idahoseniorindependent.com
TAKE ONE! FREE!
Sense of discovery lures Leo Hennessy to explore Idaho trails
Leo Hennessy and his Corgi, Forest, explore Leslie Gulch near Boise. [Photo courtesy of Leo Hennessy]
By Dianna Troyer Even in a lifetime, Leo Hennessy realizes with a twinge of remorse he will never see Idaho’s entire outdoor splendor. But he’s giving it his best shot anyway. Since moving to Boise 25 years ago from North Dakota, Leo has worked for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. “There are so many places to go, so I try not to do the same trip twice,” says Leo, 59, who manages the state’s non-motorized trail system and oversees the rental and maintenance of the Idaho City Yurts and Trails program. Leo not only hikes in postcard perfect scenery for work, he also explores the Idaho outdoors for pleasure after clocking out of his day job. Wanting to showcase the state’s most scenic and serene places, Leo and friends founded the Idaho Outdoors Yahoo Group in 2001. “Since then we’ve done countless trips,” says Leo. He estimates about 2,000 people have logged on to the website with about half of them being 50 years old or older and still active. Many who log onto the site use it to get ideas for trips to take. “One of the best trip planners is a 65-year-old retiree,” says Leo. “For all of us, it feels great to be physically active. Wherever we go, there’s a thrill of being totally immersed in what we’re doing.” Depending on the time of year, the group has gone mountain biking, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, canyoneering, hiking, rock climbing, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. “We do it all,” says Leo. Some meeting groups on the Internet specialize in one activity such as hiking or mountain biking or skiing. “We tend to do some more difficult and complex multi-day or weeklong trips,” says Leo. “Each person contributes to the effort, so we rely on each other to bring certain things. It’s worked well.” Some of the most memorable trips have been off trail. “We’ve hiked over a mountain pass in the Sawtooths and explored canyons in the Owyhee Desert. In certain canyons, you think of the area’s amazing history and realize only a handful of people have probably been there in the past 100 years. There’s always a sense of discovery and anticipation, wondering what’s around the next bend. We’ve had some mind-blowing experiences.” Some of the more complex, extreme trips are not for everyone because occasionally there are plenty of imperfections even in an Idaho paradise. “In some places in a canyon, you’re jumping from rock to rock because there’s no trail,” he says. “There can be poison ivy, snakes, and drenching unpredicted afternoon thunderstorms. But we know what we’re doing and mitigate the risks.” Due to weather, Leo and others don’t plan their trips too far in advance. “We’re flexible,” says Leo. “Each trip has been rewarding on its own. During the past decade through our trips, we’ve all made some new and long-lasting friendships.” The group’s website may be found at groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ idahooutdoors/info. ISI