Green Mountain Club/Burlington section

This file is an 80 page document describing the history of the GMC Burlington Section from 1910 to 1999. I suggest you right-click to ’save-as’ this file to your hard drive. GMC Burlington Section History 1910-1999 (2 MB PDF file)

Here in Vermont, winter feels so long and summer seems so short. We all want to get out on the trails on that first spring day when the sun is shining, there’s a breeze from the south, the thermometer hits fifty degrees, and the air is full of the dripping and gurgling sounds of melting snow. But the trails are wet and muddy in the spring. When hikers step on saturated soil, they cause irreversible damage. Hikers can make deep gullies and pits that will be there all summer long. If hikers step off the trail to avoid the mud, they increase erosion by creating additional trenches for run-off. See the GMC notice on Mud Season Hikes! Keep reading →

4/19/2008
Phil Hazen
Map and Compass. 9 participants. This was the 11th annual Map and Compass Course with many participants to go with the excellent weather. After a little orientation with the various compasses and some map reading pointers, the group was anxious to test their skills. The final destination - Colchester Pond. Of course, the first body of water we saw wasn’t even on the map - what do you expect for a map dated 1947. But this group was pretty intuitive and and after a little discourse figured out a new heading that took us through the woods, over and around beaver dams and ponds, a few cliffs, and finally to Colchester Pond. I think a few thought it would be easier to be a follower than a leader. I mentioned that there is a double your money back guarantee if you should ever get lost. (The course is free.)Participants:Ted Albers, Jill Ash, Noreen Cargill, Linda Evans, Cheryl Jenkins, Jane Pennline, Karl Riemer, Mike Sutliff, Phil Hazen(trip leader)

4/26/2008
Wannabee Shelter Adopter Hike to Buchanan Shelter.
Field Director Dave Hardy accompanied us as we plodded along and pondered the dilemma of protecting the Long Trail from encroaching development. The pace was slow; the weather was cool and breezy. We found a small glacier of snow hidden in the swale between the rocky cliffs. The forest wildflowers were just beginning to show their pretty faces. Trail and shelter are in good shape. There was a quiz afterwards to identify Buchanan’s privy type - mouldering or composting? Participants: Rachel Moulton, Dot Myer, Dave Hardy, Phil Hazen, Karl Riemer, Jeff Bostwick, Joanne Mellin, Linda Evans (leader).

3/22/08
Hazen’s Notch XC Touring Center, Montgomery
6 participants. This little pocket of Vermont never disappoints us with its copious snow pack. Even when the rest of the world is thinking spring, Hazen’s Notch is still stuck on winter. We had a lovely day skiing the groomed trails, greeting the one or two other skiers (who all seemed to be from Canada, eh?) and listening to the black capped chickadees singing their spring songs. As one participant succinctly put it: You couldn’t ask for a better day. I wouldn’t think of it. Thanks again, Rolf Anderson, for the discount given to GMC members. We’ll be back! Participants: Lee Ann Banks, Michael Banks, Sara Burghoff, Marshall Breakstone, Karl Riemer, Linda Evans

3/14-16/08
Wiesel (Weizel) Cabin Week-end.
Nobody is really sure how to spell it, but we always have a great time at this so-called cabin in the Adirondacks. A select group of 16 enjoyed gourmet meals, great hiking and skiing, and Saturday night musical entertainment at the ranger’s station next door. Look for my report in the summer edition of the Long Trail News for even further incriminating details. Linda Evans

3/23/08
Basin Harbor Bird Walk
Nine of us met for a GMC bird walk on a cold but beautiful Easter morning. A report of bald eagles at Basin Harbor led us to abandon our original destination, turning a well-planned walk into an outing full of exploration and adventure. Every trail and every walkway at Basin Harbor was glacial: huge curved slabs of clear ice, long slopes of ice-covered snow, flat skating rinks of thin ice covered with water. There was butt-sliding. There was crawling on all fours. There were some brave upright descents that built up surprising speed and ended with full-body tree hugging. AND there were eagles! At one point, we were watching six adult bald eagles lined up on the ice like beads on a necklace. In all, we estimated that we saw at least eight adults and one immature eagle. Maeve Kim, trip leader.
Other birds sighted:
Robins, with their breasts incredibly bright
Tufted Titmice, singing their loud “PEEEur” over and over
Black-Capped Chickadees
White-Breasted Nuthatch
American Crows
Ring-Billed Gulls
Possible (very distant) Greater Black-Backed Gull
Mallards
Common Mergansers
Common Goldeneyes
Buffleheads
Red-Tailed Hawk
Mourning Doves
Pigeons

February 29, 2008
Sadie Hawkins Day Hike. No men were brave enough to sign up so we three women went for a hike on the Little River State Park network of trails in Waterbury. We followed the Dalley Loop Trail to the Stevenson Brook Trail, two of us on snowshoes, one on skis. We took a couple of wrong turns which added to the mileage, but all in all it was a success as we made it out by suppertime. Participants: Rachel Moulton, Robynn Albert, Linda Evans (leader).

Feb 9, 2008
Snowshoe - Honey Hollow. 11 participants. We changed the routing which was originally to Taylor Lodge. With so much snow, no one wanted to drive Stevensville Rd. It was a perfect day, enjoyed by all, with deep snow. We shoe’d up the ski trail to the intersection with the HoneyHollow Road and then broke trail going down the Hollow Road. Dot Myer, Carol Hignite, Donna Leban, Patty Williams, Rachel Moulton, Theresa Gabert, Mary Keenan, John Mitchelides, Andrea Choug, Ted Albers, Jean Anderson.

Photo: On the Honey Hollow Trail; the Round Church, Richmond, VT

There have been several GMC logos in the almost one hundred years since the Club was started. In many of the variations, there was no obvious connection between the Club and the Long Trail. In March 2007, the Board of Directors adopted a revised logo. In addition to the main club, each of the Sections has a new and improved logo. The revised logo emphasizes the connection between the work of the Green Mountain Club and the Long Trail. Read more about the new logo on the GMC website.

Most Vermonters who’ve spent any time outdoors have stories about the weather. Have you hiked in mud to your kneecaps? Put your head down and trudged blindly through gale-force winds? Skidded all over an icy mountain? Share your story by sending it to Maeve Kim: PO Box 1086, Jericho Center 05465 or maevulus@surfglobal.net

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The Burlington Section has many working committees made up of volunteers who specialize in the behind-the-scenes activities that keep the club going. Here are reports about these activities for the year 2007. Keep reading →

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