Although I was born in Ogdensburg, when I was just two months old, my family moved out to Washington. My parents purchased a small piece of mosquito-infested property on a river roughly two hours away that was wide enough for boating, but that a reasonable athlete could probably throw a stone across.

I remember packing into a van with the seats pulled out and the excitement building on the trip as my brothers and I formulated plans for the weekend.

The property had a steep decline from the road to the river and we had a three-wheeler we’d have to pop the clutch on to start on the way down, then turn out of the way before hitting the water.

It might not have met modern safety standards, but we had a lot of fun.

One year, my brothers and I even attempted to carve a canoe from a fallen tree. We hacked away at the log with hatchets all summer until there was enough room to fit inside, but our adventure was short lived when the log rolled, since we hadn’t done much to the outside of it.

We moved to New York when I was nearly 12. And I was again fortunate enough to live where woods were accessible. I’d often make my way out into those woods and camp. A few times I even went on horseback, which was also a pretty neat experience. It also made for some great “capture the flag” paintball games.

In high school I spent a lot of time out on the St. Lawrence River, camping frequently on what many call Big Island, near Lisbon beach. In those days it was also a hot spot for high school parties, with sometimes well over 100 kids from surrounding areas attending.

After returning to the area as an adult after finishing college, I still often camped on that island and I slowly began to learn just how special this area is for those who enjoy the outdoors.

Not long after moving back to the area, I tried backpacking. One of the first hike-camping combo trips I tried was at Wolf Lake in Edwards. It’s a fantastic trail with three DEC shelters on it for those who might have missed it. It’s a loop trail that I believe is less than five-miles round-trip.

As I gained experience, I eventually did the High Falls Loop and later added Dog Pond into the trip. Although I’ve never completed the full Cranberry 50 in one go, I’ve hiked all of it in various trips. The full run remains on my bucket list.

Last year, I enjoyed some canoe camping on Cranberry Lake with a couple of friends. In the two-night outing we paddled well over 20 miles and spent one night on Joe Indian island.

I’m hoping to return there before the weather changes.

The best part about these adventures is that aside from my $200 canoe and a small investment in camping gear, the cost for such outings is very reasonable.

In recent months I’ve written about mental health, suicide and depression. I talked about how music has been very helpful for me personally in dealing with the harder times in life. Camping, hiking, swimming and paddling in nature are also very helpful to me when things get tough.

These experiences are also amazing and affordable ways to make lasting memories with family and friends. I encourage anyone who is physically able and can carve out a bit of time to get out and see what the county has to offer.

Even something a little less adventurous like the Indian Creek Nature Center trails, the Remington Recreation Trail in Canton, the Munter Trail in Potsdam, the Nicandri Nature Center trails in Massena, or dozens of others in the county are an excellent way to spend the day.

As summer begins to wind down, the best camping weather is just ahead of us.

There’s nothing quite like being disconnected from the busy world and breathing in the fresh air.

For those looking for some ideas of where to start check out https://www.stlctrails.com/ . It’s a great resource for finding trails close to you.

Jimmy Lawton is news editor of North Country This Week and NorthCountryNow.com.