By Jim T. Ryan, Outdoorsman-in-Chief

Sunset over Susquehanna River Valley, Dauphin, Pa.

“Each of us, in our own way, has got to do something to save our soul — whatever that is.” 
~ Yvon Chouinard

I thought I should post a notice that I’m changing the focus and intent of Riverside Hooligans.

While I continue to believe this blog should be a place for the unusual, I’ve decided to use it to chronicle my outdoor adventures with my family and friends. From mountain biking, to rock climbing, camping, hiking, backpacking and water sports, this will be a place for me to talk about my relationship with the wild that is still left in America.

Some things, will change. The brief historical statement under the masthead will soon be replaced. I’ll post a brief history of the blog elsewhere so people know how this got started. I’ll likely refrain from talking about politics, unless it deals specifically with the preservation, conservation and sustainable use of the natural we have in America. And of course, there will be some visual components that will change with the blog’s appearance.

Little Slate Run, Tiadaghton State Forest, Pa.

But other things won’t change. The blog will retain its Riverside Hooligans name. America’s rivers and water ways have held an important place in my heart, and helped me to appreciate the power and majesty of our land. And I’m still a rough weirdo at heart, a hooligan in the loosest sense of the word. I’ll also maintain my “Looking for America” series of blogs. How we define ourselves as Americans is intricately tied to the wilds of our land. We like to think we can move mountains and stop rivers. But ultimately rivers have stopped us and mountains have moved the souls of many Americans. So much so that large swaths of our populace from young to old, rich to poor, have labored tirelessly to protect, conserve, and preserve these holy places for their children and grandchildren, ensuring that future generations can see into the American past and understand the role that wilderness has played. As well as to understand the transcendental power of wilderness, a way to commune with higher powers or even just the planet that we call home.

Please come back soon to see Hooligans’ changes. Until then, go see America in all its wild glory.

Photos Copyright ~ Jim T. Ryan