Important Tips for Solo Hiking

An experienced senior executive, R. Scott Bushley, holds an MBA from the Boston College Carroll Graduate School of Management. He now serves as a partner with Granite Point Capital in Boston. In his free time, Scott Bushley enjoys biking and hiking.

It’s natural to be apprehensive when hiking alone. Even if you have friends to go hiking with, learning the essentials of hiking, such as what to wear and what to carry on a hike, can be tedious for some. On the other hand, the advantages of hiking outweigh these initial difficulties.

Before heading out, it is best to take precautions, such as checking the weather forecast for the day and telling a friend or family member about your hiking plans.

Check into a ranger station and inform them you’ll be hiking alone for the day. Give them information about how long you’ll be hiking, plus your full name, and tell them you’ll check out on your way back. This will make finding out if you’re missing or not easier and ensure a quick search for you. It’ll go a long way toward saving you quickly in times of distress (when you’re hurt or lost). Rangers can also give you tips on areas that have been affected by rain or snow that you should avoid on your trail.

Remember to pack a map and compass; they will go a long way. Be sure to pack a map and a compass even when you’re confident about your knowledge of the trail you’re following. Your map should include an emergency exit route, water locations, and campsites. Maps and compasses will help you navigate unfamiliar terrain, especially during bad weather.

Finally, when hiking a trail for the first time, remember to research the local wildlife and prepare accordingly. If hiking in an area known to house bears, carry bear spray along with you and make lots of noise, so animals know to stay clear.

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Three Trails Near Boston

R. Scott Bushley is an executive who has served as partner at the Boston-based hedge fund Granite Point Capital since 2018. Outside of work, Scott Bushley enjoys hiking, skiing, and biking.

While many Boston residents enjoy wandering the city’s meandering streets, those who like enjoy hiking in nature have plenty of options. Here are some of the trails near or in the city.

1. Emerald Necklace. Designed by Central Park’s Frederick Law Olmstead, Emerald Necklace connects six different parks across 1,000 acres from Boston Common to Franklin Park. The entire expanse is seven miles long, making it a good destination for people looking for a long, diverse walk.

2. Battle Road Trail. Found in Lincoln, Massachusetts, this five-mile trail is perfect for history buffs, as it is rich in American Revolution lore. While the trail is open year-round, there’s a visitor center open from April through October for extra context.

3. World’s End. Located 15 miles outside of Boston, World’s End offers 4.5 miles of moderate trails and carriage paths that afford views of the Boston skyline, as well as access to saltwater marshes, meadows, and woodlands that are home to many plants and birds.

Basic Base Running Tips for Baseball and Softball

Based in Cohasset, Massachusetts, R. Scott Bushley is a partner focused on finances and operations at Granite Point Capital in Boston. When he is not overseeing the firm’s finance and business operations, Scott Bushley spends time as a baseball coach and member of the Cohasset Youth Baseball and Softball Association board of directors.

Base running is a common element of baseball and softball that cannot be overlooked by coaches, particularly at the youth level. Certain elements of base running are hard and fast rules of the sport, while others are matters of etiquette or strategy.

An example of an important base running rule involves overrunning first base. In virtually any other instance, a runner who is tagged by the ball while not standing on a base is declared out. However, the rules permit players to continue running beyond first base without risk of being tagged out, so long as they quickly turn around and head back to the base. Players do not have to turn into foul territory, but if they make any attempt to progress to second base, they are no longer safe.

From a coaching perspective, the first base rule is a good opportunity to encourage players to try their hardest and attempt to outrun a throw. This is not only a lesson in sportsmanship, but also it’s a strategic decision, as forcing a quick throw to first can result in an error.

A similar element of base running strategy involves sliding into the home plate. At the youth level, there is no rule stating that a player must slide into home. However, youth coaches often instruct players to slide into home whenever there is even a remote chance that there might be a play at the plate so that runners stay in the habit of sliding to avoid contact with the catcher.

Carroll School of Management Ranked 13th of 97 Business Schools

Responsible for overseeing finance and business operations as a partner at Granite Point Capital, Scott Bushley applies two decades of experience in the financial sector to his position at the Boston, Massachusetts-based hedge fund. Before launching his career as a financial services professional, Scott Bushley graduated from Boston College’s Carroll Graduate School of Management with a master of business administration.

A prominent New England business school, the Carroll School recently was ranked 13th out of 97 undergraduate business schools by Poets&Quants, an influential online publication founded by the former executive editor of BusinessWeek, John A. Byrne. The Poets&Quants rankings are based on admission standards, employment outcomes, and surveys of thousands of alumni who are two years past graduation.

In addition to the overall ranking, the Carroll School was rated highly on teacher quality. The school also was ranked sixth for alumni willing to recommend the program to a close friend or colleague. Another strong statistic from the Carroll School is the high alumni employment rate, with nearly 94 percent of graduates finding employment within 90 days of finishing the program. The school’s overall score in the Poets&Quants grading system was 91.28 out of 100.