The Mexican-themed social included hor d’ourves of various salsas, guacamole and a make-your-own-fajita dinner. Guest were able to participate in one of four activities, geocaching, hiking, kayaking, or hanging out on the patio of North Park boat house.

After dinner, the trip leaders were thanked by staff, received raffle prizes donated by REI, and some leader were given special awards to commend their recent achievements. Bruce Cridlebaugh, Larry Gioia, Joel Johnston, Rich Roginski, Darlene Schiller, Sheila Stagnitta, and Veronica White were recognized. If you see them on a program, ask them what they won and why!

You, too, can become a volunteer trip leader! Venture Outdoors (VO) is seeking enthusiastic, experienced outdoors lovers to lead and help lead activities. VO volunteer trip leaders ensure our ability to offer diverse trips and help further VO’s mission to make it easy to get outside. Learn more!

We’re so excited to kick off our second year of kayaking Porter’s Cove on Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park. In partnership with Moraine State Park and Bear Run Campground, we’ll explore Porter’s Cove with perennial favorites including Beginner, Full Moon, Stargazing, and Gourmet Burger Paddles and soon-to-be new favorites like our Pancake Paddles and Fireworks Paddle.

Register today and plan ahead for a fun day on the lake! Here’s the schedule for May and June:

Saturday, May 12 – Beginner Paddle
Sunday, May 20 – Stargazing Paddle
Saturday, May 26 – Beginner Paddle
Sunday, May 27 – Eco-Tour Paddle
Sunday, June 4 – Full Moon Paddling
Saturday, June 9 – Beginner Paddle
Sunday, June 17 – Gourmet Burger Paddle
Tuesday, June 19 – Stargazing Paddle
Saturday, June 23 – Beginner Paddle
Sunday, June 24 – Eco-Tour Paddle

While smartphone technology will never replace the foundational skills of reading a map, orienting a compass, and general orienteering, smartphones can be an extremely helpful and fun resource on the trail. Putting real-time information at your fingertips can aid in decision-making, safety, and general navigation while in the outdoors. This class will focus on the basics and introduce participants an array of mobile applications, ranging from the most basic weather applications to much more advanced apps used for trip planning, track recording, and geocaching.

The class will be held on May 12th from 10am-12pm at REI Settler’s Ridge. Click here to register today!

Congratulations to Mary Lynn Marsico, Lora Woodward, Janee Romesberg, and Robert Habeggar for having completed Basic Wilderness Navigation for Trip Leaders this weekend. These trip leaders soon found out that this course, taught by Erik Kulick and Pat Demko, wasn’t all that “basic”!  After all, each of these adventurous students put more time and physical effort into this moderate course than the word might suggest.

They first met Thursday evening for a classroom session at Exkursion, an outfitter based in Monroeville, to learn the rudiments of navigation.  There they learned the basics of an orienteering compass and a topographic map, plus important principles like declination and the four “Norths.”  By the end of the evening, they were all confidently finding points on a map, setting bearings and estimating distances.

Now, most “basic” navigation courses would have ended there in the classroom, but these four trip leaders were willing to put themselves to the test.

Gathering over the weekend at Hartwood Acres County Park — a day that felt more like Winter than Spring — the group took map and compass in hand and began putting their skills to use.  Initially, the routes were straightforward as the group worked to build confidence in their skills.  But by the late morning everyone was comfortable navigating off-trail through dense vegetation, over big rocks, and under fallen trees as they moved from one objective to the other. Best of all, they all had fun doing it!

Interested in participating in a similar program? Check out these upcoming events!

• Caving Exploration – Sunday, May 6
• Day Trek – Raccoon Creek State Park – Saturday, May 12
• Wilderness Survival 101 – Saturday, June 9

Check out more images from the trip:

The sun was shining in North Park on Saturday, April 7th as the sold-out Easter Egg Geocaching program participants gathered for a fun-filled afternoon. The group celebrated Easter by finding ten candy caches hidden throughout the woods using handheld GPS units. Leaders Ashler Rieser and Janée Romesberg gave each family a GPS unit and a map and explained how to use them before letting everyone loose to find the chocolaty, sugary stashes. By hiding the candy caches behind logs, in bushes and beside trees, the Easter Bunnies (AKA Ashley and Janée) didn’t give up the sweets easily- each family had to work together to navigate through the forest and find the hiding spots! At the end of the day, each person had a bag full of pastel-colored sweets to take home and enjoy!

If this program sounds like fun, try out one of our upcoming programs!

PB&J Walk
Sunday, April 22, 2012

Spring Peepers Walk
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Also, get outside in Murrysville! The Murrysville Trail Alliance, together with the Westmoreland Conservancy, is offering a unique opportunity to hike through the town of Murrysville by utilizing their parks and trails this Saturday, April 21st. For more information, go to their event page- http://murrysvilletrails.org/hike_murrysville.htm.

_________(adjective) Fun in Duff Park

On April 1st, 15 __________(adj.) participants had a lot of fun ________(verb ending in -ing) in Duff Park during the ½ Day Hike lead __________(adverb) by Joe Walko and the ________(adj.) assistant leaders Veronica White and Janée Romesberg. It was a/an __________(adj.) Spring day and the abnormally warm temperatures had caused the spectacular, ____________(adj.) wildflowers to bloom much earlier in the season than usual. Duff Park, located in Murrysville, has the ___________(adj.) honor of being designated a Wild Plant Sanctuary by the _____________(state beginning with “P” and ending with “A”) Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The excited participants listened ___________(adv.) as Joe taught them how to identify Trillium, Wake Robins, Spring Beauties, Dutchman’s Breeches, Hepatica and other __________(adj.) native wildflowers. There were ________(number greater than 1) surprises in store for the hikers, one of which included a/an _________(adj.) animal sighting! Joe had mentioned at the beginning of the program that there were many wolves, ___________(plural large animal), and bears found in Duff Park, but the group still wasn’t prepared for a ____________(adj.) wolf to jump out at them from behind a tree! The wolf (also known as 8-yr-old Trevor Walko wearing a wolf hat) did no harm and actually decided to join in on the hiking fun. When the group later stopped for a snack break, Joe surprised the group again- this time with Garlic Mustard Pesto. But this wasn’t an April Fool’s joke- pesto is a delicious and ____________(positive adj.) way to get rid of that ___________(negative adj.), ___________(an even more negative adj.) invasive plant! A lot of fun was had by all (including the wolf)!

If you want to try making Garlic Mustard Pesto yourself- check out the recipe below!

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Pesto
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts
1/2 Cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
Enough Garlic Mustard leaves to choke a horse (or to clear a forest floor)

Finely mince the walnuts and garlic mustard. An electric coffee grinderworks like a charm.
Add Oil and Cheese, serve with pasta or rice or other whole grain. For vegan pesto use Nutritional Yeast instead of Cheese.

Harvesting Garlic Mustard: take out the entire plant including the rootsearly in the season before it has a chance to flower. Young first leaves are best for pesto (and for salads or as a steamed green). Use only the leaves for this recipe. Remove the roots from the area you are clearing as they will re-establish themselves if left in a pile on the ground. If you pull up garlic mustard after it has flowered beware as it will develop the seedhead even after it is pulled from the ground.

Found on http://www.maipc.org/morerecipes.html, a great website on edible invasive plants and how to use them!

Having trouble filling in the blanks above? Join us on one of our upcoming programs!

Trillium Trail Wildflower ID Walk
Saturday, April 21, 2012

Day Trek – Laurel Hill
Sunday, April 22, 2012

Packed houses at the Byham Theater on Friday and Saturday nights clapped and cheered throughout the series of short action/adventure/nature films. A lucky few left with raffle prizes including a new kayak and Kayak Pittsburgh Season Pass, a year’s worth of Straub Beer, whitewater rafting packages, bikes and bike rentals and more.

“Every year, it’s an awesome gathering of outdoor enthusiasts and a kick off to the outdoor season in western Pennsylvania,” said Jon Lucadamo, projects director. “The films were inspiring and both nights were great fun.”

We thank our sponsors, vendors and all who attended for making another year of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour a great success! Visit our Facebook and Twitter pages to tell us your favorite film.

It’s time to celebrate spring with Joel and Alice Johnston’s annual Spring Hike and Fire Circle!  For the third year in a row, Joel and Alice will lead a moderate 6-9 mile hike through Roaring Run in the Laurel Highlands.  After the hike, they’ll welcome participants into their home for a delicious dinner and fire circle.

In an attempt to bypass any snow or cold weather, this spring’s hike is in mid-April rather than March.  A warmer date will likely result in different plant life and animal activity, as well as higher water levels.  Get ready to high-step over Roaring Run to see the beauty of the forest!

Joel and Alice began leading Spring and Autumn Hike and Fire Circles three years ago, after finding their home in Hidden Valley.  They have spent much time exploring Roaring Run Natural Area and love to share their knowledge of this lesser-known part of the Laurel Highlands.  Hikers are usually surprised to learn that the nearby ski resort is on the edge of what Alice has dubbed a “public jewel”—Roaring Run offers beautiful scenery and a rich history to those who choose to explore it.

While hiking, you’ll learn about the geology and natural history of Western PA, as well as various plant and animal life, depending on what you pass.  Joel and Alice will also share some fascinating history of the area, which is the home to an old cemetery and abandoned town.

In addition to learning about your surroundings and getting a good workout, Joel and Alice hope that participants will seize the opportunity to socialize, both on the trail and off.  After hiking for several hours, you’ll make your way back to their home in Hidden Valley, where you’ll join fellow hikers for a generous slow-cooked supper, complete with salad and drinks.

Whether you choose to relax on Joel and Alice’s deck or sit around the raised fire pit, you’ll be in great company.  The Spring Hike and Fire Circle offers a wonderful change in pace to VO’s efficient urban and neighborhood hikes—you are free to take your time eating, socializing, and learning more about fellow VO members.

Sign up here.

On March 24^th Venture Outdoors held a 2.5 mile hike located around the several historic sites of Homestead, entitled the Historic Homestead & Homestyle Cooking Hike.

Members and friends who participated had to opportunity to see how, what was previously an incredible source for steelmaking just outside of Pittsburgh, is undergoing restoration today. Several smaller historic landmarks in the area were focuses throughout the hike, however participants also had the chance to take a tour of the Carpatho-Rusyn Center, which was built in 1903 as the first cathedral in the nation made exclusively for Carpatho-Rusyns. The tour continued to the Carnegie Library and ended at the Bulgarian Cultural Center, where they enjoyed hearty homemade soups, salad, breads and desserts. What an excellent way to finish off an exciting hike!

Next up on the roster will be the Beaver Borough History Walk on Saturday, March 31. Here, participants will hike to learn the history of Beaver, a charming town located at the convergence of the Beaver and Ohio Rivers. On this two-mile walk with local historian Val Brkich, hikers will see why Beaver is so well-known for its 19th century architecture, especially when they find that almost the entire community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This event has already reached its maximum number of spots available, but hikers and history buffs keep an eye out for what is coming next! VO holds historic hikes in local neighborhoods several times a year. We can’t wait to see you on the trail!

Click here for other upcoming opportunities to get outside!

The park itself was established in 1967 as part of a government plan to ensure that no PA resident lived more than 35 miles from a state park.  Today, Ryerson Station is home to ruffed grouse, eastern gray squirrels, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, and ground hogs, as well what some claim to be PA’s tallest American Sycamore, reaching 150 feet.

Ryerson Station’s trails cross a variety of habitats, including forests, valleys, and fields.  Because it’s been so warm this spring, it’s likely that wildflowers will be in bloom during VO’s hike on March 31^st.  Leaders Darlene Schiller and Zachary Wilson have plans to show participants some of the park’s hidden gems during the hike, so click here to sign up!