Again this year, Hilary Thomson and I attended the Trail Booth during the Wellness Fair on March 14. We listened as people told us about their enjoyment of hiking, and we answered their questions about the 56 miles of hiking trails within the city limits of Concord. The maps of our Concord trails were on display and were of great interest to those who came to visit our booth.
Joan Wiggins of Concord said as soon as the weather turns nice, she will be out hiking every Saturday morning. She is always on the alert for new trails.
When Hope Huntley of Concord goes hiking with her Scottish terrier, she appreciates nature and all the fresh air. She has found the book about the Concord trails to be very helpful.
Laura Brown of Manchester works for the Recreation Department and likes to take her children hiking outdoors because this prevents them from being “too wild in the house.”
Harry Dangora of Londonderry was surprised to learn there are so many trails in Concord.
Rob Belte moved from Boston to the back woods of Hopkinton because that is the best place to live.
Emily Knowlton of Hopkinton came by with Cover Girl, a miniature horse from the Bits Back in the Saddle Therapeutic Riding Stables of Hopkinton. The horse is “house broken” and likes to be around people.
Ginny Babczak is a reference librarian at the Concord Library, where she has worked for the last 12 years. She loves getting outdoors to hike, especially on the Oak Hill trails.
Bob Whatmough of Concord was introduced to hiking when as a college student he was asked to be a chaperone on an organized hike for high school students.
Wade and Stacey Brown like to take their children on the trails that are family-friendly.
Eric Marsh of Boot Camp grew up in the area of Oak Hill and he has taken groups on organized hikes.
Chris Johnston of Penacook goes jogging while pushing his 10-month-old son, Timothy, in a three-wheeler cart that has large bicycle wheels. “It is awesome,” he said.
Janet Dineen, a former Marine who works for SeviceLink, said she knows what it is to live in military base housing, but she has always made sure her children get out and about. “I am not a video game mom,” she declared.
Chistopher Emond, director of the Concord Boys and Girls Club, has arranged for some of the teen club members to help in maintaining the trails and he said, “They always have a blast.”
Marc Lacroix, director of Specialty Services, delights in taking his golden retriever with him on hikes in Merrill Park.
Allwyanne Fine, a member of Always An Adventure, has gone on several trips that include extensive hiking.
Mike McPherson of Concord said that in his work he has stumbled onto some of the trails in Concord, but now that he has a book of the trail maps it will be much easier for him to locate the trails.
Gloria Vogelzane from the Concord Planning office is waiting until after the mud season to do any serious hiking.
Mary Newberry of East Concord is fond of hiking up to the fire tower on the Oak Hill Trail.
David Pittelli of Concord is anticipating hikes with his two children this summer.
From our conversations with all those who visited our Trail Booth, there is ample evidence that hiking is a popular activity to promote wellness and enjoy nature. Anyone interested in obtaining a book of the Concord trail maps can contact Becky Hebert, senior planner for the city of Concord, at 225-8515.
