staircase. We had to go back to the car and drive around to a different park entrance to get a better view of the falls from the top of the staircase.

In addition to Treman, there are three other state parks in close proximity that offer options for outdoor recreation in different seasons, from hiking to swimming to cross-country skiing. There are also wildlife management areas, state forests and preserves. Highlights include:

Taughannock Falls State Park, which boasts hiking trails and a waterfall three stories higher than Niagara Falls (although the width and volume of water is much smaller).

Buttermilk Falls State Park’s features include a waterfall, a small lake and a campground. It’s also home to the gray petaltail dragonfly, a species that has existed since prehistoric times.

Cornell Plantations includes botantical gardens, an arboretum, and trails in the heart of the Cornell University campus.

The 560-mile Finger Lakes Trail, a long-distance hiking trail, cuts through several of the region’s natural areas on its way from the Pennsylvania border to the Catskills.

Take A Hike - Finger Lakes

The family-friendly Cayuga Nature Center offers education programs and exhibits on the region’s natural resources. There are miles of nature trails, a six-story treehouse and a seasonal Butterfly House.

Don’t forget Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes. In warmer months, visitors can swim or rent kayaks to ply the waters.

As many ways as there are to burn calories in Ithaca, there are ways to add them on. We ate dinner two nights in a row at the renowned Moosewood Restaurant. The vegetarian eatery is famous not only because of its interesting culinary creations and focus on local, organic ingredients, but also for the more than a dozen cookbooks it has published. The cozy restaurant is right in downtown Ithaca, with several small, linked dining rooms and efficient service.

Just a block from the Moosewood is Ithaca Commons, a pedestrian mall packed with shops and eateries. We (naturally) liked The Outdoors Store, which sells hiking and cycling equipment, but also drooled over the merchandise at the Finger Lakes Running and Triathlon Co. One morning, we also drooled over breakfast waffles at Waffle Frolic, a waffle bar and coffee house on the mall.

On our way out of town, we stopped by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Enthusiastic but amateur birders, we quickly regretted not having left ourselves more time to explore. Instead of the small public area we were expecting, we found a visitor’s center packed with information, exhibits and activities. A friendly volunteer greeted us as we walked in, provided a quick tour and offered to loan us binoculars.

The lab sits among the 230-acre sanctuary of Sapsucker Woods, which includes forest, ponds and swamps, a nice variety of habitat where

Birding in Central & Western NY

more than 200 different species of birds have been spotted. There are more than 4 miles of well-groomed trails through the sanctuary, but shorter loops mean even reluctant walkers should be able to find an acceptable option.

Inside the visitors center are interactive exhibits, including a surround-sound theater offering short movies on birds and birding. The 10-seat theater operates with a user-activated menu so you can pick which movie to watch and when to start it. There are also several touch-screen kiosks with information on bird sounds and identification, and a sound analysis studio, where you can see a visual representation of what different birds sound like and make your own recordings. For the less technologically inclined, the center also features a viewing area over the lake and a feeding station, permanent and rotating art exhibits and a gift shop.

If you go:
Guidebooks:
Take A Hike – Family Walks in NY’s Finger Lakes Region
Take Your Bike – Family Rides in NY’s Finger Lakes Region
200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY
Take A Paddle – Finger Lakes NY Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks
Birding in Central & Western NY

Robert Treman State Park
105 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca
(607) 273-3440
Open year-round; park hours are subject to change.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30-4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is free.
Moosewood Restaurant
215 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca
Hours: Lunch from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday; dinner from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Moosewood does not accept reservations and the menu changes daily.
Waffle Frolic
146 East State, Ithaca
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Teachers Week
From Feb. 17-26, Ithaca hosts Winter Recess Teachers Week, which celebrates public school teachers and school employees with entertainment, activities, family fun and discounts throughout the community. Outdoors events during the week include:
“Taughannock Falls, Miracle of Ice,” on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. A free 90-minute guided tour of the Taughannock gorge along a flat 1.5-mile trail. Dress for winter weather. Snowshoes or cross-country skis are welcome. Free.
Learn to climb on Saturdays, Feb. 18 and 25, from 1-3 p.m.; and Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 7-9 p.m. Try out rock climbing at Cornell University’s Bartels Hall rock-climbing wall. $25.
Guided bird walks at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25-26 at 9 a.m. Beginner bird walks last about an hour. Free.

This invitation is extended for all to walk, hike, ride, walk dogs and, weather permitting, ski and snowshoe on the B&P Railroad right-of-way in Springville. Snowshoe rentals will be available courtesy of Sliders, Colden’s skate, board and ski shop. From 1 – 3 p.m., guests Earth Spirit Educational Services from Orchard Park will be conducting an informational walk on the wildlife and ecology of the trail.

While no motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail, dogs and horses are welcome.

The event is sponsored by the village of Springville and the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Pop Warner Trail Steering Committee and Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail and the permission of the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad Company.

The Pop Warner Trail Steering Committee, a group of local residents planning the future management and development of the Rails to Trails Program in Springville, is the planning team for this event. This is the third event along the 27-mile abandoned railroad right-of-way which runs from Orchard Park to Ashford.

For more information on the event or getting involved, visit www.springvilletrail.org, find the group on Facebook or call Robin Frey at 812-9542 or the village of Springville at 592-4936.

source: metroWNY