Green Mountain Club

Maintaining & Protecting Vermont's Long Trail Since 1910

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Howard E. VanBenthuysen

Born and raised in Burlington, Howard graduated from UVM in 1973 and Albany Law School in 1982. He began hiking and backpacking on the Long Trail with his parents and with the Boy Scouts in the early 1960s, developing a lifelong love of the Long Trail.

Howard was GMC caretaker at the former Gorham Lodge near the summit of Camel’s Hump in 1972. In 1973 and 1974 he was a summit ranger-naturalist on Mount Mansfield. He has 81 miles left to finish section hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Howard is chair of the GMC Trail Management Committee, a member of the Northern Frontier Section, and carves trail signs for the club. He is also a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

A veteran of the U.S. Army and the Vermont Army National Guard, Howard retired in 2011 as a lieutenant colonel, after serving combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a Vermont Superior Court Judge, and lives with his wife Doreen in Hyde Park.

two side by side images showing a small container of soil and water

Ask a Science Teacher: Why is the Long Trail so Muddy?

March 27, 2023

Vermont — and especially the Long Trail — is known for being sort of muddy. We even have an official fifth season, "mud season." Why is Vermont (sometimes known as "Vermud") and the Long Trail so muddy? Why is the Long Trail so muddy? To answer, we asked Joe Bahr, newly minted author of the … Read more

About Mud Season HikeVT Trail Recommendations Become a Member Trip Planning Trail Maps Volunteer Opportunities

Mission

The Green Mountain Club is the founder and maintainer of the Long Trail - the oldest long distance hiking trail in America. Established in 1910 to build this trail stretching the length of Vermont, the club now also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and trails in the Northeast Kingdom in its mission to "make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people." Read more...

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Connect

4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road
Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677
802.244.7037 | Email GMC

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2023 Trail Sign Auction Starts Monday, April 3!