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A typical hike to the Chin (the summit) of Mt. Mansfield from the Underhill side is a little over three miles. The hike up the mountain offers terrain challenging enough to keep you interested, but not difficult enough to discourage you. Not only is the hike physically invigorating, but the rewards you get at the top only add to the whole experience. The Chin offers spectacular views in all directions. On an exceptionally clear day, you can see as far north as Mt. Pinnacle in Canada, and as far south as Killington. On less clear days, it is still easy to catch a glimpse of the dramatic Adirondacks to the West and the White Mountains to the East. Hiking in the Green Mountains offers benefits beyond merely the aesthetic. The American Hiking Society says that hiking as little as 30 minutes, three days a week can help you lose weight, prevent heart disease, decrease high blood pressure, reduce the likelihood of getting osteoporosis, improve arthritis, reduce back pain, and control or prevent diabetes. Making the effort to walk once or twice during the week and then taking a long day hike on the weekend can help you on your way towards better health and happiness. Before you go out hiking, be sure you are well prepared. The most important thing for any hiker to carry is water. Trying to exercise without H20 is counter-productive and sometimes dangerous. Other important items to make sure you have on any hike are a sturdy backpack (these can range from light day packs to heavier frame packs), extra clothing that can be layered, trail food, a flashlight, compass and first aid kit. Proper footwear is also a must--sandals or flimsy sneakers are not good alternatives to sturdy hiking boots. For a more complete idea of what to bring on a hiking adventure, consult the Green Mountain Club (GMC)’s guidebooks on hiking, or their website at www.greenmountainclub.org. If you are unfamiliar with the day hiking options in your area, you may want to check a copy of the Green Mountain Club’s Day Hiker’s Guide to Vermont. Inside is a comprehensive listing of many day hiking trails organized by region. The guide covers day hikes statewide of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. These suggested hikes are perfect for a beautiful weekend where staying inside just doesn’t seem right. They’re also great during the fall, when the leaves are turning and you want a place to hike and look at the foliage without tripping over leaf peepers. For the hiker who is not satisfied with simply doing day hikes, the Long Trail is always an option. Completed in 1930, the Long Trail is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the nation and offers a different type of challenge to a hiker. It runs 272 miles from the border of Massachusetts to Canada. Hiking the trail end-to-end is often the overall goal of the Long Trail hiker, and many choose to hike the entire length of the trail at once. Since that is not always viable, some simply hike the trail in sections over time and still earn the title of “End-to-End Hiker.” Others choose to treat the Long Trail as a way to enjoy the outdoors on a day hike. The GMC maintains the Long Trail and puts out a guidebook called the Long Trail Guide that aids hikers in navigating the trail. The Long Trail has a wide array of terrain with varying degrees of difficulty, but one consistent part of the Long Trail is the people who hike it. Through the course of hiking this “footpath in the wilderness,” you will meet many new and pleasant people from all walks of life. When I hiked the Long Trail end-to-end, I left as a relatively inexperienced distance hiker and picked up strategy as I went along. For those of you who are thinking of tackling the Long Trail, at once or in sections, there are several extra hiking tips to take into consideration. Of these, the weight of your load is one of the biggest. I hiked the Long Trail with a pack that weighed far too much. In fact, my overpacking helped me earn my trail name (nicknames given to hikers by fellow hikers for use on the trail). In an effort to make sure everything was always dry I brought an enormous roll of industrial strength garbage bags. Combining that with the fact that I brought many unneeded pounds of stuff, my fellow hikers dubbed me the “Garbage Man.” After a few days I learned that I really didn’t need all that I had brought and adapted accordingly. It was a good learning experience—the more you hike the more you will learn what does and doesn’t work for you. Hiking can be a fun adventure and worthwhile exercise. It’s a great family activity and a good way to get back to nature. Whether you choose to go out for an afternoon or take a month to hike the entire Long Trail, you will feel the mental and physical rewards of your choice very quickly. Get a Green Mountain Guidebook and listen to the experts or just go out and explore the ubiquitous nearby trails that make Vermont unique. 1 American Hiking Society, “A Step in the Right Direction: The Health Benefits of Hiking and Trails.” www.americanhiking.org/ |
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