Spring is finally here! Only about a month after the official start date have we been able to sustain reasonable spring temperatures. The trees are budding, the campus is being re-mulched, and I can finally wear shorts and a light jacket outside. As a tribute to the start my favorite season, I wanted to make a post that lists off the best things about spring. I hope this makes you want to get outside and enjoy the day!

1. The Return of Wildlife

The warmth and long days of spring end winter hibernation for many species including black bears, bees, frogs, and snakes. The outdoor world becomes alive again with the bustle of returning life. In fact, to me, one of the first signs of spring is the evening sound of “spring-peeper” frogs in forest creeks.

In addition, spring welcomes the new generations of many Pennsylvania species into the world. Black bears, whitetail deer, eastern cottontails, robins, and other animals give birth and raise their offspring in the early spring months. In fact, spring birth may have risen as an evolutionary advantage for many species; it offers some of the best conditions for raising offspring: warmth, food, and water.

2. Sports

Most of the outdoor sports I discuss on this blog are made even better with the coming of spring; fishing, hiking, and trail running are harder and sometimes painful in the winter months; in the spring, however, these activities are made fun by the warmth and the ability to view the blossoming natural world. In fact, apart from skiing, I think every sport I talk about on this blog is typically done in the spring and summer. The warm weather also brings team sports back outside. Baseball, football, and tennis are all much more enjoyable in the beautiful spring air.

3. Gardening

March and April are the optimal months start a vegetable garden in Pennsylvania. I actually plant a garden back home every spring that includes tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and snow peas. It is always satisfying harvesting vegetables to which I spend all spring and summer tending. If you like the idea of planting a garden, there are countless tips and how-to’s online; it all comes down to fertilizer, water, sunlight, and maintained care.

4. The Distinct Greenness of the Trees

This one may seem a little strange, but I’ve always noticed that leaves on deciduous trees always exhibit a different shade of green in April and May.

It seems almost fluorescent to me, and it just gives the whole forest a different vibe.

That’s it for my list of the best things about spring. I could go on for awhile, but these are my all time favorite. Spring always feels like a fresh start to the coming year; I can’t wait until classes are finally over so that I can go out and enjoy it!

Fishing is one of the most relaxing outdoor sports, and with spring weather finally approaching, fishermen all across the state will head to the waters this weekend for the start of the Pennsylvania Trout Season. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission determines trout season this year as running from Saturday April 14th (in most counties) to Labor Day.

(Photo by Larry Master)

The brook trout is a beautiful spotted fish native to Pennsylvania and the Northeastern United States. They can range anywhere in length from 6-19 inches depending on the size of their habitat, and are unique among fish in that they thrive best in cool, fast moving water. Trout require high oxygen levels to live comfortably, which turbulent and chilly streams supply particularly well. Thus, they are most active in freshwater creeks in the early spring and late fall months.

This really makes trout fishing quite a unique experience compared to fishing other species. Many people see fishing as riding a motor boat out onto an open lake or sound, or sitting beside a pond, wasting a day with mindless inactivity. In most cases, perhaps this is the typical way people fish. It is easier to just drive to local pond and spend a day catching and releasing four inch sunfish, or perhaps it’s more satisfying for some to buy a boat and head to open waters in hopes of catching a big one. Trout fishing, on the other hand, does not require any sort of heavy tackle, special equipment, or boat. Usually, only a light casting rod and a can of worms is needed for a successful trip. (In fact, trout fishing can be as easy as $30 at Walmart for a rod, bait, and a license.) Also, as I mentioned above, trout only like quick, cool waters. Such streams are best found in forested and often secluded areas that may take some effort to reach. To me, it’s more fun that way; it allows for a connection with the natural world rather than gizmos and equipment. I would pick a difficult-to-reach stream over an open water lake any day. For some reason, it is just more gratifying to me.

Once again, trout season begins Saturday, and you can get started fishing anytime! There are tons of help videos and articles online. Once you’re ready, there are some great areas around State College – the most popular for trout being Spring Creek and Penn’s Creek. Personally, my all-time favorite spot is Black Moshannon State Park, which is where I’m headed this weekend. It is more out of the way, about 30 minutes north of University Park.

I hope to see you out on the water!

As you can probably tell, I like outdoor sports. A good old hike, rock climb, or trail run does the body good. There are people out there, however, who take adventuring to the next level and engage in extreme and dangerous sports. In fact, I found a couple lists of these seemingly horrifying experiences, and I thought I’d share a few that I think look the most interesting.

 

1.Base Jumping

This is exactly what it sounds like: climb to the top of a mountain or some sort of tall “base,” and jump off. There are different ways to do this; some do it in a skydiving fashion, where a parachute is pulled after a short period of free fall, carrying participants harmlessly to the ground, while others jump using a special body suits known as “wingsuits.”

Wingsuits have flaps of fabric under the arms and legs that increase drag in the vertical direction, lowering terminal velocity. This gives the suit properties much like a glider or airplane, allowing a jumper to fall slowly , yet accelerate very quickly horizontally. Here is a great video of a base jump recorded from the point of view of a jumper in Brazil:

Absolutely terrifying. These guys jump from pretty high up and hit high speeds; I don’t think I could ever do this.

 

2. Heli-Skiing

This sport is similar to base jumping in the sense that the objective is to start high and end low. Heli-skiing is essentially downhill skiing from some of the highest, steepest peaks, accessible only by helicopter. Speeds can get pretty high, and skiers without proper training or experience can easily lose control. Avalanches are one of the biggest safety concerns due to their ability to bury skiers under several feet of snow.

Is it something you’re interested in? There are several companies in Alaska and Canada that offer heli-skiing trips.  Start saving now, though; weekend trips can cost upwards of $5000!

 

3. White Water Kayaking

White water kayaking consists of kayaking at very high speeds in rough waters. It may not sound as thrilling as the last two – until you actually see it in action.

There are generally six classifications for river rapids that white water rafters use to judge their experience and the difficulty of the river. Classes 1-5 increase in difficulty, with class 5 being only for the most experienced rafters. Class 6 rapids are considered nearly impossible and too dangerous to attempt, even by experts.

 

4. Aerobatics

I was surprised to see this as #1 on one of the lists I linked; it does not really seem like an outdoor sport in the traditional sense. It still interested me, however, and I wanted to include it as one of my favorites.

Aerobatics consists of executing maneuvers with specially designed airplanes that are not typical for normal flight. These tricks usually consist of rolls, loops, spins, etc. Unfortunately, this sport is not as accessible to the common adventurer, as one needs a pilot’s license and extensive training with complicated aerobatic maneuvers. Regardless, the stunts are just as stunning to watch from the ground.

That concludes my favorites on the list. Although I love the thought of participating in these myself, I definitely think I like being on solid ground a little more. Perhaps I’ll just stick with trail running!

As many of you have probably heard, last week, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, witnessed a shooting in which 17 students were killed. You can find a whole report on the issue here. The pain the students must be going through is immense; I sympathize them, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

That being said, this shooting raised lots of arguments on how the country should move forward to prevent acts like this from happening in the future. Our gun laws, the responsibility of the FBI, and how we treat our mentally ill have all come into question over the course of a week.

I do not intend to write this post on saying what I think should and shouldn’t be done in the wake of the shooting to prevent another one. However, as an outdoor enthusiast and gun owner, I feel that a post focused on the importance of guns in rural American culture and how to practice safe gun habits is appropriate, and I want to encourage current and prospective gun owners to act responsibly in their carry.

Being from a rural area, I grew up with guns, and so did everyone else in my town. I have seen firsthand how firearms play into the culture of rural Americans, and have partaken in that culture for myself. My father owns guns for multiple purposes – hunting, self protection, target shooting, etc, and always made sure I knew gun safety growing up. I can remember one time in particular when I was about five years old. He called me to his gun cabinet, showed me all of his different guns and told me what they were used for, and most importantly, the locations of all the safety mechanisms. Then, he said, “NEVER point one of these at someone, whether you think it’s loaded or not. Always assume the gun is loaded.” He told me horror stories of people he knows who harmed others and themselves by acting irresponsibly with guns they thought were not loaded. I heard these same words throughout my childhood, and I still do today. If only I had a dollar for every time I was hunting with my dad and he’s said, “is the safety on?”

My father did his part as a responsible gun owner and parent to drive deep into my head that guns are not toys, which is something I feel doesn’t happen often enough in American families. Lots of times, people don’t expose their children to guns at an early age, so it doesn’t really sink in that they could seriously hurt someone.

So if you are a gun owner, or are thinking about becoming one, show your guns to your children. Show them how they work, tell them what they are used for, and most importantly, stress the repercussions of their misuse. Don’t make them scared of guns, make them scared of what can happen if they are not used properly.

The next step of being a responsible gun owner is to keep them in a locked safe whenever they are not in use. Lock guns outside of a safe with locks like these:

and store them away, out of reach of children. This will further ensure that all firearms are controlled and accounted for.

Finally, attend gun safety and training programs to learn how to handle a firearm. It is not difficult to find gun safety manuals and articles online; this can be proven with a simple Google search. The more knowledge gun owners have of how guns work and how to use them, the less likely they will be to experience a misfire.

Firearms are a useful tool, and it’s ashamed that people are scared of them. Educating our children and practicing safe gun habits like these may be the first step toward a safer life in America.

 

 

 

As our time working on experimental passion blogs comes to a close, I would like to wrap up my series on outdoor life with a thought invoking, hopefully positive note. There is so much more about the outdoor world that I could (and would love to) talk about, and I hope that I will come around to write on this blog again in the near future. However, for the time being, I hope you all have enjoyed my posts.

My passion blog so far has focused on the wonders, adventures, and oddities of the natural world. As you can probably tell by now, I have spent lots of time engaged in outdoor activities, and I hope that you are inspired to do so as well. The point I want to make, though, is that our natural world is a delicate one when faced with the potential wrath of human beings. We need to preserve it in order for me and those like me to continue writing about and enjoying natural life.

Let me tell you a story. In the 19th century, the United States was just catching on to the industrial revolution, and its economy was booming; along with this came the lumber industry.

(George Draffan)

This map shows the depletion of old growth forests in the United States from 1820 to present. Old growth means that the forest had never been logged before. Notice how, by 1920, nearly all of the forested area in Pennsylvania was gone.

Luckily, a large portion of this forestland has made a recovery thanks to policy changes and environmental awareness, and our generation is able to enjoy the serenity it offers. Industrialization and logging are not utterly terrible. In fact, there are actually benefits to logging (which is a whole new article topic), and industrialization is probably the reason that we are able to love the outdoors anyway.

Think about it: I’m able to write this article in a warm building on a device that can access a world of information. The fact that I live in an industrialized society is the reason I can look at the more appealing parts of nature and not have to worry about dying or getting eaten. My point is that we need to find a way to innovate society while conserving our natural world.

Not only can policy change rebuild environments, but a collective effort by individuals in a society can as well. So many of the things we do without thinking can have a horrible effect on the world around us. There is nothing I hate more than encountering litter in the woods; it really isn’t that hard to find a trash can or recycling bin. The selfishness of some people is absolutely baffling to me. Also, I’m sure most of you have seen this picture circulating on the internet:

I think you get the idea; it can be a real threat to our wildlife.

If we as a society can just have consideration for our actions, we will be able to reap the benefits of the industrialized world while also being able to escape to a place that is, in my opinion, just as necessary.

 

It’s autumn in Pennsylvania, one of the best times of the year. Get ready for pumpkin spiced everything, raking leaves, chilly air, and… the rut?

That’s right, October marks the start of the whitetail deer mating season! Why is this important? This is when deer all across Pennsylvania transition from velvet cloaked antlers:

To hard antlers, ready for battle:

(Photos are from PA Wildlife Photographer)

The rut is a time that hunters usually look forward to as whitetails become much more active. Males are in constant competition for territory, dominance, and females; some great sightings such as the one below occur on a normal basis.

This is a video posted on YouTube by Vincent Herberger, and it is a perfect depiction of what the rut is all about. These creatures that, for a majority of the year, seem timid and harmless turn into violent fighters driven by the wild, instinctual desire to reproduce. The bucks in this video were lucky; fights like this have the potential to end much worse.

The rut is quite an interesting season among deer; it is fascinating to see all the extra activity that goes on that cannot be seen the rest of the year. It is also very dangerous, however, as encounters such as this one can, and often do, happen:

(WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO)

This video, posted by Moy Goldberg, is a somewhat disturbing and stark reminder of the capabilities of these seemingly harmless creatures. They may seem adorable, and you may want to get close to one in an encounter, but it is important to remember that, not only are they wild animals, but they also have spears on their head for half of the year; you don’t.

The rut usually dies down in December when bucks shed their antlers and return to their previous life in the herd. Though this season may seem odd and dangerous, it is probably one of the most important of the year. It can be very rewarding to deer and humans in the sense that it produces fawns.

Fawns are extremely important for the future of the deer population in Pennsylvania; they are the replacements for all of the losses due to hunting in the previous winter and fall. They allow recovery in the population so that deer and humans can continue to enjoy each others’ presence without consequence.

If there were no rut, there would be no population recovery. If there were no hunters, the population would increase much more rapidly than its habitat allows, causing food shortages and increased car accidents involving deer.

It is important to know of the rut and the balance it allows in our relationship with whitetail deer. If you would like to know more about whitetail deer or hunting in Pennsylvania, click here for an informative webpage created by the PA Game Commission.

 

Today it was brought to my attention that Pennsylvania has one of the best cave networks in the country. I knew we were an awesome state, but I didn’t know we were quite that awesome.

(Pennsylvania Commonwealth)

This is a map of limestone deposits in PA. Notice the dark blue that ranges across the central and eastern part of the state. These are all areas where caves have been, or may some day be, etched out due to limestone weathering. If you’ll also notice, a thick portion of this area lies right in the bounds of Centre County. This makes State College a great place to go spelunking!

Spelunking is a fancy word for cave exploring. This video is a perfect example; it was posted on Youtube by Mahlon Kile in the summer of 2016 and features a group of friends embarking on a journey underneath Lancaster, PA in a formation known as “Cold Cave,” or “Wind Cave.”

Cold Cave gets its name from its abnormally chilly year-round temperature; it remains at a constant 30 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. (Underground caves usually have a temperature of around 50 degrees due to geothermal heating.)

If you ever want to visit Cold Cave, there are great directions and lots of information provided here by Visit Lancaster PA.

There are also great public caves much closer to campus than Cold Cave; Penn’s Cave is a popular destination that is much more tourist-oriented than Cold Cave. It features a Cave Cafe, a “miner’s maze,” and a tour experienced entirely by boat. The Penn’s Cave website provides much more information and details on cave activities, history, features, etc. The best part is, it is less than a 30 minute drive from University Park.

I have never been cave exploring before, but after a bit of research I am definitely going to try it out. I would like to visit Penn’s Cave during my time in State College; I’ve heard great reviews of it. I just don’t know if I like the tourist appeal of it. My goal while I am here is to find a less broadly known spelunking location and check it out. Judging by all of the videos I’ve seen, it can be an exciting activity (assuming you don’t get lost).

The natural world encompasses much more than the things we see around us. It is not just the forest or the animals in them, it is also everything above and below them. I realized this during my exploration of spelunking; there is so much more to this world than meets the eye. It occurred to me that I had just been “scratching the surface” (pun absolutely intended) of exploration and adventure up until this point.

I hope that you have come to this realization as well and are no longer content with hanging out up here on Earth’s surface. Get out there, find a cave, and begin spelunking!