When anyone on the Long Trail asked me where I was heading last summer, I always said, “Canada.” One man replied, “Before the election?” This was in late August. I’d been on the trail for two weeks, and I’d forgotten about the election. At Sterling Lake, we spoke with some Canadians out for a day-hike who […]
Mt. Mansfield Forces a Change of Plans
Mt. Mansfield Forces a Change of Plans We’d planned to hike an ambitious ten miles on September first, but we stopped after arduous six. It wasn’t the distance that stopped us; it was the topography, forcing us to change our plans. Our plan was to climb and traverse Mount Mansfield, descend to Smuggler’s Notch and […]
Learning Routines on the Trail – and at Home
By our second day on the trail, Jan and I recognized the importance of developing routines; by the end of our hike, we were discussing ways to implement similar routines at home. ON THE TRAIL With more backcountry experience than me, Jan had more camping routines down, and I learned a lot from her, from […]
How To Meet a Big Goal
Following a “footpath in the wilderness” from Massachusetts to Canada has helped me learn how to meet a Big Goal. I’ve just returned from Hiking the Long Trail – the 275 mile recreational footpath that follows the spine of the Green Mountains the length of Vermont. The trip was an unqualified success and, blisters […]