Letchworth State Park

The Empire Pass is a great product for New Yorkers who want to get outside. This summer Farah and I used our passes at a bunch of beaches. Now that swimming season is over we’ve been looking for places to hike and continue to explore. Recently we visited my parents in the Finger Lakes and from there, we checked out the Grand Canyon of the East, Letchworth State Park.

descending the stairs

I visited Letchwork and had my first white water rafting experience as a young kid. It was Farah’s first time; she’d wanted to go all summer. With unseasonably warm weather and leaves turning, it looked prime for a visit. We left early in the morning making stopping once, in Dansville for coffee.

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Flower Skate Shop Rail Jam 2025

In a sea of brown on the Tug Hill, a small slushy island of snow remained. Steel statues protruded from the snow, monuments to the season passed. Delicately arranged by the guys at Flower Skate Shop and Nick at Snow Ridge, the features were ready.

This oasis was set to provide one last chance for park riders to slide some steel. For the 5th year in a row, riders came from far and wide for the end of season rail at Snow Ridge.

Still booted up and recovering from injury, I got to the jam later than usual. The weather was a little suspect with light rain but it was forecast to clear up by 12.

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SFM Rail Jam 2025 at Woods Valley

Across New York park jams have been firing. The venerated Scott Delforte jam at Bristol went off for the 20th year in a row. North of there at the Northampton Rope Tow Park the boys built a gnarly rail jam course with the Flower Skate Shop and hosted the Tell a Friend Tour. Out west the Boardroom hosted the 7th annual Boardroom Banked.

Grom Rail
Nose Press on the Grom Rail

Unfortunately, my season is over, a fractured foot. Still, I wasn’t content to miss out on all the action, especially not the 2nd Annual SFM Rail Jam at Woods Valley. The Stone Mercurio Foundation honors the legacy of a Rome native, by building a much needed city skatepark in his name.

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