July's Newsletter

JULY’S NEWSLETTER Aeolus the beagle update: With the hiking season in full swing, I have the happiest dog in Vermont. He has the biggest smile on his cute face on the way to work, meeting hikers and all day hiking and kayaking. Aeolus gets so excited to meet new hikers wagging his tail and wiggling his butt. A hiker came back a week later after departing when she was driving through to Maine and Aeolus recognized her and started crying. He has such a friendly and loving personality. After the long days hiking and kayaking, Aeolus goes straight to corner of sofa and naps till 8pm when I wake him to go outside to the bathroom. Then he comes back in, maybe eats a little and then sleeps until morning. It’s funny watching the dog dreams with his legs kicking, snorting noises, tail wagging, he must be having some kind of dream. When I poke him sleeping, he makes this funny noise that sounds like “why are you bothering me, please stop I’m exhausted”. On the trail, he’s keeping pretty close, not running away and disappearing for a few minutes. I guess Aeolus is getting slower in his old age of four. Except in Woodstock last week he starting barking crazy getting on a scent, then he chased after a deer. He was gone 10 minutes before he returned to desperate pleas to “come”. He sure does love any stream, puddle, mud hole, and body of water, he will just jump in explore, grab a drink, roll in mud, he doesn’t mind getting dirty. While kayaking, he just loves it smiling the whole time, however his balance is rusty and he fell off a bit more than regular on the river. I guess he needs to get his kayak legs under him with a few more river trips. Aeolus is named after a cave where myself and a friend dug open a blocked passage discovering the largest cave in New England back in 2000. The cave is located just north of Manchester, VT and named after the mountain, Mount Aeolus. Aeolus or Eolus (Greek: Aiolos [jjolos]), was the Custodian of the winds in Greek mythology. A minor deity, he is the son of a king called Hippotes, and lived on one of the rocky Lipara islands, close to Sicily. In the caves on this island were imprisoned the winds, and Aeolus, directed by the higher gods, let out these winds as soft breezes, gales, or whatever the higher gods wished. Being visited by the Greek hero Odysseus, Aeolus received him favorably, and on the hero’s departure presented Odysseus with a bag containing all the adverse winds, so that his friend might reach Ithaca with a fair wind. Odysseus did as Aeolus bid, but in sight of his homeland, having been untroubled by foul weather, he fell asleep and his men, curious, opened the bag, thus releasing all the fierce winds, which blew their ship far off course (Odyssey X, 2; Vigil I, 52). Hiking Tip: After Extended Use: Clean, Condition, Waterproof Here are three types of footwear-care products. Here’s guidance for when and how often to use them: Cleaner: Use a cleaner when preparing to apply waterproofing, or any time stubborn residue (dust, mud, grime) is visible on the upper. Use a cleaner periodically. You always want to clean boots after a hike, but a simple brush-off or a rinse-and-wipe is usually sufficient. But if boots are muddy or really dusty, adding a footwear-specific cleaner will optimize your effort. Tip: Always clean boots thoroughly before applying waterproofing. Conditioner: Use a conditioner when full-grain leather boots appear dry or cracked. It can also be used if new footwear needs to be broken in quickly. Use a conditioner judiciously. Healthy leather (like our own skin) functions best when moisturized. Yet too much conditioner can make boots too soft, reducing the support they provide on rugged terrain. Do not use Mink Oil or similar oils better suited for logging/industrial boots; it over-softens dry-tanned leather used in hiking footwear. Waterproofing: Use a waterproofing treatment when water does not speedily bead up and roll off a boot’s surface, allowing water to sink into the exterior layer. Use it as needed. The frequency depends on how hard you use your boots. It is not uncommon for serious trail hounds that do a lot of wet-weather hiking to apply waterproofing several times a year. ATA’s Dvd Recommendation: Yoga Is: A Transformational Journey This is the story of a woman who thought she had it all … until she lost her beloved mother to cancer. Trying to process and understand her profound grief, Suzanne Bryant embarks on a spiritual journey and turns to a deeper practice of yoga. 2012 PG 62 mins Healthful Living Tips: What Can I Do to Reduce My Risk of Skin Cancer? Protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. UV rays from the sun can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow. Indoor tanning (using a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan) exposes users to UV radiation. The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Daylight Saving Time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) are the most hazardous for UV exposure outdoors in the continental United States. UV rays from sunlight are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America. CDC recommends easy options for protection from UV radiation: Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours. Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck. Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Avoid indoor tanning. Healthful Living Recipe: Salmon salad Salmon salad served on tangy pumpernickel bread makes for an easy dinnerùa double batch will give you lunch the next day. Makes: 4 sandwiches, Active Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 15 minutes 2- 6 to 7ounce cans boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained 1/4 cup minced red onion 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufch 8 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted 8 slices tomato 2 large leaves romaine lettuce, cut in half Combine salmon, onion, lemon juice, oil and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each of 4 slices of bread. Spread 1/2 cup salmon salad over the cream cheese. Top with 2 tomato slices, a piece of lettuce and another slice of bread. Nutrition: Per serving: 286 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 34 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 22 g protein; 4 g fiber; 645 mg sodium; 262 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Folate (22% daily value), Iron & Vitamin C (17% dv), source of omega-3s. Carbohydrate Servings: 2 Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat ATA’s Recent Press Release Vermont’s premier hiking spa Appalachian Trail Adventures announces an affordable hiking and kayaking vacation for the spring, summer and fall, please visit PRWEB to read the release ATA’s Facebook & YouTube Links ATA’s Facebook page helps guests keep in touch and recommend us to their friends. Check out ATA’s Facebook Page for weekly photos, videos and our YouTube Page. Appalachian Trail Adventures (ATA) offers a distinctive adventure vacation with guided daily hiking, kayaking, and caving in the Green Mountains of Vermont that targets families and individuals who are adventurers, families, and those seeking an active vacation, including hikers who do not feel comfortable hitting the trails alone. ATA provides an affordable all-inclusive hiking or fitness vacation giving a real Vermont outdoor adventure. That’s why it has the best hiking vacation at the lowest possible prices, starting at $232.00 per night, per person, including taxes and gratuities. Unlike most spas, ATA’s owner John Keough is engaged daily with the guests, encouraging them on the trail and kayaking. ATA offers a variety of options to help customize one’s vacation. The most common is the Hiking Vacation that consists of an air-conditioned room with three daily spa meals, snacks, a guided novice, intermediate or advanced hike and an afternoon of kayaking, an excursion or caving. Massages, yoga classes and tennis lessons are available a la carte. The Summit Lodge Long considered Killington’s classic four-season resort hotel, the Summit Lodge is an ideal destination for your Vermont vacation that is why ATA has chosen it for their home base. Located in the heart of Killington, the lodge is situated high on a private knoll with magnificent views of Vermont’s second highest mountain and the surrounding Green Mountains. With eleven acres and forty-five comfortable rooms, the facilities and grounds are extensive including an outdoor heated pool, Jacuzzi whirlpool, saunas, weight room, five tennis courts, massage therapy, a library, two restaurants and bars, duck pond, game room, a bocci court, horseshoes and shuffleboard. A sit down breakfast and a bag lunch are supplied by the Summits chef, while dinner is served at the Foundry Restaurant. The Foundry Restaurant The Foundry Restaurant’s Executive Chef Sean Miller has created a delicious spa menu for ATA hikers who are seeking healthier meals. The menu is able to cater to special dietary restrictions such as vegan, low sugar, sodium-, wheat- and dairy-free options. This enables ATA to accommodate couples, athletes, weight loss vacationers, as well as all those with no dietary restrictions who seek to eat healthily. Located on the banks of the Summit Pond, The Foundry offers a distinct year-round dining experience. In addition to the ATA hikers’ menu, The Foundry offers two menu options: an American Bistro-Style menu in its formal dining room, as well as a more casual Tavern menu in the bar. Their impeccable chef-driven cuisine provides guests the finest cuts of prime meats, fresh seafood, homemade pastas and much more. They use the freshest ingredients to create mouthwatering appetizers, flavorful side dishes and irresistible desserts, designed to engage all of your senses. The Foundry experience focuses on providing un-paralleled hospitality in a warm and relaxing setting. In addition to its dining options, The Foundry offers live entertainment regularly and is host to many of the area’s events.