Upstate New York offers some of the best fall foliage in the world (seriously), and this autumn looks to be best in almost 5 years. Warm days, cool nights, and just the right amount of rain this year means the maple leaves are turning a deep scarlet, the yellows and oranges will be electric, and the wild apples are ripe (and plentiful). In our beloved Catskills Mountains, geography and meteorology quirks result in different microclimates throughout the Park, which means "peak foliage" (the best time to see foliage) hits each region of the park at a different time. We carefully plan our calendar so that our hikes follow the peak foliage as it moves to different parts of the Catskills, ensuring...
"Find Your Edge" Those are the words you hear right before your leg starts to wobble in tree pose. When your arms feels like they’re going to collapse in chaturanga. At the moment you start the next asana and you think—I can’t do one more! Finding your edge is a way of getting you out of your head and into your body, encouraging you to dig deep and discover new potential. But the phrase can apply to more than just pushing yourself physically, it can apply to any new challenge that allows you to find out how much you’re capable of. Taking Your Yoga Practice to New Heights After five years of guiding gentle yoga trips, DBA is launching a...
Over the past several years, hiking and backpacking in the Catskills Forest Preserve has increased significantly. While it is great news that more people are exploring these incredible places in our great state, this increased usage, if not responsible, also means increased chances for negative impact on our pristine forests. Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know to avoid paying $1000 in tickets while also protecting our wild forests and wilderness areas. Before You Go: Permits: Are you staying more than three nights in one spot while you knock out 10 of your 3500’ peaks? Then you need a permit. Are you staying overnight with 9 of your best friends? Yep, you need a permit for that....
An Accidental Discovery We’ve been visiting the “Secret Land of Trout and Berries” for years now, but the first time I found this magical place, like many great discoveries in history, it was an accident, in fact, the result of a mistake. I'd like to bring you along in the way (waaayyyy) back time machine, and introduce you to a younger me: a moderately experienced hiker, who, like many with the Y chromosome, believed my skills to be much more developed than was actually the case. My suit and tie were in long term storage, but I certainly wasn't a pro yet (except perhaps in my ego). Lucky for me, one of my more finely tuned skills was convincing my...
It may be hard for you to imagine that there was a time when my life didn’t revolve around the outdoors, or when people didn’t know me first and foremost as Dave, the outdoor guide, wilderness man, and founder of DBA. But once upon a time, my office wasn’t the woods, and I too was a stressed out New Yorker desperately trying to meet sales goals. If you’ve ever hiked with me, you know that the Catskills saved me from my miserable publishing career, but few people know that it was actually my pursuit of my Catskills 3500 Club membership that made hiking a regular part of my life and where I developed my dedication to the outdoors, which led...
