Mike Jones grew up in Malden and now lives in Burlington, where he has resided for the last 30 years. Before retiring at the beginning of 2023, Mike was a software engineer.
Mike began volunteering with Friends of the Fells as a Trail Adopter and work day volunteer in the spring of this year, but he has always enjoyed the Fells, especially over the last five or six years. After retiring, Mike found that he had a lot of extra time and thought that volunteering would be a good way to get involved and give back to the Fells. “Having done a lot of hiking in my life, I felt as though it would be good to give back a bit and do what I can to help make the trails more enjoyable for future generations, as well as for those who currently want to use the Fells,” Mike says.
Two of Mike’s favorite activities are hiking and snowshoeing. Mike says that he enjoys “being out in nature and uncovering the history” of the Fells, such as the old culverts, roads, and structures that have been covered in vegetation over time. Since the Fells does not always get enough snow, most of the snowshoeing that he does is in the White Mountains.
The White Mountains area is one of Mike’s favorite places to hike. He he has gone up for day trips or to camp. The White Mountains and other New England mountains have specific hikes that are included on a number of lists that hikers can aim to accomplish and earn a patch for completing. Mike is currently working to complete the New England Hundred Highest hike list. He has used the trails of the Fells to train for the larger hikes that he completes up in the Whites.
Mike has some advice for anyone interested in volunteering. “Don’t hesitate,” says Mike, “there is no reason to hesitate for anything that you want to do in life, and if you want to volunteer and make a difference, you should just do it.”
Thank you so much for all of your help, Mike!
If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, read about our volunteer program here or check out our calendar here.