STOWE, Vt. -
Today is the first official day of hiking season in Vermont, so many people are flocking to the mountains.
"Hiking, biking... a little bit of BBQ."
Not a bad weekend forecast, those are Patricia Gabel's holiday weekend plans and those are the reasons she's happy to call Stowe home. "Within a few minutes from my home, I have some of the most wonderful natural areas you can think of," Gabel said.
With hiking season here and mud season behind us, Gabel's become quite a regular on Mount Hunger. She says the reward is when you get to the top. "You can see the valley and all the way to Lake Champlain from the top and to the west, to the east you can see multiple mountain ranges," Gabel added.
A couple from New Jersey even drove for six hours to soak up the sun on the green mountains. "When you're stuck in an office all week, it's a nice change of pace."
And with more people on the mountains, it means more risks for losing hikers. Waterbury Police Officer Brett Lindemuth says to avoid tragedy, have a plan, bring a trail map, let someone know when to expect you back and pack plenty of water. "Your decision making goes down hill after a couple of hours without water," Officer Lindemuth said.
Also, take the cell phone and the GPS, but don't necessarily rely on technology. "They're battery operated and you may not get reception where you are," Lindemuth added.
Another thing to remember to avoid getting lost is to stay on the trail, and you'll know you're doing so by following the red markers that are tacked to trees. "It's if they wander off the trail, or are in an area they are really unfamiliar with that they can run into problems," Lindemuth said.
So, if you do plan to take a hike, pack the compass.
