Blue Cross Calls on Vermonters to Climb their Nearest Mountain

MAY 3, 2022

Berlin, Vermont — A bright spot of the pandemic was that Vermonters got outside to exercise more than ever before. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is calling on our neighbors to come together to enjoy Mountain Days, a fun annual event that brings people of all body types and abilities to the top of a mountain. The idea was sparked by the energetic Blue Cross Windham County Community Advisory Board in 2001, when they invited their community to join them in what became an annual hike up Mt. Wantastiquet. This event inspired hikes across Vermont on a series of weekends in the spring.

“This year we invite Vermonters from every corner of the state to take to the outdoors with us. Bring your family, bring a friend, and go hike a mountain. It could be a place you love and have hiked many times, or one that has been on your list to hike ‘someday,’” said Megan Peek, Community Relations and Health Education Director at Blue Cross. “This is one of our most popular events because it brings together community, wellness and the outdoors, which is quintessentially Vermont to so many of us.”

The in-person event is on Saturday, May 7th from 10 AM – 2 PM at the site of our first-ever event, Mt. Wantastiquet (Mt. Wantastiquet Mountain Nature Area Trails, 244 Mountain Road, West Chesterfield, NH). This mountain serves as Brattleboro’s backdrop, rising up over the Connecticut River. We will celebrate the event with free Mountain Day t-shirts, healthy snacks, and water. No RSVP is required, and the event is open to all. Grab a friend and come on over. 

For Vermonters for whom Brattleboro is too far of a trek, Blue Cross will host a virtual event that will run from Saturday, May 7th – Saturday, May 21st. We invite people from across the state to post a photo of you, your family or friends conquering a mountain, or a nature trail, on the Blue Cross Facebook page for a chance to win a 10-day park pass voucher to explore our beautiful Vermont State Parks. 50 photos will be chosen at random to receive a park pass pack. If you’ve sworn off social media, you are welcome to submit your photo the old-fashioned way by snail mail to the attention of our Community Wellness team or you can email us at events@bcbsvt.com.

“This is such a wonderful event because we get to see old friends on the trail year after year,” says Peek. “Call a friend and start your own Mountain Days tradition this spring.”