By Estelle Rodis-Brown
Don’t let the cool, crisp autumn air drive you indoors for the next several months. Instead, dare yourself to get immersed in new adventures the changing seasons bring.
Cleveland Metroparks (CM) makes it easy. Not only are we surrounded by the all-purpose trails winding through the Emerald Necklace, but the adventure-based programs offered by CM’s Outdoor Recreation division invite us to safely push beyond our comfort zones.
Their Try-It, Learn-It, Live-It series takes place on land (Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Races/Events, Adaptive Recreation, Backpacking & Camping and Mountain Biking), on water (Kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Canoeing, Sailing, Fishing) and in the air (Rock Climbing).
We’re moving past the sailing, stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing seasons until next spring. But other activities are held throughout the year, regardless of age, experience or physical limitations, says Rachel Nagle, Cleveland Metroparks Manager of Outdoor Recreation.
“A lot of our guests are 50, 60, 70. Older guests are either looking to try something new for the first time or get back to being active again. Maybe they had been active in their past lives, then they had kids and got away from it. Now the kids are gone, and suddenly, they have all this time to get back to doing what they used to do. It IS for all ages; 60-70 seems very young, in my experience,” Nagle says.
The Try-It, Learn-It, Live-It series encourages participants to find an adventure that’s right for them at the time in their life that’s right for them, Nagle adds.
“With a focus on outdoor recreation—human-powered, natural resource-based activities—we want people in Northeast Ohio to realize there are opportunities in their back yard. They don’t have to go to Colorado or Myrtle Beach to do it. They can choose their adventure at the level they want.”
Getting Started
Progress through your activity of choice according to your entry point.
Try It – This introductory level invites you to try something new (a short, low-cost experience).
“Come out and see if you like it,” Nagle says. “If you love it, and want to continue, then we have classes where we dive deeper into the techniques and ways you can go further with it. If you try it and don’t like it, then you can try a different activity next time… whatever works for you.”
Then advance to the Learn It level, where the Outdoor Recreation staff of qualified and certified professionals and volunteers guide you through proper techniques to learn a new skill or get back to activities you once loved.
Live It: This is the goal… to embrace an active, outdoor lifestyle, confidently on your own, in the parks and farther afield.
“When people come to our programs, we want them to know that they’re in good hands, that we want to take them from where they’re at and help to grow them to where they want to be, in the way they want,” says Nagle, who has worked with CM in Outdoor Recreation since 2011.
“Because, when you’re out on the water or in the backcountry, you realize that connecting with nature in Cleveland Metroparks is why people live, work and play in Cleveland. You can have great experiences right here in your own back yard.
“For all of our staff, it’s a lifestyle, not just a job. This is what we do on our own; what we love to do as our passion. That’s why we want to share it.”
TRUE BELIEVERS
We spoke to people who participate in CM’s Outdoor Rec program. They tried it, learned it and not only live it now… they love it.
“Being outdoors is beneficial to my mental health. Nature is my therapy. I get on the trail and I feel accepted, whole, confident, and complete. I have periods of depression and anxiety, and loading up my pack and hitting a trail does wonders for me. I need more tent time. The sound of a nearby creek, frogs singing, my dog snoring… It all beckons me. Green space is magic.” ~Kim Walton
Kim Walton was born and raised in Cleveland. Currently living in Euclid, she is retired from the Air Force.
“I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors,” she says. “Growing up, my father would take us to parks to hike or I would hang out with him on fishing trips. I did some hiking here and there through the years, but nothing major.”
Walton became an avid hiker in the ‘90s when she was stationed in Germany, traversing through the countryside with various Volksmarching Clubs, five, 10 or 20 kilometers at a time.
By the time Walton reached her mid-50s, she discovered running and entered a handful of half-marathons before she tore her meniscus. The knee injury helped her rediscover her love of hiking and tent camping.
She tried backpacking with CM’s Outdoor Rec program. Soon, Walton added kayaking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and other outdoor skills to her repertoire. Last year, she went from program participant to a hired seasonal Information Specialist for Outdoor Recreation.
“It’s the perfect job,” she says. “It’s a blend of admin work and my love of the parks. I get to help support the team that means so much to me, advocating for Cleveland Metroparks every day, talking to callers and working the occasional family campout event. Good times.”
Walton’s involvement started with her curiosity about backpacking. Once she decided to Try It, everything fell into place.
“Outdoor Rec had a one-overnight intro trip at Brecksville Reservation. They supplied the gear. It was reasonably priced. Perfect. But none of my friends were really interested. I stepped out on faith and registered. We learned how to select and pack our gear, the proper fit and adjustment of our backpacks, choosing a campsite and camp set-up, cooking tips and food storage. We did a short hike to our campsite with our loaded backpacks and got set up for the night. I believe there were 10 of us, and we each shared a tent with one other person.
“That intro backpacking trip led to three other trips with Outdoor Rec. I’ve gained so much knowledge from the staff. When planning my own trip with my friends, I reached out to Outdoor Rec, and they provided an introduction class just for us,” she says.
Adventuring has been great for Walton’s social life, too. She still hikes and backpacks with her tent mate from that first trip. They went to Acadia National Park in Maine together.
Other friends have joined her on backpacking trips in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia’s Dolly Sods, Virginia’s Grayson Highlands, Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and the Trans Catalina Trail on Catalina Island and Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. Next, she hopes to go on a backpacking tour to Denali, Alaska.
Fall and winter are Walton’s favorite seasons for exploring. “I love the colors of autumn and that extra crispness in the air; a perfect time for backpacking,” she shares. “Winter hiking is amazing, especially after a fresh snow. The forest is quiet and sparkles. Put on some crampons or snowshoes, if needed, and hit the trails.”
With true retirement on the horizon, Walton says, “I don’t want to work til I’m ‘old’ and my body and mind are more beat down. What’s the point of working till you can no longer enjoy your retirement? I want to do things now while I still can.
“I have some regrets about discovering these new adventures in my late 50s and now 60s, but I’m constantly inspired by all the seniors I see out there on the trails, still kickin’ major butt.”
“Being outdoors in all seasons really helps my attitude. If I am unable to get outside for extended periods, I tend to get grouchy and grumpy.” ~Eoin Herlihy
A recent retiree, Eoin Herlihy is a man for all seasons… a sailor, backpacker, bicycler, cross-country skier, Trail Ambassador and a captain of Cleveland Metroparks eLCee2 Water Taxi on the Cuyahoga River in The Flats.
Herlihy grew up in Ireland and then went to Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea. He and his wife Debbie now live in North Royalton. He has always “realized that the Emerald Necklace and the Cleveland Metroparks are an unbelievable asset and a great place to jog, ride, and just explore. The ability to go for a hike, a walk or even participate in canoeing activities has always interested me.”
Herlihy discovered upcoming events and programs from the CM’s weekly online newsletter, the Emerald Necklace Weekly.
One event that intrigued him was Outdoor Recreation’s backpack cooking program. “I took the course and was amazed to learn about the tasty dishes that could be easily made on a backpacking trip.
“Then when I saw that the Metroparks was offering an Introduction to Sailing program, I decided to see if I could help. I am passionate about sailing and really enjoy helping others find out about my passion for Lake Erie and the joys to be found in sailing. Outdoor recreation is not just for warm-weather activities. I have participated in their cross-country skiing program and now occasionally assist with that activity, as well,” he says.
After Herlihy brought his wife to the backpacking cooking class, she joined him as an outdoor recreation volunteer. “We enjoy being Trail Ambassadors and being able to do this fun activity anywhere in the Metroparks system, either on foot or on our tandem, which sparks a lot of interest.”
Herlihy is hooked on the outdoors. “Being active in nature clears the mind, keeps me physically active, and allows me to learn more and observe more every time I’m outside,” he says.
“Now that I have started my retirement, I am always looking for new activities to keep me busy and engaged. I am eager to do new things like kayaking and overnight backpacking, which I’ve thought would be fun for a long time. So Cleveland Metroparks has been a great resource for me and something that I want to give back to.”
“As you get older, there’s more pain involved in staying active. But it’s a clear use-it-or-lose-it proposition. Being in motion keeps your body and mind in shape. It doesn’t have to be difficult exercise to make a big difference. I just love being outdoors.” ~Jim Satrape
Jim Satrape and his wife Manon are both Outdoor Recreation volunteers who lend their expertise with canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, backpacking, backcountry orienteering and camping. Living in the Akron area, Satrape (66) is an engineer for Goodyear.
His introduction to the great outdoors came early, camping in a big canvas tent with his parents and siblings on road trips to Massachusetts, to visit relatives.
“I liked to hike and went to summer camp a couple times,” he shares. “But my first real outdoor adventure was a 10-day canoe trip in Canada, doing traditional canoe camping.”
Much later, Satrape became a leader in his son’s Boy Scout troop, helping members earn their Canoe Merit Badge. He had to take canoe classes to master proper techniques, then became certified as a canoe instructor through Cleveland Metroparks on Hinkley Lake in 2008. As a result, he was asked to volunteer to help lead canoe trips and experiences throughout Cleveland Metroparks.
He met his current wife at a canoe clinic, learning freestyle or canoe dancing, where canoeists paddle to music.
Since then, Satrape has also added stand-up paddleboarding to his water sports and has branched out on land with backpacking, bicycling, camping, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Manon is trying to get him to try downhill skiing and yoga.
“It helps that I have a wife who enjoys the same outdoor activities I do. Not everyone has a spouse who shares their love of the outdoors,” he recognizes.
“People I work and socialize with tend to think I’m quite active and adventurous,” Satrape adds. “But I also socialize with lots of active people in meet-up groups who are my age (in their 50s, 60s and 70s). They’re doing the same things I’m doing.
“I just love being outdoors in nature, looking at trees, flowers and birds. It challenges my mind to remember all their names and it’s exciting to run across something unusual… like a beaver, a coyote or a black rat snake… fun stuff like that.”
For those wary of leaping into an outdoor adventure, Satrape says, “When you’re new to it, you just have to get over your hesitations. Decide to try whatever activity and get back into nature, hiking or biking by yourself. For the social aspect, join a welcoming club or meet-up group. Eventually, you will connect with people and they become your friends.”
“I have always loved the age I am. I never look back and wish I was 20 or 48 again or whatever. I embrace the year I’m in and what I’m about to become. What’s next for me? I’m thinking about my next backpacking tour in October, another sailing adventure, or trying jet skiing. I want to keep enjoying myself and being active, or I will miss out. I want to live, and live fully.” ~Carolyn Henry-Hurst
Carolyn Henry-Hurst has challenged herself to try paddling, sailing, paddling, backpacking and even more daring outdoor adventures over the years. At first, she tried Outdoor Rec programs to test them before bringing her urban students to participate. Then she kept coming back for more.
After growing up in the Virgin Islands, she says she “followed a man to Ohio” and they were married in 1986. She and her husband both taught in the Cleveland schools before retirement. She also earned her podiatry degree, became an ordained pastor and has home-schooled her children and grandchildren.
Henry-Hurst’s first grandchild was starting kindergarten when Ohio instituted its third-grade reading guarantee.
“I wanted to ensure that our black and brown children would be successful with this. So I started a summer camp for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade from the Southeast Side to succeed, be engaged and have fun. In my search for free or inexpensive, fun activities, I discovered Cleveland Metroparks. So many doors, opportunities, fun, excitement and thrills opened up. We read all morning then spent our afternoons in the Metroparks and the public libraries… for seven years.”
Henry-Hurst continues, “I was doing my research in 2015, checking out these programs for myself. I’ve been doing it ever since. I started with sailing—captaining and skippering—with my family. Last month, I took my family and friends on sailing trips… one a fast friend I met on an Outdoor Recreation kayaking program; we did a skyline sunset sailing tour.”
When it comes to trying new outdoor activities, Henry-Hurst’s motto is, Do it afraid.
“Whether I’m horseback riding, swimming in a lake or doing water sports, it’s all scary. But I made myself try it all. I don’t want to miss out on the fun. Now it’s your turn. Push yourself to just try. Show up. Go gradual. Then keep going back until you conquer it.”
Henry-Hurst and her husband recently went on a tour of Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic as part of her pursuit to visit at least 60 countries by the age of 60.
As she approaches this milestone, Carolyn says, “When I wake up, I start my day with an attitude of gratitude. I think I have about 30 more years left. I start my day dreaming of new adventures, having a ball, visualizing how I will spend my time, all with a motivational mindset.
“I love being in a space where I can sit in awe and wonderment out in nature. It’s so inspiring; it calms me and stills my nerves. The water, the flowers, the trees. We can explore and enjoy the greatest in the nation right here in Cleveland Metroparks. We need to take advantage of what we have.”
Social Groups for Outdoor Enthusiasts
For local hiking:
- Northeast Ohio Hiking Club – NEO Hiking Club Facebook page
- nEo Adventurers – meetup.com/northeast-ohio-adventurers/
- Greater Akron Area Hikers – meetup.com/summit_county_ohio_hikers/
- Cleveland Hiking Club – clevelandhikingclub.org/
For paddling:
- Ohio Kayak Adventures (OKA) – meetup.com/ohio-kayak-adventures/
For weekend to week-long trips, near and far:
- Free to Roam Adventures – freetoroamadventures.com/
- She Travels Adventure Company – shetravels.com/
All photos by Kim Stahnke except for Carolyn Henry-Hurst’s, which she provided.
