White Mountains – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Hiking Mt Adams

Five years ago I was hiking Mt. Adams in the White Mountains, but I turned back about 60 feet from the summit because high winds made me struggle to stay upright. Those 60 feet mattered so I never checked it off the list in my attempt to climb all the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire.

Second Attempt Hiking Mt Adams

Recently I decided to try again. To make things interesting I opted to take King’s Ravine trail, known for being one of the more challenging trails in the White Mountains. It is on the Terrifying 25 list. That means it has slides, rock scrambles, and boulder caves. It sounded fun. Plus it had an option to detour onto a trail called the Subway which provided the opportunity to climb over rocks, squeeze through some tight tunnels, throw your pack up on a rock and spin around underneath it and pull yourself though and then grab your pack and continue on. We were all scrapped up after the Subway but smiling and pleased with ourselves.

Unusual Circumstances

That morning before we knew the fun of the rock tunnels, we were greeted at the trailhead by a legitimate-looking […]

Hiking Mt AdamsMaggie Downie2019-11-08T10:17:12-05:00

Workout Outside

When you workout in nature you are more likely to enjoy it, feel less pain, and move longer. “Green space” or the great outdoors motivates us to move. “Blue space”—somewhere near water—increases the gains even more. Step outside to exercise, and you just may find yourself skipping for joy! When you workout outside, it doesn’t feel like a workout at all. Well…

Here are a few places I love to move outside. Please share your favorites in the comments!

Old Wethersfield, CT

This combines green space (with exceptionally large 300-year-old trees lining the streets) and the blue space (with the Wethersfield Cove). In addition you get to feel like you have stepped back in time surrounded by historic homes. Walk Main Street, the Broad Street Green, Hartford Avenue, and Garden Street. As an added bonus, it’s all flat.

Airline Trail

This was a new discovering for me, but it is great for walking, running, or biking. There are multiple points of access throughout the state of Connecticut. I started in Colchester, CT, and the walk was absolutely lovely.

Devil’s Hopyard

Start by a waterfall and then take a short (maybe 45 minute), easy trail to an […]

Workout OutsideMaggie Downie2019-05-24T16:13:22-04:00

Travel Sites & Places to Visit

Movement is what enables us to do all the things we enjoy in life. Eating is movement. Breathing is movement. Talking is movement. For me, one of my favorite ways to move it to travel the globe. Here is a sampling of some of the travel sites that still make me smile when they cross my mind:

Favorite Trips:

Salt Flats in Bolivia:

Stand in the center of the salt flats and all you see is white to the horizon line. You can play games with perspective in pictures. I’d love to return in rainy season when the white salt with a layer of water reflects that sky and people upon it.

Hot Springs in Pamukale, Turkey:

As you approach the hot springs it looks like people are soaking in snowcapped inlets on a mountainside. The reality is more like hard baking soda surrounding warm blue baths. It’s quite unique. In Yellowstone there is a smaller version of something similar […]

Travel Sites & Places to VisitMaggie Downie2019-05-10T14:11:11-04:00

Hiking Alone

Heading to the trail-head alone.

I can’t explain why but I needed to go hiking alone. I felt compelled to hike in the White Mountains all by myself. For some people this may be no big deal. When I’m hiking, I see lone hikers all the time. And now I wonder if their moms are as worried about them as mine was about me. Because mine was pretty worried. If cell service allowed I promised to text her practically hourly. Luckily for her sanity there was service the entire hike. It made me feel safer too.

Part of my reason for hiking the White Mountains alone was practical. I didn’t feel like planning. I was going to be half way there after working in Boston, and I didn’t want to have to drive back to Connecticut to meet friends and drive back. Matt was traveling for work. But for all those excuses there was something else drawing me.

The White Mountains is one of my favorite places to spend time. I wanted it to myself for a moment. I’m comfortable there. The hikes are challenging and you can get […]

Hiking AloneMaggie Downie2017-12-29T20:01:34-05:00