A world of fun for senior hikers

Jennifer Anderson, a Pine Plains resident, and her sister, Lisa Schoonmaker, out of Maine, launched Senior Hiker magazine last June. 

The magazine is filled with gorgeous photos, engaging and sometimes humorous articles and a wealth of information (and inspiration) for a niche community. Contributors to the magazine are all 50 or older, adding to the community feeling; Anderson is 72 and Schoonmaker is 68. 

The magazine comes out three times a year; the second issue was due out at the end of January. 

The June 2016 debut issue mainly focused on the Northeast, with articles and advice columns on hiking and with wilderness photography. 

The January 2017 issue’s focus is on wildlife, with articles by naturalists and scientists about bear, moose and rattlesnakes, wildlife. It has articles about hikes in the Southwest and the Carolinas. 

Each issue will also have a column on “hell hikes,” where contributors tell humorous stories of hellish hikes.

The idea for Senior Hiker came out of a difficult hike that Schoonmaker made with her husband and with Anderson.

Schoonmaker wrote an article for the debut issue about their hike to the Alpine Garden on Mount Washington via the Nelson Crag Trail in New Hampshire. After a tiresome, bug-filled trek, it was Anderson’s husband (now staff photographer), David, who cracked a joke about the experience and how they could write a magazine with this type of material. Sometimes the best ideas begin as a joke, it would seem.

“A whole community of older hikers is out there everywhere — next to you on the plane, in line at the store, on the street as well as on the trails. They’re an active, high-spirited group with wide-ranging experience and the knowledge of a lifetime,” said Schoonmaker. “What they share is a love of the outdoors, respect for the environment and concern for our remaining wilderness. 

“The magazine, we hope, will reflect their vision through thoughtful articles, beautiful imagery and a humorous touch. It will also issue a challenge to older people to continue to do the things they love, the things that have meaning to them,”

Anderson describes herself as the “sounding board” for the magazine, working with her sister to find the best contributors and create a cohesive whole. She said she loves being able to write for the magazine, and to work with her sister and husband. 

Anderson taught humanities at an independent school in Manhattan. Upon retiring, she and her husband moved to the Hudson Valley, where she volunteers with the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Mid-Hudson Chapter. 

David Anderson is an architectural photographer and the author of “On Wall Street: Architectural Photographs of Lower Manhattan 1980-2000.” 

Schoonmaker, who lives in Maine, previously worked for a forestry and mapping company, doing communications and marketing. She started this magazine to share a lifelong love of the mountains and the art and writing they inspire. She lives on  Deer Isle, where she and her husband are building a house. Her husband makes jewelry, which will be featured in the next issue of the magazine.

“It’s a business, but there’s so much love in it. The fact that we’re doing this together is fun,” she said. She described Senior Hiker as more of a journal than a magazine. 

“It’s something to savor,” Anderson agreed.

Senior Hiker can be found at The Emporium in Pine Plains as well as in the Pine Plains, Millbrook and Great Barrington libraries. Subscribe online and find sample articles at www.seniorhikermagazine.com. The magazine is always looking for poetry, letters and artwork of all kinds. For submission guidelines, e-mail schoonmakerlisa@gmail.com.