Courtesy photo Alexandra Herr, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, is a native of Campton, New Hampshire. Here, in pursuit of her ‘13 Before 13’ project, she enjoys hiking at Mount Washington.

CAMPTON, New Hampshire – Boundless energy and a love of the outdoors has defined Alexandra Herr since she was little. In order to share her love of the outdoors and hiking with other children, Alex, 17, has completed her “13 Before 13” hiking project, earning the highest honor for a Girl Scout Ambassador, the Girl Scout Gold Award.

The 13 Before 13 project is a list of hikes that children younger than 13 can enjoy in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The hikes are divided into easy, medium, and hard levels, with a final hike of Little Haystack. Children choose the last hike in each section themselves. As the easy, medium and hard hikes are completed, a child earns a sticker, and once they finish the whole list they earn a patch designed by Herr herself. The concept of the project is to introduce children to hiking and to experience nature with the list of hikes that are fun and suitable for younger children.

“I had a great time completing the Gold Award,” Herr said. “I have been hiking since I was a little girl, so I care about the environment and appreciate nature. I wanted to motivate other children to care about nature and enjoy hiking, so I created a hiking list designed for young children who are interested in experiencing nature, getting some exercise, and bonding with their family in the process. I created a website (13before13.com) and a Facebook group for parents whose children are doing the list. The website and Facebook group are designed to give the parents more information about the hikes and general hiking safety, and it is a place for them to ask questions and share their experiences with the trails. As I communicate with people about the list, I find that children are very excited to hike the trails on the list and parents and troop leaders are happy to learn more about 13 Before 13. Also, I send out patches and stickers I designed and produced for the list to those who earn them, and I will continue to do so.”

Herr is currently working on her 12th round of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-footers by climbing each in every month of the year, known as the New Hampshire Grid. She hopes to finish before she turns 18. She holds multiple records for being the youngest person to achieve various hiking feats, including the youngest to do a full winter round of the 4,000-footers at age 9. Her sister, Sage, is following closely in her footsteps. Both girls have ascended literally hundreds of mountains in the U.S. and Europe.

“Just being in nature itself, especially when you’re younger, (helps with) focus, mental wellbeing, appreciation of nature, especially now with changing climate,” Herr said. “If people appreciate the environment, they’re more likely to advocate for that in the future. If they enjoy it, it can be a bonding experience with their family. If they don’t enjoy hiking, they can enjoy other things in nature.”

“I think she’s done a great job creating a list and creating motivation for young hikers,” Herr’s project adviser, Steve Smith, said.

Smith is a lifelong hiker who owns the Mountain Wanderer shop in Lincoln and is the author of “The White Mountain Guide,” a must-have for any hiker. “She put a lot of thought into it – it gives a good experience. There are waterfalls and scrambles. It allows young hikers to explore.

“She’s an outstanding young woman, very impressive in every way,” Smith said. “She’s a super all-around kid. She’s going to be a success.”

From the day she was born, her mother, Patricia Herr, vowed to install a love of nature in her children, and by the time Alex was 5, she was hiking adult-level mountain trails. You might think Alex’s family had been avid hikers all along, but Trish Herr said it was Alex’s “over-the-top energy levels” that led to their outdoor adventures. She homeschools her daughters, and has encouraged both to document their hikes in blog form. At first she took care of the blogging for her girls, but as each reached the age of 13, she turned those duties over to them.

Trish has documented their family adventures in a book titled “Up.” In it, she describes climbing all 48 of New Hampshire’s highest mountains for the first time when Alex was 5.

“I am glad I chose this project for my Girl Scout Gold Award,” Alex Herr said, “and I am looking forward to continuing to answer questions, hike with parents and their children, and send out patches and stickers.”

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