Trail Magic An inside look at the hiking scene in Southern Vermont
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER
“ The best thing about hiking is the people that you meet along the way ,” muses Matt Derrickson , as he reclines in a wooden chair outside of a packed eatery in downtown Manchester . Several other hikers surround him as he speaks , sharing stories of adventures past as they take inventory of their supplies . “ My girlfriend and I started our journey up at the Canadian border at the northern end of the Long Trail ,” says Derrickson . “ We met some other hikers several dozen miles north of here at the juncture of the
Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail near Rutland . They were coming down through Vermont from Maine . We ’ ve been hiking together for the last few days , and we ’ ve had a really great time . We ’ re going to finish our trip down at the Massachusetts border at the southern end of the Long Trail , and they ’ re going to keep going and follow the Appalachian trail even further down south .”
Derrickson is an accomplished hiker who has been active in the trail hiking scene for years . He has also served as a “ Ridge Runner ” for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy . “ I would hike for five days at a time when I was working as a Ridge Runner ,” recalls Derrickson . “ I would take notes on the number of people I saw camping during that time , whether or not they were picking up their trash , and whether there were any downed trees or other hazards that were present around the trails . I would file weekly reports and send them off to the conservancy , who would catalogue the reports , prioritize
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