Hiking

So Much to Do, So Little Time

August is the month that corroborates the saying, “time flies.” It’s when I suddenly realize that I have yet to ____________ (fill in the blank), and I better hurry up and do it or it will be too late, because reality is, summer is almost over!

Honing Your Heart Rate?

For years and years we’ve been testing people in our Human Performance lab at UVM for all kinds of studies ranging from fluid intake to heat tolerance. One thing that has always plagued me is the accuracy of the maximal heart rate numbers we get. For the most part we don’t really question the data as it’s all carefully collected and monitored.

Trail Temptations

Hi. My name is John, and I’m a trail addict. I first started using trails almost as soon as I could walk and ride, but didn’t really develop a serious habit until age six. My parents moved us from the relatively trail-less suburbs to the wide open country, where trails were on every corner. Literally, trails were everywhere.

2010 Summer Sports Camp Guide

The Vermont Sports 2010 Summer Camp Guide lists camps in Vermont that focus on outdoor sports-related activities. Most are the same sports we traditionally cover in our editorial content, such as running, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, climbing, adventure, and outdoor skills. This guide includes a basic description of each camp’s offerings.

Summer Pitfalls

All I can say is thank goodness for elastic-waist pants, because I've been on a course of prednisone and you all know what that means: weight gain! I've gained two pounds a day since I started the regimen!

Wagger Athlete: Marabou

BREED: Black Lab
AGE: 1
RESIDENCE: Waterbury
FAMILY: Becca and Dave Washburn
PRIMARY SPORT: Fly fishing

The History of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center

For what it is today—a world-class facility that grooms top athletes and attracts Olympians to its races—the Craftsbury Outdoor Center had humble and even uncertain financial beginnings.

ABCs of DVTs and PEs, by Donna Smyers

How can an athlete have a circulatory problem?

Owl Head Lookout: 2,480 feet

This is the twelfth and last in a series of monthly pieces designed to introduce Vermonters to the many winter and summer activities in the Adirondack High Peaks Region. Earlier articles covered the ski tour to Avalanche Lake, a snowshoe climb of Cascade Mountain, the Mount Marcy ski tour, climbs of Noonmark, Giant, Poke-O-Moonshine, and the Great Range.

Off Piste in the Adirondacks

Skiing in the High Peaks of New York’s Adirondack Mountains should be on every northeast skier’s to-do list. From the snow-filled gulleys and slide paths of the region’s highest peaks to the gentler backcountry trails of the valleys below, the Dacks are an adventure skier’s paradise.

Step Up

In my Trailheads column in the August issue of Vermont Sports, I related the Vermont Mountain Bike Association’s (VMBA) success stories of developing riding opportunities on state land, but that wasn’t the end of the good news for 2008.

Radical Ridgeline Trail Running

Trail running in Vermont is like dancing through a scenic minefield of roots, rocks, puddles, and fallen trees. It forces you to leap, twist, and scurry in order to keep a smooth line and stay on the ever-winding trail. It’s at once exhilarating and peaceful, and some trails require a level of focus that leaves no room for dwelling on anything in life but the 20 feet of trail before you.

Rocky Peak Ridge and Giant Mountain

With over 40 summits above the magical 4,000-foot level, the Adirondacks have a huge selection of hikes waiting to be sampled. This month I describe the hike up Giant Mountain. The road biking on the New York side of the lake is also superb, with generally good pavement and light traffic. From the ferry at Essex, you can find great rides by heading south, north, or west toward Lake Placid.

Hike, Bike, or Kayak to Celebrate History

Four hundred years ago, Samuel de Champlain became the first European to paddle the Almost Great Lake that now bears his name. This year, both states and the province bordering Lake Champlain are scheduling a variety of events to celebrate the Quadricentennial. While many events fall into the historic or cultural categories, several involve sports and recreation.

Hiking with Kids

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder… he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”

From Rachel Carson’s The Sense of Wonder

May 2009 Reader Athlete: Marc Sherman

Age: 43
Residence: Burlington
Family: Australian Shepherd, cat, and is in a relationship
Occupation: Visionary, co-owner of Outdoor Gear Exchange
Primary sport: Seasonal—biking, skiing, kayaking, and hiking

How to Hike the Long Trail: Tips from thru Hikers

Think you’re ready to tackle the 270-mile Long Trail?

Walk On By, April 2009 Commentary by Kate Carter

Living with dogs has made me more observant of humans. One thing I’ve noticed is that most people, when meeting a dog, have an irresistible urge to pet it. They can’t seem to help themselves. It’s an automatic reaction to reach out and connect, especially when they’re about to touch something warm and soft, with adoring big brown eyes. Only problem is, not all dogs like to be petted.

An Outdoor Recreation Paradise

Last month, I read Bill McKibben’s new book, Eaarth. It impressed me enough to devote my August column to thoughts stimulated by the book. Under normal circumstances that would have been enough, but recent newspaper headlines and NPR commentaries have kept the book on my mind.

The Enemy

Now that it’s May and the snows of this epic winter are finally melting, perhaps it is also time for a thawing of the icy divide between the backcountry skiing community and Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation and the Green Mountain Club.

vtsports.com Launches The Vermont Sports Gear Exchange

vtsports.com is launching a website for outdoor fitness and adventure enthusiasts to buy, sell, and trade new and gently used gear and equipment online. The company has set-up and is testing gear.vtsports.com as an auction site.

Fire Tower Tour

Here are eight spectacular tower treks guaranteed to fulfill your need to get up high and look around.

A Winter Visit to Sterling Pond

“What are you doing tomorrow?” asked my friend Jared. “Want to go for a hike?” The call and the question were benign enough. Jared and I had collaborated on dozens of hikes, both for fun and while working on our respective guidebooks, but the timing was off by at least three months. It was mid-February. Normally, when I venture into the backcountry during the wintertime, it’s on skis.

The Mountains Majestique

Some landscapes you visit just once in your life. Not because there’s anything inherently wrong with them, but rather because there are simply too many other places to see in the world. But sometimes, a landscape grabs you and calls you to return. Such is my relationship with Quebec’s Gaspesie, a mere stone’s throw (globally speaking) from the Green Mountain State’s borders.

Chic-Choc Wow!

Let’s be honest. New England can have a reputation for icy skiing. Anyone who grew up skiing in the east knows that’s true. And so is another rule: the farther northeast you go, the better the powder gets. This is no secret to backcountry skiers, who’ve schussed the slides of the Adirondacks, glades of Vermont, and bare summit cones and open bowls of New Hampshire for years.

Muscles Not Motors Gear Review - November 2009

Whether you’re a snowboarder or snowshoer, mountain hiker or mountain biker, Nordic skier or Nordic walker, you need gear. Each month, I review, right here, three items that I personally feel are especially cool. Here are my picks for this month.

Swix 2 in 1 Split Mitt

Hunting Season’s Safe Havens

With no knocks to responsible hunters, there have just been too many hunting “accidents” for me to feel safe in the woods in November. For instance, last season, two men were hunting in Huntington. One shoots at the other, thinking he was a bear. Then there were the three friends out hunting in Milton. One shoots the other, thinking he was a coyote.

Training for a Back-to-Back Century Ride - July 2009

For the past five months, in this space, I have reported on my training program for the Prouty Ultimate, two back-to-back century rides on July 10 and 11. I rode my trainer throughout the winter, kept a log of each workout, and gradually increased my speed. I got outside on my bike when the weather turned, and was able to log 220 miles in May.

A Greener GMC

How should we measure the carbon footprint of a hiking club? As the Green Mountain Club approaches its 100th birthday as maintainer and protector of Vermont’s beloved Long Trail, should we be worrying more about the ecological impact people have when they drive to trailheads, or more about combating the recent decline in percentage of time children spend outside in nature?

A Rock and a Ring

Sometimes, inspiration comes from total strangers, when you least expect it. Take, for example, the Wednesday I met Matt. I was hiking up the Mount Hunger Trail, and Matt was coming down. We stopped to exchange the usual pleasantries, and when I asked how he was doing, he said, “I’m exhausted!”

Lower Latitudes, Higher Altitudes: High-altitude Mountaineering in the Bolivian Andes, Part 2

Editor’s note: Last month the author took us to La Paz, Bolivia, where he and his wife, Kelli, made final arrangements to climb three peaks in the Bolivian Andes. The first was Pequeño Alpamayo. This month, we learn about the second, Huayna Potosi.

Hiking With Cats, April 2009 issue

Tim Beaman of Fairfield, VT, admits there aren’t very many things he likes about his cat Cleo. “She’s not friendly. She’s not affectionate. She’s got nothing I normally look for in a cat.” But Cleo does have one thing going for her. She hikes with Beaman and his wife, Sylvia Lazarnick.

Thru-Hiking the Long Trail

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Long Trail. Originally envisioned by James P. Taylor, construction of the ridgeline trail began in 1910. Traversing the Taconic Mountains in southern Vermont and stretching northward along the spine of the Green Mountains, the Long Trail marches relentlessly from the Massachusetts border to the border of Canada.

Tuned In, Tuned Out

One of the reasons I enjoy being outdoors is that I feel more connected to the environment and my surroundings. I like the way it feels to step out the front door into whatever is happening outside. I like hearing birds sing, seeing plants grow, feeling the air on my skin. If I were deprived of these sensations, I would cope, but it would make me sad.

Muscles Not Motors Gear Review - March 2010

I just got back from the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show in Salt Lake City, UT, where 40,000 or so outdoor industry types like me converged for a week-long gear summit. By the last day, I was dehydrated from drooling. Here are just three of the items that I found particularly tasty.

GSI OUTDOORS VORTEX HAND CRANKED BLENDER

Spain to Greece on the E4 Trail Part III

On April 10, Beth Naylor began her 7-month hike of the E4 trail in Europe to raise money for Upward Bound. This column will keep VST readers up-to-date on her progress as she works her way from Spain to Greece, passing through five other countries along the way. For a more detailed account of her trip and to learn more about Upward Bound, visit Beth’s Web site, www.uvm.edu/BethsAdventure.

2009 Summer Sports Camp Guide

The Vermont Sports 2009 Summer Camp Guide lists over 30 camps in Vermont that focus on outdoor sports-related activities. Most are the same sports we traditionally cover in our editorial content, such as running, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, climbing, adventure, and outdoor skills. This guide includes a basic description of each camp’s offerings.

Posterior Tendon Injuries

The posterior tibial (PT) tendon and muscle represent one of the longest muscular units below the knee. PT muscle fibers originate on the lateral-posterior aspects of the leg, on the tibia, the upper two thirds of the medial-posterior portions of the fibula, and the connective tissues between both the fibula and tibia.

The Worst Trap in the World

So very many traps—danger lurks everywhere.

There's the rat trap and the Havahart trap. The velvet trap and the parent trap. The Wolf Trap and the Trapp Family Singers.

But the worst trap of all is the Can't Do Anything Until You Do Everything trap.

Two Hikes That Made My Summer

This past summer began very wet. It seemed to rain for weeks, with few breaks of blue sky for outdoor recreation. Adding to the scheduling challenge was my wife’s summer academic load.

Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain: 2,162 feet

Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain is a cliffy little mountain in the Adirondacks, about 15 miles due west of Shelburne. In this eleventh article in a series on the Adirondacks, we cover the hike to the fire tower on Poke-O-Moonshine’s summit, and give a brief overview of the rock climbing found there.

Cliff Hangers

The cliff was small, maybe 10 feet wide, though it seemed to shrink as I neared the edge. I felt dizzy and terribly heavy, as if gravity pulled harder on me the closer I got to the abyss. I sat down with my feet toward the drop-off, then slowly inched forward. The white-capped waves 500 feet below looked like dotted lines traveling across the deep black water.

Floods of Fun

Well, it’s official, the incredible rains of Summer 2008 have set records all over Vermont. While Mount Mansfield didn’t break its own historic measure, it came close and received 27 inches during June, July, and August.

Muscles Not Motors Camping Gear Review

Growing up, my family was a camping family. Each summer, we would load up the car and drive no less than an hour away to spend a glorious week roughing it together at a crowded family campground. It would rain a lot, my parents would argue a lot, and my sister and I would be bored stiff a lot. The mosquitoes living in our tent, however, would be as happy as could be. I still love camping to this day, but a few things have changed…

Hiking Noonmark Mountain: 3,556 feet

This is the eighth in a series of monthly articles

Green Gear for Summer, May 2009 Issue, by Brian Mohr & Emily Johnson

It is refreshing to see so many businesses and manufacturers in the outdoor industry finding creative ways to reduce their environmental footprint. While we feel that the most environmentally friendly gear is that which has been previously used, neglected, or otherwise restored, we still occasionally have to buy something new.

Hiking the Great Range

This is the seventh in a series of articles introducing the Adirondack High Peaks. The hike described this month is a rather ambitious 16-mile loop that includes two 4,000 footers on what is known as the Great Range. Previous articles have covered the ski tour to Avalanche Lake, winter hikes of Cascade and Hurricane, a ski ascent of Mount Marcy, and road biking loops out of Essex.

Whiskey Shots and Mosquito Hawks

My brother-in-law Patrick and I hiked Worcester Mountain recently on a hot and muggy August afternoon and ended up seeing something spectacular.

Lake Road to Ausable Lake

This fourth article in a series of articles introducing Vermonters to the Adirondack High Peaks covers the very popular 3.5-mile walk into spectacular Lower Ausable Lake. The High Peaks Region—the rugged mountainous core of the Adirondack Park—has plenty to offer the hiker, snowshoer, backcountry skier, cyclist, paddler, and climber.

The Dog Dilemma, April 2009 issue, by John Morton

I love dogs!

Thank You, Ken Burns

Several years ago, I was intrigued and bewildered to learn about a young documentary filmmaker who was scheduled to present 13 hours of antique, black and white photos of the Civil War on PBS. It sounded about as exciting as watching paint dry, but I watched the first episode and was hooked.

Dirty Old Socks

Many jokes and quips have been made about socks, but in reality, socks can make the difference between success and failure in an athletic event.

For most of us, socks represent a basic piece of athletic equipment. Many jokes and quips have been made about socks, but in reality, socks can make the difference between success and failure in an athletic event.

The Long Trail is 100: Big Party in July!

The Green Mountain Club has been around for nearly a hundred years. From 1910 until 1930, the club focused on building the Long Trail. After completing the trail from Massachusetts to Quebec, the club spent the next 55 years focused on maintaining and sustaining the trail.

Vermont Sports Magazine Offers Digital Subscriptions: 10% of subscription sales to support three Vermont non-profits

Vermont Sports Magazine and it’s online service www.vtsports.com, have recently launched a digital subscription service for it’s magazine readers interested in helping the magazine reduce its’ carbon footprint in Vermont and helping out some noteworthy non-profit organizations in the state.

The Value of Hiking Companions

I’m all in favor of multi-tasking, so it’s no wonder I enjoy hiking. I can exercise myself and my dogs, be outdoors, and socialize, all at the same time. Nothing like killing four birds with one stone!

Muscles Not Motors October 2009 Gear Review

Whether you’re a snowboarder or snowshoer, mountain hiker or mountain biker, Nordic skier or Nordic walker, you need gear. Each month, I review, right here, three items that I personally feel are especially cool. Here are my picks for this month.

KELTY GUNNISON 2.1 TENT

Andean Adventure

I suppose it’s sacrilegious for an intrepid hiker to go to Peru for the first time and not trek the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, but it was a conscious decision which I don’t regret. Hike the famous Inca Trail to a famous world heritage site with hundreds of people?

Reader Athlete July 2009: Neil Van Dyke

Age: 55
Residence: Stowe
Family: Wife, Carol; three children, Sarah, 22, Forrest, 20, and Lia, 16
Occupation: Owner, Golden Eagle Resort
Primary sport: Hiking and Nordic skiing

Hiking the Almighty Algonquin Peak: 5,114 feet

This is the ninth in a series of monthly articles designed to introduce Vermonters to the many winter and summer activities in the Adirondack High Peaks Region. This month we cover Algonquin, one of the absolute best day hikes in the Northeast. It has an easy first mile, then it becomes increasingly steep and rocky.

Muscles Not Motors Gear Review - May 2009

Whether you’re a snowboarder or snowshoer, mountain hiker or mountain biker, Nordic skier or Nordic walker, you need gear. Each month, I review, right here, three items that I personally feel are especially cool. Here are my picks for this month.

Reader Athlete: Andrew Thompson

Age: 32
Residence: Lyme, NH
Family: Girlfriend, Bethany Charron
Occupation: Carpenter, starting respiratory therapy school in the fall
Primary Sport: Long-distance running and hiking

VS: You are the reigning record holder for hiking the Appalachian Trail at 47.5 days. Can you tell us about that journey?

Beyond the Blazes: Behind Closed Doors, April 2009 issue

We call this column “Beyond the Blazes” because of the nice alliteration, but also to call attention to the activities which happen out of public view to keep Vermont’s hiking trails alive and well. This month, let’s look at two particular Green Mountain Club programs that happen off the trail: Stewardship and Publications.

An Insider’s Guide to Great Fall Foliage Hiking, Biking, and Paddling

Tourists from near and far will be filling their gas tanks and driving through Vermont admiring the palette of colors that residents enjoy every autumn. Luckily, readers of Vermont Sports are pluckier than those who need an internal combustion engine to see the sights. They know that some of the best ways to admire the views require muscle, not motors.

Hurricane Mountain: 3,694 feet

This is the fifth in a series of monthly articles designed to introduce Vermonters to the many winter and summer activities in the Adirondack High Peaks Region. Earlier articles covered the ski tour to Avalanche Lake, a snowshoe climb of Cascade Mountain, the Mount Marcy ski tour, and the Lake Road to Lower Ausable Lake.

Triple Plays

Friday the thirteenth is a day often filled with superstition and, some would say, bad luck. But for New Hampshire climber Alan Cattabriga, Friday, March 13, 2009, was simply a long, hard, and ultimately rewarding day.

Lightweight Waterproof Hiking Boots, by Kate Carter

2006 brought us a wet spring and a wet summer. Corn rotted in the fields, roads and culverts washed out, and hiking trails were very, very muddy. Keeping your feet dry in these conditions used to require a lot of boot grease as well as elbow grease.

Slip Into Some Winter Traction

In this review of traction devices for winter hiking, we present four products that were designed primarily for use on hard-packed hiking trails with some ice, when snowshoes are not needed to prevent postholing.