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1.07.08
Wait Til This Year
Admit it: You made getting out more one of your New Year’s
Resolutions. Well, that’s one resolution you can keep. And, to help you out,
here are six ways to get more outdoor adventure in your life in 2008.
Jump ‘N Raft –
Millinocket, Maine – If rafting Class V whitewater by itself isn’t
thrilling enough, combine it with jumping out of a plane at 11,000 feet.
That’s what the folks at Maine’s Jump ‘N Raft offer their guests.
On Day One you’ll jump out of plane next to Mount Katahdin and enjoy
some of New England’s best scenery while you plummet toward the earth.
Day Two you’ll get your adrenaline fix as you raft Class V whitewater on
the Penobscot River. (Weekdays $279; Weekends $299;
www.jumpnraft.com;
877-586-7672)
A forest pond reflects the image of
Mount Deception
along New Hampshire's Cohos Trail. (John Richardson Photo)
Take
An Epic Hike – Cohos Trail, New Hampshire –
After being developed for years, New England’s newest long-distance
trail is scheduled to be completed this year. The 162-mile Cohos
Trail winds through the most isolated, unpopulated, wild places in
northernmost New Hampshire. Along the way, four 4,000-footers make up
some of the more than 30 mountain peaks on the trail. The Cohos features
waterfalls, artic tundra, sheer cliffs and still-wild sections of the
Connecticut River. (www.cohostrail.org)
Learn To Surf –
Nantucket, Massachusetts – Everyone has imagined themselves surfing
at one time or another. So this year make it reality. Head out to the
island of Nantucket where Christian del Rosario of Nantucket Surfari
will immerse you in the surfing lifestyle. Surfari has programs for
everyone from beginners to advanced surfers, and offerings include day
sessions, overnight sessions, hourly lessons, private guided surfaris
and more. (www.nantucketsurfari.com;
508-228-1235)
 Ride
Highland Mountain – Northfield, New Hampshire
– A pilgrimage to Highland Mountain Bike Park is a must for any
New England mountain biker. The region’s premier bike park features
gnarly downhill trails, ladder drops, trail fractures, table-top jump
lines and more. And it’s a lift-serviced mountain.
Check out what it's
like to ride at Highland on YouTube.
($35 day pass; $299 season pass;
www.highlandmountain.com;
603-286-7677)
Run An Adventure Race
– Somers, Connecticut – Hundreds
— if
not thousands —
of races of all kinds are held throughout New England each year, from
3-mile trail races to 100-mile endurance runs. If you want to dabble in
adventure racing, a good one to start with is the Soapstone Assault
in Connecticut’s Shenipsit State Forest. Tentatively scheduled for July
20 this year, the Assault is a 5.5-mile race with half a dozen up and
down trips to the top of Soapstone Mountain. The cumulative climb is
roughly 1,800 feet up and 1,500 feet down. Of course, if you want
something more challenging, there’s always Vermont’s
Jay Challenge, one of
the world’s toughest multi-sport events. But, then again, one step at a
time. (http://www.shenipsitstriders.org/)
Ski Tuckerman
Ravine – Mount Washington, New Hampshire – Tucks is
not for the faint-of-heart. The sight of The Wall can be
intimidating as hell. Skiers have to hike several hours up the east face
of Mount Washington with all their equipment to run it. Then there’s the
threat of avalanches, the scary weather (it IS Mount Washington,
after all), and the 45- to 55-degree pitches. But, then again, maybe
that’s all part of the thrill of running New England’s coolest slope.
(www.timefortuckerman.com)
-D.M.
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