WNYoutdoors.net

Proshops and Stores
Guides and Charters
Outdoor Events and Shows
Clubs and Organizations
Feature Article History
Outdoors Columns
Feature Article

Photo by Holiday Valley Resort

Photo by Zoar Valley Canoeing and Rafting

Photo by Wayne Walter

It’s been said that Western New York is the end all be all for North America’s version of Siberia. That we have temperatures averaging 20 degrees in July to temperatures that will make your tears freeze before they hit the ground in January. For whatever reason, I have to believe that the winter of 1977 has a lot to do with that widespread opinion. Now don’t get me wrong, we do have our fair share of winter, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, that being one of the reasons that makes this neck of the woods one of the best places in the country to enjoy yourself in the outdoors.

I have lived in Western New York my entire life just as many of you reading this have. We who are natives to this region know the truth about the climate and what Mother Nature has to offer in the four seasons. Spring is filled with everyone from runners and bicyclists, to the people that like to spend their time in the hundreds of trout streams in the area. With temperatures ranging from the 60’s in April to 70’s in May, it is perfect for any and all outdoor exercise. When June is upon us and summer is calling the boaters, golfers, and campers, it is usually a good idea to get an early start to your destination. The high traffic season on the water, campgrounds and golf courses lasts all the way through Labor Day when the first wisp of a 50 degree fall wind blows. This always grabs the heart of the salmon fishermen and women along with the hunters that occupy the woods all the way through February depending on their quarry. In winter, the ski resorts can usually supplement the natural snow with artificial snow starting at the end of December. The base on any of the resorts can reach 60 to 70 inches on a good year. Whether you are a sun worshiper or a ski buff, the environment in Western New York has a season to accommodate your outdoor plans whatever they may be.

The people of Western New York are also are some of a rare breed that will venture out whatever the weather has to offer that day. As I was driving by one of the public golf courses last weekend, I noticed that the parking lot was more then half filled and there was a bag line at the first tee. Not to bad considering it was the middle of November. That same trip took me by a marina on Lake Ontario that had most of the slips still occupied, and as I looked out onto the lake, I could see the boats that were not moored. But that is not altogether a fair statement of the boating season, being that most of the boats were fishing charters. In November it starts to get a little crisp for the general recreational boater in the Great Lakes region.

My day job has me talking to people all over the country and geography usually come up for one reason or another. I love it when I get the old ”Buffalo?!… I couldn’t take it there” coming from our neighbors to the south or the Pacific coast with a shiver in their voice. I usually play it up by saying “yea, we had to have the National Guard pull 3 snow plows out from a snow bank” or something to that effect. Then I’ll go for a 7 or 8 mile trek on my bike when I get home and think about how to prepare for the next earth quake, tornado, hurricane, mud slide, wild fire, or 50 degree below zero wind chill factor. I don’t know maybe it’s me, I just get a kick out of it.