National Trails Day Backpacking Adventure

Join Reach Your Summit for a 2 Day/1 Night one-of-a-kind backpacking adventure to celebrate National Trails Day! Channel your inner Benton MacKaye (CT native, Wilderness Society co-founder, visionary & creator of the Appalachian Trail) on this challenging 39.3 mile loop backpacking trip as we connect a National Scenic Trail, various hiking trails, pathways, and more. This trip will offer a deeper connection to ourselves, nature, each other and the communities through which we travel. Highlights include: West Mountain, McLean Game Refuge, Farmington Canal Heritage & Farmington River Trails, the New England Trail, land trust properties, state parks and more. This trip coincides with the 50th Anniversary of our National Trails System.

This trip will include educational segments on skills, but our primary objective will be an exciting adventure. It is open to all though you will most likely find it suitable if you are:

- Beginner backpacker who has a high level of fitness

- Intermediate backpacker who wants to improve skills and modernize gear

- Advanced backpacker wanting to hone in on specifics and have an adventure in the mountains

Other considerations for this trip:

- You should enjoy hiking at a relatively fast pace and enjoy more time on the trail than at camp

- You look forward to climbing and descending peaks, passes and ridgelines

- You are comfortable carrying a 20+ lb pack for 15-20 miles a day

Group size is 5. RSVP is required. Waiver/Assumption of Risk documents are required before participation and can be signed electronically or in person the day of this trip. This event will be held rain or shine.

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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me: Mat, matjobin@reachyoursummit.net

Cost: Free

What's Included:

- 5 Star backpacking guiding and instruction

- Permit and/or campsite permit (reservations)

What's Not Included:

- Transportation

- Personal gear and supplies

- Meals, snacks and food

What Will You Learn:

- Trip planning

- Gear selection

- On-trail & Off-trail navigation

- Basic Map-reading

- Operation of compass

- Layering

- Foot care & Footwear

- Food planning and nutrition

- Hydration

- Water quality assessment & treatment

- Campsite selection

- Shelter setups

- Stove operation

- How to pack a backpack

- Bear bag hanging

- Wildlife precautions and encounters

What To Expect:

Exact trip details (meeting location, time, etc) will be specified weeks or even months before your trip. The itinerary below is simply meant to help you plan your travel and to better understand how the trip will flow.

First Day

- Meet at our entry point 10am

- Make introductions

- Distribute group food

- Distribute group gear

- Check personal gear, supplies & make final decisions

- Begin hiking

- Learn & discuss navigation, Leave No Trace Principles, water treatment, first aid, gear repair, foot care

- Arrive at camp, learn and discuss campsite selection, campsite setup, bear bag hanging, fire starting (if regulations allow), pre-meal meditation

- Meal, clean-up

- Personal time/lights out

Second Day

- Breakfast, campsite breakdown

- Hike

- Around noon +/-1 or 2 hours arrive back to entry point

- Sort through personal and group gear

- Final group meal (optional)

- Goodbyes

Why Should You Join This Trip:

This is a one-of-a-kind experience that will not only teach you fundamentals of backpacking, but will also help you leave feeling confident, strong, creative, relaxed and ready for the next adventure. Many of us have limited opportunities to backpack in beautiful places. This weekend is focused on you and providing you with a creative and enhanced experience. You will be kept on your toes, but be under the guidance of a reputable, credible and accomplished professional guide who wants to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable for you at a high level.

Save time and money. Avoid spending hundreds of dollars on gear and learning to backpack the hard way. Learn hands-on skills that will make backpacking fun, not work. You’ll learn trip planning techniques to make the process less stressful and overwhelming. Enjoy your backpacking experiences more. Get experience-backed information that is tailored to you, your preferences, your experience and your budget. Try out gear, see things and learn about them before going out and buying it yourself.

Avoid learning things the hard way and enjoy a safe, comfortable wild experience.

*This is a free event sponsored by Reach Your Summit. Guide services are complimentary, equipment & transportation are not provided. Thank you to the following organizations who support this special event:

Connecticut Forest & Park Association

McLean Game Refuge

Simsbury Land Trust

The Master's School

CFPA Event Link: https://www.ctwoodlands.org/ct-trails-weekend/events-2018/simsbury-multi-day-backpacking-record-4277