NEWS Quarterly of the Green Mountain Club FALL 2018 The mission of the Green Mountain Club is to make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people by protecting and maintaining the Long Trail System and fostering, through education, the stewardship of Vermont’s hiking trails and mountains. Quarterly of the Green Mountain Club Michael DeBonis, Executive Director Jocelyn Hebert, Long Trail News Editor Richard Andrews, Volunteer Copy Editor Green Mountain Club 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road Autumn on Mount Mansfield. Photo by Gus Billard. Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677 Phone: (802) 244-7037 Fax: (802) 244-5867 CONTENTS E-mail: [email protected] Website: greenmountainclub.org Fall 2018, Volume 78, No. 3 TheLong Trail News is published by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1910. In a 1971 Joint Resolution, the Vermont Legislature designated the Green Mountain Club the FEATURES “founder, sponsor, defender and protector of the Long Trail System...” 7 / Arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer Contributions of manuscripts, photos, illustrations, and By Mike DeBonis news are welcome from members and nonmembers. The opinions expressed byLTN contributors and 8 / The State of the Vermont Moose advertisers are not necessarily those of GMC. GMC reserves the right to refuse advertising that is not in By Isaac Alexandre-Leach keeping with the goals of the organization. TheLong Trail News (USPS 318-840) is published 10 / The Wonders of Avian Architecture quarterly by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 By Martha Leb Molnar Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. Periodicals postage paid at Waterbury Center, VT, and additional offices. Subscription is a benefit for GMC 14 / Kingdom Heritage Lands Trail System members. Approximately $5 of each member’s dues is By Jean Haigh used to publish the Long Trail News. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Long 16 / Rebuilding Bromley Mountain Observation Tower Trail News, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. By Jocelyn Hebert Copyright©2018 The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. Permission to reproduce in any form any of DEPARTMENTS the material in this publication without prior written approval of The Green Mountain Club, Inc. is granted only to individuals for their own personal hiking 3 / From the President 20 / Field Notes 25 / Board Report convenience. 4 / Mountain Views 22 / Trail Mix 26 / Land Stewardship 5 / Trail Support 23 / Education 28 / Sections Cover: Early morning sighting of a bull moose on Mount Abraham summit in 2017. Photo by GMC 6 / Blue Blazes 24 / Volunteers 31 / Journey’s End Caretaker Scout Phillips. From the President t is a special honor to be elected the 43rd 2010—an amazing adventure that I am president of the Green Mountain Club, looking forward to repeating. Ithe principal protector and maintainer When the GMC celebrated its 100th of the Long Trail, the Vermont Appalachian anniversary, the club conducted a Long Trail, and the Northeast Kingdom trails. I Trail relay with section hikes along the appreciate the opportunity to lead such a entire length of trail. To complete my valuable and esteemed Vermont institution. end-to-end, I joined five of the section In my firstLong Trail News column, I’ll tell hikes. During the relay I met a group of a little about myself and my connections to volunteer hike leaders who were clearly the Club and the Long Trail. invested in and devoted to the trail. Born in Proctor, I attended school in Former GMC President Jean Haigh led Rutland and then Burlington before moving my last leg to Journey’s End. Jean, then- back to Rutland, where I finished my early Executive Director Ben Rose, and then- education and high school. I’ve lived in Director of Trail Programs Dave Hardy Vermont all of my life except for the four made such positive impressions on me that years I was in college and two on active duty I just had to become a GMC volunteer. I Tom Candon with the U.S. Army. started as a board member, then went on A degree in economics led to my to serve as secretary and vice president, as and I look forward to working with staff, early career in association management a member of the executive committee, and officers, board members, committees, and in Montpelier before joining the Howard for the past three years as chair of the trail other volunteers to reach our goals. Bank (today TD Bank) in Burlington. I management committee. For 108 years the Green Mountain completed my professional career in 2014 As chair of the trail management Club’s purpose has been to develop and with 21 years as the Vermont Deputy committee I was fortunate to see first hand maintain a hiking trail system in the Commissioner of Banking, and concluded much of the extensive planning needed to Vermont mountains. The club works a 23-year military career with the Vermont maintain our trails. Visiting sites to evaluate hard to ensure your hiking experience is Army National Guard in 1993. My wife maintenance projects has been a valuable memorable and enjoyable. But we need your Mary and I live in Shelburne, and we education. More importantly, I had a front- support. If you are a member who has yet to have four married children and eight row seat to the late Dave Hardy’s brilliance, participate on a section outing or volunteer grandchildren. savvy, hard work, and most indelible to help on a trail workday, I encourage you, I was first introduced to the Long Trail trait—his indomitable desire to ensure that as I did, to make it a goal this season to get when I was a Boy Scout in Rutland. I can the Long Trail System would be a foremost involved. Along with the staff and volunteer remember hiking north from U.S. Route 4 hiking experience for future generations. I leadership, I will be available to answer for an overnight adventure. It was a great look forward to doing my part to build on questions and listen to recommendations. outing, but I must admit that the most Dave’s invaluable contributions. Autumn is the perfect time of year to memorable part was a very close encounter At GMC’s 108th Annual Meeting in grab your backpack and head for the hills. with the trail when our assistant scout June, John Page concluded his three-year Share time on the trail with a friend—they leader lost his wedding ring and we spent a term as president by passing the gavel to me. will certainly want to repeat the experience, fair amount of time combing the trail for it. One of many significant accomplishments and may be inclined to join the thousands If memory serves, it was never found. during his term that will guide me and GMC of GMC members and volunteers already I section hiked the Long Trail from the for the next five years is the newly adopted supporting our trails today. Massachusetts border to the Canadian strategic plan. It will be a continuous topic of —Tom Candon, President border, completing the final stretch in discussion and focus during my presidency, PHOTO BY JOCELYN HEBERT PHOTO BY JOCELYN LONG TRAILWheeler NEWS Pond in •the FALL Northeast 2018 Kingdom | 3 Mountain Views Three Magical Weeks on the Trail I Married the Man, and the Pond We received the [end-to-ender] certificates last week The enclosed check is to be used for present and and are absolutely thrilled! My daughter Amanda future expenses at Stratton Pond. In 1971 when GMC Officers is going to sew her patches on her pack right away. I married Robert Humes I also seemed to marry Tom Candon, President And both certificates will get framed and hung Stratton Pond, being from then on for many years Sheri Larsen, Vice President Stephen Klein, Treasurer on the wall soon. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised part of Worcester Section annual work parties. Ed O’Leary, Secretary if Amanda brings hers to hang in her dorm room Bob, as past president of the main GMC and also GMC Directors when she goes away to college in a couple of years. of the Worcester Section, kept me active in one Robynn Albert, General Lars Botzojorns, General She is that proud of her accomplishment. And she way or another in GMC until his death in 1991. Michelle Connor, Burlington should be—it’s a tough hike! I hope this donation can help both with caretaker Hope Crifo, General Bob Fish, Manchester Thank you so much for making this happen. costs and especially with your proposed rerouting Russ Ford, Northern Frontier James Fritz, Connecticut We fondly remember our hike every day. And your and new shelter and campsite plans. Jean Haigh, Northeast Kingdom stunning magazine never fails to bring smiles to our —Mrs. Anne Humes, Kennett Square, PA Peter Hope, Upper Valley-Ottauquechee Anne Janeway, General faces as we fondly remember all of the wonderful Healthy Ridgeline Amy Kelsey, General things that happened during those three magical Wayne Krevetski, General George Longenecker, Montpelier weeks last summer. We wanted to send you a hearty thank you for Ron Lucier, Sterling hosting our group last Friday. It was exciting Nancy McClellan, General —Bruce Young Rich Minogue, Bennington to see the Mansfield ridge looking so healthy. John Page, Immediate Past President Thundering Falls Boardwalk Mike Peckar, Worcester GMC’s stewards do exemplary work with Kenna Rewcastle, UVM Board Fellow Thank you so much for all your hard work on admirable dedication, all most evident to us as we Ira Sollace, General Cynthia Taylor-Miller, Killington this amazing section of trail! My cousin was in a enjoyed our walk from the Forehead to the Chin.