It’s hard to believe that 2022 is almost gone. They say that “time flies.” There’s also that old adage, “Time waits for no man.”
My Dad passed away several years ago, and I remember him saying, “I can’t believe 91 years has gone by so fast.” Today I look back and wonder the same thing. Where have the past 30 or 40 years gone? Those times have passed, but a new year can bring new adventures.
As I look back at this year, I realize that I didn’t accomplish the many things I had planned. I never took the time to hike Giant Mountain or Mt. Colden in the Adirondacks. My friend George and I had planned on finishing his hikes in the Catskills. He lacks just eight to complete the Catskill 3500 Club requirements. Hopefully we’ll do it this next spring and summer.
I had planned on spending more time on the beautiful trout-filled streams of the Delaware River this past year, but there was always something else to do.
There’s a mystical feeling as you wade hip-deep in the rivers and drift a dry fly over a large brown trout feeding at the end of the rifts. I have a few special spots that I have fished over the years.
I remember a few years ago as I drifted a dark Cahill under an overhanging branch a few miles downstream from Delhi. The fly disappeared into a small dimple as a three-pound trout sucked it in. There was a huge splash as she fought my line and fly rod. Finally I eased her in close and removed the hook. It made my day. That beautiful fish swam back into the current, leaving me with a feeling of satisfaction.
This past fall I planned on spending more time in the woods. My goal was to take a doe with my muzzleloader. I’ve shot plenty of deer over the years, but never one with a that particular gun. But there’s a few days left of the Holiday Hunt. I guess only time will tell.
But forget about what you didn’t get done. There’s a new day and a new year coming. It’s time to get things planned and then accomplish them.
If you go on the DEC website, the first thing that shows up is “Take a First Day Hike.” Maybe that’s the key. Start things off on day one. Why procrastinate?
My wife said the other day that she wanted to go snowshoeing. It’s not like we have to go very far. We’ve got plenty of land that hasn’t seen a snowshoe in many years. In the past we’ve snowshoed the Gilbert Lake trails.
One winter we went to Old Forge and hiked a mile or so into some small lake. That was tough. In the woods the snow was over our knees and snowshoes didn’t help very much.
Last summer I had planned on biking the Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Albany. But like so many other things, it never happened. I guess the way people drive today with their eyes on their cell phones rather than the highway scares me to be out there pedaling.
It’s hard to cover the miles necessary for a bike trip like that if you don’t get your legs and butt in shape. But who knows, maybe I’ll put it on my “to do” list once more.
As you can tell, I didn’t really have a specific topic to write about this week. With Christmas and everything else I lost track of the days and suddenly realized I needed a story for the paper. But maybe these rambling thoughts will strike a cord in you as well.
If you get encouraged, maybe you can get your kids excited about something outdoors. We are blessed to have the best of nature just outside our doors. This area offers so much. Hiking, skiing, fishing, boating, camping… the list is endless. All we have to do is take the time, because one day we’ll look back and realize it’s too late.
Happy New Year!
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