Quarterly of the Green Mountain Club SUMMER 2018
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NEWS Quarterly of the Green Mountain Club SUMMER 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 EVKids group on Mount Abraham summit with end-to-ender, Leanna “All Good” Keegan, on far right. Green Mountain Club 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677 Phone: (802) 244-7037 CONTENTS Fax: (802) 244-5867 Summer 2018, Volume 78, No. 2 E-mail: [email protected] Website: greenmountainclub.org TheLong Trail News is published by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded FEATURES in 1910. In a 1971 Joint Resolution, the Vermont Legislature designated the Green Mountain Club the “founder, sponsor, defender and protector of the Long 6 / MUT Season: Running in the Green Mountains Trail System...” By Rob Rives Contributions of manuscripts, photos, illustrations, and news are welcome from members and nonmembers. 10 / He Had a ‘grip on trail matters’: Theron Dean The opinions expressed byLTN contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of GMC. GMC reserves the right to refuse advertising that is not in By Reidun D. Nuquist keeping with the goals of the organization. TheLong Trail News (USPS 318-840) is published 13 / I Dream of Pizza quarterly by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. By Alan Paschell Periodicals postage paid at Waterbury Center, VT, and additional offices. Subscription is a benefit for GMC members. Approximately $5 of each member’s dues is 14 / 2017 End-To-Enders used to publish the Long Trail News. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Long Trail News, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. DEPARTMENTS Copyright©2018 The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 3 / From the President 24 / Board Report 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. Permission to reproduce in any form any of 4 / Mountain Views 25 / Volunteers the material in this publication without prior written approval of The Green Mountain Club, Inc. is granted 5 / Blue Blazes 26 / Sections only to individuals for their own personal hiking convenience. 17 / Trail Mix 28/ Outdoor Programs 21 / Field Notes 30 / Journey’s End 22 / Stewardship Cover photo: Long Trail end-to-ender Dan “Country Time” Braun and his niece, end-to-ender Tori “Danger Ranger” Braun, on Mount Mansfield summit. Photo courtesy of Dan Braun. From the President t is with some sadness but great pride that Looking forward, we must continue to I write my last president’s column for the operate with a distant time horizon—as we ILong Trail News. Serving as the Green have for more than a century, and must for Mountain Club’s president for the last three at least another century. No doubt there will years has been one of the great honors and joys be threats to trails, and future GMC leaders of my life, and I’m grateful to the GMC Board may need to invent new ways to achieve James of Directors for giving me the chance to lead Taylor’s mission of “making the mountains this exceptional organization. play a larger role in the life of the people.” When I became president I set two As stewards today our job is to pass our personal goals for my term: to section hike the organization and trails to the next generation entire Long Trail, and to visit all 14 sections better than we found them. I see two for at least one activity. I wanted to meet as significant challenges to the continuing vitality many hikers and members as possible to better of GMC and the Long Trail. understand the needs of the club and our trail First, we must complete the 32-year system. effort to legally protect the entire Long Trail I completed my section hike and can corridor in perpetuity. The end is in sight, and report that the Long Trail continues to amaze we need to keep our eye on the prize. Second, tolerate the club president’s frequent and and challenge hikers from all over the world. the Green Mountain Club must stay relevant sometimes over-imaginative forays into the Like all organic, living things it needs constant to the modern hiking community, which has possible and the impossible, occasionally attention, but overall it is in great shape. changed greatly since I was an LT caretaker in gleaning something useful, and pretending I also joined most sections for trail work, 1971. We have to engage future generations artfully when he doesn’t. It’s been a great annual meetings or other outings, and cannot partnership. As I’ve said before, the Green stress enough their importance to the health “As stewards today our job is Mountain Club was lucky the day Mike of the club. Not only do section workers play walked through our door. a necessary role in maintaining our trails, they to pass our organization and I also want to thank the many people who are crucial to engaging new members and trails to the next generation have helped carry the load during my term, developing new leadership for the “main club.” especially fellow officers Tom Candon, Steve Our sections must be valued, nurtured, and better than we found them.” Klein, and Lee Allen. I also owe much to two supported. former GMC Presidents: Jean Haigh, my The board’s main accomplishments in of increasingly diverse hikers through mentor and valued friend; and Rich Windish, the past three years have been a generational their chosen means of communication, a frequent sounding board on club matters overhaul of the board’s governance structure, including social media. Producing a GMC- during our many days of hiking. They’ve all the adoption of an ambitious strategic plan, led, interactive online platform for trail become friends for life, which has more than and planning for future financial strength. information has become an urgent priority. compensated for the hundreds of pizzas and This hard work is not what hikers love to I am particularly grateful to Mike thousands of emails I’ve consumed doing club do, but it is vital. Although I come from an DeBonis, our terrific executive director. business with them. The volunteer leadership earlier GMC culture where volunteers did He really loves the Long Trail and the of the Green Mountain Club has always been everything, today we must rely heavily on Green Mountain Club, and his energy and a collaborative and visionary group. These our talented professional staff, with volunteer commitment reflect that. He’s assembled a people have continued that tradition, and I’m leaders providing the vision, policy direction, very talented staff poised to do great things. proud to have worked with them. and financial resources our staff needs to excel. One of Mike’s many talents is his ability to —John Page, President PHOTO BY JOCELYN HEBERT PHOTO BY JOCELYN LONG TRAIL NEWS • SUMMERStratton 2018Pond sunset | 3 Mountain Views Dave Hardy Tribute What an outstanding tribute to Dave in the LTN. You guys nailed it! The orange GMC Officers and purple jumped off each page. All the John Page, President photographs and stories were a nice way to Tom Candon, Vice President Stephen Klein, Treasurer memorialize the incredible celebration of life Lee Allen, Secretary for Dave back in January. It made me smile and GMC Directors sad at the same time. Robynn Albert, General —James “Mitch” Mitchell, Brattleboro Section Lars Botzojorns, General Michelle Connor, Burlington Hope Crifo, General I wanted to offer up that I really loved the new Marge Fish, Manchester Russ Ford, Northern Frontier edition of the Long Trail News. All of the kind and James Fritz, Connecticut thoughtful remembrances of Dave. we should all Jean Haigh, Northeast Kingdom Peter Hope, Upper Valley-Ottauquechee be so fortunate as to be remembered so warmly. Paul Houchens, General I knew Dave just a little, having had Anne Janeway, General Wayne Krevetski, General conversations with him over the years as he Sheri Larsen, General was trying in his gentle way to convince the Ron Lucier, Sterling reply “yup, that’s me!” What magnificent Doug McKain, Bread Loaf Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) to give up the contributions he made in his career with the Ed O’Leary, General trail and the corridor in Vermont. I volunteered Mike Peckar, Worcester GMC! No one is irreplaceable—but he surely Ira Sollace, General extensively with DOC in those years, in many leaves BIG shoes to fill. Martha Stitelman, Bennington capacities, and attended the New England Cynthia Taylor-Miller, Killington —Phil Brown, GMC member Dann Van Der Vliet, General Region meetings as the DOC rep from time to Howard VanBenthuysen, General time. In those years I got to know Dave a bit, Matt Wels, Brattleboro What a wonderful tribute to Dave in the latest Mike Wetherell, Montpelier and learned that his first trail-related gig was edition of the LTN! The picture on the front John Zaber, General as cook at Cardigan Lodge. I could well relate Vacant, Laraway cover is priceless, and I believe that in the GMC Staff Directory to someone who had entered this world with picture on the inside back cover, he is wearing intention, first through volunteer service and Main Telephone: (802) 244-7037 the red headband I made for him! My niece in then into the ranks of the seasonal employee, Jason Buss, Director of Finance Florida called me to say how much she enjoyed E-mail: [email protected] and finally into full-time work.