The fall is one of the best times of the year to get out and learn the ins and outs of backpacking. For those new to this activity, doing it during the best time of year helps sell the sport by providing the best memories. Redline Guide Arlette Laan knows this well. She loves teaching this class throughout the season but doing it in the fall often results in our guests coming back to us wanting more — if not yet doing it on their own. Though we do equip them with the know-how, going out with Arlette is so much fun they want to enjoy the social side of it more than once.
She leads these trips to various locations throughout the WMNF but led this particular women’s-only backpacking introduction on a favored traverse traveling from Ethan Pond Trail to the Zealand Trail trailhead. It’s a great one, on many levels, to be sure. The predictable result was, in the words of Arlette, “a gorgeous weekend with a great group and amazing fall colors.” The following photos support this:
