2016 Field Season is Over

GMC’s Caretakers and Long Trail Patrol left the woods last month, bringing an end to this year’s successful field season.  The Long Trail Patrol and Construction Crew got a lot accomplished this year, with help as always from our wonderful volunteers: Volunteer Long Trail Patrol, GMC sections, service learning groups, trail and shelter adopters, bark mulch packers, and stewardship monitors.

Trails, puncheon, kiosks, and tent platforms were built.  Bridges, privies, shelters, and trail tread were repaired.  Field staff increased their training too: 2 field staff traveled to the Adirondacks for training with ADK’s summit caretakers, 2 more field staff were chainsaw certified, 8 field staff were crosscut saw certified, and 3 field staff were trained in crosscut saw sharpening.  And new programs started, including wilderness monitoring and non-native invasive plant species removal (funded by US Forest Service).

Take a look at some of the work we did this year below, and keep an eye out for the upcoming Winter Long Trail News to see even more trail work details.

Removing micro burst blowdowns

Yale service trip disassembling North Shore tenting platforms at Stratton Pond

SCA service trip showing off their repairs of Black Brook Bridge

Bog bridges in Stamford Meadow built by VLTP

Reclaiming the Howard Hill open area on the AT

Hell Hollow Bridge removal

Mount Mansfield airlift

Mount Mansfield airlift

Construction crew building new cribs for the moldering privy at Thistle Hill Shelter

The completed Thistle Hill Privy

Clearing a blowdown with a crosscut saw

Repaired Lake Trail Bridge

LTP and caretakers putting the finishing touches on the Stratton View privy

Clearing blowdowns

New puncheon on Mount Mansfield's ridgeline

Thanks to all of the GMC volunteers and field staff for their hard work maintaining the trail system and welcoming hikers to Vermont’s most popular peaks and overnight sites this season!