Guest Author, Author at Green Mountain Club

My 40-Year Section Hike

August 17, 2017 by Guest Author 2 Comments

This post was written by GMC Member John Predom and previously appeared on his blog.

An Adventure for a Lifetime

40 years ago I was introduced to the Long Trail. The specific year I started hiking the trail is lost in my mind (maybe it was either 1971 or 1973?). What is clear is who I hiked with and where we hiked. It was my first big adventure. My best friends Steve Scales and Steve Merriam and I planned to hike from Route 140 near Wallingford to Route 100 at the base of Bromley Mountain. It was an approximately 50-mile hike and we allowed ourselves a modest 10 miles per day to get there. This was at a time before cell phones were thought of, except in a Star Trek series, and when our parents dropped us off we said we would see them in 5 days. How bold we were to go into the wild for 5 days with no way to communicate!

Our gear was nothing special: a nylon Canyonland external frame pack and some Boy Scout gear. We used Glad bags to waterproof our sleeping bags and wore them for rain gear on the wet days. We all had heavy sleeping bags, cooked on a Sterno stove, carried aluminum canteens and cook kits, and brought our telescopic fishing rods to try our luck at Little Rock Pond. I do not remember many of the details of that trip. I do remember staying in the shelter at Little Rock Pond but I do not remember catching any fish. I remember hiking in the rain, being on top of Bromley, and getting out a day early. We had to call our parents from a pay phone, then sit and wait for them to arrive. At the time, I did not know it was the start of my Long Trail adventure.

A year or two later we hiked from Route 103 north over Killington to Route 4. At that time the trail crossed at the top of Sherburne Pass instead of where it does now. I was recently reminded by my friend Kevin Arlund that he joined us on that trip.

Years passed, I graduated from high school, joined the Air Force and forgot about the Long Trail; I did backpack on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia a little. When I returned to Vermont I did frequent hikes to White Rocks Cliff, but that was the only hiking I did until I moved to Bristol in 1985. There I made friends with a few guys that liked to hike. I backpacked from Lincoln Gap to Birch Glen Shelter with Craig Chase, Rick Palmeiri, Doug Richardson, Tim Potter, Sherry Roberts, and Tom Nostrand. Our intended trip was to Jonesville but we were out of shape and had overextended ourselves on the first day. We had also stashed a case of beer and some vodka in the stream near the cabin. The next day we woke up sore and hung over and a couple of the friends decided to hike out, hitchhike to their car, and then come back and rescue us. By the time they returned we had our gear and the empties by the roadside waiting for them.

I did the hike between Appalachian Gap and Lincoln Gap one more time. And then twice hiked from Birch Glen Shelter to Jonesville, once by myself and once with friends Rick Palmeiri and Doug Richardson. I set my boots too close to the fire on that trip and was unable to tie them up to the top; luckily I could still wear them.

Site of the boot burning with Doug & Rick

The next planned hike was from Lincoln Gap to Route 4. I did that hike with my friends Tim Potter and Craig Chase. Places that stand out in my mind are Emily Proctor Shelter, Middlebury and Brandon Gaps, hiking through a field of stinging nettles and wondering what just happened! And coming face to face with the biggest snake I have ever seen in Vermont sunning itself on a rock at eye level on the trail! All this time I was still using my Sterno stove, Boy Scout cook kit, and water tablets; eating oatmeal and cup-o-soups and dehydrated meals from EMS. By this time I realized that I had hiked a good portion of the Long Trail and decided instead of repeating hikes that I had already done I would hike new ground from now on. Up until this point, I had been just drawing a line in my guide book each time I completed a section and retraced the lines when the first book wore out.

Between 1987 and 1997 my hikes and camp outs were limited to day hikes and overnights. We had started a family and at first, I would backpack my daughter up Mount Mansfield, Camel’s Hump or Mount Abraham. When they got old enough I would tempt them up the trail with M & M’s. My oldest daughter Jessica hiked Skylight Pond Trail to Skyline Lodge where we tented. Another time I led a group of their friends on a winter hike to Birch Glen Shelter where we cooked hot dogs and drank hot chocolate. Lots of good memories on the side trails over those years!

1997 was the year! (Or at least I thought it was.) It was my intention to hike the whole Long Trail in one shot. I made a big investment in performance clothing, Gortex rain suit, used internal frame pack, water filter, non-stick mess kit, Whisperlite stove, two-person tent, NOLS cookbook, and a dehydrator. I planned and made my meals, packed boxes, arranged pick ups and drop offs, and was ready to go! I also bought a new pair of LLBean Gortex hiking boots.

My family dropped me off at the Pine Cobble Trailhead in Massachusetts on a hot day in June. I can remember the black flies, mosquitoes, and storm clouds chasing me for most of my hike. I was keeping a logbook now and went by the trail name of “Snowdog,” acquired from my favorite RUSH album and my fondness for winter hiking. Here is an excerpt from my log:

“Hot and Hurtin”
I got to the Congdon Shelter at 5:30 PM. This 13-mile day almost did me in. I was so tired I ate cereal for supper. Thunder was chasing me most of the afternoon; it’s storming now. I BEAT THE RAIN! A guy named Chris showed up just before the rain. He just graduated from Middlebury College. I will be sleeping early tonight. Miss my girls already.

The next night I spent on the side of a mountain in my tent. I was reading a horror novel called The Damnation Game and listening to the constant pelting and buzz of insects. It’s not a great idea to read a horror novel when you are sleeping in the middle of the forest by yourself.

Stratton Pond is always beautiful, but the shelter was full when I got there. It had been a long day, but I decided I could make it to the next shelter, the William B. Douglas Shelter. When I got there someone had made an entry in the logbook that they had seen snakes in the walls earlier in the day and decided to move on. Looking on the bright side, I figured there wouldn’t be any mice in the shelter! Since I was the only one there I set my tent up in the shelter that night to keep the bugs away.

I made it to Bromley Mountain before I decided to call it quits; my sister met me there for supplies and I took a ride home instead. I had half-dollar-sized blisters on both heels and the duct tape was only aggravating things. What I remember most about this section was a lot of rain, humidity, wet socks, and bugs. If you stopped hiking you were eaten alive. I vowed never to backpack in June or July again. Several cool things happened on this hike as well; I ran into a hiker I had met at Emily Proctor Shelter a few years before, saw deer, and swam in a cool stream just before the end of the hike.

A bear greeted me on the next section from Jonesville to Route 108 in Stowe. I hiked this alone and walked up on a bear somewhere near Bolton at 10:30 AM. I wasn’t sure what to do and slowly started backtracking down the trail. When the bear saw me it took off like it had been shot out of a cannon! Climbing Mount Mansfield on a cold, wet day I realized I should have taken the bad weather bypass. It was the only place on the whole trail where I removed my backpack and threw it around a rock outcrop. Then shaking, I gingerly stepped around the outcrop, not looking down for fear of falling. At the Route 108 trailhead I came to realize how far it is to Stowe! I stashed my pack in the woods and walked forever! I had told my wife to pick me up at the McDonald’s and when I got there the McDonald’s no longer existed. I stood beside the road for hours waiting to flag her down. I had left my money and ID in my pack and was dehydrated and thirsty by the time she arrived.

With Kathy at the Route 15 parking lot near Johnson, VT

My sister Kathy Elhers joined me from Route 108 to Route 15 near Johnson early in October 2008. We wore lots of blaze orange and I think people on the trail thought we were quite different. I consider this section the most difficult section. We spent the night at Whiteface Shelter. A couple came in, hiking south. They had hiked all over the country and Alaska and were finding the Long Trail very challenging. They came into camp after dark, coming down Whiteface a most challenging task. We would meet them on another day getting into a taxi at Route 108 with the man suffering from hypothermia. Our hike was not intended to end at Route 15, but my right knee swelled on the way down Whiteface to the shelter and I could barely bend it the next day. We shared our extra provisions and fuel with three thru hikers that were eating cold oatmeal and drinking water for a beverage. They were so thankful for fuel, real food, and tea.

We spent a cold night at Whiteface Shelter

With Allison at Route 15 loaded for the haul to Corliss Camp

Memorial Day Weekend 2009, my daughter Allison and I hiked from Route 15 to Corliss Camp. I was excited to have her hiking with me and bought all the gear she needed to backpack. When I told her to bring her winter clothes she thought I was crazy and said, “DAD!” When snow was blowing sideways at Roundtop Shelter and we were all warm and snug in our sleeping bags playing cribbage she was no longer questioning her father’s prowess. I overextended her a little on the hike over Laraway Mountain to Corliss Camp, but she did not complain. We had a night of good food and more cribbage and unforgettable memories.

With Allison on the LT past Roundtop Shelter

Corliss Camp to Journey’s End was done with new trail friend Kathy Astrauckas. I had met Kathy while doing trail work for the Ottaquechee Section and she asked if she could join me on the hike.

We spent the first night at Spruce Ledge Camp. I have never been a lightweight backpacker and some of the young people were smiling when they saw my pack. The next morning when they were shivering with all their gear on I was comfortable with clothes to spare. Trail memories are fun and two of the guys played music and told stories of hiking the whole AT; now they were doing the LT.

This was a wonderful section of the trail with few people and some amazing terrain! I met some interesting people along the way and remember the width of the trail changing north of Belvidere Mountain. I ate lots of wild blackberries on this section. Mmmm! Finally, the Canadian Border: we spent the night at Journey’s End Camp and hiked to the trailhead in a deluge where my mother was waiting. Yay!

That left the final section: a short 6.3 miles between Route 103 and Route 140. I knew I could have day hiked it anytime, but I wanted to have a good final memory and end it with an overnight. That opportunity came this year (2013) when my good friend Dawn Sabotka motivated me to wrap this up! Instead of being a point-to-point, we made it an out-and-back for 12.6 miles. It was a perfect day for a hike and we took plenty of photos: first of the footbridge over North Clarendon Gorge and then all the Red Columbine along the trail. We dropped our packs at Minerva Hinchey Shelter, ate lunch, and then headed for Route 140. Once we reached our goal we returned and tented near the shelter. The morning hike out had some storm clouds hovering, but we stayed dry to the end. The final leg – finished.

Tenting near the Minerva Hinchey Shelter

I have so many good memories with friends, best friends, and family. I would not have wanted to do it any other way. I would still like to do it all in one shot, but there’s still time and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have already completed it. I am also thankful for the people that have dropped me off and picked me up over the years; without them, it would have been difficult to accomplish.

The Northern Hardwood Forest

March 23, 2017 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

This article previously appeared in the Spring 2016 Long Trail News.

The northern hardwood forest is the common forest type below 2,500 feet in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Yellow birch, sugar maple, American beech, eastern hemlock and white pine dominate, shading hobblebush, several species of ferns, shining clubmoss, and many species of fungi.

Ephemeral spring wild flowers such as trout lily and painted trillium bloom in the short window as snow melts and temperatures become milder, before tree leaves block sunlight from the forest floor. Black-capped chickadees, white breasted nuthatch and downy woodpeckers are residents year round. White tailed deer, moose, black bears, porcupines and red squirrels call the northern hardwood forest home.

Here is an introduction to some forest community members:

Artist’s Conk Ganoderma Applanatum

Artist’s conk is a species of polypore, or shelf fungus. It is the fruiting body of a mycelium that grows in both living and dead tissue of several tree species in the northern hardwood forest, causing sapwood and heartwood rot. The visible fruiting body is large, shelf-like, and woody, and can grow for many years. Spores are released from the underside of the fungus, which also happens to make a good medium for etching or drawing, hence the common name.

Downy Woodpecker Picoides Pubescens

The downy woodpecker is North America’s smallest woodpecker and a common year round inhabitant of the northern hardwood forest. It is very similar to the hairy woodpecker, but has a smaller bill and lacks black spots on its white tail feathers. Both have a rectangular “white blaze” on the back that makes them easy to identify. The downy woodpecker is a noisy bird with a distinct “whinnying” call. It taps and drums on trees as it searches for insects or excavates a nest cavity or winter roost. Its small size enables acrobatic foraging, climbing and perching on small branches using its stiff tail feathers for balance. Like other woodpeckers it undulates as it flies through the forest from tree to tree.

Shining Clubmoss Lycopodium Lucidulum

Shining clubmoss, an evergreen relative of ferns, is found among the leaf litter of the forest floor. Underground horizontal rhizomes enable it to spread into mats or tufts of this small but conspicuous plant. Like ferns and horsetails, clubmosses have a primitive reproductive strategy that involves the release of spores that must land on wet surfaces for a complete life cycle, limiting where it can grow and reproduce. An ancient plant, clubmosses evolved around 410 million years ago, and grew in much larger form in the coal swamps of the Carboniferous period, from 360 to 300 million years ago.

North American Beaver

Trail Name: Castor Canadensis

Gear: Large incisors (front teeth) for felling trees, webbed hind feet for swimming; flat, leathery tail for steering underwater, storing fat, and slapping to startle potential predators and warn other beavers of them.

Shelter: Freestanding lodges made of branches, logs and mud, or dug-out bank dens, with tunnels that exit underwater in both cases. Usually built in a pond, often created by the beavers by damming a stream; or in or on the banks of larger rivers.

Trail Food: Leaves, inner bark, and twigs of favorite trees including birch, aspen, red maple, alder and cottonwood. Also ferns and aquatic plants.

Water Treatment: None. Beavers often carry the pathogen giardia, which contaminates water. Always carry a filter or water treatment drops while hiking in beaver country!

Community: Beavers often mate for life, and kits remain with adults until they are almost two years old. Sometimes muskrats live with a beaver family in their lodge, making it a full shelter!

Pace: Slow waddlers on land, but fast swimmers in water.

Favorite Long Trail Section: The pond south of Tillotson Camp, Griffith Lake and other southern ponds, or any section with streams and bogs.

Trail Magic: Beaver dams create ponds where beavers build their lodges, store food, and are safe from predators. This is trail magic for many other animals including ducks, wading birds, muskrats, frogs and turtles, because it gives them an aquatic habitat and food.

On your next hike, examine the shelf-like artist’s conk fungi up close. Look for the white blaze on the back of the downy woodpecker as it taps on the trees of the hardwood forest. Imagine giant prehistoric animals walking among the giant prehistoric forms of club mosses as you pass its diminutive modern form on the forest floor. And when you follow the trail next to a pond listen for the slap of the North American beaver’s tail. You will start to notice the many animals and plants of our Long Trail community, and the more you know about it, the more fascinating it becomes.

–Squirrel (Carrie) Johnson

Squirrel is a former GMC Long Trail Patrol leader, backcountry caretaker, and information specialist at the club’s Visitor Center. Squirrel has hiked many miles including the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail, and Continental Divide Trail.

Young Adventurers Club

February 23, 2017 by Guest Author 4 Comments

Young Adventurers Club (YAC) outings provide an opportunity for families and their youngest hikers to get out and explore the woods at a comfortable, playful pace. The goal is to encourage and promote children’s enthusiasm for playing in Vermont’s outdoor spaces, and the trips focus on families getting out and having fun, rather than going fast or far. While the pace may be geared more towards younger adventurers (ages 3-8), everyone is welcome.

The Young Adventurers Club was started by GMC’s Montpelier Section and has been replicated in several other sections, including Burlington and Bread Loaf.

GMC Director Michelle Connor led a recent YAC outing with the Burlington section:

We met at the gravel parking lot for a morning meander through Wheeler Nature Park, enjoying a winter wonderland for an hour’s exploring. Vermont served up a beautiful, sunny day with temps in the high 20s, but a blustery wind chilled us as we walked through the meadow (yay for neckwarmers!). We enjoyed sweeping views of Mansfield from the packed trails, with 1 1/2 feet of snow on either side. The group took shelter in the woods for a loop of the inner trail and stopped on a snow-covered rock for snacks. The wooden bridges offered a great place to jump from, and large snowbanks at the parking lot were conquered and slid down.

Sticking to the Trail: Winter Traction

February 9, 2017 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

This article was written by Sarah Galbraith and previously appeared in the Winter 2013 Long Trail News. Products and prices have been updated.

Vermont’s winter hiker has three options for foot travel across snow and ice, and slipping’s not one of them. When it comes to sticking safely to your surface, spike-less traction, spikes, and crampons will all get the job done in the right conditions, but which option is best?

Spike-less Traction: This design consists of a rubber strap system with steel coils underfoot. Examples are YakTrax’s Walk and Pro ($20 and $30, respectively). The Walk is designed for use on sidewalks or park trails, while the Pro is geared to more rugged trails. The Pro includes an additional strap over the arch to attach more securely to a hiker’s foot. Advantages of both models are low cost, light weight, easy storage in a pack or jacket pocket, and heel tabs that make suiting up easy and quick. On the downside, the coils often slip on hard slick surfaces and the Walk often falls off with vigorous use. Both are best suited to packed snow and are not recommended for icy or slippery surfaces. For hikers, the Pro is worth the extra money.

Spiked Traction: This style consists of a rubber strap system and small chains running underfoot with welded metal triangular spikes along the contact points between your foot and hiking surface. Examples are Hillsound Trail Crampons ($60) and Kahtoola Microspikes ($70). Advantages are midrange cost, easy storage in pack or jacket pockets, light weight, heel tabs to aid putting on and taking off, and superior traction. These are best suited to powder and packed snow, hard-packed surfaces, and ice. They are more expensive than spike-less options, but provide significantly increased confidence.

Crampons: Crampons attach to your foot using one of three binding systems (step-in, strap, and hybrid designs). They attach to your boots, are made of metal, and have sharp teeth that dig into ice and packed snow. Examples of strap crampons are C.A.M.P USA Stalker Universal Crampons ($100) and Black Diamond Contact Crampons ($130). The advantage of this option is supreme traction. Disadvantages are higher price, heavier weight, greater complication, and bulky storage. Crampons are best suited to hard-packed surfaces and ice.

The right choice among these three comes down to intended use, budget, and personal preference. For winter hiking in the Green Mountains, the spiked models offer the best combination of affordability and security. Vermont’s winter hiker is likely to find fresh powder, packed snow, frozen streams, and icy and wind-blown summits. Spiked traction will keep you right-side-up in all of these conditions, without weighing you down or breaking the bank.

Regardless of your choice, always remove your traction before entering any lodges or shelters to protect their floors.

Sarah Galbraith of Marshfield, hikes, bikes, skis, and cartwheels through Vermont in all seasons. She thru-hiked the Long Trail in 2001.

The Catamount Trail – Vermont’s Gateway to Backcountry Skiing

February 2, 2017 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

This post was written by Amy Kelsey, Executive Director of the Catamount Trail Association.

The Long Trail isn’t the only trail that runs the length of Vermont. The Catamount Trail (CT) is 300-miles of backcountry skiing through the heart of Vermont stretching from Massachusetts all the way to Canada. It was first skied in 1984. The Trail begins in the town of Readsboro, VT, along the Massachusetts border, and stretches north to North Troy where it hits the Quebec border. The Trail is divided into 31 sections, most of which are skiable in a day, depending on conditions. Sections range in length from 6 or 7 miles to over 12 miles. Each of these sections is maintained with the help of one or more volunteer “Trail Chiefs.” The Trail Chiefs are the folks that know the trail sections best, and they are the people that make sure it is clear and ready for skiing each winter. The trail would not exist without the help and dedication of these and many other volunteers.

The Catamount Trail is characterized by great diversity – both in terms of the difficulty of the route and the remoteness and scenery of the various sections. There is something for everyone, regardless of your ability level and the time available. However, please be aware that while you may be adequately skilled and equipped for one section, you may not necessarily be so for other sections. Consider the weather and snow conditions, and each member of your party’s physical fitness, equipment, familiarity with the route and backcountry skiing experience and skills. By reading the route description for each section and studying the trail map and profile (available at no cost on the Catamount Trail Association website), you should be able to choose a section suitable for the ability level of your party

Work related to maintaining and protecting the trail corridor is a priority for the CTA, but it is far from all they do. Their instructional offerings provide individuals of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to spend time outside being active during the winter. Collaborations with land managers and local community groups provide dispersed backcountry skiing and riding opportunities throughout the state. And, their special events bring individuals together helping create new connections and strengthening the Vermont community. Being active and enjoying the winter environment is a large part of the Vermont experience. The CTA offers a wide variety of tours, special events and instructional clinics in an effort to remove the obstacles that keep people inside and sedentary during winter. Whether you’re looking to develop and improve your technique, meet like-minded adventurers, or push your limits… You can be sure the CTA has something for you. To learn more about the CTA, or to join one of their many winter tours or events, visit www.catamounttrail.org. If you’d like assistance to determine where you might start your Catamount Trail adventures, feel free to call the CTA staff at 802-864-5794. They love to talk about the trail!

CT/LT Overlap Adventures

Although the Catamount Trail is frequently at a lower elevation than the Long Trail, there are some places where they run close together, overlap, or can even be combined for a multi-trail adventure! Try out some recommended tours in those areas below.

Stratton Pond, Stratton

The beautiful loop around Stratton Pond is approximately two miles long. Follow the Catamount Trail north from the end of plowing on the Stratton/Arlington Road. Continue to Stratton Pond (a short portion overlaps with GMC’s Stratton Pond Trail), circumnavigate the pond, and then head back out. Total Distance = just shy of 8 miles.

Grout Pond, Stratton

Within the Grout Pond Recreation Area, several loops are possible. A 6-mile loop partially on the CT and partially on snowmobile trails begins at the Kelley Stand Rd. parking area. This loop is suitable for intermediate skiers. The trail is wide and the terrain is gentle but snowmobile traffic is present on some portions of the trail, particularly on weekends. Follow the Grout Park entrance road, which is also the CT and a snowmobile trail, south to Grout Pond cabin. Continue along the west shore of Grout Pond to the south end of the pond. Connect to the Catamount Trail and turn left to go around the pond. Eventually, you will return to Grout Pond Road about 0.5 miles south of the parking area where you started. (Note: there is a logging operation this winter and Grout Pond road is plowed all the way to the Cabin).

Utley Brook/Little Michigan, Landgrove

The Mountain Valley Trails Association (MVTA) maintains an extensive network of cross-country ski trails in this part of the GMNF, including the Utley Brook, Little Michigan, Rootbeer Ridge, and Jones Brook Trails. See map resources below for more detail.

Huntington Gap, Huntington

Huntington Gap is one of a handful of spots where the CT and LT intersect. This excursion utilizes hiking and snowmobile trails, as well as a short piece of the CT. This route requires strong navigational skills and is appropriate for advanced skiers and hikers/snowshoers. Follow the Beane Trail to the LT and the intersection with the CT. Continue on a VAST snowmobile trail heading northwest until you return to the logging road. Follow the logging road east back to parking. See the CT North Map for more detail.

Bolton Mountain, Bolton

Just east of the LT, there are numerous trails worth exploring in Bolton Valley.

Follow the CT through to Nebraska Valley road, explore the Woodward Trail, or make a loop using the JK trail and Cottonbrook. The Cottonbrook basin can be very confusing. This is recommended for advanced skiers with good routefinding skills. You need to be prepared for a full day out and be attentive to your location at all times.

Overland Trail, Underhill

The overland trail climbs from the parking lot at the end of Stevensville Road up to the ridge of the Greens, crossing the LT between Dewey Mountain and Mount Mansfield. Ski up and back, or ski up and over the ridgeline where you can connect to a system of backcountry trails maintained by the Mount Mansfield Nordic Ski Center.

Catamount Trail Section 30: Hazen’s Notch to Jay Pass, Montgomery
This section parallels the LT at lower elevations, and offers a variety of conditions and terrain from nearly level groomed snowmobile trail and logging roads, to steep, narrow, twisting trail. Snow is usually reliably deep due to a northwest exposure. The ridge below Buchanan Mountain offers fine views of Jay Peak to the north and Burnt Mountain to the south. We recommend skiing from North to South.