The Get Out Issue No. 10

DVE IGHT S U M M E R 2 018 I S S U E 10

THE GET OUT ISSUE

THE GET OUT ISSUE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Todd Spire photographed by Peter Crosby See MEET YOUR MAKERS page 32

S U M M E R 2 018

DVE IGHT I S S U E 10

Editor in Chief NHI MUNDY

Executive Editor MICHAEL MUNDY Design Director STEPHEN MALE Style Director JOHN PAUL TRAN Senior Editor MIMI VU Associate Editor ALEXANDRA MARVAR Market Editor MANDY COON Associate Art Director MORIAH WOLFE Contributing Writers CHRISTINA STACY DORIS CHEVRON EDDIE BRANNAN JILLIAN SCHEINFELD SANDY SOOHOO Contributing Photographers HAROLD JULIAN MATT NOVAK MICHAEL DAVIS NOAH KALINA PETER CROSBY STEPHAN SCHACHER STEVEN MCBRIDE

MY CHILDHOOD TOOK PLACE MAINLY OUTDOORS. Our house was situated right in front of a small forest in rural Kansas. I remember wading in a small creek there, climbing up tall trees to pick crabapples and blackberries and to observe the bird’s nest. The neighborhood kids and I would go out all day until dusk. We’d blow dandelions, make flower crowns, chase fireflies, and squish worms after a rainstorm. I built a fort once out of scrap wood, branches, and leaves. It actually held up for a while and offered me the solitude I could not find at home with my family of seven siblings.

I don’t go out much these days, now that I’m an adult. Lots of things pull and push me around, vying for my time and attention. Occasionally, I’ll step outside for a breath of fresh air, usually after hours and hours of screen time or after a panic attack induced by a project going south. It’s a shame, because I’m such a kid at heart.

I still love having fun, love running around, love playing games… I don’t know what really happened, but I’m determined to change it.

For the tenth issue, I wanted to focus on “getting out.” And so our team and I searched for and found eight individuals who not only embraced the great outdoors but made it their way of life. We interviewed Kelly McCaughey, a fearless woman and the founder of Over and Out, an all-female bike club based in the Catskills.

Our executive editor, Michael Mundy, met with Jennifer Pharr Davis, a world-renowned long-distance hiker and

Contributing Artists KATE BEST STACEY CUNNINGHAM YUKIKO TAJIMA Advertising Executive ESTHER DE JONG Editorial Assistants CAELUM ROGERS KURT MAJKA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DVEIGHT Magazine Issue 10 © 2018 Delaware Valley 8 See the magazine online at dveightmag.com Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

For customer service or advertising inquiries, please email nhi@dveightmag.com or write us at P.O. Box 41, Jeffersonville, NY 12748

the record holder for the fastest hike on the Appalachian Trail. We followed Laura Silverman of The Outside Institute on a foraging excursion and discovered there’s more than meets the eye. We ate through bushels of vivid greens harvested by Greg Swartz, who operates one of the largest organic farms in the region. Our associate editor, Alexandra Marvar, hesitantly accompanied three iconic fly fishing pros, Todd Spire, Joe Fox, and Joan Wulff (after lamenting, “But I don’t know anything about fly fishing!”). And finally, we visited the home of cover girl Anna Aberg and her fiancé, Tom Roberts, where they run the very fashionable Livingston Manor Fly Fishing Club, an Instagram-ready social club based on reconnecting with nature.

These adventurers have shared not only their own experiences of the outdoors but inspiration for people like me on how to bring more “outside” back into our indoor-centric lives, from biking to hiking, fishing to foraging.

I hope you enjoy this summer issue of DVEIGHT, perhaps even out on a sun-speckled lawn or at a creekside picnic table, in the fresh air somewhere.

NHI MUNDY Editor in Chief

11

UP & COMING

THE GET OUT ISSUE

S U M M E R 2 018

How better to travel through the Catskill Mountains this summer than on a vintage train? And North, a curated guide to upstate New York, is throwing their annual

,

on Saturday, August 4th, 2018. Departing from the Delaware and Ulster Railroad Station in Arkville, the train will

performance in the open-air car, lit by a full moon. Romantic? You bet. Glamorous? Totally. Take your seats!

For details and to book tickets visit andnorth.com Photo by Christian Harder for And North

THE WOODHOUSE LODGE

dining, shopping and art experiences, and boasts all the features a boutique hotel user would

3807 County Route 26 Greenville, NY 12083 thewoodhouselodge@gmail.com

UP& COMING YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S UPSTATE By With a mission to celebrate three staples of NY state heritage—agriculture, culinary arts and the local makers

RAVENWOOD

host dinner gatherings in a renovated 19th century barn in Kerhonksen. Their intimate soirees

focus on the evolving set of ingredients our region offers through the season, and their goal is to link urban NYC dwellers with the culture and traditions of upstate life. In addition to the dinners, Ravenwood will be offering a range of tabletop and home goods that will be showcased at the gatherings and available for purchase online.

579 Samsonville Rd, Kerhonkson, NY 12446 ravenwoodny.com

Set to open this September in Catskill,

residencies for performing artists, and residents will have access to a theater, studio, event space, production staff, and equipment during their stay. Additionally, the center will offer free weekly after-school workshops in performing arts for students in grades four through ten in the Greene County School District.

62 Water St, Catskill, NY 12414 212.587.3003 lumberyard.org

GOLDENROD

53 Main Street, Delhi, NY 607.746.8875 goldenrod@gmail.com Thurs–Sat 5pm–10pm, Sunday 5pm-9pm

THE RURALIST

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THE GET OUT ISSUE

KELLY McCAUGHEY Interview JILLIAN SC HEINFELD Photography Photography N OA H K A L I N A Interview

of Over Over and and Out, Out, a women’s dirt bike campout event Meet the new biker chick in town: KELLY KELLY McCAUGHEY McCAUGHEY of based in the Catskills. After six years spent riding, McCaughey noticed a growing demand for a community of like-minded female motorcyclists and became determined to build her own. With publicly accessible riding land scarce (most is private), McCaughey set out to open up access to terrains so that she and friends could out as as they theyplease. please.With Withthe thehelp helpofof Bear Creek Sportsmen, OAO kicked their ladies-only event ride out Bear Creek Sportsmen, OAO kicked off off their firstfirst ladies-only event this this past in Hancock, NY,hope and to hope to recruit more as bikers word spreads.

Wewith spoke to McCaughey past JuneJune in Hancock, NY and recruit more bikers wordasspreads.

We spoke McCaughey about about defying stereotypes, about women bikers, and how to get started defying femalefemale stereotypes, how to the get common started asmisconceptions a motorcyclist in the Catskills, and common misconceptions as female a motorcyclist of bikers. in the Catskills.

What attracted you to motorcycle riding?

feeling resonates when you ride with a pack of ladies.

I’ve always loved the act of riding. As a kid, I loved riding

witnessed on road trips?

a One of the the best best ways waystotoget getstarted startedisistotosign signupupforfor

teenager,I Icouldn’t couldn’t my bike through the woods, and as a teenage

Riding in the Catskills is always thrilling, because the

learning course through thethe state.

There are are courses a learning course through state.

There

motorcycles truly began wait to to drive driveaacar. car,But butmy myinterest interestinin motorcycles truly

landscape is so sharp and jagged.

The trees and rocks of Riding in the Catskills is always thrilling because

that are offered teachthat youteach and also order courses that arethat offered you test andyou alsointest

when I when lived in Jersey I just thought a motorcycle began I lived in City.

Jersey City.

I just thought a

a wild to them.

It’s hard the Northeast landscapehave is sosuch sharp and look jagged.

The trees andto

to help you obtain your I personally loved you in order to help youlicense. obtainBut your license. But I

would be much easier for parking andparking gettingand around. motorcycle would be much easier for

describe, butNortheast it’s distinctly native to athe Catskills. rocks of the have such wild look to[Another] them.

learning from a friend on afrom dirt bike, which why personally loved learning a friend onisaalso dirt bike,

getting around.

particular of mine wasdistinctly a trip from Joshua Tree It’s hard tofavorite describe, but it’s native to the

I founded Over and Out, so that women could which is also why I founded Over and Out, solearn that

to Idyllwild, The landscape changed almost instantly Catskills.

A CA. particular favorite of mine was a trip from

to ride acould motorcycle and mostinsupportive women learn in to the ridesafest a motorcycle the

I’ve been riding for about six years. For my first lesson,

when you crossed the mountains the BanningJoshua Tree to Idyllwild, CA. Thealong landscape changed

environment possible.

We’veenvironment had group lessons led by a safest and most supportive possible.

I wasbeen taken out into a fieldsix and taught littlelesson, 100cc I’ve riding for about years.

Foron myafirst

Idyllwildinstantly Panoramic Highway.

Withinthe seconds, we went almost when you crossed mountains

Motorcycle where women learn We’ve had Safety group Foundation lessons led coach, by a Motorcycle Safety

bike.

I took to the general so my Idirt was taken out into a field andoperation taught onnaturally, a little 100cc

from hot, desert air with succulents cooler, moister along the dry Banning-Idyllwild PanoramictoHighway.

together in an openwhere grass women field. learn together in an Foundation coach

friends decided tothe takegeneral me onoperation a woods trail.

I instantly dirt bike.

I took to naturally, so my

air andseconds skinny sharp pines.

Within we went from hot, dry desert air with

open grass field.

fell in love with motorcycling the woods.

I soon friends decided to take me onthrough a woods trail.

I instantly

succulents to cooler, moister air and skinny sharp pines.

Where are some favorite places to ride in the Catskills?

went getwith my motorcycling license, and my first bike being fell into love through the ended woods.up I soon

What are some common misconceptions of

For street riding, love going up to for Where are someIfavorite places to Narrowsburg ride in the Catskills?

a dual-sport. went to get my license and my first bike ended up being

biker chicks?

What are some common misconceptions of biker chicks?

Babes Rideriding Out, Ialove women-only event group.

For street going up riding to Narrowsburg for

a dual-sport.

butbut I meet aa lot lot of of women womenwho whothink thinkit’s it’ssosocool cooltotoride ride,

They have routes riding that take yougroup. along Babes Ridesome Out, mapped a women-only event

also think think it’s it’s something somethingthey theycould couldnever neverdo. do.SoSomany many

somehave gorgeous I also lovethat to ride They someroads. mapped routes takethrough you along

In the Northeast, public riding land is nearly nonexistent,

of them say say they they love loveseeing seeingmy myphotos photosand andfollowing following

Callicoon and over the IKaaterskill Falls. off-road some gorgeous roads. also love to rideFor through

and aren’t many rentisdirt bikes.

Slowly, as In thethere Northeast, publicplaces ridingto land nearly non-existent

my adventures, adventures, and andititoften oftenmakes makesme mewonder wonderwhy whythey

riding, I goand to Hancock, which is why I selected it Callicoon over the Kaaterskill Falls.

For off-road

women I knew I rode dirt bikes, they Slowly, started and there aren’theard manythat places to rent dirt bikes.

don’tdon’t pursue it, too.it,Most the of female riders Iriders knowIare they pursue too. of Most the female

as the location for our first Overisand event. it as riding, I go to Hancock, which whyOut I selected

coming to me andheard askingthat forItips, or thethey chance to as women I knew rodehelp, dirt bikes, started

just normal girls like me who to wanted do it and know are just normal girls likewanted me who to gave do it it

It’s very technical and (filled with It’s very the location for our firstchallenging Over and Out event.

ride my to bikes.

I decided tofor make happen and invitedtoa coming me and asking tips,ithelp or the chance

a shot.

It takes timeIttotakes get comfortable riding, but I riding, think and gave it a shot. time to get comfortable

rocks, roots, climbs, (filled and more!) but also technical andsteep challenging with rocks, roots, steep

smallmy group over to learn. next ride bikes.

I decided to That makeexperience it happen was and the invited

women should stopshould thinking that motorcycling is too but I think women stop thinking that motorcycling

stunningly climbs andbeautiful. more!) but also stunningly beautiful.

big milestone creating OAO, watching them a small groupin over to learn.

Thatbecause experience was the next

“bold” to try. to try. is too “bold” Are most people you ride with on motorcycles or

learn and loveinit just like I OAO, did, well, that was just incredible. big milestone creating because watching them learn and love it just like I did, well, that was just incredible. of fearlessness. An active protest of fear, if you will.

Most of the women I ride ride with with are are on on both both street street and and

Would you call yourself yourself fearless? fearless?

dirt bikes! We want itit all! all! Typically, Typically, the the larger largerthe theengine

been I’m definitely definitely not notfearless. fearless.InInfact, fact,battling battlingfear fearhas has been

size, thesize, more you have at have high speeds—but engine thestability more stability you at high

one of my my main main focuses focusesininlearning learningtotoride, ride,especially especially

it gets confusing.

There are bikes thatare arebikes madethat to are speeds—but it gets confusing.

There

Motorcycling is an inherently dangerous activity, and I’m

off-road. Becoming off-road.

Becomingaabetter betterrider ridertakes takesjust justasasmuch much

ride “Over” mountain and for off-road made to ridethe “Over” the mountain and fortrails, off-road

sure that’s why as bad-ass, because you’re Motorcycling is it’s an seen inherently dangerous activity andrisking I’m

mental training training as asphysical—probably physical—probablyeven evenmore. more.

and street-legal routes routes and long-distance trips. trips. trails, and street-legal and long-distance

morethat’s danger being motorcyclist.

Or you’re viewed as sure whybyit’s seenaas bad ass, because you’re risking

But as II become become aabetter betterrider, rider,there thereare arethings thingsthat that

Yet another reason why why II started started Over Over and and Out! Out!

someone whoby is attracted to a dangerous lifestyle.

Whenas more danger being a motorcyclist.

Or you’re viewed

used to scare scare me me that thatdon’t don’tanymore—and anymore—andthat’s that’sanan

The event was designed designed to to help help women women understand understand

you cut outwho the isdanger factor, motorcycling is someone attracted to ahowever, dangerous lifestyle. When

amazing feeling feeling of ofprogress! progress!

the differences in these these types types of of bikes bikes and and the the terrain

attractive because it’s about connection, and you cut out the danger factor,community, however, motorcycling is

they’re they’re riding on, so that could terrain riding on, they so that theysafely couldand safely

bonding. because There’s ait’s lotabout of heart to motorcycling, and that attractive community, connection and

It can seem intimidating to begin. Where would someone

confidently take take their their pick from all ofall theofoptions and confidently pick from the options

feeling resonates ridetowith a pack of ladies. bonding.

There’s when a lot ofyou heart motorcycling and that

who wants to learn how to ride in the Catskills go?

that exist.

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A CONVERSATION WITH

THE GET OUT ISSUE

A CONVERSATION WITH / JENNIFER PHARR DAVIS Interview MIC HAEL MUNDY Photography S T E V E N M c

JENNIFER PHARR DAVIS is a long distance hiker, author, speaker and world record holder for the fastest hike of the entire Appalachian Trail. She has spent an enormous amount of time out in nature and has learned many lessons from her time outdoors. Here, she shares with Michael Mundy a few of the things she has gained from her time on the trail. one was my first opportunity to go beyond my own

little—that meant I didn’t have to invest in things or

experience and voice. I interviewed some of the most

stuff—I could put my resources towards adventures,

is about getting outside and we thought what better

accomplished long-distance hikers and trail runners

experiences, and relationships.

person to discuss this with than with you since you

out there and asked them what they learned from their

do it for a living. I was hoping you could introduce

experience, how it helps them in their life off the trail,

MM: Were you often alone or did you meet people

how it could help someone else, and then I tie it all

on the trail?

little bit of your history.

Jennifer Pharr Davis: Sure. So I have hiked over

together with some psychology and physiology.

It’s just really amazing to have that collection of voices

JPD: I underestimated how community-centric the

in one place.

Appalachian Trail would be. I thought I was going out in the woods by myself, but then every day I was meeting

14,000 miles of long-distance trails on 6 different continents, and I’ve also been on trails in all 50 states.

MM: I look forward to reading it. So I was reading

new people. I loved that such a wide variety of people were on the trail—all different backgrounds, ages, and

My favorite path is the Appalachian Trail. I’ve completed that 2,190-mile path three separate times. In 2011,

the Appalachian Trail when you were 21. Can you tell

beliefs. Everyone you meet can do something you can’t

I finished the trail in 46 days, which is an average of

me a little bit about that? It sounds like a pretty life-

do and knows something you don’t know. On the trail,

47 miles a day. That set the overall record at the time

there is this time for storytelling. You know, that’s what

for both men and women on the trail. I live in North

people do, they share their lives with the people they

Carolina and have a hiking company that’s ten years

JPD: Yeah it totally was. It was completely transforma-

meet on the trail. That’s your entertainment when you’re

old called Blue Ridge Hiking Company. We get over

tional for me. I didn’t grow up doing much hiking,

out there, and so the relationships are really rich. I just

1,000 people a year out on the trails and a lot of them

backpacking or camping at all. But after college,

remember on multiple occasions particularly having

are beginners. I’m also a writer and speaker who travels

I wasn’t quite sure where I was going to go or what I

someone in their 60s or 70s turn to me and share their

to promote hiking, trails and the great outdoors.

was going to do with my liberal arts degree. I wanted

biggest regret in life or what they’re most proud of, and

an adventure. I wanted a place to figure things out.

I always felt like “Man, that is an education.” Hearing

A big part of me just recognized that my life, my

that, that’s more valuable than anything I learned in

education and most of my existence had taken place

school. But there was the solitude, which I had never

indoors. I just wanted to go outside. I had heard of the

really experienced before. I was sort of terrified of being

Appalachian Trail and decided, “That’s it, that’s my

bored and lonely. And then I was bored and lonely and I

adventure.” So I gathered my brother’s old boy scout

was like, “This is amazing!” [Laughs]

Or more at this point?

JPD: The most recent release was my seventh book.

MM: Seventh book? Wow, congratulations.

gear from our basement at home and then set out by myself and spent five months (which is pretty average)

MM: [Laughs] Not many people can say that.

walking between Georgia and Maine. When I got to JPD: It’s titled The Pursuit of Endurance and it’s the

the end, I was so different in so many ways. My values

JPD: Yeah, I really valued that. I always try to mention

project that I’m probably the most proud of. You know,

had changed. I now valued simplicity, and that was so

this because it was so important to me especially at

I love all my books. They all take a lot of work, but this

liberating. I realized that I could be content with very

that time. The thing I missed the most about hiking was

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THE GET OUT ISSUE

A CONVERSATION WITH

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“THE THING I MISSED THE MOST ABOUT HIKING WAS HOW BEAUTIFUL I FELT ON THE TRAIL” how beautiful I felt on the trail. That doesn’t make sense

someone like you because so many of us are strapped

kids. You can even push a stroller. It’s great because you

because when you’re out there, you’re filthy, you’re

to our desks these days. I notice kids spending more

always see a ton of birds there. There’s usually redwing

covered in scrapes and bug bites, and you smell

and more time indoors and less time outdoors and

blackbirds there. Then nearby in Unionville, New York,

horrible, but for five months I didn’t carry a mirror.

it seems like a critical time for someone to sort of

which is just on the border of New Jersey and New York,

I didn’t have billboards or magazines or commercials

there are more wetlands. It’s a great place to see a lot of

telling me what I should look like. I started to see myself

waterfowl, a lot of geese and herons. It goes near

through interactions with other hikers. If I was kind or

you where you referred to the trail as one of the best

Pawling, New York where there is one of the biggest

I could make someone else smile, that made me feel

trees on the trail called the Dover Oak. It’s sitting right

pretty. The other big difference was that growing up,

off the trail. And then right nearby there is the train

I always thought nature was beautiful, but I never saw

JPD: Oh, it is, yeah. I usually say that it’s the best,

station. So people who live in the city and want to get

myself as part of nature. I never saw myself as part of

cheapest therapist I’ve ever had. I think a lot of the

out into nature can take the trail. Then hikers who are,

that beauty until I hiked. So after doing the trail once,

conflicts we have… well, first of all, the trail is counter-

you know, dirty and smelly and have been out in the

and going over 2,000 miles of hiking through 14

cultural. So, a lot of the answers that arise, arise

woods for weeks or months can also go into the city.

separate states, by that point, I based my self-worth

because they are solutions that aren’t readily presented

It’s a crazy parallel dimension at that point. There

a whole lot less on how I looked, and more on what

by our society. So when you go to the trail, the trail says,

are lots of historical sites that are near the trail, old

I could do. So the trail was really empowering in the

“Slow down. Be present. Trust other people. You don’t

homesteads. The trail goes right through Bear Mountain

sense that it made me want to do so much more with my

need stuff to be happy. You don’t need status to be

State Park. One of my favorite parts of the trail is the

life on and off the trail. It encouraged me to take risks

successful. Be grateful for what you have. Don’t

path through Connecticut. I think it’s 52 miles through

and try new things in my career and my life as well.

compare yourself to other people. You are a part of

Connecticut and it sort of swings through the northwest

nature. You are beautiful. You are capable.” Those are

corner of the state. It’s just like this little sampler of the

the voices you hear in the woods. Having a more

Appalachian Trail. You have some rock scrambling,

natural environment often presents more natural

you have a beautiful walk next to the Housatonic River,

solutions. The trail provides the time and space to sort

it goes through some agricultural areas and small

through thoughts. There is this very common saying on

towns, and then through some nice beautiful ridge lines.

JPD: In college, I studied classics which is basically a

long distance trails that says, “The trail gives you what

It’s just a great sampler of what the whole Appalachian

history major. My first job was at a museum and it was

you need.” Time and time again in my life and in the life

Trail has to offer.

a great job. I worked there for two and a half years.

of fellow friends and hikers or even through the guiding

The director was actually really great about letting me

company, I’ve seen so often that the trail has a way of

take time off to go hiking. But I realized by that point

giving people what they need and at different times it’s

that hiking was really my passion. I felt like history was

different things.

MM: How interesting. What was your career at become now?

you really have this incredible grasp of yourself and

going to always be there, museums were going to be there—if that’s where I needed or wanted to work long

MM: I know the Appalachian Trail passes right forward to reading your latest book, The Pursuit of

term. But when I was 24, I had done the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and a couple other paths.

the Pennsylvania border. I was curious what are some

Endurance. Do you have any closing thoughts?

I started having friends and acquaintances come up and

of your favorite spots along the trail in that region,

Any recommendations for what people should be

just ask if I could help them get outside and teach them

New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania…

doing these days in terms of how to get out?

and I started Blue Ridge Hiking Company. So that’s what

JPD: It’s funny because it’s literally like the only flat

JPD: I think when you hear that voice to go outside and

I’ve been doing for the past ten years.

section of the Appalachian Trail. There is a boardwalk

move, you need to trust it. That’s a natural voice, and

near Vernon, New Jersey that goes through a wetland

that’s how we’ve developed as humans. It’s still a place

area, so that’s a really fun place to go walk and take the

where you’re going to feel connected and fulfilled.

what I knew. I was like, “Yeah, I would love to do that,”

MM: Yeah it seems like such an important time for

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THE GET OUT ISSUE

IN PERSON

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TO REALLY SEE WHAT’S AROUND YOU, SOMETIMES YOU NEED A GUIDE

By C HRIS TIN A S TACY Photography S T E P H A N S C H AC H E R

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S U M M E R 2 018

IN PERSON

THE GET OUT ISSUE

“THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLANTS ARE STRIKING” IT’S It’s A SUNNY a sunny SATURDAY Saturday morning, MORNING, and vendors and vendors have have begunbegun to arrive to arrive at theat

“The similarities between people and plants are striking,” Silverman says beneficial.

the Barryville farmers’ market, a block away banks of the Delaware Barryville farmers’ market, a block away fromfrom the the banks of the Delaware River.

en route her next walk, this people one at the in Livingston Manor. “You “Thetosimilarities between andDeBruce plants are striking,” Silverman sayswalk en

River.down Just down the there road, is there is the historic in 1880, Just the road, the historic SpringSpring House,House, built inbuilt 1880, which which faces

into a to party people and in everyone sortManor. of blends together. route her full nextofwalk, thisyou onedon’t at theknow, DeBruce Livingston “You walk

faces theas river as a sprawling, gabled reminder the town’s past as a Maybe stop ona the river a sprawling, gabled reminder of the of town’s past [as what?

But once youfull getoftopeople know the one-on-one, their different characteristics into a party youpeople don’t know, and everyone sort of blends together.

the Delaware and Hudson Canal. winter, see the from resort destination? ]. In winter, youIncan easilyyou seecan theeasily river from thisriver road, butthis at

come out.”

The is true plants, she says. Get with them, But once you getsame to know the of people one-on-one, theiracquainted different characteristics

road, butofatyear, this time of year, slope that to leads down toedge the water’s is this time the slope thatthe leads down the water’s is fillingedge quickly

and that seaThe of green pass intoacquainted distinct personalities. come out.” same iswetrue of every plants,day shefocuses says. Get with them, and

fillinglush quickly withBushes, lush growth.

Bushes, vines, trees with their with growth. grasses, vines,grasses, and trees flushand with theirflush late-spring

Oneofway to learn is toevery readday Thefocuses Outside Institute’s Field Guide to the that sea green we pass into distinct personalities.

late-spring leaves areto beginning block the view. leaves are beginning block thetoview.

Laura Silverman, founder of the Outside Institute, is giving a tour. Not of

Hudson Upper Delaware Valleys, Silverman Gilian One&way to learn is to read Thewhich Outside Instituteco-authored Field Guide with to the Hudson Rappaport.

The firstValleys, volume,which published this summer, identifies 52 species of flora & Upper Delaware Silverman co-authored with Gilian Rappaport.

the local architecture but of the plant life that runs along this road. Wearing her

and first fauna in the published area. Eachthis entry on a plant provides information on and its specific The volume, summer, identifies 52 species of flora fauna

distinctive wide-brimmed hat, she points to a leafy plant as a group of curious

ecosystem identifying traits, well as nutritional qualities, in the area.and Each entry on a plantasprovides informationvalue, on itsmedicinal specific ecosystem

locals gathers around her.

culinary or traits, craft use.

There also recipes, a seasoning made of black and identifying as well as are nutritional value, like medicinal qualities, and

“Does anyone anyone know know what what this this is?” is?” she she asks. asks. Nobody Nobody does. does. “Here’s “Here’s aa hint.” hint.”

“Does

trumpet mushrooms, a sweet birch and nocino, a spiced, made dark liqueur culinary or craft use. There are alsotea, recipes, like a seasoning of blackmade

She breaks the stem to show the milky fluid inside. It’s milkweed, and the liquid

from green walnuts. a sweet birch tea, and nocino, a spiced, dark liqueur made trumpet mushrooms,

is latex. We learn that the plant is important for pollinators, particularly the

the DeBruce, from At green walnuts. Silverman meets a couple interested in a tour of the land.

monarch butterfly, which lays its eggs on the leaves. We also learn that parts of

We take a path downSilverman the steps,meets pausing to identify a wild in cherry tree by scent, At the DeBruce, a couple interested a tour of the land.

of the plant delicious when cooked. the plant areare delicious when cooked.

which smells surprisingly bitter almond.

A footbridge small We take a path down the like steps, pausing to identify a wild across cherry atree by brook scent,

Silverman isis known known for for her her feasts—one-of-a-kind feasts—one-of-a-kind culinary culinary experiences experiences Silverman

leads to a trail into the woods.

We taste the pale green tips of hemlock—it’s fresh which smells surprisingly like bitter almond.

A footbridge across a small brook

that incorporate foraged and locally sourced plants—as well as the unique,

and woodsy—and that the coiled of an fern, called leads to a trail into learn the woods.

Weyoung, taste the palegrowth green tips of ostrich hemlock—it’s fresh

botanically infused cocktails that she serves as a regular guest mixologist for the

a fiddlehead, can be harvested cooked (it’s something of a trendy and woodsy—and learn that the and young, coiled growth of an ostrich fern, menu called

Stickett Inn. Through the Outside Institute, which she founded out of a passion for

item at farm-to-table restaurants), taste (it’s somewhere between asparagus a fiddlehead, can be harvested andthe cooked something of a trendy menu

the natural world, she shares her knowledge through nature walks, workshops,

and broccoli. item at farm-to-table restaurants), the taste somewhere between asparagus and

and retreats on topics ranging from foraging to natural dyes to wildcrafting.

Once we’re in the shade of the hemlocks and the birch, Silverman invites us broccoli.

Today, it’s it’s aa walk walk for for locals locals along along River River Road Road toward toward the the farmers’ farmers’ market, market, Today,

to look down.

Oninathe fallen log,ofthere’s a tiny forest of coral which invites resembles Once we’re shade the hemlocks and the birch,fungi, Silverman us

where she’ll be giving a culinary demonstration later. Along the way, we discover

a miniaturized version of itslog, namesake. mushroom withwhich an orange cap to look down. On a fallen there’s a She tiny cuts foresta of coral fungi, resembles

that the youngest tendrils of a wild grapevine are pleasantly tart. A plant called

and splits it open to reveal streaks along theainterior of the stem—it’s the cap a miniaturized version of itsblue namesake.

She cuts mushroom with an orange

“bed straw” tastes like young string beans. The fragrant petals of the multiflora

blue-staining bolete, an edible On a the birch tree, there’s a large growth and splits it open to reveal bluedelicacy. streaks along interior of the stem—it’s the

rose can be used to flavor simple syrup and ice cream. There’s also mustard—

the color of burnt charcoal, something easily missed, or dismissed. blue-staining bolete, an edible delicacy.that Oncould a birch tree,be there’s a large growth

we each taste a pod-like silique—and field garlic, which smells like a fresher,

It turns be chaga, a mushroom for aeasily widebe range of medicinal the colorout of to burnt charcoal, something prized that could missed, or dismissed.

greener version of the familiar bulb. We discover medicinals like plantain, which

benefits, including immune support and well-documented anti-cancer activity.

It turns out to be chaga, a mushroom prized for a wide range of medicinal

jewelweed, which can alleviateand the itch of bug promotes wound-healing, healing [generaland healing?

Or something specific?], jewelweed,

You’d never know unlessnever you were benefits [such as?].it You’d knowlooking. it unless you were looking.

bites and ivy.the Byitch the of end of bites the tour, foliage which canpoison alleviate bug andthe poison ivy.along River Road no

As the the walk walk comes comes to to an an end, end, someone someone mentions mentions that that even even though though they’d they’d As

longer but becomes a view its own onto natural worldthe that is By blocks the endthe of view the tour, the foliage alongofRiver Road noalonger blocks view

hiked the trail that morning, it’s like seeing it for the first time. As it turns out, to

fragrant, delicious, beneficial. but becomes a viewand of its own onto a natural world that is fragrant, delicious, and

to really what’s around you, sometimes need a guide. really seesee what’s around you, sometimes youyou need a guide.

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THE GET OUT ISSUE

GROWTH HACKER/ ORGANIC EVANGELIST GREG SWARTZ’S ULTIMATE HARVEST By

Photography MATT N OVAK

For two weeks this June, I’d been eating (and Instagramming) bushels of vivid, delightful, pretty, purpleflowered stems bought at the Barryville farmers’ market. Turns out these seasonal delicacies feeding my allium addiction were from WILLOW WISP ORGANIC FARM, as I discovered when I visited the five-acre property edging the Delaware River just across from Callicoon, NY.

WILLOW WISP IS THE EXEMPLAR of a well-managed, well-run small farm.

customers, including several of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s establishments.

It’s what happens when the stars align and grant skilled and knowledgeable

Swartz also sells at farmers’ markets such as Narrowsburg, Callicoon, and Union

guardians an exceptional piece of land. Nestled in a fertile green bowl, the

Square and supplies the Lackawaxen Food Hub and CSA.

homestead sits on a rectangular property running north-south, with a tree-lined

Farming, it seems, is a calling Swartz was destined to answer. He grew up in

stretch of the charming Delaware to the east and leafy hills rising up to the west.

Framingham, MA, living “an idyllic life in the woods.” In his early 20s, he learned

On a sunny summer’s day, with the burble of the river and the birdsong as

from his older brother Steve, a chef, about the link between the quality of the land

accompaniment, it’s simply heavenly.

and the vibrancy of the food it produce. After moving to New York state, he joined,

When Swartz first stumbled upon the property, it was a paddock for horses that

and eventually became executive director of, the Northeast Organic Farming

had not been farmed since the 1950s. He didn’t let the fact that it was not for sale

Association of New York, which advocates for organic agriculture and sustainable

stop him. “I just walked up to the door and made an offer,” he says, laughing.

land use, all the while farming his own land. Today his dedication to organic

“It was too rare not to take a chance.” That gamble paid off: Swartz bought the

farming is nothing short of evangelical.

land and founded Willow Wisp in 2015 with his wife, Tannis Kowalchuk, who

Swartz’s mantra is that if you take care of the soil, the produce will take care

named it after will-o’-the-wisps, mysterious lights that appear over marshland and

of itself. He’s simplifying, of course: No farm ever takes care of itself, and this is

have long been associated with fairy myths.

one of the most demanding professions there is. But nonetheless, what Swartz is

In the three years since, Willow Wisp has been consistently profitable.

emphasizing is that soil husbandry—understanding how soil functions and giving

The farm grows a full range of produce over an eight-month growing season,

it what it needs to be its best—underpins organic farming. “Soil is an ecosystem,”

including multiple kale and cabbage varietals, tomatoes, squash and zucchini,

he says. “Acknowledging that is everything.” Healthy plants only come about when

microgreens, herbs, and those amazing chives. There’s also a section of the farm

you establish ideal conditions for them to grow. Without the use of pesticides and

given over to flowers. Today Willow Wisp boasts a network of restaurant-world

other chemicals to remedy diseases, organic farmers must do whatever is necessary

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Black countertops in the master suite bathroom are part of the home’s ABOVE passive Greg solar with heating his son Simon Kowalchuk-Swartz

to keep other chemicals those maladies to remedy from diseases, taking hold organic in the farmers first place. must “So do whatever much of organic is necessary farming is about preventative measures,” hethe explains.

“Stressed plants prone to to keep those maladies from taking hold in first place.

“So much of are organic disease. is Just like preventative humans, if you decrease he theexplains. stresses “Stressed they’re subjected to, prone the lessto farming about measures,” plants are likely theyJust arelike to succumb.” disease. humans, if you decrease the stresses they’re subjected to, the less oneare point during our tour, he squats down and loosens some earth to likelyAtthey to succumb.” illustrate a point. “When you pick up a handful of healthy soil,” he explains, “there will be one billion living that’s insanely complex system.

At on oneaverage point during our tour, heorganisms; squats down andan loosens some earth to It’s everything from bacteria fungi arthropods to earthworms nematodes. illustrate a point.

“When you to pick up to a handful of healthy soil,” he to explains, “there Andbe justonlike all other parts of life, it’sorganisms; all about the cycle—one thing eats the other, will average one billion living that’s an insanely complex system. andeverything that one gets in turn.”

He stands back uptoand surveys the we’re It’s fromeaten bacteria to fungi to arthropods earthworms to field nematodes. standing nextallto,other which despite being fallow is covered with green leaves.

These are And just like parts of life, it’s all about the cycle—one thing eats the other, oats,that it turns a cover to “charge asthe he field puts we’re it. “We and one out, getsgrown eaten as in turn.”

Hecrop stands back upthat andcycle,” surveys plant the next oats,to, they grow, capturing energy, turning that energy into carbons standing which despite beingsolar fallow is covered with green leaves.

These are and sugars. it grows, plowcrop it back in, and that we’re feeding thatputs entire oats, it turns When out, grown as awe cover to “charge cycle,” as he it. “We bacteria, fungi,they earthworm, nematode cycle.” plant the oats, grow, capturing solar energy, turning that energy into carbons at most organic farms, bedsin, here rotated, withthat each one left and As sugars.

When it grows, we growing plow it back andare we’re feeding entire fallow for fungi, a season betweennematode crops. Andcycle.” because some crops draw out more or bacteria, earthworm, different nutrients than others, Swartz doesn’t replant the same crop in the same plot for another five organic years, infarms, order growing to restorebeds a fully balanced system.

As at most here are rotated, with each one left Swartz and harmony in other ways Willow Wisp, fallow for a seeks seasonbalance between crops.

And because someat crops draw out too. moreHe oris installing nutrients a solar panel array that will supply electrical-energy needs of same the plot different than others, Swartz doesn’tthe replant the same crop in the entire farm and house.inWillow also draws its water from the Delaware for another five years, order Wisp to restore a fully all balanced system.

River. A barely audible 27hp electric hydropump hums on the riverbank, routing waterSwartz to theseeks fields,balance where aand dripharmony irrigationinsystem hydrates the beds.

Three other ways at Willow Wisp, too. large, He is year-round greenhouses the property.

Hooped tunnels offerneeds three-of the installing a solar [panel?]dot system that will supply thenylon electrical-energy seasonfarm protection over other thatdraws the growing season almost never stops. entire and house.

Willowbeds, Wispsoalso all its water from the Delaware A large househydropump the horses, hums has been converted intorouting an airy River.

A barn, barelyformerly audible used 27hpto electric on the riverbank, space to that a generous, kitchen.

At its a longlarge, dining water theincludes fields, where a drip well-equipped irrigation system hydrates theheart beds.isThree table, wheregreenhouses the farm’s workers and eatHooped a “familynylon meal” each day year-round dot thesit property. tunnels offerprepared three- by Kowalchuk, who also the farm’s operation.

As we sit at the table season protection overoversees other beds, so thatcut-flower the growing season almost never stops. drinking coffee, Swartzused explains that the growing season allows him A large barn, formerly to house the long horses, has been converted into to anemploy airy a teamthat of ten—six andwell-equipped four full-time—to whom wage and space includesseasonal a generous, kitchen.

Athe its pays heartaisliving a long dining provides an education the principles andaprocesses of organic farming. table, where the farm’sin workers sit and eat “family meal” each day prepared by The workers are aoversees crucial part of Willow Wisp’s operation. mission, and of table Kowalchuk, who also the farm’s cut-flower Asthe we heart sit at the Swartz’s interlinked, interconnected in whichseason raisingallows a crophim organically drinking coffee, Swartz explains thatworldview, the long growing to employ allows to seasonal reap the benefits. often, he whom says, farm workers are wage and a teameveryone of ten—six and four Too full-time—to he pays a living considered more than easily replaced. provides anlittle education in theimplements—disposable principles and processesand of organic farming. He seeks to change that attitude. “It’s so important to create jobs in this region,” he says.

“JobsThe thatworkers utilize and develop resources.

I want to make [farmofworkers] are ahelp crucial part our of Willow Wisp’s mission, and sure the heart are seen interlinked, as professionals, not peons.”

This, he feels, is the mostaimportant seed Swartz’s interconnected worldview, in which raising crop organically he can everyone plant. allows to reap the benefits. Too often, he says, farm workers are

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TAKE ME TO THE RIVER/

THE ALLURE OF THE CATSKILLS’ QUINTESSENTIAL RECREATION

By ALEXANDRA MARVAR Photography

Fly fishing, for the uninitiated, is not the same as fishing. Whereas many types of fishing more or less boil down to a bobber-watching waiting game, fly fishing—in which a special weighted line with a fly lure is cast into the water and reeled back in graceful strokes—is a battle of skill, an active meditation, a push-pull between the caster and nature.

With origins in England and Scotland, modern-day fly fishing was the first major recreational draw to the Catskills region. Since then, nearly every aspect of the sport has been reinvented, or honed to perfection, here on the Neversink, the Beaver Kill, the Willowemoc, the Esopus. Local caster, teacher, and pioneer JOAN WULFF, fly tier and business owner JOE FOX, and guide and angler TODD SPIRE discuss: How does a sport become a lifelong obsession?

THE GUIDE/

TODD SPIRE

“The complexity is so overwhelming, it draws out everything else in your brain.

I have no room left for the stressful things.”

“I’VE BEEN A FISHERMAN MY WHOLE LIFE, and these are hallowed waters,” says Todd Spire, the founder of Phoenicia-based Esopus Creel. Spire has been teaching newcomers to fly fish on the Esopus for three years. He’s been fishing this river himself for 17. Now, on account of demand, he’s taking people—often first-timers—out on the river full-time, sometimes seven days a week. His clientele comes from miles around, from other states even.

They’re often millennials, he says, seeking new ways to interact with nature and looking to spend their money on experiences, not stuff.

For Spire, an obsession with fly fishing came with “growing up, getting older, trying to replace bad addictions with good ones,” he says. “I think it’s a fairly universal sentiment, that when you become addicted to fly fishing, you sit back and say things to yourself like ‘Well, this is way better than being an alcoholic,’ ” he chuckles. And, becoming just a little more

this thing that I revere and see as a form of art. It does fill me with a certain sense of pride.”

For Todd, the physicality of the sport is key. “When you’re pole fishing, people crack a beer, keep their eye on the bobber. It’s about doing nothing. That doing nothing is what gets them to their place of relaxation,” he says. Fly fishing, however, is quite the opposite. Todd describes it as the Zen of immersing oneself in the wash and churn—contemplating every factor, every action necessary. “The complexity is so overwhelming, it draws out everything else in your brain. I have no room left for the stressful things.”

The deep connection to nature is a big draw for newcomers. “To become a better angler, you need to get keyed in to the environment around you: water temp, flow, turbidity,” he explains. “So, by default, the fly fishermen really do become kind of the stewards of the river.

And they tend to be twice as addicted to fishing than the average person, so they take on the

serious: “There’s a certain sense of calm in projecting my most addictive compulsions onto

role of being the eyes and ears of the river.”

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THE FLY TIER/

JOE FOX

“Choosing a fly is about solving a problem.”

IN FLY FISHING, DETTE IS A LEGENDARY NAME. The Dettes, beginning with Walt and Winnie, were among the first to commercially produce new patterns of flies specific to the Catskills. For the layman, a fly is the highly designed, meticulously crafted little object of feather, string, fur, and other materials that stands in for bait. Part of what put the Dette name in the books was that Walt and Winne shared their niche knowledge openly, contributing to the sport’s popularization. And Dettes to follow would do the same. Their 200-square-foot (to be generous) fly shop, in the front of a family house in Roscoe, has been in business since 1928, handed down through three generations.

Meanwhile, in nearby Livingston Manor, a slick new Dette shop just opened— a menagerie of gear, flies, and tie supplies. Framed on the wall are heirloom flies—the Durham Ranger, the Jock Scott—tied from the neon feathers of toucans, red macaws, Indian crows, ostrich herls, yellow dyed badger hackle, and black seal’s fur. Print-tray-like displays of flies line racks in the center of the space: The Gray Wulff, the White Wulff, Conovers, Kattermans, Dorotheas.

Long-haired, 32-year-old Joe Fox, great-grandson of Walt and Winnie, mans the counter. The joy in choosing flies, he says, is the same joy as that of solving a riddle.

You want a fish, your fish wants a fly—but which fly? What’s hatching at this time of the season? What’s flying around at this moment of the day? What fares best in this particular weather? “Choosing a fly,” he says, “is about solving a problem.”

There’s been an uptick of interest in the sport in recent years, Joe says, approaching the same fervor for fly fishing across the Catskills that his family remembers from decades ago.

“About four years back, something changed. There were more new faces suddenly. In the last two years, there’s been an even bigger change.” To meet the demand, Joe has brought the Dette inventory online and has overseen the transition of some of the business from Roscoe to the new store. And he prides their shop on welcoming newcomers with the same service and hospitality as they do fellow obsessive anglers and lifelong regulars. “Everyone does it for a different reason, and it’s important to respect that,” he says.

In the Catskills, he points out, we’re spoiled with 100-some miles of public water access—a luxury other fly-fishing geographies just can’t lay claim to. But more river means more to care for, and the more people are attentive to our rivers, the better: “These rivers need friends in order to be protected.” Ultimately, that’s what will ensure the sport of fly fishing continues to thrive in the Catskills.

THE CASTER/

JOAN WULFF

“Once you know when to relax, and when to use tension or pressure or strength, then the word feeling is there. If it weren’t for that feeling, I wouldn’t be here.”

JOAN WULFF FIRST MET LEE WULFF—inventor of the fly fishing vest, originator of the Royal Wulff fly—when he invited her to join him on a fishing trip to Newfoundland, where he challenged her to catch a fish five times her weight, for an episode of the program The American Sportsman. She hooked a 572-pound bluefin tuna. It took her ten hours just to reel it in. A year later, she and Lee were married, and the Wulffs would go on to become one of the most influential power couples in the history of American sport.

Long before Joan caught that Newfoundland bluefin in 1966, however, she had already devoted a quarter century to building quite a reputation of her own, on her own. Throughout the ’40s and ’50s, she dominated casting tournaments (sometimes against all-male competition), made event and television appearances across the country, and cast fly fishing in an entirely different light: A former dance instructor, she exuded style, grace, poise, and boldness—sometimes casting in stylish shorts and cocktail dresses. Once, she even cast a cigarette right out of Johnny Carson’s mouth on the show Who Do You Trust? America loved it.

Today Joan continues to work tirelessly. She co-founded the nonprofit Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in Livingston Manor to preserve the heritage of the region’s oldest

recreation, and to ensure its future. She also ran the nearby Wulff School of Fly Fishing— in operation for nearly 40 years on the Beaver Kill Creek—until age 80. Now, at 91, she continues to teach women and men of all ages to fall in love with fly fishing, hook, line, and, well, maybe not exactly sinker.

If you’re a student at the school, you may be handed one of the four books Joan wrote on the mechanics of fly fishing—a written body of knowledge largely of her own making.

“There are so many parts to a cast,” she explains. “There was no language in fly fishing.

I pioneered a set of mechanics and gave names to each part of the cast.” Now, she can pinpoint the exact movement in a student’s action that needs adjustment or correction in order to achieve perfection. “That’s what pushed me to do this. It became my life’s work.”

Teaching, she says, is who she is. “Teaching keeps me alive.”

After all these decades, what keeps bringing her down to the river? “It’s absolutely a feeling. And that’s what we stress in the school,” she says. “Once you know when to relax, and when to use tension or pressure or strength, then the word feeling is there. If it weren’t for that feeling, I wouldn’t be here.”

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STYLE

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ANNA ABERG/ THE LIVINGSTON MANOR FLY FISHING CLUB

By JILLIAN SC HEINFELD Photography HAROLD JULIAN

Imagine your dream weekend in the Catskills. Then think what it would look like if you took that weekend and transformed it into a covetable lifestyle brand. This is the foundation of the LIVINGSTON MANOR FLY FISHING CLUB, a membership-based community of like-minded souls dedicated to getting out in nature and enjoying it to the core. Here, you’ll find members taking morning plunges in the river, lingering in the sauna, drinking Catskill Brewery beer on tap, attempting to cast a fly fishing rod, and even networking.

I ARRIVE ON A JUNE DAY to find two ordinary white farmhouses situated across

Craigslist-sourced vintage chairs, various candelabras, a pen and quill, and an

the street from a local diner. Co-founder Anna Aberg, standing under the club’s

open coat closet filled with durable tan and hunter green Stutterheim raincoats.

discreet flag, waves me in. She looks every part the stylish pioneer in brown

A map of the Netherlands lines a hallway wall that doubles as a secret door,

corduroy overalls, a white crewneck tee, and a thick, shaggy white cardigan that

leading to what feels like a stately Englishman’s cabin library.

could double as a chic throw rug. Born and raised in Sweden, Aberg has the

The couple initially purchased the five-acre property as a Shangri-La

striking facial features of a Nordic supermodel. Her silky, flaxen hair is tucked

to kick back, relax, and host friends on the weekends. Like many Catskills-

under a quilted hat emblazoned with the club’s name. She greets me toting a

bound weekenders, Aberg and Roberts worked high-stress jobs in branding

cream and wood-patterned thermos filled with coffee, and I can’t help but smile

and marketing and were craving a homey respite. What began as a personal

inwardly. Even her canteen is on brand.

hideaway soon became a full-fledged retreat business centered on the idea of

The Livingston Manor Fly Fishing Club was dreamt up by Aberg and her

helping people reconnect to the wild. At the heart of their concept was fly fishing

fiancé, Tom Roberts, on a drive back to the city one morning in 2016, she tells me

—a complex sport that uses flies as bait and requires a complete survey of the

as I step inside the main quarters of the club. The décor here is warm and wintry,

land and careful consideration of the elements—which was popularized in the

in hues of chocolate, light brown, dark green, and gold. There’s a handsome oak

United States during the mid-19th century after anglers like Theodore Gordon

wood table in the center of the room; the floor is draped in cowhide rugs. I see

and Edward R. Hewitt discovered Catskills trout streams like the Willowemoc

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ANNA ABERG wears dress by LOEWE

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ONARINS top worn with ALIX OF BOHEMIA trouser, opposite

Creek, right where you’ll now find the club. “The reason we got into the fly fishing idea is because we wanted to stay true to the origin of the area,” Aberg says.

Mugs in hand, we walk past fishing rods and waders leaning against the

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Sleeper gown by SAMANTHA, above

One of the greatest things about the club is that although it may seem exclusive, it’s not. Aberg and Roberts are hospitable, dynamic people who want to share what they’ve learned about rural living with other curious minds. They’re

stairs, a vegetable garden to our right. We mosey along a long wooden plank

not only championing a distinct rustic lifestyle; they’re also actively reimagining

flanked by purple flowers that leads to a spectacularly verdant, raw forest. There’s

the idea of luxury. “Buying a vintage item or sharing spaces, these things

something deeply enchanting and almost dizzying about being in the thick of this

will eventually be considered luxury. The whole world’s not there yet, but it’s

utterly beautiful—not to mention thoroughly well-conceived—expanse of land.

happening more and more,” Aberg says. “I also think if you live in the city, it is

I spot charming benches and scattered one-off chairs, a hammock skirting the

just a luxury to simply get out in nature, and that’s what we provide.”

river, a weird and wonderful elephant sculpture, two safari tents, and a ladder

The experience is also great for people who are interested in coming up to

strewn in lights suspended over an outdoor dinner table. There are even spotlights

the Catskills but don’t know where to start. The region can feel a bit vast and

hidden in the trees. How else do you think they capture those magical Instagram

elusive at times, and belonging to the club obviously has its social perks. “If you’re

photographs of trout dinners by candlelight?

not in a group of friends where everyone leaves the city on the weekends, it’s

Engulfed by the sound of rustling trees, Aberg and I sit on Adirondack chairs facing the Willowemoc, gazing at the creek’s tranquilizing calm. “It’s all about experiencing communal life for a weekend in nature, slowing down and asking

hard to find people to do that with and to know where to go. Many guests have been grateful to meet similarly minded people here,” says Aberg.

And keep in mind not everyone has to be some pioneer-like, woodsy explorer

yourself: How can you involve nature in your adult life?” she asks. “To be able to

to stay here. For non-rugged types, all of the bedrooms and communal spaces

create this place where people can learn about nature and understand it is really

are built with thoughtful dedication to comfort, and of course glamping is an

special. The fact that it’s becoming a cool thing to care about the environment is

option. From the luxurious Lexington Company bed linens to the cozy couches

incredible.”

and a sauna kit filled with coconut oil sugar scrub and Fuller’s Earth Clay Mask,

Considering the entire concept behind the Livingston Manor Fly Fishing Club, cool is an understatement. The club sold out its Memorial Day weekend retreat in

there’s no shortage of indulgent accoutrements.

Looking forward, Aberg and her partner will expand their retreat empire with

three days. They’re also booked through summer with private events for groups

their new bed-and-breakfast, The Lady Pomona. The launch date is still unknown,

of friends, but look forward to having another open retreat weekend for guests

but think apple-pie baking and cider buzzes and late-afternoon hikes. Yes, it

come late July. And they just officially launched their membership program, which

all may sound too perfect and too good to be true, but surprisingly there’s no

entails a short application and costs $300 annually.

catch—except for the fish.

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Swimsuit by CARLA COLLETTO Opposite, jacket by ALENA AKHMADULLINA, crochet skirt by MY BEACHY SIDE

PHOTOGRAPHY Harold Julian CREATIVE DIRECTION John Paul Tran STYLIST Stacey Cunningham HAIR Yukiko Tajima BEAUTY Kate Best BTS Michael Davis AGENCY See Management

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A ESCAPE WEEKEND TO ESCAPE WHITE TO LAKE WHITE LAKE Interview

Photography

By DORIS C HEVRON Photography MIC HAEL MUNDY

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LIFE IS ALL ABOUT SMALL DECISIONS. Architect Jason Shannon and designer

The interior spaces, meanwhile, are skillfully arranged on a mere 1,143 square

Paola Yañez know that only too well; on the drawing board at their Jersey City–

feet. The entrance is flanked by two of the cinderblock cubicles, with the mechanical

based firm J_SPY (the name consists of their initials, branded for the digital age

room on the right and the bedroom/bathroom/kitchen portion on the left, extending

with the assistance of an underscore), the littlest change can have enormous impact.

over the entire length of the building. “The approach was definitely influenced by

So when, in their private life, they were ready to expand, the couple took quite

our trips to Europe,” says Yañez. “We wanted to make it appear grand, as if you dive

some time to reflect: Should they relocate to Brooklyn to join many of their friends?

into something mysterious.”

Or search for a country property to complement their firm’s 18th-century building,

That mystery, it turns out, is a commanding view of the landscape outside. The

once conceived as a farmhouse, now brought up to date and clad in corrugated

living-cum-dining area, anchored by the smallest of the three cinderblock walls

aluminum? The country—or, to be more precise, Sullivan County—won out. “Had

containing the fireplace and precious storage space, features vast, almost nine-

we moved to Brooklyn,” says Yañez, “we could have never afforded a second home.”

foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows that magically permit the outside to come in. The

Yañez and Shannon, who met as architecture students at Carnegie Mellon

light is further enhanced by openings in the tray-ceiling structure on top of the living

University in Pittsburgh, started hunting within a two-hour radius of their New Jersey

area, whose height gives the impression the room is much larger than it really is—

location. Wanting a piece of land where they wouldn’t have to cut down a lot of

and even facilitates star gazing right from the coziness of the couch in front of the

trees, they took issue with the wooded lots they checked out in Pennsylvania, where

fireplace. This ceiling structure also defines the silhouette of the building: Positioned

Shannon grew up. They were too dark for his taste. On the other hand: “Open land,

off-center for added visual momentum, it is wrapped in standing-seam aluminum

farmland, has often been exposed to a lot of chemicals,” he explains. “We wanted

and evokes a white cloud that seems to lift the dwelling, with its rigid-looking walls,

to have a place where the soil was really healthy.”

upward into the sky.

They finally found their lot, six gently sloped acres near the quaint hamlet of

The couple, who currently collaborate on half a dozen projects in Manhattan

White Lake, NY. At the end of the ’60s, the owner of the property had planned to

and Brooklyn—the largest being a ten-unit rental to be converted into a two-family-

build a commercial motorcycle track in his meadow. “But so soon after Woodstock,

home—did part of the physical work themselves. On the inside of the tray ceiling,

the town of Bethel was not really supportive of his plans,” says Chile-born Yañez.

they installed birch plywood slats with fabric behind it to tone down the acoustics.

“They had a hangover from big events.” And so their parcel stayed unused—and

“We had a specific vision but were not sure of the spacing, so we felt that we had to

pristine. “We walked the property and put in an offer the next day.”

get up on the scaffolding ourselves,” explains Yañez.

When it came time to plan their house, the couple knew they wanted a clean,

The quality of the family’s life has improved considerably with their decision to

modern aesthetic that would take full advantage of the vistas of rolling hillside.

build a country house: They could not have offered their three-year-old daughter,

Several versions were drawn, priced out, and shelved, some for budgetary reasons.

Cora, the same sort of natural diversity at yet another urban location. Here,

But there were investments they were not ready to compromise on, like a geothermal

wildflower seeds have been scattered throughout, and a path is kept mowed around

heating system feeding radiant-heat floors.

the perimeter of the land for walks. Wild strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries

The final building delivers big impact on a very small scale. Its core elements are three cubicles of very different sizes, constructed with gray cinderblock walls

abound. A bear likes to help itself to their apple crop, but they still harvested enough for their first homemade apple pie last fall.

that define the look from the outside. The polished gray blocks, from a small

As they settle in, the family’s appetite to venture further into the area grows.

manufacturer that the architects found near Kingston, give a rock-solid, almost

They hiked near a waterfall at Hunter Mountain. They have visited the River Fest in

austere appearance. “Masonry looks as good in a hundred years as it looks now.

Narrowsburg and watched the Tractor Parade at the farmers’ market in Callicoon.

We have this preference for longevity. It is a matter of better with time vs. worse over

And they are going to their first concert in Bethel in August: The Beach Boys. Though

time,” Shannon explains.

they do not need further proof that Sullivan County rocks.

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FREE RANGE

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SULLIVAN COUNTY REPRESENT By Intro

Photography

by MIC HAEL DAVIS Photography

Meet CHION ANGEL ROBINSON, KEVIN FUSCO, and SAL PUGLISI, all hailing from Sullivan County, New York. All three skaters, along with photographer Michael Davis, met while attending Monticello High School.

Meet Chion Angel Robinson, Kevin Fusco and Sal Puglisi, all hailing from Sullivan County, New York. All With no established skate parks, these local underage kids have to improvise places to session (a term for three skaters, along with staff photographer Michael Davis met while attending Monticello High School. With skateboarding), diligently constructing ramps and half-pipes at abandoned properties and other secret spots. no established skate parks, these local underage kids have to find their own improvised places to session It’s a perfect example of rural pragmatism; if you need it, you make it. Here, Davis captures these intimate (a term for skateboarding), diligently constructing ramps and half-pipes at abandoned properties and other images of them sessioning at the abandoned Apollo Plaza Mall in Monticello, New York. secret spots. It’s a perfect example of rural pragmatism; if you need it, you make it. Here, Davis captures these intimate images of them sessioning at the abandoned Apollo Plaza Mall in Monticello, New York.

ABOVE Sal Puglisi touring the Apollo Plaza Mall in Monticello, NY OPPOSITE Chion Robinson and Kevin Fusco after their session in an undisclosed location ABOVE Sal Puglisi touring the Apollo Plaza Mall in Monticello, NY OPPOSITE Chion Robinson and Kevin Fusco after their session in an undisclosed location 48

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“WE NEVER REALLY HAD ANYWHERE TO SKATE, SO WE ALWAYS HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT FOR OURSELVES. IT’S THE UPSTATE SPIRIT OF THE AREA WE DO EVERYTHING FOR OURSELVES” CLOCKWISE FROM TOP TOP Kevin Kevin Fusco Fusco does does an an improvised improvised quarter quarter pipe; pipe; Sal Sal Puglisi Puglisi sitting sitting in in front front of of the the Apollo Apollo Plaza Plaza Mall; Mall; CLOCKWISE FROM Kevin Kevin Fusco Fusco after after a a session session smoking smoking candidly candidly for for his his portrait; portrait; Chion Chion Robinson Robinson waits waits for for his his turn turn

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THE GET OUT ISSUE

SARATOGA SPRINGS Words and Photography SA N DY S O OH OO

I have an antagonistic relationship with the outdoors, by which I mean it irritates me, mostly. I’m allergic to much of it, scared of bees and snakes, and I don’t entirely understand hiking, camping, hunting, or fishing, for that matter. I am an indoor cat. The most wilderness I can tolerate is a good trail, some bucolic views, and, like, a bottle of wine. If you can’t consume some of that wine and descend back to where you came from in a safe and timely manner, then I’m not so sure about the whole thing to begin with. I need a balance between domestic comforts and rugged terrain—something close to nature but somehow contained.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Jeff of Adirondack Balloon Flights, on the lookout; An Adirondack Balloon Flights landing just after sunrise; Riding out from Saratoga Race Track; The tranquil Victoria Pool on a quiet afternoon

SARATOGA SPRINGS IS A COMPACT CITY that’s well suited to my kind of temperament toward the natural world. It offers tons of things to do in a setting that is very much outdoors-adjacent: There are plenty of walkable, pretty, landscaped parks, mineral springs, lakes, a world-class horse-racing track, even hot-air balloon rides—but also cultural treasures such as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Caffè Lena, some cute hotels, and restaurants, restaurants, restaurants. Since the population easily doubles in the summer months, when spectators flock to this small metropolis for the races, there are many highcapacity spots for eating, drinking, and revelry. You can easily get lost in the spaghetti tangle of paths in the sprawling Saratoga Spa State Park, but you can just as easily go see an independent film at the Saratoga Film Forum, and this I found very comforting.

I stayed at The Brentwood, a stylish, updated lodge that opened in the fall of 2016, located right behind the Saratoga Race Track. With just 12 rooms, a cozy fire-pit area, and beautiful bikes for guests to cruise around town, this intimate boutique hotel seems like the ultimate summer retreat. It was designed by the talented guys of Studio Tack, based in Brooklyn, and

its aesthetic leans masculine and cool, like if your boyfriend could also make great interiordesign choices. The rooms feature navy molding on bright white walls and antique gold details for a clean look, while the bar has dramatic black paneling counterbalanced by lighter marble surfaces and blond wood. In the early mornings, jockeys pass by The Brentwood on their horses, heading to the track for training at dawn. They go back in around 9 or 10 A.M. before the day gets too hot, so you have two opportunities to catch the gleaming creatures as they go by. The real race season starts July 20, so it’s best to book your accommodations now.

Walking through the town just beyond, you can almost feel the debauchery of times past: Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Saratoga Springs was an upstate mecca of good times and vice. The lakes and natural springs made it a prime destination for vacationers from all over, and after the race track was built in 1863, it also became a hot spot for gambling and speakeasies in the notorious “lakehouses” on Saratoga Lake, as well as a convenient stop for bootleggers on their way south from Canada. It seems there have always been two kinds of people who head into the mountains: the kind who go for health reasons, to recline in a mineral-water bath or cruise 53

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Table for two at Hamlet and Ghost; Roasted spring carrots, excellent east coast oysters and a classic negroni at Hamlet and Ghost; The cozy firepit at The Brentwood; Gorgeous road bikes to ride around town, also at The Brentwood

around on a lake, and those who go to escape the rigidity of city living—all those rules, laws, police!

Today, however, the speakeasies are gone. The town has transformed into a family-friendly, bikeable hub of restaurants, bars, and parks. For dinner, the Brentwood staff sent me to their friends at Hamlet & Ghost, a charming, newly established spot serving small and large plates and many kinds of cocktails. Hamlet & Ghost’s regularly changing menu, created by executive chef Michele Hunter, features seasonal specialties brimming with unique and robust flavors—elevated farmto-table fare like burrata with spring peas and honey-roasted rhubarb, or a fennel-and-orange salad in a blood-orange vinaigrette. Everything I ate was delicious—oysters, seared scallops in a charred onion broth, beautiful roasted carrots garnished with tiny flowers—but what really got me was the unexpected flavors of the strawberry kunik: an elegant construction of creamy, tangy cheese, roasted strawberries with lemon juice, and pistachios on a crisp slice of grilled bread.

I spent the next day getting to know the elements that make Saratoga Springs so amenable to the outdoors-ambivalent and adventure seekers alike. I was somehow able to be both, to an 54

extent. Saratoga Spa State Park is made up of 2,300 acres of sprawling greenery and paths that were developed during the 19th century to promote healing for patrons, and inside it are museums, springs, a pool, a golf course, a renowned concert venue (Saratoga Performing Arts Center), and, as its name suggests, a spa. The park is so large, you need a car to really get around, or a bike will do as well. (I recommend stopping by Mrs. London’s in town and getting some of their topnotch canelés to take with you on your walk/hike/picnic.) In the summer, the Victoria Pool is open to the public, and for eight dollars a person you can lounge by the clear water on a hot day—the locals here recommend weekdays, as weekends are packed. And if, after all this, you still have some energy and had the foresight to grab tickets, SPAC has a constantly rotating calendar of ballet performances, operas, and pop concerts that people come from near and far to see.

Finally, if you’re truly looking for an adventure or, like me, just a modest foray into the unfamiliar, get in touch with the lovely people at Adirondack Balloon Flights. When the idea was first suggested, I began steeling myself for what sounded like a real, not-

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The main entrance of the Saratoga Race Track! Opening day is July 20th; A cool spot for coffee or a drink in the Brentwood’s bar and lobby area; Former mineral spa, current park police station The Lincoln Baths—a beautiful old building in Saratoga Spa State Park; Wisdom from the Brentwood’s charming postcards

in-Kansas-anymore adventure. I imagined being cut loose from the earth, sailing on a breeze, out into the great unknown. In reality, hot-air balloon rides in modern times are not nearly so precarious—though they are highly dependent on the weather conditions.

Brooke Owen, second-generation owner of Adirondack Balloon Flights, has been in the business of flying by way of baskets and torches for about 20 years. What began as a single hotair balloon ride, a gift to his father from his mother, turned into a family business that has survived the decades. When we spoke on the phone, Brooke was happy to have me tag along but sad to say I wouldn’t be able to fit in the basket as he already had a full group. I was secretly relieved. We met in a field at dawn: Brooke, his assistant Jeff, and four willing passengers ready for a sunrise flight. Though they’d already tuned into all the official local weather reports from the airports, Brooke let a tiny balloon fly away to track the direction of the wind with a sighting compass. There was an unexpected breeze coming from the south. For a moment, it seemed like there might not be a flight after all—we could see the tops of the trees waving, as if to say: Are you crazy?

After a few minutes, the wind died down and everything moved forward very quickly. Brooke and Jeff rolled out a couple thousand feet of nylon and began to inflate it with a gigantic fan.

After that, Brooke fired up the torches, and the nylon “envelope” (that colorful part you see from miles away) began to stand upright, pulling the basket with it. As the four passengers climbed aboard and, with Brooke, went sailing away over the treetops like a giant, colorful cloud, it became clear that there was actually very little to be afraid of when the conditions have been accounted for and the preparations put in place. Jeff and I followed along in a van on the ground, driving down long county roads toward the fields where the balloons usually land. They touched back down again an hour later, and a part of me wanted to know the views I’d missed, the feeling of being a breeze on a treetop. But still, as I watched in awe while Brooke tossed a rope down from the sky and Jeff pulled the whole rig back to the earth in a vast, sunlit field, I realized: Sometimes you don’t have to do the big, wild thing to enjoy an adventure. Sometimes you can have just as magical a time with your feet planted firmly on the ground, gazing up.

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THE 8-LIST

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THE EIGHT LIST 1

Market Editor MANDY COON Copy Editor ALEXANDRA MARVAR

What do loosestrife, yarrow, tansy, sweet william, and bittersweet nightshade have in common? Summer, Upstate. While we celebrate GETTING OUT to smell the honeysuckle, market editor MANDY COON hails eight great spectacles, utensils, tents, tinctures and tonics to make playing outside even more stylish, sweet, and easy.

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1 Now, camping doesn’t even require your own tent.

From the wilds of Warwick to the boreal mountaintops of Big Indian, camp – or, glamp, if you fancy – on a scenic site of your choice via TENTRR, the AirBnb for campsites. What a world.

From $100/night. tentrr.com

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2 we’ll give COSMIK a little room to experiment with summer’s favorite treat: Their organic, unmeltable, freeze-dried Ice Cream 2.0 isn’t just brilliant engineering for a backpack or a road trip – it’s free 4

it’s extremely tasty. $20 cosmik.com

3 Imagine a CSA for grassroots healthcare. The owners of GERMANTOWN FIELD APOTHECARY & HERB FARM now offer seed-to-bottle Seasonal Wellness CSA boxes, inspiring people to get all natural with their medicine cabinets as they have their pantries. The Summer Box is packed with holy bitters, sumptuous balms, tinctures for deep sleep, clear thinking, and achy muscles, skin-friendly remedies for summer pests from burns to bugs, and more.

4 Made sustainably in Peru and designed lovingly in Stoneridge, ELEVEN SIX brings us this irresistible knit ensemble: The Starla

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waisted Yasmin culotte pant. Together, they’re a modern take on ‘70s knit charm while, by some magic, being light as air. $197.50 each. eleven-six.com

5 The work of Jamaican artist NARI WARD brings discarded objects to life as sculptural commentary on race, poverty, and consumer culture. In the Fields Sculpture Park at Art Omi, Ward showcases a forty-foot long, faux-stone hobby goat head satirizing masculinity and the monument.

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6 The biodynamic vintners at Pine Bush’s WILD ARC FARM discovered Piquette in the dusty pages of an old book on French oenology. This low-alcohol orange wine – originally the invention skins – is a natural wine cooler. Recommended pairing: A porch swing on 80-degree Catskills afternoon. $16 wildarcfarm.com

7 Japanese eyewear designers BLYSZAK specialize in sunnies of non-gendered silhouette and timeless style. We fell in love at Kasuri with these amber-tinted oval lenses set in nude-hued rims of ethically harvested buffalo horn, well suited to staring down a large-format magazine and a glass of rosé at an outdoor café.

8 Besides Piquette, your picnic essentials should include this

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three-in-one knife built for serving a meal on a sunny blanket spread on a meadow: Handsome hardwood and stainless steel corkscrew, bottle opener, and scalloped blade perfect for salami, radish, block of cheddar… Excuse us, we have to go eat outside now.

W&P DESIGN PICNIC KNIFE