2022 Field Season by the Numbers

Look at all of this work you made possible! We are overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the support we received during the 2022 field season from hikers, members, donors, and volunteers. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 2022 field season by the numbers.

The map (click to enlarge) shows sites our field staff and volunteers worked on this year. We ran three professional Long Trail Patrol crews, restarted our Volunteer Long Trail Patrol after pausing it during the pandemic, and had a full slate of Backcountry Caretakers at 15 sites on the Long Trail. Projects in the field included shelter repairs and rebuilds, trail improvements, and privy management and upgrades.

Three professional crews included a Long Trail Patrol crew stationed on Burrows Trail; a roving patrol crew that worked at Stratton Pond, the LT north of Tillotson Camp, and in between; and a BackCountry Construction crew working on shelters and privies.

The Volunteer Long Trail Patrol returned after two years, and spent six weeks relocating a muddy section of trail near Dunville Hollow. Their work amounted to 760 hours of volunteer labor.

We worked on five privies including:

• Construction crew built a new privy at the new Sunrise Shelter overnight site location (to be completed in 2023)
• Construction crew built a new ADA-accessibly moldering privies and capped the old pit privies at Old Job Shelter and Stony Brook Shelter.
• Field programs staff replaced rotted lumber and stabilized the composting privy at Taft Lodge
• UVO section volunteers moved the moldering privy at Thistle Hill shelter to a new catcher to increase capacity.
• Caretakers also performed frequent regular maintenance on privies in their ranges

We repaired or rebuilt six shelters, including:

• Volunteers led by Jonathan Bigelow built the new Seth Warner Shelter.
• Construction crew reset the foundational piers and installed a new cedar roof at Kid Gore Shelter.
• Poured piers to prepare for Sunrise Shelter build in 2023.
• Made progress on Stratton View shelter.
• Addressed powder post beetle infestation at Spruce Peak Lodge.
• Jacked, plumbed, and reset piers at a leaning Puffer Shelter. The Burlington Section volunteers installed a new roof.

Trail crews worked on nine major sections of trail including:

• Installed 60 feet of turnpike near Dunville Hollow (volunteer crew)
• Completed reroutes around Stratton Pond and spur to Willis Ross clearing on Pond’s shore
• Replace puncheon and complete stonework on the Griffith Lake – Old Job Trail
• Improved drainage on the LT/AT north of Governor Clement Shelter (with VYCC crews)
• Completed a short relocation on the Bucklin Trail to address severe erosion
• Hardened LT treadway near Cooley Glen shelter
• Restored short severely eroded section of the Sterling Pond Trail with new armored stone staircase
• Continued upgrades, funded by Long Trail Legacy Campaign, on northern LT from Tillotson Camp to Haystack Mountain
• Embarked on year one of the Burrows Trail Project

Speaking of the Burrows Trail Project, here are a few highlights of that crew, led by Sam Kenney:

• Crews from five partner organizations tackled 128 of 300 sites
• This includes 55 non-technical maintenance sites (brush-ins, etc.)
• Installed 215 stone steps
• Repaired and built 30 rock waterbars

Phew! As we wrap up this field season, planning for next year is underway, with hiring about to begin in January. In 2023, we will start year two of the Burrows rebuild, work on Sunrise and Lost Pond Shelters, and replace the privies at Lost Pond and Winturri Shelter. We plan to have another full season of the Volunteer Long Trail Patrol working in Southern Vermont.

Thank you again to all of you for supporting the 2022 field season! We’re grateful for you.