When kids grow up in an active home, they become active adults. When their parents embrace the outdoors, they will as well. Taken to extremes, the kids turn into fun-hogs. They live to play outdoors in many different ways. They plan their time around the need to “get after it”.

I have had the pleasure of watching our three children turn into such creatures. They all embraced skiing at an early age, with the youngest, Molly, on skis at 18 months old. All three learned the basics. They took lessons, then progressed to racing. The oldest, RJ, found the woods, park and pipe more to his liking. The girls raced through high school and beyond. All three eventually became instructors or coaches as young adults. As a coach and instructor for over 25 years, I was glad to see that some things resonated with them.

I am what some may consider a Vermonter; I was born and grew up playing in the Green Mountains. Many of my roots are embedded in enjoying what you can find in the outdoor community, especially on a local level. The hiking trails are no exception. I hiked Mt.Mansfield at the ripe young age of five, and grew up regularly hiking Camel’s Hump and Mt. Abraham. Throughout my childhood, my parents would place M&Ms on the trail, that I would “stumble upon” to motivate me to get to the top. Today I don’t need them to leave M&Ms for me to get out and push myself. Instead I fill a bag with 3,000+ calories per day and go out on my own.

The Long Trail is a 272 mile trail along the spine of Vermont’s mountains. Two years ago, I packed up and headed out to complete it. I did 126 miles in a week. Due to subpar weather and a tight schedule I stopped. Not completing what I set out to do was difficult for me, but looking back with the perspective I have now, I know I made the right choice.