The last of the auburn and gold leaves are falling from the trees. Halloween is now just a red ‘X’ on the calendar, and gray skies are even more common than usual.

Yes, winter’s curse is just around the bend again at Syracuse University.

But wait! Before the wind chills get unbearable and students are up to their knees in snow, here are seven fun ways to get in some last-minute outdoor activities before the SU campus slumbers into hibernation mode. From the art student to the sports nut to the adrenaline junkie, there are activities for all on Pulp’s ‘Go before It Snows’ list.

Zoom over

Rekindle fond memories of elementary school field trips to the local zoo with a visit to The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, just a 10-minute drive from campus. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and an $8 admission fee for adults ages 19 to 61, the zoo is home to approximately 700 animals. Take a gander at the bushy-tailed red panda, blue poison dart frogs and Kibibi, the zoo’s baby patas monkey. A current exhibition, ‘Art Gone Wild,’ showcases dozens of pieces of artworkcreated by animals living at the zoo. The exhibition includes pieces produced by trunks, paws, feet, hooves and scales.

One with nature

If you’re an art lover with a thirst for outdoor adventure, trek over to one of the first outdoor sculpture parks in the country. Open to the public year-round and located about 25 miles from Syracuse, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park boasts 104 acres of land and more than four miles of hiking trails. Inspired by the relationship between art and nature, the park showcases original, one-of-a-kind artwork by emerging and established artists. Walking through the park, visitors will encounter large-scale installations and sculptures. The park’s current indoors exhibition, ‘New York Prints of Mind Exhibition,’ runs until Nov. 27 and displays original limited-edition prints by some of the world’s most important late 20th and 21st century artists.

Swing away

Whether you are an experienced golfer, or you just have a keen interest in the sport, now is the time to get in that last round of golf before the snow covers the ground. Drumlins Country Club offers its golf course at no cost to full-time SU undergraduate students. Students can either play a 9- or 18-hole course, with club rentals available at no charge. So grab your friends and play a round of this great social activity. Enjoy the outdoor environment while getting in some physical exercise, too.

Lunch alfresco

Now that midterms are over, students can finally take a break and relax. The few sunny days lying ahead offer a perfect opportunity to have an outdoor picnic. Invite your boyfriend or girlfriend on a romantic lunch along with a blanket and a basket of snacks for a fun, untraditional date. Picnics can be large, too — combine one with a cookout and have an end-of-the-season porch barbeque party. Or you can have your friends over for a potluck picnic filled with outdoor games and entertainment. So put on a warm jacket, fill your basket or garden table with finger foods, fresh fruits, salads and some cool drinks and enjoy a chill, colorful afternoon.

Go hard in the paint

Take cover from paintballs but don’t take cover from paintballing. Take advantage of not only the better weather to drive in, but the better weather to play in. Head north of Syracuse to HeadRush, the largest paintball business in Central New York. The outdoor field has 50 acres on State Route 49 in Rome, N.Y. It offers an area with two speedball fields, a dirt mound field and four more wooded fields on varied terrain. Want to go but not play? The 15,000-square-foot indoor facility at 6255 E. Taft Road has an elevated observation area for bands and spectators. If you need a break, in the front of the building, you can play pool, arcade games, foosball or put your feet up and hang out on the couches.

We still scream for ice cream

Even if you think that you stop craving ice cream once the temperature drops, you’ve probably noticed those taste buds are tingling for your favorite flavor. Escape to a colorful, tropical island at Gannon’s Isle, located at 525 Valley Drive. Eccentric, animated ice cream characters cover the walls from floor to ceiling, looking almost as delicious as Gannon’s homemade ice cream. The menu boasts both hard- and soft-serve ice cream options, all homemade. New flavors of the day or ones that complement the season pop up regularly. But if you want to indulge your sweet tooth, you better get over there quickly; Gannon’s closes up shop for the winter on Nov. 12.

Get served and take a plunge

Counting down the days until Wimbledon but don’t want to your sweet overhead serve to get rusty? Want to practice your backstroke and not freeze to death jumping in the pool? Grab your tennis racket or Speedo and head over to the Women’s Building on Comstock Avenue. The Women’s Building sports five outdoor tennis courts for tennis enthusiasts to compete and hone their skills. Aspiring Michael Phelps wannabes and swimmers who just want to take a leisurely dip can dive into Sibley Pool. This five-lane, 25-yard pool stays open from 4-5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays.

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Published on October 31, 2011 at 12:00 pm