How to be "Tom Sawyered" by Marge Fish
By Val Stori
it is seven o’clock in the morning on a cool Saturday in September and already the parking lot at the Long/Appalachian Trail crossing on Vt.11/30 is overflowing with cars. I weave my way among people who are finding creative ways to cram signs, lumber, and hand tools into their daypacks. Eventually, I come across Marge Fish, the woman I’ve been searching for, right where I expect her to be-in the center of it all. Marge, otherwise known by the trail name "Tortoise," is standing amidst a crowd of volunteers, clipboard in hand. Now, between you and me, Marge goes by the name "Tortoise" because she thinks she hikes slowly; but secretly I’ve been thinking of her more along the lines of "Tom Sawyer." She’s a natural leader, capable of convincing you that where you really want to be is on the trail volunteering. That’s how I find myself in a throng of sleepy-eyed people a few minutes after dawn on a Saturday morning.
Marge calls out names, pointing here and there, assigning tasks for the day. Unlike the fictional Tum Sawyer, however, Marge is involved in all aspects of the work weekend. Under her instructions, Greg takes a crew to finish trailwork, Paul Austin and a crew build the privy, and I’ve got a crew to install puncheon and signs along the trail. The rest are off to work on the new post-and-beam shelter with Erik and Laurel Tobiason. All in all, we have a volunteer task force of more than fifty people-perhaps a new record for volunteer turnout on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont!
Project History
The Bromley Shelter project was first conceived in late 1999 as a replacement for the former Mad Tom Notch Shelter and as an alternative to the Bromley Tenting Area, which wastoo near the road and also directly on the banks of Bromley Brook. The last two years have been spent searching for a site, laying flag lines, and seeking approval from U.S. Forest Service planners and botanists. The design concept for the shelter itself was based on similar structures further south on the Appalachian Trail built and designed by the Nantahala Hiking Club. Marge Fish worked with Erik and Laurel Tobiason, veteran shelter builders, through the winter to draw plans for a post-and-beam shelter with a roof overhanging a cooking table and benches. Their design received final approval by the trail management committee in the spring of 2003. The shelter features a cooking and seating area protected from the elements, yet retains lean-to characteristics. In addition, the overnight site has three tent platforms and an accessible composting privy.
As trail managers were busy seeking building permits and design approval, Director of Development Bob Lincoln was occupied with finding funds to build the shelter, and Marge worked on figuring out how many people she could "Tom Sawyer" into helping out over the construction period. Tugether, they came up with the following scheme: the final funding sources were the Green Mountain National Forest, the National Forest Foundation, the Applachian Trail Conference, the Green Mountain Hikers’ Summit, Marge and Bob Fish, and Turry Edelstein, in loving memory of her daughter, Debby.RK Miles, a local lumber and hardware store, donated materials for the construction of the shelter.
Laying the Groundwork
Behind the scenes, Field Supervisor Greg Western provided staff oversight, ensuring that we were in compliance with new accessibility standards, and affirming that the Forest Service was in support of our course of action. Greg also supervised the Volunteer Long Trail Patrol who spent six weeks preparing the site for the shelter and privy, and constructing the spur trails to the water source and tent platforms. Their groundwork involved not only negotiating unexpected water seeps in their staircase, but also creating a foundation of rocks they handsledged for the privy!
As with many of the shelter projects over the last several years, materials were transported to the new site by helicopter. The lumber for the privy, tent platforms, and the shelter was brought to the staging area at the Bromley Ski Resort where it was bundled, weighed, and labeled. The loads could not exceed 800 pounds and the lumber for the various projects had to be kept separate. The Green Mountain National Forest coordinated the fortyseven-load airlift with support from the GMC.
The Build
The construction process was reminiscent of a grand orchestra with an experienced maestro at the helm. That maestro, of course, was Marge who oversaw the site-build over two weekends, including the shelter, tent platforms, and privy. It was truly a shelter built in the cooperative spirit with the help of volunteers and staff from the Green Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conference, and the Green Mountain National Forest. The second weekend, while we were demolishing the privy at the former tenting area, Joe Okarmus and Craig Tumkinson arrived carrying steaming cups of coffee and two dozen doughnuts fresh from a local bakery to keep us in good spirits. Later that morning, Manchester Section’s Phil Russell walked in with a backpack full of salads, breads, spreads, and cheeses for the dedication luncheon. Green Mountain National Forest Trails Supervisor Doug Reeves was on site cutting lumber for puncheon, removing duff from the treadway and raising beams on the shelter. The Edelsteins and friends helped open the trail and lay puncheon. Green Mountain National Forest seasonal staffer Max Kamen provided invaluable support on all fronts from felling trees to laying trail. Dave Hardy and Carol Gregory tasked themselves with side-hilling on the upper portions of the trail. Laurel Tubiason, I am convinced, was the glue to the entire construction operation; throughout the two weekends, I saw her patiently and cheerfully showing volunteers how to use a hammer, pull bent nails, assemble tent platforms, and trim boards to length. She had a hand in several pots
Young Faces
It also was encouraging to see several young kids, the trail’s future, working at the site. A father-daughter team worked together at the shelter, a father-son team worked on the privy, and Lynn Caulfield and her daughter, Laura and son, Micah, were getting muddy putting in puncheon. Laurel’s nephew and his friend were present at the site, also helping to build the shelter; a young through-hiker helped put together the tent platforms. I could not help but be thankful for the young faces.
Bennington Section member Paul Austin, who has built several privies for the GMC over the years, took charge of privy construction with several volunteers. Together, they erected a large, handicapped-accessible, composting toilet over an impressive stone foundation built by the Volunteer Long Trail Patrol. This privy, likely to become the most enjoyable on the trail, features a Lexan corrugated roof that allows daylight to filter into the space.
Volunteers Make It Happen
The woods were alive that weekend with happy voices and the sounds of pounding hammers and running saws. Laughter echoed through the woods as new friendships were made and old trail friends came together again. Glancing around at all the smiling faces, I wondered just how many of us were "Tom Sawyered" into this, and how many of us thought this was the best thing we could be doing with our weekend. We were blessed by spectacular blue skies and cool fall weather, and graced by the presence of so many volunteers who gave their time and energies to creating a new overnight option for anyone who wishes to enjoy the Vermont woods. I am constantly in awe of the dedication of volunteers without whom these projects could not happen. And I am in constant appreciation of Marge "Tom Sawyer" Fish whose vision and perseverance was the driving force behind this project. If all work parties are this fun, she
can rope us all back, I’m sure!
Sources
- Val Stori, "How to be Tom Sawyered by Marge Fish." Long Trail News 2003 (2003). Green Mountain Club. 16.
