The best of Outdoorsy 2024 | Outdoorsy Newsletter

In today's edition:

Your weekend weather outlook: Mostly clear and sunny skies. Bundle up — it'll be a bit breezy with lows dipping into the 40s and highs in the 60s. Perfect conditions to catch the Beaver Moon, November's first full moon .

— Paola Pérez (

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Outdoorsy 2024 roundup It's time to say goodbye (for now). We plan to bring this newsletter back soon after the weather gets nice enough to enjoy the outdoors in 2025.

Before we part ways, here's a recap of some memorable moments throughout this journey with you:

Favorite activities Touring the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Hiking the grueling "1000 Steps" trail

Facing our fears of the giant flying Jorō spider

Joining the rock climbing community

Finding peace and quiet in serene places

Favorite Jason Nark features Meeting the hornet king of Pennsylvania

De-mistifying the wild mushroom

Veterans using nature as therapy

Competitive giant pumpkin growing

Young farmers bridging the generational gap

Favorite reader experiences Brian Lennen on the art of (and appreciation for) fishing

Ken Alan's excursion when he took the long way home

Tom Pluck's escape into the Pine Barrens

Guido Gaeffke's adventure group in the Austrian Alps

Mike Schultheis's tale of overcoming "a little terror if the end justifies the journey"

Peter McLoone, Drew Nantais, Rick Shorin, and Doug Slick's helpful tips for beginner cyclists

Special thanks to everyone who submitted touching anecdotes.

What was your top Outdoorsy moment this season? Write me an email to let me know .

News worth knowing Now I'm passing the mic to Jason Nark.

As an avid camper, hiker, and outdoorsman, I've been going to Sullivan County, Pa., long before I got paid to write about the place. It's truly an outdoors paradise and the swimming hole at World End State Park, on Loyalsock Creek, might just be my favorite place on Earth.

When I was asked to travel into rural Pennsylvania after the 2016 presidential election, I found that this tiny, sparsely populated county was a microcosm of all the things people love and find challenging about rural America: poor internet service and cellular connectivity, few well-paying jobs, and little housing stock.

In recent years, the drumbeat of population loss has grown louder and the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to throw a wrench into the accurate counts and turned the real estate market upside down. It's a fascinating place and, like a lot of nature lovers, I'd love to own a house there. —

Keep reading to learn about life in this rural county that's only getting smaller .

A calming view I took this at Maria Hernandez Park in Brooklyn on a recent weekend trip up to New York City.

Your outdoorsy experience Outdoorsy reader Kathleen McFadden sent in greetings from The Nature Conservancy along with several gorgeous snaps of fall foliage, shot by Melisa Soysal. The one above was taken at the Dick & Nancy Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain, Lackawanna County. Here's what Kathleen said:

I am a follower of your reporting and have really enjoyed the Fall Foliage Forecast in "Outdoorsy" this season (and special shoutout to Paola – I just love this newsletter and really look forward to it every week).

Happy to have you here!

What outdoorsy (or indoorsy) fun will you get up to this season? Email me back and tell me about your experience .

See you later Thank you all for joining me on this journey, for reading, sharing your stories, and tackling each challenge alongside me.

While Outdoorsy may be taking a break, I'm still here! Feel free to follow me on X . You can also sign up for The Inquirer's Morning Newsletter to read more of what I write on Saturdays and Sundays, or check out Rosa Cartagena's Things To Do Newsletter with the best fun things to do in and around Philly every week.

Take care, and see you out there.