A fellow classmate and I had a joyous time skiing around the St. Lawrence University Golf Course, sticking to the track for a while until we came upon a wooded area we wanted to explore, where we broke trail, took a quick nap on a log, and appreciated the serenity of it all. I love mixing up some speedy track skiing with slowing down and appreciating the way the snow settles on the trees or how the giant, fluffy flakes puff up around me when I fall.

Azure was covered in a layer of light fluffy snow, and just as we got to the top the sun broke through the clouds. For a relatively small mountain, Azure is always such a worthwhile hike and has some really amazing views.

Gothics always inspires. It challenges hikers and climbers of nearly any level and draws me back at least a couple times per year. The north face shown in this video once intimidated me when I saw it from the Orebed Trail, now it's an annual retreat. I feel only relaxation and freedom once I start moving upward.

Lots of snow at Higley Flow! Always nice to feel so far from campus with just a short drive, and the trails were in great shape. Caught a glimpse of the sunset too. 

Whiteface got the first big snow of the season on October 18! We skinned up the auto road, and found around 7 inches of snow on the summit, full-blown winter up there.

Had a lovely evening paddle on the Grasse and Little Rivers. With all the rain recently, the Grasse was running so high it was difficult to paddle upriver. We saw a muskrat along the banks of the Little River.

A beautiful dragonfly decided to join us in apple picking at Fobare's Fruits!

Camped in the Huckleberry Lake lean-to overnight and woke up to a calm misty morning on the lake. No other people in sight and you really feel like you're out there after a quick mile or so hike! 

While St. Lawrence University brought in fall 2019 with a power outage, I enjoyed taking this opportunity to step away from electronic technology and went on a walk to appreciate the beauty of nature. Such an amazing breath of fresh air! 

Some roadside routes are more exciting than others. All have unique features. Prelude to Overture, rated 5.8 YDS, is often called one of the most exposed routes of its grade in the Adirondacks. The photos above, one of me leading and 2 of my friend Loren Swears, show why. All three photos are traversing a roof system on Upper Washbowl Cliff...there's nothing but 150' of air underneath this spur of the roof. The views are simply inspiring.