Walking Along My Mother's Trail

My mother’s heart has always been in the mountains and forests. From childhood, she played every day exploring the streams, trails, and woods on the small New Hampshire mountain her family loved for decades during three seasons and later all four when she and my father moved there after retirement. She and her childhood and lifetime friend had free range and had magical experiences in Nature. 

When I was young,  she hung a poster of a forest in her bathroom with the quote from Karle Wilson Baker, “Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees.” Mom’s adventurous spirit encouraged me to love the woods as she does. 

I grew up on the ocean and in the forests. Scanning the skies every day and investigating natural smells, sights, and sounds has always been instinctive.

One memorable day, my mother (Nan) and I drove up to NH’s White Mountains to roam around the Appalachian Mountain Club's (AMC) Highland Center.  I was applying for a job at the AMC in Boston and she was eager to help me get into a hiking and nature-focused job. 

When we drove north in June 2003, the "Old Man of the Mountain" had fallen on May 3 of that year. New Hampshire residents and hikers from far and wide were mourning. The craggy image on a granite cliff falling is here in this story: https://newengland.com/today/old-man-mountain-nh/

While we were walking around, I suggested that her first email address should be related to the Old Man of the Mountain, given Mom's generational legacy in New Hampshire. On the way home, she decided to create her email as Old Nan of the Mountain@. It is now nearly as iconic for all of her family and friends as the Old Man of the Mountain itself.

Experiences like this expanded when a new family member arrived, a remarkable border collie. As we are out in the woods every morning, I have been able to discover the seasonal changes in the lichen, fungi, trees, bushes, soil, and animal activities. And yes, I became a literal tree hugger.

Mom is excited to share her nature articles and magazines like Northern Woodlands. Over time, she had expanded her knowledge through her Board work on local land trusts and her town conservation committee roles, while my curiosity continues to grow: learning about mycelium, Mother Trees, and their communication strands.

I’ve become Mom’s legacy.