Caretaker Program
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NEWS Quarterly of the Green Mountain Club SPRING 2019 50 Years of the GMC Caretaker Program 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 1989 postcard to Field Assistant Sue Lester and Field Supervisor Ray Auger from the Mount Mansfield Ranger-Naturalist crew. Michael DeBonis, Executive Director Jocelyn Hebert, Long Trail News Editor Richard Andrews, Volunteer Copy Editor CONTENTS Green Mountain Club Spring 2019, Volume 79, No. 1 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677 FEATURES Phone: (802) 244-7037 Fax: (802) 244-5867 E-mail: [email protected] 6 / Looking Back 50 Years: How the Caretaker Program Began Website: greenmountainclub.org by Vic Henningsen TheLong Trail News is published by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded 12 / Fifty Years of Hiking on Camel’s Hump in 1910. In a 1971 Joint Resolution, the Vermont Legislature designated the Green Mountain Club the by Mike DeBonis “founder, sponsor, defender and protector of the Long Trail System...” 16 / The Stratton Pond Area Relocation Contributions of manuscripts, photos, illustrations, and by Keegan Tierney news are welcome from members and nonmembers. The opinions expressed byLTN contributors and 18 / Climate Change: Trail Management Strategies advertisers are not necessarily those of GMC. GMC reserves the right to refuse advertising that is not in by Mike DeBonis keeping with the goals of the organization. TheLong Trail News (USPS 318-840) is published 20 / Roll into Nature: Gentle Trails to Scenic Places quarterly by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 by Krista Karlson Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. Periodicals postage paid at Waterbury Center, VT, and additional offices. Subscription is a benefit for GMC 22 / Tucker Johnson Shelter Open members. Approximately $5 of each member’s dues is by Jocelyn Hebert used to publish the Long Trail News. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Long 34 / Meet the Greeter of Laguna Beach Trail News, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. by Reidun Nuquist Copyright©2019 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 3 / From the President 26 / Land Stewardship 32 / Sections only to individuals for their own personal hiking 4 / Mountain Views 28 / Annual Meeting 35 / James P. Taylor convenience. Series 11 / Trail Support 30 / Board Report 36 / In Memoriam: 24 / Field Notes 31 / Election for Don Wallace Cover: 2007 GMC caretaker, Robin Lenner, hiking General Directors 25/ Trail Mix Wampahoofus Trail to Mount Mansfield summit. 38 / Journey’s End Photo by Alden Pellett. From the President his issue of the Long Trail News spending summers on the summit of celebrates the 50th anniversary of Stratton Mountain in 1968, first as fire Tthe modern Green Mountain Club lookouts for the state, then from 1996 on as caretaker program, which was revived in 1969 GMC representatives. Each summer Hugh with encouragement from conservationist and and Jeanne take up residence in a very small then part-time Bolton Lodge caretaker Ken cabin by the fire tower. Their reputations Boyd. (See “Looking Back 50 Years: How the precede them as hikers anticipate meeting Caretaker Program Began” on pages 6-7.) the caretakers who have been living We take great pride in the success of seasonally on Stratton’s summit for 50 years. this program and the caretakers who have (For their story, see “Journey’s End” column dedicated one, two, five, or 50 hiking seasons on page 38.) to protecting and maintaining the alpine zones, The value of the caretaker program shelters and backcountry overnight sites on the increases as the number of hikers using the Long Trail. I only wish I had been one myself. Long Trail increases. Last year more than Imagine living in a tent or shelter for 46,000 hikers were counted on the Mount Tom Candon an entire summer in all kinds of weather, Mansfield summit, and more than 20,000 on foregoing all amenities and luxuries—a Camel’s Hump. Traffic on other points on the cover the season, but we need to secure more job for the hearty (patience and a sense Long Trail is certainly not as heavy, but it is stable funding sources. of humor help). Caretakers describe how estimated that more than 200,000 people hike Former caretakers currently serve as their experiences enhanced self-sufficiency, somewhere on the Long Trail System annually. the chairs of four extremely important developed self-esteem, or gave them a greater Green Mountain Club committees: appreciation for the environment. Their Trail Management, Nominating, Land comments often conclude with: “It was the Caretakers describe how Conservation, and Membership. And John best job I ever had.” Page, our immediate past president, is a former I’ve met caretakers many times as I reached their experiences enhanced caretaker. Time has shown that an investment the summits of Vermont’s highest peaks. self-sufficiency, developed in the caretaker program today is an investment I appreciated the artful way they politely in the next generation of GMC leaders and managed and educated crowds of hikers— self-esteem, or gave them trail stewards. many with dogs—about sensitive alpine Finally, it is with sadness that I note the vegetation, Leave No Trace principles, and a greater appreciation for loss of long-time Montpelier Section member, general hiking etiquette. Caretakers also spend the environment. Reidun D. Nuquist, who died peacefully at her a significant amount of time maintaining home in November. Reidun was a thoughtful trails, and doing my least favorite job as a The program is funded with a mix of and powerful advocate for the GMC and Long volunteer—processing backcountry waste. government grants, contributions from ski Tra il . For forty years, her submissions to the And with the increasing number of injured areas, and private donations, but its vitality is Long Trail News informed readers about the or lost hikers in recent years, caretakers have at risk every year. Just last summer GMC was club’s beginnings and the pioneers who built become a vital support element in search and notified that the Green Mountain National the Long Trail. Reidun will be remembered rescue operations, at times reaching a person in Forest was shifting money from caretakers to as someone who not only captured the club’s distress before the search and rescue teams. other programs, heightening our concerns. history, but also created it. (To learn more Long-time caretakers Hugh and Jeanne After a concerted effort, GMC and the about Reidun, see page 5.) Joudry deserve special mention. They began National Forest staff found enough money to —Tom Candon, President PHOTO BY JOCELYN HEBERT PHOTO BY JOCELYN Mount Mansfield caretaker hiking ridgeline LONG TRAIL NEWS • SPRING 2019 | 3 Mountain Views Why the Long Trail is Not a We Griped and We Loved it National Scenic Trail I was back for a short visit with my brother just I finished reading the winter edition of theLong last week. From 1960 to 1962—three summers— GMC Officers Trail News and I want to congratulate you on Harris Abbott and I from Burlington, and Everett Tom Candon, President Sheri Larsen, Vice President the best edition yet. The stories were great, and I Washer from Johnson, worked as Roy Buchannan’s Stephen Klein, Treasurer Long Trail Patrol. We drove a red 1949 Ed O’Leary, Secretary especially liked the piece about why the Long Trail is not a National Scenic Trail. It was interesting to International loaned to us by a GMC member in GMC Directors southern Vermont, but we brushed and cut out Robynn Albert, General learn the requirements behind such a designation Lars Botzojorns, General and the thinking behind the decision to twice blowdowns mostly north of Mansfield. Michelle Connor, Burlington Hope Crifo, General take a pass. I learned a lot and totally support I’ve lost touch with Everett and GMC, but I Elisabeth Fenn, Sterling see on the website the LTP is a bit more organized Bob Fish, Manchester keeping the Long Trail as it is. Thank you for an Russ Ford, Northern Frontier entertaining and informative edition. than going out Monday through Friday with some James Fritz, Connecticut canned beans for the summer. We griped, and we Jean Haigh, Northeast Kingdom —Georgene Grover, Shelburne Peter Hope, Upper Valley-Ottauquechee loved it, and came back. Anne Janeway, General Amy Kelsey, General I was very happy to read Preston Bristow’s viewpoint —Brian Schumacher Wayne Krevetski, General George Longenecker, Montpelier on keeping the Long Trail its unique self. I’ve thru- Nancy McClellan, General hiked the PCT, the AT, and the Long Trail twice. Rich Minogue, Bennington John Page, Immediate Past President The northern Long Trail is just what I wanted and Mike Peckar, Worcester not to be homogenized into some overly engineered Kenna Rewcastle, UVM Board Fellow Ira Sollace, General tract. Vermont is Vermont, and the Long Trail Cynthia Taylor-Miller, Killington Dann Van Der Vliet, General reflects the energy and resourcefulness of the state. Howard VanBenthuysen, General Please leave well enough alone. Matt Wels, Brattleboro Bruce Yelton, Bread Loaf —Bamboo Bob Sartini John Zaber, General Vacant, Laraway Just finished reading the WinterLTN , which I very Long Trail Patrol, 1974 GMC Staff Directory much enjoyed. I particularly appreciated Preston Main Telephone: (802) 244-7037 Bristow’s article—a story I didn’t know because, Jason Buss, Director of Finance Path of Least Resistance E-mail: [email protected] by the time those events happened, I was out of Phone: (802) 241-8214 Vermont and away from the GMC.