Month: October 2021

Robert Livezey

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Hike100 participant

Date completed: 10/21/2021

Home base: Bethesda, MD

Miles: I hiked the entire trail south to north from Long Island Sound to the New Hampshire border (with the exception of 8 miles I had previously hiked) over an 18-day period, October 4 to 21, 2021. I did this with 12 sequential day hikes utilizing car shuttles (my car and Uber in combination) as far as Packardville Road north of Amherst. October 10 and 17 were rest, “zero,” days. From Packardville Road I backpacked 4 days to the New Hampshire border.

Trail Story: 

I am 77 very close to 78 and a veteran of 11,000 trekking/backpacking miles in North America, Europe and elsewhere. The NET is the fourth National Scenic Trail I have completed, preceded by the AT in 1998, the PCT in 2016 and the Arizona Trail in 2019. A year ago I was just completing chemotherapy for lymphoma and had recently got off of two months of dialysis after chemo-associated kidney failure. I’ve recovered substantially but am still anemic, so steep climbing goes very slowly, but I get to the top eventually. Despite the modest elevations and under 1000′ ascents the NET was surprisingly rugged and challenging with enough rock scrambling to satisfy almost anyone. Despite trekking some of the most densely populated parts of the United States it was surprisingly beautiful. The hike north through the New England woods for two weeks as Fall marched south was a celebration of my gift of another year.

Abigail Maley

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Hike100 participant

Date completed: 10/18/2021

Home base: Windsor Locks, CT

Miles: I hiked 110 miles total on out-and-back section hikes covering the distance from CT Rte. 5 all the way north to the end of section 6 past Mount Tom, i.e. a little over 50 miles of distance covered twice. 

What do you love about the NET? I love having a long-distance hiking trail in my own backyard that allows me to escape to nature for a day without having to travel far away. 

Advice for NET Hikers: The New England Trail can be as challenging or as easy as you would like it to be. Do your research ahead of time to know what you’re getting into, be prepared, and have fun!

Trail Story: 

This was great fun and the first hiking challenge I’ve completed. I really enjoyed logging my miles and see the mileage tick off as I worked toward my goal. Also, as a new resident of New England, it was a really great way to start learning the landscape and what it means to live in this beautiful section of the country. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to hit the trail!

Darcy Allen, Danielle Hoff, Tammy Mathieu & Jay Mathieu

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Hike100 participants

Date completed: 10/17/2021

Home base: East Haddam, CT

Miles: Hiked the entire CT portion of NET ( minus a few road walks)
On to MA next!

Describe the NET: Beautiful Ridgelines. Rock scrambles. History.

What do you love about the NET? Much more interesting trail than other systems. 

Advice for NET Hikers: Just get out there and do it!

Trail Story: 

Our group was spurred by Covid, and the need to get out. We have worked our way up to 8-12 miles every Sunday! We have hopes of conquering the MA portion of the NET, as well as all blue trails in CT.

Lori Davison

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 10/13/2021

Home base: West Hartford, CT

Miles: I hiked 17 hikes on the NET this year (so far!) totaling 119 miles (so far!) Some hikes were repeats (Timberlands is a favorite) and some were even moonlight hikes(Castle Craig in Meriden, Rattlesnake in Farmington). All were in CT this year…need to get back to MA soon!

Advice for NET Hikers: Follow the blazes and you’ll never know what wonders you will find!

Katie LaPlante, Daniel Schott & Citra LaPlante

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Hike100 participants

Date completed: 10/9/2021

Home base: Westfield, MA

Miles: Completed MA sections 1-14 and CT sections 1, 2, 6, and 17-21 as well as multiple repeats of MA 1 and 4.

Describe the NET: Easy and accessible with a few good lookouts. Unfortunately, more road walking than hiking at times.

Trail Story: 

We completed MA sections 7-9 in one day and actually found it enjoyable! Good views with elevation gain.

Greg Gregory

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Hike50 participant

Date completed: 10/25/2021

Home base: Meriden, CT

Miles: Hiked 52.4 miles. Not sure what the sections translate to, but did several loops of Seven Falls, Bear Hill, did Higby a few times, Mount Pisgah, the Metacomet from Route 15 to Edgewood Rd, the northern-most section of Metacomet down West Suffield Mountain.

Trail Story: 

Last year I hiked the whole Mattabesset trail and this year I repeated some of that and decided to finish off what I haven’t done of the Metacomet. I live in Meriden, so I really like being able to hike close to home and it’s always funny to me to walk from one major road to another through the woods.

Scott Butwill

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Hike50 Participant

Date completed: 10/23/2021

Home base: Litchfield, CT

Miles: I live in CT and completed the whole CT NET, so now I’m chipping away at MA. Completed a series of out and back hikes in various parts of MA, including the Royalston Falls area, Mt Grace, Wendell State Forest, Mt Holyoke, and Mt Tom.

Trail Story: 

I enjoy section hiking long-distance trails like the NET and AT because you can string together a bunch of adventures to create a big adventure. And there is a definite satisfaction when you complete a walk across an entire state.

Katrina Griffin

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 10/04/2021

Home base: Belchertown, MA

Miles: I hiked along sections 7-9 in MA at least once a week since January!

Trail Story: 

This is the third year I wanted to reach 50 miles on the NET and the first year I actually did it—in fact, I have done 100+ miles so far. I needed an excuse to get outside and exercise and this helped me to do that.

Amanda Barrow & Carl Clements

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Hike100 Participants

Date completed: 10/04/2021

Base: Easthampton, MA

Miles: January 2021 = MASSACHUSETTS ONLY section 1, 2, part of 6, 8 9…..24.8 miles
Feb 2021 = section 10, 11, part of 6 many times…..14. 5
March = parts of 6 many many times (we live VERY close to Mt Tom!!) ….21 miles
April = parts of section 6, 11, 13…..24 miles
May = section 14, 12 small section, 15, 5……..12.5 miles
Sept = section 6 entire ridge Mt Tom……4 miles
October = section 7 Bare Mountain…. 5 miles (and October just began!)

TOTAL MILES 105.8 so far and we still have two months to go! Yippeeee

How would you describe the NET? Absolutely Varied and Gorgeous = the New England Trail, a real gem, worth fighting for and hiking on.

 

Trail Story: 

We absolutely LOVED section #15 in MA…it was so gorgeous! Lots of water, ponds, birdlife, interesting terrain. We want to go back and swim in Wendell State Forest. A gem! We didn’t even know anything about this area, we love it!

What do you love about the NET? I love all of the birds that we see and wildflowers. I always learn something new on the trail, so lucky to be able to experience it.

Advice for NET Hikers: Go at your own pace, always. Enjoy the journey, and keep exploring!

 

Suzanna Binelli

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Hike100 Participant

Date completed: 10/02/2021

Miles: We hiked the entire Metacomet and part of Mattabesett and Menenkatuk, also points for posting photos.

Base: Brookfield, CT

What do you love about the NET? There are so many different terrains….hills, roads, rocks, grassy fields, slight bushwhacking, mud, dark pine forest, new growth birch, wildflowers…

Advice for NET Hikers: Just go do it and bring snacks.

Trail Story: 

After many years of not hiking I set out in Sept 2020 to start again and completed the AT through CT into NY. I then set out to complete all the blue blazed trails in CT which led me to the NET hike challenge. I am currently at 290miles of BB trails completed and hiked every single weekend through Sept 2021. I first hiked the AT in CT in 4th grade and was an avid hiker for many years, mostly getting out on my local trails or the AT in other states if I was close. I’ve also hiked at Glacier nat part and in Yellowstone and they are magnificent, but I really love walking all over the state I live in and seeing the plants and rivers and towns that make up the state I grew up in.