Planning for summer hikes

When the snow is three feet deep and the sidewalks are icy it’s hard to think about a time when we want to get outside and go for a long walk or even longer hike. But, of course, now is the time to plan and dream about those long summer treks. Two recent additions to the library could help with that planning.

If your goal is to hike Vermont’s Long Trail (or wonder what it would be like) Jan Leitschuh wrote a day-by-day humorous account called, The Ordinary Adventurer, Hiking Vermont’s Long Trail: a Primer for Baby Adventurers, and Other Musings on the Nature of the Journey.

She and her partner started the month long hike quite out of shape but finished the trip through the wilderness stronger, wiser, more thoughtful, and ready to try the Appalachian Trail.

If a month long end-to-end adventure isn’t exactly what you had in mind, maybe having a smaller area to explore is a better plan. If so, you may be interested in the Guide to the Wildlife Management Areas of Vermont, published by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

This spiral-bound book compiles 81 areas in Vermont that are managed by the state from Averill Mountain located on the border with Canada to Roaring Brook in the south-east corner. Each management area is identified in the book with a full page map, several paragraphs on the fish and wildlife that one can see there, and what the habitat features are including tree species, streams, ponds and/or vernal pools. There is also a short history of the area plus a general description of its location and size in acres. These wildlife management areas are open to regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing.

Be sure to include a camera and a notebook in your plan. It’s a great way to remember what Vermont looks like when the snow keeps us closer to home.