Hit the trail, then enjoy an ale

BY BRENT HALLENBECK

While large indoor gatherings continue to be restricted this year because of COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are heading outdoors for recreation, planning activities that include fresh air and open space.

With its plentiful and beautiful nature, the Northeast is a great region to visit for outdoor fun. Add to that its many tasty locally produced ales, and you’ve got the brew for a hopping good time.

Here’s a great outdoor adventure and a nearby brewery worth checking out in upstate New York and each state in New England. After hiking a mountain, kayaking on a river or pedaling on a serious bike ride, you’ll have earned that delicious beer.

The highest point in the Bay State is Mount Greylock, which at 3,500 feet makes for a strenuous climb in the Berkshires. The sights on a clear day might offer views of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut, as well as a large swath of eastern and central Massachusetts.

That peak is about 10 miles from Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams, where the Lil’ Bling blonde ale and a raspberry-infused Quaffable Waffle stout welcome drinkers. An added bonus: Bright Ideas is a neighbor to MASS MoCA, a world-class contemporary art museum.

The hiking in the White Mountains is fantastic. So is the biking, and there are several excellent rail trails to choose from in the Granite State. The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail is among the most intriguing. The mostly gravel path runs 19 miles between the tiny town of Woodsville and bustlingyet-quaint Littleton.

That’s where you’ll find Schilling Beer Co. The Littleton brewery sits bucolically along the Ammonoosuc River and produces a wide variety of ales and lagers inspired by European traditions. You can enjoy those brews with a wood-fired pizza to rebuild that energy you spent on the trail.

There are several trails to hike for all abilities in the Bristol/Middlebury area, and Abbey Pond Trail offers just enough climb to feel it in your hamstrings and the likelihood that you’ll have the peaceful, lily-padfilled body of water all to yourself.

There’s no beer there, though. For that you’ll have to drive six or so miles to Drop-In Brewing in Middlebury, which might be the most underrated member of this small state’s highprofile beer scene. Heart of Lothian, a medium-bodied Scottish ale, might just put enough pep in your step to make you want to climb another of the region’s many mountains.

If you’re an avid walker, head to the northwestern corner of Connecticut, where you will find Bear Mountain Trail in Mount Riga State Park. You’ll climb more than 1,500 feet as you intersect at times with the Appalachian Trail before reaching the peak at more than 2,300 feet, and you can see into Massachusetts and New York.

Phew, that’s a lot of spent calories. Replenish with a beer a little more than 20 miles to the east at Great

in Canaan. There are food trucks, an outdoor deck and brews including New England-style India pale ales, lagers, stouts and porters.

The smallest state in the union has plenty of kayaking spots, as is to be expected for a state with “island” in its name. But the Ocean State is flat enough to make it a sweet destination for those who prefer pedaling to paddling.

The Worden Pond loop in South Kingstown is mellow — a shade less than 9 miles total — and offers an up-close-and-personal view of Great Swamp and the wildlife that inhabit the area. The trail is a 6-mile pedal (or drive if you’ve had enough biking for the day) to Whalers Brewing Co., where you’ll find brews including Whalers’ flagship beers — the dark-amber East Coast IPA and a brew called Rise that Whalers describes as having a bright citrus aroma that “leads to a pleasant smooth body with a subtle hop spice that lingers in the background.”

Exercise and beer can make one feel a little lazy. Why not catch a ride to East Matunuck State Beach, less than 10 miles away, and let the lapping sound of the waves loll you into a wee nap in the sunshine?

The High Peaks range in the Adirondack Mountains can get crowded in (pardon the pun) peak season. For a less-frequented, high-enough peak, consider Pharaoh Mountain outside the cozy village of Schroon Lake.

You’ll cover nearly 10 miles climbing this more than 2,500-foot mini-mountain. You’ll be rewarded with luscious views of surrounding lakes and ponds and those very same High Peaks that you didn’t huff and puff your way up. Once you’ve climbed down, you can cool off by lollygagging in and around placid Crane Pond.

Cool off even more with a refreshing beer at Paradox Brewery. From the trailhead, it’s another 10 miles or so to the beermaker’s North Hudson site. Hops fans will be in paradise at Paradox, sampling from choices including the Beaver Bite India pale ale and the more-intense Cryo double IPA.

Few states put the wild in wilderness quite like Maine. But how best to explore that nature? Opportunities abound for hiking, biking and more, including paddling.

The Androscoggin River traverses Maine and New Hampshire, and a great place to access the river is not far from the New Hampshire border in Bethel. That’s where you’ll find a boat launch that’s near the Sunday

Co., which tempts paddlers out of the water, trading one liquid pastime for another. Any day of the week, enjoy brews such as Redstone Ale, Black Bear Porter and Ski Town Brown, apt considering the brewery is just down the road from the Sunday River Resort.

— Brent Hallenbeck writes for the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press.