Mountains to molehills

Mountains & molehills

By Sean McCarthy

From the Atlantic Ocean to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, New England provides ample scenic opportunities to explore and enjoy. Now that spring has arrived and Mother Nature is becoming more accommodating, it’s an opportune time to be immersed in some of the natural beauty that the region has to offer.

If someone tells you to “take a hike” it’s probably some good advice.

New England’s geography provides hikers of all levels with a plethora of opportunities to get in some exercise and be treated to some eye-pleasing scenery. Local terrain can prove enjoyable while the area always provides the opportunity to graduate to something larger and more challenging.

With the right gear and knowledge, rewarding hikes can be found just a short distance away. With a partner or a group you can partake in some leisurely excursions at some of the locations found in the South Coast. The area offers an easygoing introduction to the hiking experience – waterways abound locally while towering peaks are only a few hours to the north.

Bring your best camera – you’ll probably want to capture some of the unique sights and experiences that a nature hike has to offer.

“The local area has some pretty easy trails to get started on,” says Paul DaysMerrill, owner of Days Health and Sports in Fairhaven. “If you want to move on to larger hikes you can go with something that has ‘a little more mountain to it’ such as the Blue Mountain State Park in Clinton, Massachusetts, or Mount Manadnock in New Hampshire.”

The most demanding mountains on the East Coast are the White Mountains in New Hampshire, with hikes that often last for six to eight hours. Heights can range from 4,000 feet to more than 6,000 feet. “The local trails are good for beginners; they’re not too far away in the middle of nowhere and there aren’t a lot of rocks to climb,” Days-Merrill says. “It’s good for relaxation and clearing your head – you can get some fresh air. If you like what you’re doing you can move on to something larger. I recommend that you start with a local hike that lasts an hour to an hour-and-a-half and work your way up to bigger hikes.”

Local trails can be peaceful and scenic. There can be a lot to be enjoyed.

“You’re out in the nice quiet woods,” Days-Merrill says. “You might come across some wildlife, waterways, wilderness, wild flowers, and birds and seagulls.”

But Days-Merrill has advice for those who are embarking on their first hikes. “If you’re hiking locally you want to get the correct running shoe that matches the way you move, your bio-mechanics. You’re looking for stability so that you won’t get beat up and you’ll enjoy it more.” But there’s something else to consider when hiking: being on the lookout for ticks.

“Keep your legs covered and use insect spray,” he recommends. “When it comes to clothing, you want to have things that are fairly closed below around your ankles so you’re not getting any ticks climbing up. I recommend a nylon pant so that ticks “Of all the paths you take in life,

make sure a few of them are dirt.” – Hiker’s adage

can’t stick to it. Always check for ticks when you get out of the woods.”

Days-Merrill suggests that hikers bring food and snacks on longer voyages. “A lot of people have things with them, including energy bars, trail mix with nuts and fruit, a little bit of chocolate – something to munch on while you’re hiking.” Of course water is also recommended.

For some longer hikes Days-Merrill says that people will bring a sandwich with them such as peanut butter and jelly.

“Hiking can be a bonding experience,” Days-Merrill claims. “I would definitely recommend that people have at least one or more people with them – if you twist an ankle or run into something you want to be with someone who can be of assistance. You often get the chance to meet other hikers when you’re on the trail.” Stepping together

Days-Merrill often goes on family hikes with his wife Carol-Ann and their son Steven.

“The biggest benefit from hiking is that it gets your mind off of the regular routine. It clears your head and you get to relax,” Days-Merrill says. “Sometimes if there’s something that’s bugging you, you’ll clarify it while you’re out there. You’ll come back refreshed.”

And the South Coast Happy Hikers are getting refreshed on a regular basis. This group of area hikers goes for at least two excursions a month – an easygoing local hike, usually on a Saturday morning, and a more challenging climb in New Hampshire on a Sunday.

The Happy Hikers got their start with a Facebook page in 2017. It was the work of Dana Brown of Fall River, who had been introduced to hiking by her friend, Lori Ann Mullin, a few years prior.

“Once Lori introduced me to hiking and I couldn’t get enough,” Brown recalls. “I want our organization to be community oriented. We’re open to people of all levels and abilities. We vary the hikes so that everybody can join in. The benefits are strength, confidence and community.” While a local hike can bring out five to ten participants, the group boasts more than a hundred interested and active members.

“We get people from the age of 65 to teenagers,” Brown says. “We welcome anyone who wants to walk in the woods or on the beach. People can bring their children or their dogs.”

The Happy Hikers recently had an outing at Horseneck Beach and Gooseberry Island in Westport.

“We like having group members suggest places to hike. We’re always looking for new places to hike,” Brown says.

Brown also says that with the improvement in the weather the group may begin doing nighttime hikes.

“I like to get outside and away from technology,” Mullin says. “I enjoy being a part of nature and breathing in the fresh air. It renews your spirit. There’s a mental benefit, it increases my serotonin. Everything feels better when I’m on the trail.”

Mullin says that with the larger hikes there is a “sense of accomplishment,” particularly for more challenging mountains.

“One of the main reasons I got into hiking was for the payoff – the view. You hike a mountain for many reasons, but the view is the payoff. The sense of accomplishment and exercise are important to people,” the New Bedford resident says. “Hiking is my gym.”

“Hiking is a way better atmosphere than a gym,” says Sara Shaughnessy of Westport, who was also introduced to hiking by Mullin. “You’ll see a lot of nature and get some great pictures of it. You’ll see creeks, lakes, ponds, trees, and flowers that vary with the time of year. It’s a good way to meet people and get into a better state of mind. It’s a feel-good experience.”

Mullin says that her interest in hiking stems from her childhood.

“I grew up in Acushnet near old horse trails and an abandoned pig farm. My siblings and I were always outside in the woods, walking, exploring, and climbing trees. Also, as a family, we travelled every summer to either New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and/or upstate New York which exposed me to areas of higher elevation. I remember driving in the car looking in awe at these giant mountains and saying to my parents, ‘I’m going to climb one of these rocks one day.’ This love of the woods grew for me but I wanted more. By the time I was in my early 20s I started small mountain hiking with my friends and that led to a love of mountain hiking. Now I try to hike as much as I can.”

Southeastern Massachusetts abounds with opportunities for hiking. To find a trail that is of interest to you, we recommend three websites that will provide direction: savebuzzardsbay.org, massaudubon.org, and dnrt.org.

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