Long Trail News Editor Richard Andrews, Volunteer Copy Editor Winter 2015, Volume 75, No
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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. Cheryl Byrne and Carrie Johnson at Quarterly of the Stowe Pinnacle vista Green Mountain Club HEBERT JOCELYN Mike DeBonis, Executive Director c o n t e n t s Jocelyn Hebert, Long Trail News Editor Richard Andrews, Volunteer Copy Editor Winter 2015, Volume 75, No. 4 Green Mountain Club 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677 Phone: (802) 244-7037 Fax: (802) 244-5867 5 / Sandy Stare: BuilderFeatures of the Original Lost Pond Shelter E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.greenmountainclub.org 6 / Changes in the Vermont Forest The Long Trail News is published by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., a nonprofit organization found- By Caitlin Cusack ed in 1910. In a 1971 Joint Resolution, the Vermont Legislature designated the Green Mountain Club the 10 / Trees: A Photo Essay “founder, sponsor, defender and protector of the Long Trail System...” 12 / The Belated Party Contributions of manuscripts, photos, illustrations, and news are welcome from members and nonmem- By Ilana Copel bers. Copy and advertising deadlines are December 22 for the spring issue; March 22 for summer; June 22 13 / Farewell to Pete for fall; and September 22 for winter. By Jocelyn Hebert The opinions expressed by LTN contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of GMC. GMC reserves the right to refuse advertising that is not in 14 / A Century of Town Forests in Vermont keeping with the goals of the organization. By Jenny Montagne The Long Trail News (USPS 318-840) is published quarterly by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. 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 used to publish the Long Trail News. 3 / From the PresidentDepartments 20–21 / Sections POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Long 4 / Mountain Views 22–23 / James P. Taylor Series Trail News, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. 16 / Field Notes 24 / Board Report Copyright©2015 The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 17 / Trail Mix 26 / Journey’s End 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. Permission to reproduce in any form any of 18–19 / Volunteers 27–31 / 2015 Annual Report the material in this publication without prior writ- ten approval of The Green Mountain Club, Inc. is granted only to individuals for their own personal Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation: Filing date, October 28, 2015. hiking convenience. Long Trail News. Publication No. 318-840, published four times per year. Office of publication, editorial and general business office located at 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677. Editor: Jocelyn Hebert. Owner: The Green Mountain Club, Inc. Average number of copies each issue during preceding twelve months: Total number of copies printed, 7,700. Total paid distribution, 6,555. Total free distribution, 1,004. Total distribution, 7,559. Office use and otherwise not distributed, 141. Total, 7,700. Percent paid distribution, 86.72%. Number of copies of single issue Cover: Snowshoeing through winter forest to published nearest to filing date: Total number of copies printed, 7,200. Total paid distribution, 6,505. Total free distribution, 695. Total distribution, 7,200. Butler Lodge. Photo by Jocelyn Hebert Office use and otherwise not distributed, 0. Total, 7,200. Percent paid distribution, 90.35%. – Jocelyn Hebert, Editor Long Trail News Winter 2015 2 From the President n a gray Friday afternoon in Long Trail Lodge late October I enjoyed bush- whacking around the woods near Sherburne Pass with Oabout twenty-five members of the Green Mountain Club Ridgeline Society. Our quarry was the ruins of the former Long Trail Lodge, a rustic but elegant inn built for GMC in 1928 as a gift from Mortimer Proctor (an early club president and fu- ture Vermont governor), and his mother. As we poked around the foundation stones of the main lodge and examined several collapsed outbuildings, I felt a powerful connection between the Proctors, who were important early benefactors of the club, and my present companions. Each of the ninety members of the VERMONT OF UNIVERSITY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, DEAN, COURTESY S. THERON Ridgeline Society contributes at least $1,000 annually to GMC’s coffers, totaling As it was in the beginning, Avery’s Gore in the Northeast Kingdom. about sixty percent of overall unrestrict- generous people stand We plan to manage these camps for year- ed giving. Many also donate generously round use by reservation only, as we to special projects such as land acquisi- behind every project, new have operated the popular Wheeler Pond tions, shelter renovations and, most trail and new shelter… camps in Barton for more than a decade. recently, bridge building. Together with Although our experience at Wheeler the sections, board members and staff, unteers who cut the trail and the donors Pond gives us confidence that we can our donors are the fourth leg of the GMC who financed their work. The donors of manage these new camps successfully, stool. We could not do what we do with- that era were appreciated as much as we they represent a departure from the long- out them. value ours today. standing model of Long Trail shelters As a twelve-year-old I visited the Today thousands of people give some- used primarily in summer and open to Long Trail Lodge after a hike over thing of themselves to the club every the public on a first-come, first-served Killington and Pico during the club’s year. Many do trail work with their sec- basis, free of charge unless there is a care- annual intersectional week in the mid- tions or as adopters. Others work on the taker. We are therefore planning slowly to 1960s. The dining room’s interior was board or its many committees. And many make sure that we have the right manage- finished with large boulders, birch bark contribute financially, as their means ment model. furniture and light fixtures, and a giant allow. It’s all important, but the financial For example, effective disposal of stone fireplace. It was sort of like be- support is essential. So when someone human waste during heavy winter use ing outdoors when you were indoors, from the club asks you to consider mak- requires a different system than the ones which no doubt was the architect’s intent. ing a donation, remember that for more we’ve created for our shelters used mainly Northbound, the Long Trail actually than a century the Green Mountain Club in summer. All three new structures need entered the back door, and left through has depended on people like you to fund remodeling to absorb wear and tear from the front door! A few years after that its work. constant use, and we need to ensure that visit, the Long Trail Lodge burned to the the wood stoves are safe and easy to oper- ground. GMC Camps Update ate. Finally, we need a business plan that Although the buildings are gone, the will make them financially sustainable. Proctors’ tradition of financial support Many of you know that GMC has All of this is under review by our lives on in the Ridgeline Society. As it acquired or assumed the management of talented staff and our new Camps was in the beginning, generous people three new camps and may be wondering Committee (ably chaired by former stand behind every project, new trail and when they will be open. The new camps President Jean Haigh), but time and new shelter—in fact, the entire mission are Bolton Lodge and Bryant Camp in patience will be needed. We hope Bolton of the Green Mountain Club. The earliest Bolton Valley, and Headwaters Camp on Lodge and Bryant Camp will be ready to records of building the Long Trail in the Unknown Pond, reached by a side trail open next year, and Headwaters Camp 1910s routinely identified both the vol- from the new Middle Mountain Trail in will come on line the following year. —John Page, President Long Trail News Winter 2015 3 Mountain Views Vital Education Because “ethics” can come sion of the GMC and its ideals across as daunting, stern, or were obvious from the moment Thank you for the timely restrictive. But “ethics” can be that we met him coming in article on Leave No Trace best used in an uplifting way, too: a from the cold rain. Additional- GMC Officers practices in the fall issue. This word that embodies a code of, ly, the discussion we had about John Page, President past hiking season saw a large as your headline put it, “best trail maintenance and steward- Tom Candon, Vice President Stephen Klein, Treasurer increase in the number of thru- practices.” Your article guides ship was extremely interest- Lee Allen, Secretary hikers with a corresponding us in how to carry out these ing. It was obvious how much GMC Directors larger impact on the Long Trail ethical best practices for the Adam not only cared about the Ted Albers, Burlington and shelters. Leave No Trace benefit of the mountain world trails and the environment but Lars Botzojorns, General education is vital to the con- and the hikers who love that also educating those who stayed Faith Brown, General tinued health of our trails and world. at the lodge. Marge Fish, Manchester facilities. Thanks to all of you at the This was an experience of a James Fritz, Connecticut Jean Haigh, Northeast Kingdom —Bob Whitney, Green Mountain Club for your lifetime and we would thank Chris Hale, Laraway GMC Manchester Section thoughtful and caring work.