Anyone here going to Mt. Holyoke next year?

[ShelterLeopard]

I know this is a weird and super specific question (and if it is in the wrong place, Mods, please feel free to move it): Are there any hikers here who will be going to Mount Holyoke next year? Even better, anyone who will be starting in January 2012 instead of the typical September entry? I'm looking for someone with whom to thru hike the Long Trail in September, and it would be amazing if I could find someone I'll be going to school with. It isn't decided for sure that I'm going to Holyoke (it is between MH and Oberlin), and I know it is a long shot to think anyone on here falls into that very specific category, but I thought I'd try. Anyone?

(PS- Mods, if I don't get any responses within 3-4 days, I'll put a new post up that says "please delete me!")

[mattenylou]

ShelterLeopard, I'm not planning on returning to school at this point in my life, but best of luck with your studies at Mount Holyoke.

Are you familiar with the Metacomet Monadnock Trail? It's just a stones throw from your school. I walked many sections of it over the years before becoming disabled.

Check it out - http://amcberkshire.org/mm-trail

[ShelterLeopard]

At the young age of 62?!? Come on! I'll have to check it out- thanks.

[ShelterLeopard]

Amazing- and it is the perfect length to do during a long break!!!

[Snowleopard]

Mt. Holyoke has a mountain range named after it (or vice versa), which seems promising: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/hksp.htm
Why not contact MH's outing club:
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/index.html?alpha=O
There are also activities through the Five Colleges (Mt.H, Smith, Amherst, UMass, and Hampshire).

I don't know S. Hadley very well, but Amherst and Northampton have a lot going on for their size.

Ryan Linn hiked the New England Trail that goes over Mt. Holyoke, 800 miles Canada/NH border to LI sound: http://www.netrail.org/
His blog about the trip: http://guthook.blogspot.com/search/l...ngland%20Trail

There's a lot more hiking in New England than just the AT and LT. Good luck.

[mattenylou]

I remembered this online M&M trail journal, fun to read. It took him a week to hike the trail.

He crossed the Westfield River on an inflatable pool raft, yikes!

http://sites.google.com/site/johnklebes/day1

[ShelterLeopard]

Snowleopard- is the New England Trail finished? I've never heard of it! It sounds great.

[Snowleopard]

Snowleopard- is the New England Trail finished? I've never heard of it! It sounds great.

There's some gaps in it with road walks and places where camping is not allowed. It's a clever piecing together of existing trails. From Canada, it follows the Cohos Trail to the Whites, then follows White Mt trails south. I think the section from a ways south of the Whites to Mt. Sunapee has road walking and problems with camping. Guthook's blog has a lot about the experience.

The Cohos Trail is supposed to be pretty special and not crowded, but I haven't been on it.http://www.cohostrail.org/overview.html

[guthook]

Snowleopard- is the New England Trail finished? I've never heard of it! It sounds great.

ShelterLeopard, western Mass is a pretty good place to be as a hiker. Not as many big mountains as northern NH and VT, but the Holyoke Range is pretty sweet, as is the M-M Trail, Monadnock, and a bunch of the other little hills with trails not far from there.

The New England Trail has some completed parts and some not complete parts. The Cohos Trail has been undergoing a ton of work in the past few years, and it's a great place to hike. The M-M Trail also gets a lot of work, but it's mostly complete and also very nice for some walks in the woods (not always easy to follow, though). The Monadnock Sunapee Greenway is very complete, and very pretty, but not too challenging (nothing wrong with that in my mind). If you end up at Mount Holyoke, I think you'll have plenty of opportunities for getting out on some very nice trails.

[ShelterLeopard]

Thanks Guthook- sounds like I won't be having any trouble finding a place for my restless feet!

[Chillfactor]

Congratulations! You have the choice of 2 excellent colleges. The best fit for you ISthe one to pick. Money is always a factor but you know these things.
I attended Mt Holyoke as a Francis Perkins scholar (a non traditional student over age 26) and graduated in '07. It was a wonderful experience. There is Mountain Day at MHC, a random day without classes when the willing climb Mt Holyoke; others decide to sleep all day. There's a great outdoor club with lots of resources and there will be plenty of opportunities for hiking trips within the 5 colleges.
You might be wise to start classes in September if you're able. There's a 6 weeks break after Christmas (J-term) when you'll be able to hike with people you'll meet.

[shaman.in.a.yurt]

I'm going to re-state some of what people have said; though it really depends on what sort of job or university you are applying to, as well as how you can argue your AT experience's value to that job/program.

Concepts of planning, determination and commitment can come from a thru-hike, along with many other qualities. Speaking personally as someone who has managed people in a couple professional outdoor recreation settings, a thru-hike will certainly set you apart. Just be able to show those skills you picked up and how they may be beneficial, to either a job or school (outdoor education/recreation or not).

While larger corporations may your time on the Trail as a waste, these people wouldn't know how to really live if it wasn't for money and the 'American dream'. Prolly not the kind of place you want to work anyways....

Basically, any experience is helpful. But it's important how you tie that experience into what you're going after.

[JF2CBR]

Well, I'm not planning on going to school in the fall but I am planning on hiking the LT in September! Maybe I'll see you in Vermont!