SOURCE: NY Outdoor News: October 5th, 2005. NY. www.nyoutdoornews.com.

Not Your Typical YMCA

Frost Valley serves as a outdoor classroom

By Garry VanGorder

Claryville, N.Y. — The mission of the Frost Valley YMCA Camp, Conference, and Environmental Center is not unlike that of YMCAs across America — it strives to put Christian principles into practice through programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

Yet while Frost Valley stands with its peers on purpose, it clearly separates from the pack when it comes to place - 5,000 awe-inspiring acres in the Forever Wild Forest Preserve in the Catskill Mountains.

The setting serves as an unparalleled outdoor classroom for some 35,000 visitors each year, each of whom, including those taking advantage of hunting and fishing opportunities, leaves with a greater appreciation for the natural environment.

And that is as it should be, says Michael Larison, Frost Valley’s director of natural resources. “We’re focused on creating an awareness and concern for the outdoors,” he said.

A sportsmen’s paradise

Central to the Frost Valley’s comprehensive programming are natural resources memberships for Catskill fly-fishing, hiking and wildlife observation, and fall turkey and upland game hunting, bowhunting, big game rifle season, and primitive weapons season. All of the memberships are touted as educational, value-based recreational programs grounded in the tradition of safe sporting practice.

Fly-fishermen are treated to three miles of pristine blue ribbon Catskill trout waters: the east and west branches of the Neversink River, the famous “brookie” streams of Biscuit Creek and Pigeon Brook, and the legendary White Pond. The high mountain, freestone streams make Frost Valley one of the premier fly-fishing spots in the Catskill Mountains, the birthplace of the sport.

Fly-fishing memberships are valid from April 1 through Oct. 15. White Pond, stocked with brook trout, is available April 1 through Oct. 31. Streams are limited to fly-fishing only and require a New York State fishing license. Fly-fishing packages are also available.

And fly-fishing at Frost Valley is not only for the experienced angler. A fly-fishing school is also available early in the season, hosted at historic Strauss Center, a renovated turn-of-the century estate at the base of Slide Mountain. Novices learn basic and advanced casting techniques, fly-tying and selection, fishing etiquette and insight into the nuances of fly-fishing from professional instructors.

Hunting at Frost Valley is also encouraged, and Larison says successful hunts are critical for several reasons. “We really want to keep the deer population in balance with the habitat, because that encourages the growth of vegetation and other populations in the forest,” he said. “We’re now seeing more than deer. We’ve got grouse, turkey, bear — I’ve even seen a cottontail rabbit out there and it’s been a while since we’ve seen that.”

Subsistence farming practices virtually eliminated deer from this section of the Catskills by the turn of the last century, but a state move to reintroduce them, coupled with a love for the species by a major property owner at the time — New Jersey woolen goods magnate Julius Forstmann — led to a strong resurgence by the time Forstmann’s lands were acquired by Frost Valley in 1956.

Since that time, a deer population that once comprised 50 per square mile has been reduced to 12 per square mile - a level more in balance with what the forest can handle. “That’s sustainable and it’s quality deer management,” Larison said. “The population isn’t high but it’s diverse and high quality.”

Yet while the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses is controlled, there is plenty of room for more outdoorsmen to enjoy what Frost Valley has to offer.

“I think that many don’t know about us, and for others, they’re concerned that we can’t guarantee them a deer,” Larison said. “But that’s why they call it hunting, isn’t it? We want people to come here, enjoy the hunt, enjoy the surroundings and take their shot at getting a deer. We’re looking for hunters who appreciate the process, who enjoy the thrill of the hunt as much or more than the kill.”

A ‘Y’ for the entire family

While hunting and fishing are a Frost Valley focal point, there is more — much more — to this Hudson Valley wonderland just a few hours north of New York City.

Witness the Sept. 23-25 Family Outdoor Sporting Weekend, where participants participated in a host of activities, including hiking, camping, nature, wildlife, natural resources, hunting, fishing, and outdoor sporting activities.

“That weekend offers something for everyone,” says Patti Candelari, Frost Valley’s director of public relations. “It’s all about the personal growth that results when people spend quality time in the outdoors with family and friends.”

More than 1,600 youths annually attend Frost Valley’s summer resident camp program, one of the largest in the nation. The summer camp unites traditional camping with innovative programs, focusing on building and maintaining healthy lifestyles and reflects the interests and needs of a dynamic camp community. Activities include swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing, archery, fishing, and much more. “Most important,” says Candelari, “the activities are designed to build trust, teamwork, and mutual understanding.”

Camp Wawayanda offers younger campers a program based on skill development, guided discovery, and a choice of activities that foster healthy outdoor fun. Camp Henry Hird, a co-educational program at Frost Valley, challenges older campers with programs that shape leadership and initiative, and offers teens a wider variety of activities that include extended backpacking overnights; service projects; Big Brother/Big Sister events; and high-excitement components like High Ropes, the Zipline, and the Dangle Duo.

Roots are deep

Frost Valley YMCA’s roots are traced back to 1885 with the beginning of organized camping. It was in this year that Sumner Dudley, grandfather of the camping movement, took seven teenage boys from the Newburgh YMCA on a one-week camping excursion at Wawayanda Lake, N.J.

The camp had an on-again, off-again relationship with Wawayanda until 1919, when it again out-grew its capacity and moved to a new site in Andover , NJ .

The camp remained at this site until 1956, when Forstmann’s estate was selected and acquired and when the Frost Valley Association was formed to run the Frost Valley Camp and Conference Center. Frost Valley was incorporated into an independent YMCA in 1968. Strauss’s property was acquired in 1978; a flagship YMCA, Frost Valley has also been a cornerstone for environmental research, partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey to do acid rain research in 1984. In 1988 this commitment continued with the building of a Forest Management Trail, and the development of the Raptor Center and Wildlife Rehabilitation Program.

With a budget of close to $8 million a year, Frost Valley YMCA is an independent association operated by more than 100 year-round employees with an additional 200 seasonal employees.

“There’s such a great story here to tell, and there is so much to offer,” Candelari said. “We hope people will stop by to experience it.”

For more information, contact Frost Valley Camp, Conference, and Environmental Center, 2000 Frost Valley Road, Claryville, NY 12725 or go online to www.frostvalley.org.