Hiking, Beer, and the Great Outdoors: A Journey through New England with Carey Kish

Howard Fox [00:00:06]:

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the outdoor adventure series podcast where we celebrate individuals and families, businesses, and organizations that seek out and promote the exploration, stewardship, conservation, access, and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Carrie Kish is our guest on the outdoor adventure series today. Carrie is an outdoor enthusiast, a travel writer, hiker, and a beer enthusiast, and he is passionate about pairing the perfect New England Trail with the perfect beer. Now this comes through in his new book, Beer Hiking New England.

Cary, it's a pleasure to have you on the outdoor event series podcast. Welcome.

Carey [00:00:46]:

Wow. Certainly nice to be honest with you, Howard. Looking forward to it. This should be a lot of fun. Fantastic.

Howard Fox [00:00:55]:

And I I have to give a quick shout-out to A mutual friend of ours, Jeff Al, who introduced us when I interviewed him a couple weeks back on his podcast episode, which will have up the get to know you segment this week. And then when he said I have to introduce you to this guy, Kerry. He's a good friend of mine. He's in -- Double 18 through Hiker. Yeah. He's a through Hiker? Yeah. Oh, I I've just again, III think I had shared while we were for parade to to turn the mic on to record as I sit at my desk a lot, and I'm and then you got Mount Catawdin in your in at your your your background. So the folks, when they see they get to know you segment, they're gonna say, who well, there's Cary. I get who he is, but what is he sitting in front of there? And it's that's Mount Catawdin.

Carey [00:01:47]:

And not only that well, that's kind of the knife edge behind me. The probably the wildest, most spectacular, 1.1 miles of trail in the eastern United States.

Howard Fox [00:01:57]:

So -- Wow. Now I I've gotta ask you, again, for our listeners, you're gonna see this in the get to know you segment Is that the side that you walk up, or is there another do you walk up in the back? How do you get up there? Well, there is about 656

Carey [00:02:13]:

different ways to get up, it's hiding. Okay. And behind me is Pomola. Exactly. You can get up from chimney bond or Roaring Brook. Then you come across the nightbed. You can also come up from the the southwestern side, be the Appalachian Trail, the hot trail, or the Abel trail, or you can come up from chimney pond via the saddle trail or the Cathedral trail. So there's a bunch of different ways to get up to the top None of them aren't easy. And then once you're up there, if you are if you dare, you are you find your way across the very airy sometimes scary knife edge, which will change the way you look at things. It's crazy up there. You

Howard Fox [00:02:53]:

III hope to see it someday. I I don't know if it'll be on the the back end of hiking the Appalachian Trail. You never know. Stranger things have happened. There's always time. There's always time. Now I want to dive into to the book because that's why we're here hiking and beer, 2 of my favorite topics. But for our listeners, if we could, could you provide just a little highlight real, so to speak, of who is Carrie Kitchen? How did you get into this love of hiking and riding and deer? How did this how does this all come about?

Carey [00:03:30]:

Well, I I've had a love for hiking for my entire life. Any patch of woods. The the the woods behind the ball field fence, the hedgerow walk off the the the park down the street, whatever it was. And that was in New Jersey, and then removed to the Berkshires of Massachusetts, and I got a little older and got a little wilder. So wherever me and my pals could get to our little spider bikes while we were everywhere. However, and I like to think that I'd love to write a book someday. Honest to goodness. Called FreeRange Kids because I grew up in a time where mom kicked me out the door and didn't wanna see you back until till dad sat down for supper at 05:30. I remember that. And we went everywhere, and we we did a lot of wild things. And I got that spirit and still didn't they made to explore and hike and travel and see things. Never lost it. Never lost been an entire lifetime. Biking trails and and looking for the next summer, the next the next what's what's around the next corner?

Howard Fox [00:04:34]:

In the chair. I love it. I am curious. This love of of being out there exploring this this adventure, Did you did it just come natural for you? Did was there an inspiration from brother, a sister, mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandparents? To to kinda help generate that initial spark.

Carey [00:04:57]:

Well, dad's back 39 months in World War 2 in the army. Marching across North Africa and Europe. And he told us a lot of war stories when I was a kid, and There were a lot of the downsides to that, but there were also the upsides of listening to him talk and and all of the adventures he went through through a very serious time. And he would take me out for walks, and I hear and there on a Pittsfield State barrest in the Berkshires. So dad kinda got me started. My uncle gave me an old Boy Scout tag, and it cut off my way. And then I started exploring on my own or with my friends, and It's it's just been great. I cannot get enough of it. I don't know. It's yeah. It's almost unexplainable.

Howard Fox [00:05:41]:

I I am envious of that of that statement of what you just shared, and it to me, it's a gift, and it should be a gift to anybody because I would like to think I make a difference in people's lives. I'm a business coach, a career coach. I do this podcast, but I sit. At a desk doing it. Now I know I can get out and podcast remotely. That's my my hope. But just the idea that you're committed throughout the week or the weekend. Hey. Where am I gonna go hike today? And I get a sense in just the the few minutes we've known each other that you're always thinking, where can I go next? Is that is that a fair assessment?

Carey [00:06:24]:

Absolutely. Well, it's a beautiful thing. As a guy, put writer, I always have a purpose out there. I I don't have places I want to be as well as places I'd like to be. So it's really a great mix. So I I have a purpose all the time, and and that's just beautiful. I People will I've been writing professionally for 20 years now, and people will often ask me, aren't you ever gonna run out of things to write about? And it's like, are you kidding me? I have a list as long as my arm, and III could have 10 arms. I don't know. There is so much, and topics keep coming up. I'll be honest with you, Howard. I I had a 2 hour period last night, and I woke up and couldn't sleep. And 2 stories on on things to hike in the state of Maine came right to me. And I got up, and I wrote them all down, and I drafted out 2 stories. Silly me. You know? There there is just there's no no end to it. But it kind follows it follows the passion. Yeah. I love it. We love I just love being out there, and I love writing about it. So it's great. I love sharing the those stories. I get I've gotten the right for the Maine's largest newspaper, the Portland Press Herald Maine Sunday Telegram now for since since 2002. The ability the the idea that I can share my passion for the the trails and the outdoors and situation with all of those readers. It it's wonderful, and I get a lot of great feedback. It's just It it's beautiful. It makes me happy that people will say, hey. You know, I went on that hike. I saw that. That one's great. Thanks for sharing that with us. Makes Sonoma. I I love the guidebooks,

Howard Fox [00:08:10]:

and and it was not lost also that your focus is in the the New England area. And what how would you describe the New England area to someone who's really perhaps never even come to United States. And, yeah, I get this all the time because I live in Nevada, in Las Vegas. Hey. I'm coming out west. I wanna see the the big 5 in Utah, go to Death Valley or Mohave National Preserve. What do you say to somebody that it perhaps hasn't even been on their radar they need to visit the the northeast and all it has to offer. What do you say to somebody?

Carey [00:08:52]:

From a geographic standpoint, the the diversity is amazing. I mean, you've got the Rocky Coast, the Mayan, and the Beaches. You've got Mileheim Mamakatadine. You've got the Grand State of New Hampshire with the highest mountain in the Northeastern United States. Everyone, I think, most people know about Mount Washington. Too odd. They once reported 231 miles an hour wing gusts up there, highest ever in the world. The Green Mountain State of Vermont, the Connecticut River, the hills of Connecticut, the Long Island Sound, the Cape Cod of Massachusetts, the Berkshire, So you've got sex states, and they've all got different characters. And each and within them, so many different geographies. It's extraordinary. I mean, most states have them. I mean, there there's say it's like the Colorado or the California. I mean, we've all got this geographic diversity, but it's it's it's kinda long back. Main and captured Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. It's great. There and there are just so much to do. And Bong, come on. We do have. And I don't I don't think this is actually arguable. I think we have the best bullied on the planet. The greatest show on earth. It really is. And that's the cause of the we're in that transition zone with our treaties, we cover between the the tempering forest in mid Atlantic and the bordering forest to the north of us. And so you got to some amazing diversity of trees, and that also brings together a lot of different species at the northern edge of the range, their southern edge of their range, it's a great mixing ground. But and, boy, come September, October when the you get the golds and the marines and the oranges and the reds on the trees, Nothing like it. That's also when you can't get around on our roots. There there you go. Because everyone's here.

Howard Fox [00:10:53]:

My first OWAA Conference. And for our listeners, the you should know by now, Outdoor Writers Association of America, We have an annual conference every year, and I joined I think I joined 20 20 when I first moved to Las Vegas, and my first conference was 20 21 in J. P. Vermont. And I have to say, I was just totally blown away by the beauty and the colors. And at least I can say I've done it at least once, but you can say you've done it year after year. I I that's that's pretty spectacular as well.

Carey [00:11:30]:

Yeah. I try not to travel outside of New England too much during September of October just for that reason. It's a very good special place to be. Excellent.

Howard Fox [00:11:39]:

So let's talk a little bit about the book beer hiking New England. How does a book like this come about because I see hiking, you know, all these great trails, every level of difficulty, and then a love of I'm assuming a love of good beer. A rock good crop beer. Yeah. And When did this connection come about? Like, you know, I should write a book where I I you know, this confluence of great trails and great beers. How'd that come about? It's a long and winding road, Howard.

Carey [00:12:19]:

I think the idea of well, I you know, I'd always loved having a beer after hiking. You know, in your hot and sweaty, you just get down and off a mountain. What's better than a cold beer and a glass of water? Right? But, you know, 20 something years ago, I had to cross the north of England through the Lake District the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Morris. It's 200 miles from the iris seat of the North Sea. It's called the coast of the coastline. And every day, I was out in the wilds walking along out in the middle of nowhere. And then at night, each night, I would suck down into a a little village. You know, at an inn or something, and then, you know, wander into the village center and and have a plant or 2 with the locals after. Okay. And I thought, you know, after 2 weeks ago, I thought, wow, this is just terrific. I think and beer and but it didn't, you know, didn't jail with me quite quiet. Yeah. And then over the years, I started to write about hiking and beer here and there. And then IIIII I've been doing a regular column on hiking and beer, and then, you know, my lovely wife about 5 years ago, which I said, Hell yeah. I tried to turn that into Wallace Luck, and I got started on a book about hiking and beer in Maine. Is where I you know, it's what I invest. And at the time, there were a hundred and 40 or so breweries. And I went right to town on that project, and I got far along on the fieldwork and some of the writing. But, you know, the publishing world is a is a is an interesting place. And I couldn't find a butler sheet. So, you know, with that disappointment in hand, I I didn't know what to do. And then finally, I got rolling with this book called Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest. And I said, this is from the event. And, like, I contacted the author. He says, you gotta talk to my publisher, who ostensibly happened to be in Luzon, Switzerland. Oh, wow. And at the time I contacted him, I was a poolside with a beer in Key West Florida with palm trees over my head. And the publisher wanted to have a Zoom poll. And there I am. And some stranger things have happened. So I'm in Key West. He's in Luzon, Zohn, Switzerland, and he says, hey. You seem like the right guy for this project, Tyson. No doubt I am, sir. And he says, but you got would would you do all of New England? I said, I absolutely will. Publishing deal right there. And the rest is rest is a little bit of I mean, we've had plenty of bumps in the road now, like, getting this project done. There was I took some time out there to through, like, the Pacific Crest Trail, and then we had COVID. So it took a little longer than I might have hoped, but things happened. But it came up with a good product.

Howard Fox [00:15:12]:

III love it. And just in the map of and so many possibilities of -- Yeah. -- good trails and good beer. I I And and you also had Belgian beer on your list in in some of the the the the the pods that you would lose

Carey [00:15:29]:

in. I'm not sure. I tried to highlight a little bit of everything. I mean, you know, New England IPAs are the dominant beer, and they have been for at least a decade or so. Well, there's plenty of other good beer and people if you're a crap or a drinker, you know that you can go to most any and, like, really brew up and get it. Whatever suits your power. Right. Right. You know, these breweries, they're make they're making a little bit of everything. You can get borders and ales and styles and seltzers and and sours, you know, in in addition to the right years. Gotcha.

Howard Fox [00:16:02]:

What does it take to produce a series like this or or a book like this where you're you're matching up the the trails and the beers. I mean, you didn't I know you had to have done a lot of hiking and took a lot of beers.

Carey [00:16:21]:

Shot sheriff's hectic on both accounts, but somebody had to do it, Howard. Of course. I I feel like I was the man for that job. Well, here is the challenge. You know, we talked about New England, and I thought I knew you. I've been here most of my life. Well, guess what? I have a lot to learn. I did an enormous amount of research. You know, we have 10000 miles of trails across the 6 states of the union. We have more than 700 breweries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, and whatnot. Wearing world views star. So my research box or boxes were just huge. What what even with that? You know, a plan is just a plan when you get out in the field. And you've got to match up. You know, like you were saying, you've got to match up a a hike that talks, and you've only got 50. With a brewery that pops and you're golden up to 50. And, you know, sometimes there was a great brewery, but not a not a great bite. You know, sometimes there was a great hike you know, a great hike in not a not a brewery nearby. Mhmm. So it was this constant trial and error mix and match. You know, some of the places I knew about and and others I just found as I drove by. I mean, which is which is 1 of the real beauties of the whole block. It was the it was a journey of discovery. And that's what I want. Would like readers to think of it as. There is so much to see and do in New England. So many trails, so many beautiful places, so many different landscapes. And the breweries are the same. They they each have their own character. The breweries all have their own stories. That the people who own these breweries and operate them are amazing. Hey. And I've got to hear all of these stories I'm at people on a trail. There are people in the quoraries. It's like, wow. There's so much out there. And I get to put it all down on paper, so to speak. Just wondering. There's a lot. There's a lot out there. And and, really, this is this is 50 hikes and 50 breweries, and and it really guides you out to to to it gets you to go out there and see things, and and then you realize, wow. There's There's a lot near. So it's it's it's such a very hard time. You could have a hard time. Oh, I'd love that. I'd love that. We'll see. Let me see. I'm glad part 1 is done. There you go.

Howard Fox [00:18:53]:

There's no no rest at all allowed. So I'm curious, Let's talk the trail then and then the beer. How did you decide or what criteria did you use to select the the best trail out of these 50. I know you visited a lot of trails. You walked a lot of trails. But how did you decide on these particular 50?

Carey [00:19:21]:

Again, it was there were some I wanted in the book and I was able to get them. There were others that I I would want to have in the book, but again, You know, there was there wasn't worry nearby. And there there were some hikes I did that I thought were good. And they're like, okay. That's great. But I only have symptoms. So I'll just move along to the next 1. And so that's where I ended up hiking probably 80 or 90 or so hikes to get it. And I'd probably hike more 500 miles to get 260 that are in the block. No. I traveled 20000 minors. In my vehicle. So I crisscrossed New England. I camped out in the truck. I camping my tent. I spent nights in hotels and family, friends. I camped up and down Vermont in their State Park needs to use. Capped all the way across Massachusetts with my wife in our camper trailer. I saw I saw a lot, and you know, because I there was so much to assume and so many decisions to be made. You know? Like, it keeps saying that there's a lot out there where, you know and you wanna have 50 goodings. The Pikka of Venice. And you wanna you know, the other couple other things that really played into this, my goal was to have good geographic distribution when I am. That was a champion. Definitely achieved that. And I wanted to have a different you know, a variety of bikes like how some easy hikes, you know, around ponds, over hills, along the coast, seeing the dunes, that kind of thing. And then there's some rugged hike up on Mount Washington, Mount Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont, places like that, and then a lot of places in between. Alright. So there's a big variety. There's a big variety. Different landscapes, different lease of hikes. Alright. And and there are a little something for or different to the runners. Different abilities, ability letters. And at the end of the trail, of course, he looked all well, always a good crowd and rooted there. The beer.

Howard Fox [00:21:37]:

So and it reminds me of, like, the chicken or the egg, you know, what came first. I would imagine you also had some breweries perhaps you had heard about word-of-mouth or you just knew they existed and, like, Someday, I'm gonna have a beer on that brewery. How does that side of the this adventure pan out for you on the beer side?

Carey [00:22:01]:

Well, again, I have visited so many breweries. You know, there were breweries that were next door to each other. Which 1 do I choose? Because, you know, Howard, to be honest, I I rarely met a beer I didn't like. There was a there was a problem for me. That can be a problem. Well, good thing you're lucky, though. Yep. My favorite beer is the 1 in my hand. I swear.

Howard Fox [00:22:28]:

I love it. It's, you know

Carey [00:22:30]:

so I just love beer. And I just I wanted to have out of these places, Bonnet. So I settled on the best combinations I could fine. And I had to make some really tough choices in the end. And, you know, there'll be there'll be second and third editions, I hope, and I will sell through some of these other places into the into the buck and, you know, kind of achieve a merry balance. We'll see. Okay.

Howard Fox [00:23:00]:

So if you could, let's take a particular hike and the the the pub at the at the end. What was that that experience like, you know, getting to the getting to the hike doing it, writing about it, ending it with a a great beer. What was it? What was take us through and paint a picture of what that what that looks like. Absolutely.

Carey [00:23:26]:

Well, let's take you to the most eastern point in the United States at Hawaii Head State Barner. Right at the tip of Maine before you head across Castle and Clotty Bay into New Brunswick, Canterbury. There's a beautiful state well, first of all, you have the Candy Strike White House, which marks that Eastern most point of view. And you have Quoddy Head State Farm, and there's a 5 mile loop light that will leave you all along the rugged cliffs along the coast. These flips are made of dark gray or black and gabro, and you got the waves crashing in. You're looking across the Grand Manhattan channel New Brunswick, Canada. You're looking up and down the rugged post. Down east coast, the man calling the bold post for a reason. And then you swing inland, and you come to the easternmost bog in the United States. And who doesn't love a bog? Picture plants and sign dews and all kinds of cool little creatures and stuff. So you've got this incredible mic with a lot of diversity. And then you go right into Lubek, which just so happens to be the easternmost down in the United States, and right on the waterslawn is Lubek Island. This simple little place. And and, Howard, this is where I where I really I just look. I love these stories. Gail White, The owner in Burr, he makes a terrific lineup of German style beers. The He came to move back on vacation. He was a nuclear physicist. Came to move back on vacation in the mid 2 thousands. Fell in love with the place, quit his career, moved to Quebec, and started a brewery brewing beer that he loved and and inviting royalty the community's been doing it ever since. So -- Okay. -- and you and he must he must brew in 20 different kinds of beer, and he'll each have a salty meat, both Laurice. And you met his wife there, who's just terrific, you know, McKinley Jones. She is the she's got a very important job there. She maintains the Explorer flower garden where you can drink your beer on a nice day. And she is also the chief beer too, sir. Very important job. You know, so you have this great hike kind of at the at the outer you know, at end of the world in the state of Maine, in the country, and this little brewery the the smallest brewery in the state of Maine. And you sit around with locals and vacationers and other visitors, and everybody comes together in there. It's all around the good beer, and we're slacking stories, travel stories, and you can transfer that kind of joy, that kind of come around a friendly person, around craft beer to the next the phone in the next blue button of the next 3, almost without fail. And I think that That was the beautiful takeaway for me, is that I I got in a hike in these beautiful places. And got to meet all of these terrific people who have fantastic stories. And they all work around beer. And what's not the love about that?

Howard Fox [00:26:42]:

I I love that, and I can imagine just the well, the stories you have to tell just given the experience and the duration of writing the book doing the research. But any other discoveries or, oh my god, this is fantastic or some you know, maybe you're you're gotta bring the wife back here or tell my friends and family about this. Any other discoveries of note that you'd like to share? No. Classic example

Carey [00:27:15]:

of finding a hike that you didn't know existed. You know, I was trying to fill in a blanking south Western Vermont in the southern edge of the Green Mountains, and I'm coming across my beautiful drive And I happen to stop at a 1 of the highway waysides to read the interpretive signs because I love doing that. I love finding out what I'm looking at, and what's the longing of the world. And and I 1 of the panels have this thing about Woodford State Park, which is just the -- The road. That's going to be the highest state park for you to lock. Well, I toot it all in and to park entrance. There is a beautiful reservoir In a trail that goes around it, it goes into the Green Mountain National Forest. It goes into your federal wilderness area or Georgia wilderness. It was fantastic. And guess what? There was a terrific -- Back home. -- in downtown historic Bennington just down the road. I was able to put the 2 together, and then I had I had no idea that that was gonna happen, and that happened a few times. You know, I I was just surprised. I I was always surprised, pleasantly surprised. And that made it that much more fun. You know, III didn't always know. You know, again, I go back to the plan was just the plan, so when you got out in the field. And You know, good things happen if you if you're if you're receptive to it. I love it, Ian.

Howard Fox [00:28:43]:

I've got another question. It's a little bit of a tangent. And we maybe this is another podcast episodes. Who knows? But besides Goodyear, I'm a big fan of home roasting my coffee. I love contribute to me camping and coffee camping in the coffee that view behind you. On on Mount Catan, I couldn't think of a better place to enjoy the sunrise or sunset, you know, with a cup of coffee or an adult beverage depending on the time of the day. And also some good food. And did the does the does the any interest in in, say, coffee or food coming to play for, say, a future adventure for you with hiking.

Carey [00:29:31]:

For a future adventure? Yeah. Oh, well, you know, good food. I'm all over that. I love I love a good shout out after a hike. You know, I'm an old a t through hiker. I love to eat. You know, I'd like to eat and eat. So I'm I'm always in check search of a beer and a good place to eat alcohol. Right? So -- Okay. -- there there there are opportunity in this plant plenty, which without and I'm always on the planet.

Howard Fox [00:29:58]:

I love it. I love it. Besides the the adventures up in the northeast that you've been on, how about the times have you done the Appalachia Trail?

Carey [00:30:08]:

Twice. Once when I was 18, a long time ago, and 8 years ago, it was 20 15. Okay. So that's that's a good spread and

Howard Fox [00:30:18]:

any difference I mean, obviously, age, little different challenges. But how has that trail changed from when you recall and when you were a teenager to, you know, an adult doing this again. Any changes that you noticed?

Carey [00:30:36]:

Oh, yeah. Well, you know, that was 19 77. It was fresh out of high school. The trail wasn't fully protected. Way back then. And in the ensuing years of, you know, my adult life, while I was busy doing all the things, A lot of people were busy protecting the Appalachian Trail, buying land on conservation acquisitions and conservation easements. And now the trail is, I think, 99 point something percent are protected, and that just wasn't the case. So the trail way back when, moves a lot because of, you know, 1 of our relations with landowners. And and rooms and housing development this time and everything. And that's not so much the case anymore. They trail and still moved a little bit. And, you know, the other thing, I just and there's a lot more people on the trailer these days. I mean, I was 1 of maybe less than a hundred through hikers way back when, and I think there were maybe 1300. From my height and its 1 being. But that said, there is still plenty of sentinel to you regarding the equation true. It's a busy place, but only in places. And it's a it's a really worthwhile journey. And I think that goes without saying that a lot of people are out there trying to do it every It is the adventure of a lifetime. And Ed Garvey said that in his book, Appalachian hiker, which was my bible -- Mhmm. -- well known as force. Looking at your own little trail as a kid. It's it's it's a it's a journey like like no other. Any log trail is, but the a 2 is is particularly special. And for me, to be able to hide kids from Georgia, not only some some mainly

Howard Fox [00:32:26]:

where his actions might. I could imagine and imagine. And I'm curious, you said the word solitude in Pardon? Did you embrace the solitude? Because it for some people, that's difficult. I mean, if you're extroverted and just love to be around people and that you get your energy from being around people versus you know, yes, there's 1300 people through hiking throughout the year, but any given day, you may not see anybody. How what what goes on for you in that solitude?

Carey [00:33:05]:

You've gotta develop a comfort level. Everybody needs to hike their own pirate and people all do it in different ways. For me, there is something about the daily rhythm. The the simplicity of carrying everything you need on your back and and you're doing simple things. You're you're sleeping on the ground and a tent somewhere. Maybe on top of the mountain, you're you're eating simple fluids. You're cooking over a little snow. You don't have a lot of possessions. And and you just walk along and you're you're free to think about whatever you want to during the day because you've got a lot of time. There's something and again, like you say, it's not just like everybody, but for me, I just find that extraordinarily addictive. You know, it's and and the Appalachian Trail this last time, III had a got in a local TV station here, Maine, asking me, do I He says, so what do you think about out there? He said, I thought about air bleed thing. Everything. You're wonderful. You have so much time. You know, you're out there for 6 months. I would have been able to run the reel of my wife. I had a way to swallow and then howard incredibly Without knowing it, I was somewhere else in New England when I realized that I had walked their days and hadn't thought about anything. Because I had brought about everything. And that was a moment of Nirvana that I that I is difficult for me to explain, but I got there. And you can talk to Annie Crumhiker. They'll tell you a similar merging of that It may look different, but there. It's amazing. That's where you go out there, and and you get that the solitude and the simplicine. You know, you're out in the mountains, you're on the trail. You have a goal. It's simple and you walk. You sleep, you get up, and walk again. And then Sunday, 1 of the days, you just run out of blazes the finger. And you gotta just adapt to, you know, they want it. It's it's it's well, that's

Howard Fox [00:35:16]:

I love it. I love it. Before we head out, Carrie, I am curious 1 more question about the book and the feedback you have been getting as it has now available. And, you know, it's it's an exciting time for you know, peep it's the summertime. People wanna get out, and I'm thinking right now, I'm trying to figure out where I'm gonna live next. Should I leave Las Vegas? And I'm thinking, well, there's a New England. I should I'd think I've looked at that yet, but what's been people's feedback to you when you've had chance to do do some readings or they've read the book. What's what's been their feedback? Their moments.

Carey [00:36:01]:

Well, a lot of people have said, Even you wrote the book, I wished I had.

Howard Fox [00:36:06]:

You know? It's always good.

Carey [00:36:09]:

Yeah. I mean, I find so many people coming up to being going, wow. That 1 a terrific thing. I've been waiting for someone to do this. I love beer. I love hiking. Thank you for this. And and, you know, what what a when publishers turned, what a beautiful product they put together. I just gave them words and and maps and and photographs, and they turned it into this really, you know, really nice folk. And and people are liking what they have in their hands, and they can't wait to get out there. And news the thing, and I've been getting some good feedback from people who talk to the mid shows and and our libraries and talking They they love her. They're looking for volume too, Ollie. I love it. That's fantastic. Well, I I definitely hope to

Howard Fox [00:36:55]:

take advantage of the book sometime in the near future. Hopefully, my friends who I sent the link to the book too will say, Howard, come on out. We're gonna do this. So who knows? He's gonna make me not any time. I'll I'll I'll I'll show you right. You come up to my home mountain desert island here. We'll take you around Acadian National Park. A nice a nice site. Too strenuous, and then we'll go for a good beard with Langard Gilliam. I love it. I love it. Listen, Carrie, before we head out, I'd like to touch back on 2 features we have on our podcast. 1 of them is called the moment. I mean, you've had a lifetime of adventure. Has there been a moment where you kinda think about, wow. I get to do this. Or there there there's there's so much opportunity out here, and it's just I I, you know, I just III can't believe you've pinched me. You know, I'm doing this. You know, something that really just Pause you to pause and take thought.

Carey [00:37:57]:

Well, I I think I gave it away a little bit earlier. And I just love the idea that I get to pursue 2 of my passion, beer and hunting. Hiking really is a number 1. And then I then I get to combine that with writing about I, my have a the unique what the the coveted, I think, job of of sharing those stories and sharing those places with with readers. And the feedback I get is is just heartwarming, and it makes it all worthwhile. I love the idea that I can get out there and do these things. And and peep people people appreciate that. You know, the the idea that you can introduce people to a new place. You can let them know about the conservation that's going on. Take them on a different trail. You know, folks love that. And III love doing that. So I'm having an odd now moment, like, every day. I just wrote a story of of recently, a 1 that I wanted to write for a long time about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, any other name. And not the fact that I knubed it, out of it, like, thousands of people do. But I went up there and did some hiking on some places that you hardly would ever hear about. And I got a great amount of feedback on that. I said, wow. That was great. You know, multiply that out throughout the years, and it's just been a terrific thing. I I never take it for granted. The idea that I can write about the outdoors and and people just enjoy reading it. It's it's threat. And I know every outdoors writer what the result feels the same.

Howard Fox [00:39:43]:

Fantastic. Any final thoughts that you would like to leave with our listeners before we head out. We call it an insight to go. It could be a book, a quote, or something to I mean, what you're sharing today, in my mind, is a gift. It it's a gift of get out of my chair and go Be active. Explore. Do something. Take care of yourself. But but what would be your insight to go that you'd like to leave with our listeners?

Carey [00:40:12]:

Well, I shared the 1 with you earlier, Yoda from Star Wars, which I saw when I was on the Appalachian Trail back in 19 77. Do or do not. There is no try. Hold on. I I asked all the time about how do you hype the operation trail? How in the world can you possibly do something like that? And I say, Tell you what, let's go down to the pump, get a beer, buy me a beer. Give me your cocktail napkin and a pen, and I'll get you all on the back of it. It's that easy. Because in the end, all the gear, all the books, everything, it's it doesn't matter. It's the it's the doing that counts. Get out there and do it if you really wanna do it. And you know what? This applies to everything. Mhmm. The anything in life. It's a metaphor for life. Get out there and do it.

Howard Fox [00:41:10]:

I love it. I love it. Here, if our listeners would like to learn more about you and your work, we're in the best places for them to go.

Carey [00:41:18]:

Well, I've got a website, maingeographic dot com. You can also find me on social media, on Facebook, and Instagram under my name. And I've got an email. Love from getting an email. Main Outdoors. Surprising you. Main Outdoors at Lowell Bakhta.

Howard Fox [00:41:34]:

Fantastic. Well, we will provide the backlinks to the website, your social sites, and share your your email address as well. And I I just again, to me, today was a gift, and I love doing the podcast. I love meeting new new new new new new people and hear about their adventures. And and I I am just reminded Again, this episode reminded me that I sat at my desk and work this weekend, and I should have been out. And I think your book is you know, it can't go wrong with a good hike and some good food and a beer afterwards. So I definitely think it's fantastic, and Listen, I wanna thank you for taking the time out of your day and your your work, and been a pleasure to get to know you. I hope our paths cross. Either coming out for a visit or perhaps seeing you at an 0WAA conference or online, but been a pleasure to have you on the show and have you you know, chat about your new book, your hiking New England. Thank you so much. Thank you, Howard. You made it easy, and and I I hope we do get cross paths again. You and you're always welcome here on the coast of Maine. You'd love it. Thank you so much. Listen. Stay the line. We're gonna do a quick close, and then you're not gonna have a final chat. Alright, folks. We have just been chatting with Carrie Cush, an outdoor enthusiast travel writer. Oh, lover of hiking and lover of good beer and also, obviously, good food because you have beer and food after a nice hike. And his book, beer hiking New England, the tastiest way to discover Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. We're gonna provide you a backlink to the book and backlinks to carries a website and social sites, and what a treasure to and if you ever wanted to explore New England, this is definitely the way to do it, and we hope you take advantage of it. And real Gail, we really appreciate Gary taking time out of his day, and I always really was grateful to to kinda learn more about him and and his work, and also to hear that he is a fellow OWAA member as well. As for us, you can find this episode shortly on our website, outdoor adventure series dot com. We are also on Facebook and LinkedIn, the outdoor adventure series pages. We have a YouTube channel, outdoor adventure series. And, of course, you can find us wherever you get your podcast from. Just search for outdoor adventure series. Now we like common shares If you go on some of these hikes, you know, and you've picked up the book, you've made some choices, you know what, Carrie? No. Let us know, and we'll share it with Carrie. But you know, go out there and as as he had suggested, just get out there and explore. Take care of yourselves. Have fun. And just lie there's life is to be lived and just go out there and enjoy it. And until next time, Again, go out there. Have a phenomenal day, and we will see you on a future episode of the outdoor adventure series podcast. Take care now.