Exploring the Western NY Wilds by Bob Confer
Given the vast reach of the Wellsville Sun, many readers of this column hail from Erie, Niagara, Orleans, and Monroe Counties, where the terrain can be flatter than a pancake.
Coming from that environment, most don’t think of WNY as having steep, wooded hills big enough that many would call them mountains. There actually is a stretch of such mountains to the southwest of Wellsville in Allegany County. Parts of the town of Alma feature the highest land in New York State outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains.
The ultimate summit there is Alma Hill, which comes in at 2,548 feet. To put that in perspective, many of you have vacationed in the Old Forge area of the Adirondacks and have scaled the super-popular Bald Mountain (sometimes called Rondaxe Mountain). Bald Mountain would need another 235 feet to reach Alma Hill’s heights.
“Leaf peeping” — seeing the mountains and experiencing their beautiful forests and awesome views with a car — is fun. As a matter of fact, at 2,500 feet, Alma Hill Road is the second highest free paved road in New York State after Slide Mountain Road in the Catskills (the road to Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid is a toll road).
But, it’s even better to experience those mountains on foot.
All of them, though, are within private land, so you don’t have that sort of access…that is, until one Sunday every October.
In 1993, a small army of volunteers under the guidance of Rich Shear created Ridgewalk as a way to get people outdoors during our beautiful fall color peak and to support non-profit endeavors in the process. Rich secured access to the mountains’ trails for the event and he found landowners more than willing to share their wilderness for the day.
In 2014, Wellsville’s Jones Memorial Hospital took ownership of Ridgewalk with all proceeds going to wellness endeavors in the area. A recent example of an investment made possible by the walk/run is the extension of the River Walk trail in the heart of Wellsville, which further solidified its status as a truly walkable community.
Last year, more than 1,000 people took part in the event and there’s something for everyone. The walking portion is available in 2, 6, 9, and 15 mile increments. The running portion has selections of 5k, 10k, and 25k. The shorter jaunts are more user friendly for those wanting a leisurely experience – you are closer to the summit of Alma Hill, the trails are flatter, and there are some paved sections.
The longer walks and runs are a real adventure. You will go through what is unquestionably the wildest territory in Western New York, truly off the beaten path and chock full of colorful trees and wild animals (you could even see a bear, bobcat, or fisher). You will assail some incredibly steep climbs and experience elevations changes that could be 800 feet at a time. If you are hiking, bring a camera. If you are running, bring your “A” game (serious runners should know the event is sanctioned by USATF).
This year’s Ridgewalk – the 34th annual event — is on Sunday, October 18th. You can learn more about the event and register at RidgeWalk.com
I am intimately involved with the event as one of the landowners who open their land and as a volunteer (I will be putting more than 50 interpretive signs on a 3-mile stretch of trail to help participants learn of and appreciate local plants, animals, and fungi). I can attest to how taxing the hills can be and how incredibly beautiful they are — there’s nothing like it in Western New York, so wild, so rugged, so colorful. And, I can attest to the value of outcomes — the impact of the charitable proceeds of the event on Jones Memorial’s quality of life initiatives is huge.
Give Ridgewalk a try. I guarantee that if you do, you’ll be back next year, and every year thereafter. It’s that incredible of an event. It’s truly life changing, in many ways.
Bob Confer’s “Exploring the Western NY Wilds” is brought to you from a life time of exploring the region from Niagara gorge to the tip of Alma Nill. You can reach him anytime, Bob@Conferplastics.com
