For The Great Outdoors

By Jan Howard

For residents who enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and riding horses, either for exercise or to find peace and enjoy the beauty of nature, there is good news.

The first 50 copies of the newest version of the ever-popular Newtown Trails Book are now available at the C.H. Booth Library for $15 each. Also, in recognition of the hard work of its authors in updating and revising the book, 182 books relating to outdoor pursuits will be added to the library’s nonfiction collection through a generous donation of the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library.

This fifth edition of the Trails Book, sponsored, published, and marketed by the Friends, has been revised and updated over the past year by residents Mary Mitchell and Albert Goodrich, who wrote the original Trails Book in 1991 and revised and updated all editions since. Profits from the book benefit the Friends of the Library.

One hundred updated texts will be available.

In recognition of all the work that Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich have done, the Friends of the Library recently voted to present a check for $2,000 to the library to purchase outdoor recreation books in their honor.

Friends President Mary Maki presented the check on July 31 to Director Janet Woycik and Reference Librarian Beryl Harrison.

“Now your efforts will be known forever,” Mrs Maki said to Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich. “We really appreciate you folks.”

Book plates in their honor will be placed in each of the new books.

When asked how much time they devoted to walking and marking trails and working on the book, Mr Goodrich said, “I enjoy it. It would spoil it to keep track of the time.”

“It gives us a sense of personal discovery of a place. It’s fun to find something ourselves and do something so others can enjoy it,” Mrs Mitchell said.

According to Jae Douglas of the library, 182 books have been ordered in honor of Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich. Once received, the books will be displayed in the foyer for about a month. They will be available for circulation during that time.

Some of the book titles are Canoeing Mass., RI and CT, How to Rock Climb, Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation, Snowshoeing, Backpacker’s Handbook, 100 Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains, Wilderness First Aid – When You Can’t Call 911, Campfire Songs, Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’, and many more.

The first 50 copies of Newtown Trails 2000 were hand-folded and assembled by Mrs Mitchell, Mr Goodrich, Mrs Maki, and Ray Maki, and completed on July 27. The remainder of the 1,000 books, in the process of being folded and assembled, will be available soon.

Trails described in the book are located on town, state, and land trust properties.

For the 2000 edition, Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich added maps and text for three new trail areas, including the Nettleton Preserve on Castle Hill Road, Holcombe Hill Preserve on Great Hill and Birch Hill roads, and Deep Brook Greenway on the former Fairfield Hills Hospital grounds.

Mrs Mitchell and Mr Goodrich have walked all the trails described in the book. Mr Goodrich spent last summer mapping Huntington State Park, Mrs Mitchell noted. Two contested Newtown trail entrances had to be removed from the existing map.

Other changes include an extension of the trails in the Henry Preserve and Rocky Glen State Park and the renaming of the Upper Paugussett Forest Road after Polly Brody to recognize the vital part she played in Newtown’s acquiring that property.

Two trails have also been deleted in the 2000 edition, the Brunot Preserve because of vandalism and another off Purdy Station Road because of pending litigation regarding an access strip.

Copies of Trails Book 2000 will be available at the annual Labor Day book sale, the library, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Department of Environmental Protection book store in Hartford.