Celebrating 105 YEARS of Women on theLongTrail 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. ADAM DEAN HECKLE ADAM Quarterly of the Burlington Section member Catherine Hinojosa hiking through misty, moss-covered spruce Green Mountain Club c o n t e n t s Michael DeBonis, Executive Director Jocelyn Hebert, Long Trail News Editor Spring 2015, Volume 75, No. 1 Richard Andrews, Volunteer Copy Editor Brian P. Graphic Arts, Design Green Mountain Club 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road 5 / Remembering Don Hill Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677 Features Phone: (802) 244-7037 By Jane Williams & Rolf Anderson Fax: (802) 244-5867 E-mail: [email protected] 6 / Suffragette, Pianist, Traveler: Website: www.greenmountainclub.org Some Remarka ble Women in GMC History The Long Trail News is published by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., a nonprofit organization found- By Reidun Nuquist ed in 1910. In a 1971 Joint Resolution, the Vermont Legislature designated the Green Mountain Club the 9 / Some Remark able Girls and Women “founder, sponsor, defender and protector of the Long Trail System...” on the Long Trail Today Contributions of manuscripts, photos, illustrations, and news are welcome from members and nonmem- 14 / Backdrop from Vermont’s Iconic Peak bers. Copy and advertising deadlines are December 22 Photographs by Sheri Larsen for the spring issue; March 22 for summer; June 22 for fall; and September 22 for winter. 16 / Search & Rescue in the Green Mountains The opinions expressed by LTN contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of GMC. GMC By Neil Van Dyke reserves the right to refuse advertising that is not in keeping with the goals of the organization. 20 / GMC’s 105th Annual Meeting The Long Trail News (USPS 318-840) is published quarterly by The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 22 / Annual Election of General Directors 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Long Trail News, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677. 3 / From the PresidentDepartments 24–25 / Sections Copyright©2015 The Green Mountain Club, Inc., 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, VT 4 / Mountain Views 26–27 / GMC Outdoor Programs 05677. Permission to reproduce in any form any of the material in this publication without prior writ- 13, 22 / Volunteers 28 / James P. Taylor Series ten approval of The Green Mountain Club, Inc. is granted only to individuals for their own personal 17 / Field Notes 29 / Board Report hiking convenience. 18–19 / Trail Mix 31 / Journey’s End Cover Photo: End-to-ender Morgan Irons taking a break at Lockwood Pond. Photo by Alan Paschell Long Trail News Spring 2015 2 From the President es, spring is our fickle season. We find it difficult to relin- quish winter hiking in the high mountains, yet look forward Yto warmer days, the smells of earth and flowers. Mindful of fragile muddy trails high up, we choose lower yet kinder paths. Each spring I look forward to a Mother’s Day hike up Elmore Mountain with my daughter Jackie, a twenty-year family ritual. I probably hike Elmore five or six times a year, but I never tire of our Mother’s Day venture. We ooh and ahh Spring in Vermont our way from the trailhead to the founda- tion of the old stone cabin overlooking is contrary, equivocal, the adolescent of the seasons. Lake Elmore, our goal to find as many We suffer from growing pains, gathering hope from differing icicles and a few spring flowers blooming along the trail as possible. Trilliums have nearly passed bare glimpses of bare ground, only to be thrown by the unexpected blizzard at lower elevations, but are just begin- into a midwinter’s gloom. Then everything happens at once. ning to bloom at the top, sometimes with leftover snow in their shadows. It is akin – Reeve Lindberg & Richard Brown, View from the Kingdom to watching spring unfold into summer before our eyes. CHRISTIE DALE This spring the Green Mountain Craftsbury. But her service to the club be found doing trail work on weekends. Club celebrates the first anniversary of is legendary. She was a revered environ- She was and still is a strong advocate the arrival of Mike DeBonis as executive mental activist and spirited fighter for for getting children out on the trail and director. Mike has shown a natural ability Vermont’s ridgeline, as well as GMC’s first teaching them the importance of trail to manage, solve problems, and lead with woman president. She was instrumental maintenance skills and Leave No Trace confidence. His thoughtful quiet man- in establishing GMC’s ranger natural- ethics. Her daughter Kate began working ner and his ability to quickly understand ist program, reviving the backcountry on the trail at a very early age, and be- the challenges facing GMC continue to caretaker system, and starting a trail came southern field assistant for the GMC impress everyone. He climbed a steep ethics education program. The epitaph on when she graduated from college. Marge learning curve pretty darn quickly. her gravestone in the Craftsbury Common is a tough lady! She once fell and broke Now that Mike and the staff are Cemetery says it all: “Lover of the Moun- her leg in umpteen places while hiking settled, my thoughts turn to other mat- tains and Their Trails.” near Montclair Glen Lodge. A nurse and ters. It’s hard to realize that this is my When I joined the board as the North- rescue squad member, she managed to sta- next to last president’s message, but as I east Kingdom Section director in 2002, bilize herself and direct her own rescue. reflect on my tenure, I realize how much Marty Lawthers was president. I remember Four days later, with nineteen screws in I have benefited from those who served thinking, “Wow, this woman is one smart her leg, she rolled into a club meeting in a before me. individual.” Marty led with grace, humor wheelchair. Her presidency continued in and enthusiasm. She facilitated board that fashion. At last year’s annual meet- GMC Women Presidents meetings in a collaborative style, yet ran ing she was honored with a well-deserved In this edition of the Long Trail a tight ship with high expectations for GMC Life Membership. News we celebrate women who have board participation. She helped begin I applaud not only my three predeces- broken stereotypes and contributed to the Second Century Capital Campaign, sors but all women who have supported the protection and maintenance of the formed partly to raise funds to rebuild and encouraged the vision of building Long Trail since the club’s inception in the visitor center after a fire in 2003. and maintaining a long-distance hiking 1910. I immediately think of three past Marty frequently travelled from her home trail in Vermont. presidents: Shirley J. Strong (1969-1971), in New York to Vermont to attend GMC Ladies, and gentlemen, get ready to Marty Lawthers (2000-2003) and Marge meetings. She was passionate about hik- grab your tools and get out there to do Fish (2009-2012). ing, and is a Long Trail end-to-ender. some spring cleaning! I wasn’t fortunate enough to have met In 2011 Marge Fish became president. Shirley Strong, although we both lived in The ultimate volunteer, Marge can reliably – Jean Haigh, President Long Trail News Spring 2015 3 Mountain Views I’ve hiked the Long Trail GMC would like to share nearly twice, once as a thru- the sad news of the hike, and I’m nearly done a GMC Officers passing of Northern Frontier second pass as a section hiker. Section member Don Hill… Jean Haigh, President In the process I’ve stayed in John Page, Vice President Stephen Klein, Treasurer thirty-one of the shelters. Thank you for posting the Tom Candon, Secretary They are all very nice in their two pictures of my father, Don own right. They have offered GMC Directors Hill. When I was much young- warmth, comfort, and protec- er we spent quite a bit of time Ted Albers, Burlington tion from the elements, inter- Lee Allen, General on the trail. In fact, our first Michael Chernick, Northeast Kingdom action and friendship with a hike was the now infamous one Marge Fish, Manchester diverse group of hikers from to Tillotson Camp as chronicled Chris Hale, Laraway around the globe, great views George Hall, General in the video made about him Allison Henry, Killington and entertainment from mice a couple of years ago. He even Paul Houchens, General with world class athletic abili- corralled me into a few “work” General ED EPSTEIN Lynda Hutchins, ties….All priceless stuff! The hikes in my teenage years. Anne Janeway, General GMC does a great job with all Wayne Krevetski, General Tell us: which is your Hiking with my father was Sheri Larsen, General favorite shelter on of the shelters. Thanks for the always a unique experience. Ron Lucier, Sterling incredible work that you do. His attention to detail and Doug McKain, Bread Loaf the Long Trail? – Terry Lovelette, his awareness of everything Millie Mugica, General Saint Albans John Oliva, Worcester It’s so difficult to pick just around him lent a perspective Walter Pomroy, Northern Frontier one favorite.