Why Hire A Trail Guide?
I thought it would be useful to write a post about what kind of hiker or group of hikers would benefit from hiring an experienced, local trail guide to help them navigate the trails of, say, the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
I get that many or even most hikers are fine DIY-ing it. By all means! However (as 7 years of very happy reviews show) many people who have the desire to get out on the trail hiking need just a little help or push to get them out there—that’s great value if it helps you actually do the thing! Additionally, many confident, experienced hikers who are visiting a new area can benefit from a local guide who makes sure they have a great hike on on great trail (and some good conversation along the way!). Relatedly, a lot of solo hikers prefer not to hike alone, so a guide can serve as the friendly co-hiker (whereas otherwise you would not have gone at all!). Also, if you are bringing a larger group out, it can be a huge help to have a pro around to make sure all goes well.
I’ll just say a bit more about these types/reasons:
1) Hikers visiting a new area
You love hiking but are traveling to a new place and don’t know the region. The Berkshires, for example, has more than 100 different trails over hundreds of miles of different types of terrain—a ton of trails! Whether the Berkshires, the Green Mountains, the Catskills, the Adirondacks, etc., you are coming to a big region with all sorts of types of hiking experiences: easy, hard, big climbs, calm valley walks, waterfalls, meadows, brookside trails, big peaks, little peaks. Who wants the bother and stress researching and trying to figure out beforehand what hike is right for you, how to avoid the wrong kind of trail, how to find that cool, interesting thing that is off the beaten path. How are the conditions? Are people still using that trail? (Not all trails you see on trail apps are really there—and many are way overgrown.) And then, even after you pick a trail, you don’t want to worry about navigation on a new hike. With a personal trail guide you just pick out what duration of hike you’d like (Short Hike, Half-Day Adventure, or Day Journey) or type of Hiking Experience (from the navigation menu) and reach out to me and we’ll pick the perfect hike for you/r group and I’ll take you on it. No worries, super easy, no need to navigate, and you get a great conversation with a local!
2) Hikers in need of confidence
Some people who have the motivation and time to get out on the trail just are not sure about picking the right trail and staying on it. You are just not totally sure how to make a good go of it, so you make excuses not to do it. Maybe you are a couple, a family of 4, or a small group of close friends. Hiring a guide is the perfect way to make it happen without the worry! Learn a new trail, build confidence. Don’t waste time worrying about it, just hire a guide!
3) Solo hikers who appreciate hiking with someone
A good many of my clients over the years have been solo hikers. Sometimes they just want help finding a great trail in a new area, but plenty prefer not to hike alone. I do understand that. I like to hike in groups (and, sure, it is safer), so this makes sense to some people. Hiring a guide is exactly what you need to help you get out there. Love hiking and chatting with solo hikers—had some amazing conversations over the years!
4) Help with a group of hikers
If you have a medium-sized or big group that you are trying to take out on the trail, a local trail guide can be a huge help to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time. First off, after a certain number of hikers—maybe 6 or more—it is important to be cognizant of the different abilities of the people on the hike—you don’t want to leave people behind or have some folks struggle and not have a good time. A guide understands this. I will 1) help pick a trail that suits the whole group and doesn’t leave some people overworked and out of breath, and 2) along the way I will make sure that we keep a good pace and be an encouraging presence to hikers that may need it. I will also bring water and snacks so every member of your group is hydrated and good to go! And for larger groups, I can bring a helper guide to make sure everyone gets the attention they need (or if we need to split into a fast and slower group). For corporate retreats or other large groups you will really appreciate the attention to detail and not having to worry about making the experience a beautiful and relaxing one! (Contact me for group rates if you have 10 or more people.)
Enhance any hike with a friendly, local trail guide
Finally, whatever category you are in, or even if you are an experienced hiker who is comfortable navigating and finding a trail, hiking with a local trail guide can make any hike so much more fun and enjoyable. It’s always great to meet a friendly, knowledgeable local who can talk about the trails, discourse about the region—its businesses, people, history, and economy—who can teach you a bit about the local flora and fauna. Maybe have an interesting conversation and get a new perspective on something. In this age of screens it’s so important to get those face-to-face “irl” experiences with new, interesting people with different life experiences.
Well, these are just a few reasons that came to my mind of why someone would want to hire a trail guide for a day hike. If you are visiting the Berkshire, check TDG out for yourself, reach out to me and see if hiring a local guide for a hike will work for you.
-TDG