Outbound Dan's Outdoor Musings

Perhaps the problems with SAR teams, is that we respond after the event happens.  By the time we get the call out, arrive, organize, and venture out  - the subject is severely hypothermic and out of lifelines.  So what if we worked to prevent these wilderness accidents in the first place?  I like to call this activity Preventative Search and Rescue. Yes, our team has started doing outreach, letting people know they should carry the " 10 Essentials " and always file a trip plan.  But -could we, as SAR volunteers, be doing more?  With over 4,000 acres of rugged terrain, the Zoar Valley Unique Area and  MUA (Multiple Use Area) is a treasure of Western New York and a place where one can experience pristine forests.  It is the perfect place to recharge from the stresses of the work week and reconnect with your natural self. However, over the years it has also become a favored place to "party."  (I'm not sure why I used quotation marks ar...

After feeling a little sick for the last two weeks, I haven't been out hiking too much at all.  Finally though, I am feeling a little better and decided to hit up some of Western New York's gorges in the last couple days.  It felt good to return to the trails and experience the beauty of our region.  Friday, February 17th, Niagara Gorge : I jut needed a quick walk, something to get my blood pumping and feel the invigoration that the outdoors offers.  It wasn't going to be a long walk, maybe just a few miles - it was just what I needed. I parked at Whirlpool, grabbed my pack with " The Ten Essentials " and headed down the rim trail toward the stairs to the gorge.  It was overcast, nothing uncommon for winter in the Buffalo area. Albeit the temperatures, today around 33 degrees, have been all too warm this winter.  I can't remember a winter with this little snow.  The trails were a little icy though so I slipped my kahtoola microspikes on for tractio...