Outdoors

While our region’s lush forests and abundant wildlife draws all manner of nature lovers, it can also pose unexpected risks to hikers and the first responders coming to their rescue. That’s why experts advise that you check the weather, difficulty levels, and degree of elevation— and above all, don’t be afraid to quit. With that […]

Walking along a brook with Steven Weinberg, it can seem as if he has a hello for everything around him: the clear, spring-fed stream; Rusk Mountain, still wearing its spring-stubbly, not-yet-green face; the acorn he spots on the ground and stops to examine.  Weinberg’s neighborhood is alive, and he shares it generously in “The Fly […]

Snow on the ground and a chill in the air usually mean one thing in the Catskills: ski season. On Tuesday, the region’s first major snowfall blanketed the region with about eight inches of snow. Nearly four million skiers visited New York resorts in 2022-23, the most recent year for which data is available. An […]

Skiers buoyed by the season’s first significant snowfall this week can count one certainty: Tariffs have already pushed up prices and worse is likely to come during the next two years. “I’ve been doing this for some 30 years now, and this is the first time I’m seeing widespread changes in the prices,” said Nick […]

As the kaleidoscope of our Fall season inexorably turns, the once-bright autumnal hues, which  only recently seemed stunningly immutable and starkly in-our-face, have changed their tune. Now they speak to us in more muted, darker tones of faded yellow and orange, rich browns, and disintegrating greens. I’m almost afraid of what they’re trying to say. I […]

On any given weekend, if you’re deep in the Catskills and hear a distant howl, it might just be Tater, a seven-year-old mountain cur who’s spent the past five years climbing mountains across the Northeast with his owners, married couple Redmond Haskins and Gina Morrow. Haskins, 39, and Morrow, 36, live in Saugerties, where their […]

As drought conditions deepened across the Catskills last week, the towns of Hunter and Shandaken declared local states of emergency and issued temporary burn bans. The orders, signed Sept. 20 and 21, prohibit outdoor burning of yard waste, bonfires, and campfires in an effort to reduce wildfire risk at a time when local fire companies […]

If you spend enough time in the Catskills, you’ve likely heard the refrain: “The ticks are really bad this year.” The reality is more complicated. While ticks and the diseases they carry are a persistent hazard in the region, whether a given season is truly “bad” depends on a mix of perception, climate conditions, and […]

With one heat wave done and summer in full swing, it may be time to venture into our local wilderness for hikes that range from adventurous to family-friendly, offering your pick of stunning mountaintop views and the serenity of deep forest. Just pack plenty of liquids, be sure to haul out all your trash, and […]