Hit The Trails Or Paddle On The Water With New Releases From AMC

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is releasing several new titles this season, including two that should be of interest to Newtown residents who enjoy being outdoors.

Homer wrote that the value of any voyage lay not in the destination, but the journey. Though every place and every thing has a different tale to tell, the common denominator is  each is a unique look at creation.

Authors Charles W.G. Smith and René Laubach have updated their Connecticut edition of AMC’s popular Nature Walks series. Nature Walks in Connecticut (352 pages, softcover, June 2004, $15.95; ISBN 1-929173-46-6) leads nature lovers of all ages on 40 walks through Connecticut’s spectacular natural areas. The extraordinary array of landscapes will fascinate walkers, please birders and provide hours of enjoyment for families with children just learning about the wonders of nature.

More than just a step-by-step guide to walks and hikes, Nature Walks in Connecticut profiles the many faces of the state’s natural history including the wildlife-rich mountains, the caves and majestic rock formations of the Connecticut River Valley, and the enchanting shoreline of the eastern coast.

“Everything along the trails has a story to tell,” write the authors. “The story may be hundreds of millions of years old, like that of the traprock ridges of the Hanging Hills, or minutes in the making as in the opening of a chrysalis of a butterfly.

Detailed descriptions and in-text maps for each walk make the handy guide easy to use on the trail, while colorful, in-depth narratives highlighting geology, flora, fauna and ecology make it fun to read even off the trail.

An at-a-glance trip highlights chart summarizing distance, difficulty level and special features of each trip makes selecting and planning any walk quick and easy.

New for this edition is a trip index organized by theme: Bird Watching Opportunities, Bogs and Marshes, Human History, Mountain Summits, Seacoast, Swimming, and Waterfalls.

The guide’s introductory pages offer short essays on safety and preparation, footwear, and even the causes of and preventive tips against Lyme disease (named, yes, after the Connecticut shoreline town where the disease was originally identified in 1975).

Each walk begins with a listing of important facts, including the names of the trails, the type of walk (loop or out-and-back), the distance of the walk in miles, an approximate time range needed to complete the walk, a rating of the terrain covered, and the elevation gain along the hike.

Of these criteria the authors point out that the time and terrain ratings are subjective. The approximate times for completing each walk are based on a relaxed pace to allow for observation and hanging out.

“Most people will be able to finish the hikes in less time than we have allowed,” Messrs Smith and Laubach write, “but we hope they won’t want to.”

The ratings of the type of terrain covered include easy, moderate and challenging. In general the terrain rating is a reflection of the total length of the walk, the elevation gain, and any unique features – such as scrambles or very steep sections – of each walk. The authors remind readers/walkers that a faster pace will made any walk more difficult and that “it is possible to encounter poor footing on all trains, regardless of rating.”

Each listing is then followed by “Getting There,” which provides directions to each trailhead.

“The Trail” is a guided tour of an entire walk, and usually begins with a short summary of the trip as well as a description of how the trails are marked. Landmarks are used as reference points so that hikers will know where they are at all times. Plants, rock formations, animal burrows and the like are described in the text in relation to where they appear along the trail, making it even easier for walkers and hikers to find things as they walk along.

“More Information” follows the trail description, providing contact information for the appropriate managing agency, entrance fees, visitor center hours, dog regulations and restroom availability.

Eleven nature essays are also interspersed among the trail listings. Mr Smith offers personal recollections on climbing the Taconic Klippe, rosebays, spring peepers, and eight other related topics.

After the 40 trail descriptions, Nature Walks in Connecticut then offers an appendix with a chapter on the No. 1 outdoor ethics rule: Leave No Trace. Following the listing of trips by theme, another alphabetical listing of walks, management areas and select natural landmarks is offered.

The award-winning author Charles W.G. Smith grew up in Connecticut. Writing Nature Walks in Connecticut, he shares in the book’s Acknowledgements, brought Mr Smith back to places where he grew up years ago.

“None of them is the same, yet every one is home,” he wrote. “As I hiked over some of the trails that I hadn’t been to in decades, the flood of memories always took me by surprise.

“What was equally unexpected was the warm companionship that the remembrances offered,” he continued. “So the first acknowledgements are written to the kids I hiked and explored with growing up around Meriden and Cheshire. I have no idea where you guys are, but I hope you are all well.”

Mr Smith currently lives in the Berkshires with his family. His nature writing has appeared in many publications including Country Journal, Berkshire and New England Monthly. He is the author of Water Trails of Western Massachusetts and the co-author, with Susan A. Smith, of Discover the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Mr Smith also says in his Acknowledgements that the idea of Nature Walks in Connecticut was that of Mr Laubach, “who is always thinking of new things and gets to go to places I wish I could.”

René Laubach is the director of Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wildlife Sanctuaries. Growing up in Michigan, he spent 14 years in museum work before taking on his current duties.

Mr Laubach has authored articles for Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Sanctuary magazine and several scientific journals dealing with birds. With his wife Christyna, and John B. Bowles, Mr Laubach wrote A Guide to the Bats of Iowa, published by The Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

He is also the author of A Guide to the Natural Places in the Berkshire Hills and, with Michael Tougias, the co-author of Nature Walks in Central Massachusetts, also in the AMC’s Nature Walks series.

He co-authored his latest book, Raptor: A Kid’s Guide to Birds of Prey, with his wife and Charles W.G. Smith.

AMC’s Nature Walk Books also include Nature Walks along the Seacoast, Nature Walks in Eastern Massachusetts, More Nature Walks in Eastern Massachusetts, Nature Walks in Central and Western Massachusetts, Nature Walks in the New Hampshire Lakes Region and Nature Walks in the White Mountains.

With an average hike length of three miles – but with many shorter walks and longer hikes to choose from – Nature Walks in Connecticut is an essential guide for beginning hikers, seasoned walkers, and everyone in between who wishes to connect with the natural world that surrounds us.

Connecticut’s Quiet Water

Also available this month is a completely revised and expanded edition of AMC’s best-selling Quiet Water Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island (320 pages, paperback, June 2004, $16.95; ISBN 1-929173-49-0).

With this guide, authors Alex Wilson and John Hayes reveal 100 spectacular ponds, lakes and rivers in southern New England that are ideally suited for canoeing and kayaking. From the marshy coves and inlets of out-of-the-way lakes and ponds to lazy, meandering rivers and estuary channels, the updated guide features nearly twice the number of destinations as the first edition, which was released a decade ago. It offers paddlers of all ages and abilities adventure and enjoyment on the water.

While the book is divided into sections by state, an index also offers alphabetical listings (also by state) of the lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers included in the book.

With its detailed descriptions and at-a-glance locator map, Quiet Water Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island lets paddlers spend more time exploring on the water and less time seeking elusive access.

The authors have already done the hard part – searching for the most beautiful, serene and accessible quietwater paddling areas in the three states.

“This guide will not only lead you to a body of water,” say co-authors Wilson and Hayes, “but also describe why you might want to paddle it. We looked for destinations that have picturesque scenery, limited development and motorized boat traffic, a varied shoreline with lots of coves and inlets to explore, and diverse flora and fauna.”

Each tour description notes the key features of each pond, lake or river, and now includes new summaries that detail the habitat type, length and natural features of each area. The authors have also taken pains to note the flora and fauna paddlers can expect to see.

Like Nature Walks, Quiet Water offers an essay on Leave No Trace, the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships.

Special features of Quiet Waters also include locator maps for easy planning; at-a-glance trip summaries that open each chapter for easy scanning of tour details; driving, parking and put-in directions; local camping and picnicking spots; and photographs of plant life and places of interest.

Alex Wilson is a writer based in Brattleboro, Vt. He is an avid canoeist and naturalist and has co-written three other canoe guides with John Hayes – AMC Quiet Water New Hampshire and Vermont, AMC Quiet Water Canoe Guide: Maine and AMC Quiet Water Canoe Guide: New York.

(Also available in the AMC Quiet Water series is Quiet Water New Jersey.)

Mr Wilson is the publisher of Environmental Building News and is a widely published freelance writer on energy, building technology and environmental issues for such magazines as Architecture, Progressive Architecture, Fine Homebuilding, Popular Science, Home and Consumers Digest.

John Hayes is a former professor of biochemistry and environmental science at Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vt. He has canoed and kayaked in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area, in Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp, and in Florida’s Everglades as well as throughout the Northeast.

When he is not in the classroom Mr Hayes often leads natural history field trips to Central America, Africa, Borneo, the Southwest deserts, the Rockies and the Everglades.

Beginners and experienced paddlers, birdwatchers and anglers, families with children and everyone in between will appreciate the user-friendly, comprehensive guide to southern New England’s best quiet water he and Mr Wilson have re-created.

Sales of any AMC books fund the group’s mission of protecting the Northeast outdoors. Founded in 1876, The Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest and largest outdoor recreation club in the United States. Its 90,000 active outdoor members promote the protection, enjoyment and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Northeast.