'Xperience for All' today in Blue Mountain Lake
Sep. 23—BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — Adirondack Experience (ADKX) invites North Country residents to its 2nd annual, "Xperience for All," today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This inclusive recreational event for all ages, ethnicities, abilities and lifestyles is designed to introduce outdoor opportunities to those who are new or not comfortable exploring the region's woods and waterways on their own.
"It's free for everybody, which is significant," Cheryl Braunstein, ADKX director of interpretation, said.
"It's the only day of the museum season that everybody gets in for free. Obviously, our members get in for free at anytime, and we have a program for year-round Adirondack Park residents to get in for free throughout the season. But this day, it's free for everybody.
"Again, there is so much people can do. We'll have somebody there who's going to be helping people who've never fished before, to just learning how to cast. Getting into a canoe in a nice safe space that you don't have to worry about tipping over or not being able to swim. There are staff right that are there to make sure that people can get into a canoe safely."
PROGRAMS
Specific programs include:
—The Adirondack Diversity Initiative with Tiffany Rea-Fisher
—What Goes into a Go-Bag with Katy Carroll, Disability EmpowHER Network
—Boreal Birding in the Adirondacks with Joan Collins, Adirondack Avian Expeditions & Workshop LLC and Northern New York Audubon
—Nature Exploration with The Wild Center
—Adirondack Vagabonding: A Slow Journaling Workshop with Robin Caudell
—Intro to Lacrosse and demonstration with Percy and Haõnhwanjya:naweñh Shenandoah
—Bike Obstacle Course with Justin Oliver, Human Power Planet Earth
—Adaptive Sports with Jimmer Hayes & Olympic Regional Development Authority
—Accessible camping with DEC
—Forest Bathing: A Guided Nature Sensory Walk with Adirondack Riverwalking
—Casting Nature with ADK Artrise
"So, it's really a chance for people to just try their hand at a lot of recreation opportunities," Braunstein said.
"One of the things that we are happy about with this year, we've got a couple of art activities. We've got a few organizations that are there to talk specifically about safely enjoying the outdoors, just some safety tips from Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks. It's a volunteer organization.
"And then, the 46ers will also be there specifically to talk about safely exploring some of these areas, and that's just such an important thing. It's easy to get out there and pull off on the side of the road once you are aware of what's there to be explored, but knowing how to explore it in a way that is safe for you and everybody that your with is key as well."
Through ADKX's lens, its inaugural event was a success last year.
"We definitely learned a lot from the event," Braunstein said.
"We learned that people really want to bike ride on our campus, but we have to be pretty careful about safety because we do have a lot of people walking and exploring. This year, one thing we're going to do is make sure there is a distinct path for the bicycles to take.
"It looks like the weather is going to be great, and we're really excited for this year."
Today's participants include:
Adirondack Council
Adirondack Diversity Initiative
Adirondack Interpretive Center, SUNY ESF
Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
ADK North Country Gender Alliance
Akwesasne Travel
Disability EmpowHER Network
NYS DEC Accessibility Office and Division of Lands and Forests
Double H Ranch
Feminist Bird Club
Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital District
Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse
Human Power Planet Earth
Homeward Bound ADK
Inclusive Recreation Resource Center (SUNY Cortland)
John Brown Lives!
John Dillon Park
Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA)
Outdoor Afro Albany and Upstate NY
Paul Smith's College and VIC
Press-Republican
Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST)
The Venture Out Project
The Wild Center
"We're thrilled that we've got about half the organizations that are coming are new to the event this year, and we have a little bit more than we had last year," Braunstein said.
"I think last year, we wound up having about two dozen, and this year we've 28. I think 12 of those are new. We are sorry that some of the real stars of the show last couldn't come this year. We're already thinking about 2024. It will be the biggest and best ever, of course."
One of ADKX's challenges is connecting with individuals of specific communities.
"We're really thrilled that so many of the organizations serve people with different abilities, but getting the actual visitors is harder," Braunstein said.
"This is one of the things that's really behind this is trying to really connect members of those communities with some of the organizations that can foster a love of outdoor recreation in those communities, help getting the word out to any of those communities.
"We try to get some camps that serve deaf, hard of hearing, and then children of deaf adults, and also people with visual impairment. The timing did not work out for either of those camps, but this is something that we're really hoping in future years to strengthen that ability again to bring those organizations, but also bring the people that can benefit from those organizations."
Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
Twitter@RobinCaudell
