So, what's this all about anyway?

We're glad you asked. Naturally Outdoors in Lennox & Addington is an informal hiking and paddling group created by three friends that share a love for the outdoors.

Creating this group is an idea that we've had for a long, long time... we being Steph, Harley and Rob. Steph is big into hiking the local trails (and has a kayak), Harley is big into paddling (and likes to hike), and Rob is big into both, and is also big into telling stories (most of them are true - we think).

We're doing this as a way for us to all get together, be active and explore our trails and waterways. Hopefully each of you reading this intro blog can join us for our first gathering in April.

How it works

It's pretty simple, we hope. We'll spread the word about a date, time and location for an upcoming hiking or paddling excursion. We'll do our best to evenly alternate between hikes and paddles. We'll also try to keep the difficulty average so that everyone can enjoy.

There are no memberships required or fees associated with this informal group. All you have to do is show up. Note that you will be required to sign a waiver when you arrive each week (to cover the butts of the organizers), but that's it. Easy breezy.

You'll be responsible for bringing everything that you need to maximize your fun at the gathering. This includes your own water, snacks, footwear (no flip flops for goodness sake), etc. We don't have any canoes, kayaks or SUPs available to use, so you'll also have to bring along your own vessel on paddle days (with all the required safety gear, of course).

Many of the outings will take place on trails and waterways in Lennox & Addington and surrounding areas on Thursday evenings. They'll typically last about an hour or a little more, depending on the location. Occasionally we will schedule outings on Saturday during the day if the location is a bit of a drive from the Napanee area. The Saturday events might last a little longer as we won't be constrained by the setting sun.

We're also hoping to involve our nearby restaurants as much as we can. After a hike or a paddle we'll pick a local eatery to hit up for a drink or an appetizer. It helps our business community and we all get to socialize with folks with common interests. It's a win-win, as they say.

Cut us some slack... at least early on, okay???

Steph, Harley and Rob are all new to this organizing stuff, so bare with us as we undoubtedly experience some growing pains with this upstart group. We encourage you to provide us with constructive criticism so that we can get things right as soon as we can. After a few weeks of trial and error we're sure we'll get it into the flow.

Want to help us get organized? Contact us... we're always looking for keeners to get involved!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for details about upcoming outings, including the schedule, where to park, etc. After the event we'll post some photos, and we hope that you'll share your own photos and spread the word about our group too.

We're so excited to begin hiking, paddling and exploring this beautiful piece of Eastern Ontario with you! We think it's going to be a lot of fun. In fact, we KNOW it will be.

Tell your friends about it. Better yet, bring them along. The more the merrier!