Out Doors
by Elizabeth Bassett

The Best Things in Life…

Earlier this month a dumpster yawned outside our door, swallowing up worn-out roof shingles. Two days later the steel container brimmed with broken toys, collapsed chairs, foam rubber mattresses nibbled by mice, and skis too old to be donated or sold. Things, things, things.
Which nudged me toward my annual cornucopia of holiday-giving ideas, focused on gifts that are not necessarily things. Or else things that last a very long time.
Gifts of experience: no wrapping and nothing to break or be eaten by mice. If you are clever, you may even get to share in the pleasure. Lessons for ice skating or skiing. Concert, movie or theater tickets. How about curling lessons! At the Ice Barn in Milton the Green Mountain Curling Club will introduce you to the sport. For $25 you can learn the basics of throwing the stones, sweeping and generally playing the game. Check it out at greenmountaincurlingclub.org.
Gift of food: We all need to eat. A meal at a favorite eatery, a certificate for groceries or a check to the Charlotte Food Shelf. City Market, Healthy Living and Fresh Market all feature out-of-the ordinary prepared foods. City Market cooks up a dizzying menu of veggies. Support a local restaurant. I’m partial to those that participate in Vermont Fresh Network (VermontFresh.net). In Charlotte the list includes Bloomfield Farm, Nitty Gritty Grains of Vermont and Pizza On Earth. Shelburne’s 17 participants are too numerous to list. These vendors support local farms and producers, keeping the money we spend in Vermont.
Help Around the House or Yard: Cost – nothing. Value – priceless. Gentlemen, did you read Chris Bohjalian’s recent column about domestic chores being a low-cost aphrodisiac? Imagine, getting gift credit, too!
At this time of year we read about (or worse, experience) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression brought about by winter darkness. Research is revealing what our mothers knew all along, that exercise and fresh air work wonders on mental health.
Snowshoe: Snowshoe even when there’s almost no snow, or in a fresh dump that’s too deep to navigate on skis. Shoe from your back door or on many of the preserved open lands in Charlotte. Just about anyone who can walk can snowshoe. Shoes are widely available at local bricks-and-mortar stores as well as online. If you have never been on snowshoes go to a local shop and ask questions. Unlike Alpine skis that become obsolete, snowshoes can last for decades (mine have). Get a pair that is appropriate to your size, skills and needs. Variables include bindings, materials, size and crampons. The most basic plastic models for kids start at $30, and new adult snowshoes can be found for about $100. Used ones may be cheaper.
Ice skates new and used: If you are still straining your ankles in mother’s hand-me-downs (this would be me), you may be surprised to learn that skates have changed. New models are warmer and offer more support. While there is certainty in indoor rinks, the joy of gliding over a lake or pond on sunny days knows few equals. Nordic skating, a bit like cross-country skiing on ice, has become very popular. Because it requires vast expanses of ice (unlike pond skating), the aficionados’ website is an excellent source for current ice conditions on Vermont lakes (groups.yahoo.com/group/VTNordicSkating).
Nordic (cross-country) and Alpine (downhill) skiing: Season passes or day tickets make great gifts. Alpine tickets can be very pricey. Be on the lookout for supermarket purchases, Vermonter days, cards that afford discounts on day tickets. Season passes may cause sticker shock, but if you ski a lot, consider it an investment in your winter mental health and fitness. Nordic season passes start at $60 at Rikert Ski Touring Center at Middlebury, $160 at Bolton, $165 at Sleepy Hollow (ten-visit punch card $115), and $200 at Trapp’s. The best deals for ski passes of all types may be in the spring.
Walking: Two regional walking books published in 2009 are good investments in year-round outdoor activity, the Green Mountain Club’s The Walker’s Guide to Vermont ($14.95) and Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont and the Champlain Valley ($16.95) by this writer. Each serves a different purpose and has a place on my bookshelf. The Walker’s Guide is a statewide, encyclopedic listing of 131 walks compiled by Green Mountain Club volunteers. Each listing includes driving and walking directions and a short description. A handful of walks have maps. Nature Walks details natural and human history on 42 family-friendly outings, all within about an hour of Burlington. Each walk has driving and walking directions, lengthy description, map and photos. Both are available at area bookstores, including the Flying Pig in Shelburne and Brown Dog Books and Gifts in Hinesburg. Nature Walks is also available at the Old Brick Store.
Membership in the Green Mountain Club (greenmountainclub.org) pays dividends. The GMC maintains and protects the 272-mile Long Trail and more than 175 miles of side trails available to the hiking public. More tangible benefits include notification of hikes led by knowledgeable volunteers, member rates for GMC workshops (learn winter hiking or how to be safe in the woods), and discounts at some inns and outdoors stores.
Catamount Trail Association (catamounttrail.org): I just received a fat packet from CTA, non-profit guardian of Vermont’s long-distance, cross-country ski trail. Membership supports land acquisition, trail maintenance and a host of activities. Members receive discount coupons at retailers for both Alpine and Nordic day tickets (you can easily recoup your membership cost) and mountain bike venues.
Raven Ridge: The Vermont Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy are scrambling before a year-end deadline to fund conservation of a magnificent 365-acre expanse of land that straddles Charlotte, Hinesburg and Monkton. The extraordinary parcel hosts a long list of natural treasures, and its conservation would insure public access. Consider honoring someone who loves the outdoors with a gift: The Nature Conservancy, 27 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. Please note Raven Ridge on your check.
Remember, the best things in life are not always things.

Elizabeth Bassett is author of Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont and the Champlain Valley, NatureWalksVermont.com.