“In 1993, a group of volunteers under the guidance of Rich Shear created Ridgewalk”
By Bob Confer, photo from Ridgewalk.com
The Wellsville Sun is read far and wide. Many readers of this column hail from the lake plains (where the terrain can be flatter than a pancake) or from the middle portions of Western New York (where gentle rolling hills define the landscape).
Coming from either environment, many don’t think of WNY as having stark, steep, wooded hills that many people would call mountains. There is a stretch of such mountains to the southwest of Wellsville in Allegany County. There are sections of the towns of Alma and Bolivar that feature the highest land in New York State outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains.
The ultimate local summit is Alma Hill, which comes in at 2,548 feet. To put that in perspective, many New Yorkers vacation in the Old Forge area of the Adirondacks and have scaled the super-popular Bald Mountain (sometimes called Rondaxe Mountain). Bald Mountain would need another 235 feet to reach Alma Hill’s heights.
Leaf peeping, seeing the hills, and experiencing their beautiful autumnal forests and awesome views with a car is fun. At 2,500 feet, Alma Hill Road is the highest free paved road in New York outside of the Catskills (the road to Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid is a toll road).
But, it’s even better to experience these local mountains on foot.
All the high peaks of southern Allegany County, though, are within private land, so you don’t have that sort of access….that is, until one Sunday every October.
In 1993, a group of volunteers under the guidance of Rich Shear created Ridgewalk as a way to get people outdoors during our beautiful fall color peak and to support non-profit endeavors in the process. Rich secured access to the mountains’ trails for the event and he found landowners more than willing to share their wilderness for the day.
In 2014, Wellsville’s Jones Memorial Hospital took ownership of Ridgewalk with all proceeds going to wellness initiatives throughout the Jones network.
In a typical year somewhere between 750 and 1,000 people take part in the activity and there’s something for everyone. The walking portion of the event is available in 2, 6, 9, and 15 mile increments. The running portion has events of 5k, 10k, and 25k.
The shorter jaunts are more user friendly for those wanting a leisurely experience – you are closer to the summit of Alma Hill, the trails are flatter, and there are some paved sections.
The longer walks and runs are a real adventure. You will go through what is unquestionably the wildest territory in Western New York, truly off the beaten path and chock full of colorful trees and wild animals (you could even see a bear, bobcat, or fisher). You will assail some incredibly steep hills and significant elevation changes. If you are hiking, bring a camera. If you are running, bring your “A” game.
This year’s Ridgewalk — the 32nd — is on Sunday, October 20th. Registration is open now and prices range from $32.80 to $43.40. Those fees rise after September 22nd. You can learn more about the event and register at https://ridgewalk.com/
An army of hospital staff, volunteers, and landowners make this an amazing event. You’ll be impressed at how well-run, entertaining, and invigorating it is.
You need to do it. Allegany County’s mountains need to be experienced. As one of the landowners who opens their land on the remote Stoney Lonesome Hollow Road (I know I’m biased but I think it’s one of the coolest roads on this end of the state), I can attest to how taxing the climbs can be – and how incredibly beautiful they are. There’s literally nothing like it in Western New York… so colorful, so rugged, so wild.
Just once give Ridgewalk a try. I guarantee that if you do, you’ll be back next year.
Ridgewalk will have an incredible impact on you…and your participation will have an immeasurable impact on healthcare in the region.
