Hey kids and parents!
Want to explore the world and make friends?
Join the Young Adventurers Club

The Long Trail and its side trails are closed during Mud Season, when the trails get to be very muddy. Hiking on the trails when they are muddy promotes trail erosion and damages fragile vegetation that exists at higher elevations.

Subscribe to the section mailing list.

Join master timber framers Erik and Laurel Tobiason each weekend in May, at the South Barn Replacement workshops. See the Spring 2008 Long Trail News for more information. See images from the fall 2007 workshops

Getting the journal stamped after another successful outing

Reidun's History is for sale at $8.00 (plus shipping.)

Blood trillium, May 2007, on LT south of River Road

The second Young Adventurers Club hike, at North Branch Park
Photo by Dave Blumenthal

Planning a trip? Check the sunrise/sunset times and some past easier trips and trip sequences

Vermont Hunting Season posted at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.

Purchase the Montpelier Section Bandanna

Under development:
Adopters' Pages
Section Leaders' Handbook

May 2008

May 11, Sunday - Paddle. Waterbury Reservoir. Easy. Enjoy an afternoon paddle with the high water, fresh leaves, and arriving birds. Call Leader: George Plumb, 883-2313 or gplumb@pshift.com for meeting time and place.

May 17, Saturday - Work Hike. Duxbury. Bamforth Ridge. 3-4 mile round trip. All Abilities. Wear work clothes and gloves. Meet at 8:00 A.M. Leader: Ken Hertz, 229-4737 or trails@gmcmontpelier.org

May 18, Sunday - Nature trails at Barre Town Elementary School. Kids Easy. Dave Rubel, 839-0357

May 20, Tuesday - Bike Ride. Port Kent, NY. Moderate. 24.4 miles. Ride by apple orchards, one steep hill, ride includes Peru, NY, and view of Ausable Chasm. Park in Burlington. Take ferry to Port Kent. Helmet required. Call Leaders: Andrew & Reidun Nuquist, 223-3550 for meeting time and place.

May 24, Saturday - Work Hike. Smugglers' Notch. 2-4 mile round trip. All Abilities. Wear work clothes and gloves. Meet at 8:00 A.M. Leader: Ken Hertz, 229-4737 or trails@gmcmontpelier.org

May 31, Saturday - Green Mountain Club annual meeting, Waterbury Center. See the Long Trail News for details.

June 2008

June 3, Tuesday - Membership/Outing Planning Meeting. Planning events from September 1 - November 30. Look in Trail Talk for details.

June 6, Friday - Work Hike. Huntington. Volunteers needed at loading site to weigh logs and lumber for the reconstruction of Montclair Glen Shelter in preparation for the helicopter airlift. Please contact Shawn Flanigan at sflanigan@greenmountainclub.org before Thursday, June 5 for details and weather-related updates.

June 7, Saturday - Work Hike. National Trails Day. Duxbury. Volunteers needed at loading site and drop zones. The loading site is in Huntington; the drop zones are at Montclair Glen Shelter, Bamforth Ridge Shelter, and a mile above BRS. Please contact Ken Hertz, 229-4737 or trails@gmcmontpelier.org and also Shawn Flanigan at sflanigan@greenmountainclub.org 

June 8, Sunday - Hike. Mt. Abraham and Mt. Ellen. Difficult. 11.6 miles, 2,500' elevation gain. 7 hrs. Follow the LT from Lincoln Gap to Appalachian Gap. Car spotting involved. Must call Leader: Paul DeLuca, 476-7987 or pdeluca420@msn.com

June 10, Tuesday - Executive Committee Meeting. Montpelier. All members are welcome. Look in Trail Talk for details.

June 14, Saturday - Paddle. Peacham Pond. Moderate. PFD required. Call Leader: Sara Rappaport, 229-9026 for meeting time and place.

June 14, Saturday - Hike. Mt. Abraham. Difficult. 6 miles round trip. "Side-to-Side" trail, Div. #8. Mt. Abraham via the Battel Trail. Call Leader: Steve Lightholder, 479-2304 or steve.lightholder@yahoo.com for meeting time and place.

June 14, Saturday - Hike up White Rocks. Kids Difficult. Lexi Shear, 229-9810

June 20-22, Friday through Sunday - Hike. White Mtns., NH. EXTREME DIFFICULTY. 19+ miles, 8,000' elevation gain. Presi Traverse. Arrive Friday, traverse Saturday, depart Sunday. Please call Leader: Paul DeLuca, 476-7987, or pdeluca420@msn.com for overnight accommodations.

June 21, Saturday - Hike. Benton, NH. Moderate. 7.2 miles round trip. 6 hrs. Summer Solstice up Mt. Moosilauke via the Benton Trail. Meet at 8:00, 8:30 A.M. at the Schoolhouse Common, School Street, Marshfield. Please call Leaders: Cynthia Martin or George Longenecker, 426-3874

June 28, Saturday - Paddle. Hyde Park. Moderate. 5 miles. Green River Reservoir. PFD required. Bring lunch. Call Leader: Joan Heller, 223-1874 for meeting time and place.

July 2008

July 5, Saturday - Hike. Chittenden. Moderate. 6 miles. "Side-to-Side" trail, Div. #6. Chittenden Brook Trail (off VT Rte. 73), descend to Sunrise Shelter for lunch, and then to VT Rte. 73. Car spotting required. Call Leader: Steve Lightholder, 479-2304 or steve.lightholder@yahoo.com for meeting time and place.

July 6, Sunday - Paddle. Marshfield Dam. Moderate. PFD required. Call Leader: Sara Rappaport, 229-9026 for meeting time and place.

July 13, Sunday - Paddle. Waterbury Dam. Moderate. Up to 9 miles, or less, depending on paddlers' interest. Stop for lunch and opportunity to swim. PFD required. Bring sun protection. Call Leaders: Andrew and Reidun Nuquist, 223-3550 for meeting time and place.

July 15, Tuesday - Hike. Groton. Easy. 4 miles. From nature center, hike to Peacham Bog and return via the Coldwater Trail. Bring bug repellent. Call Leader: Priscilla Daggett, 454-1234 for meeting time and place.

July 19, Saturday, Possible Rain Date: July 20, Sunday - Hike. Killington and Pico Peak. Difficult. 9.6 miles, 2,650', 6 hrs. Ascend via Sherburne Pass on Rte. 4, descend by the Bucklin Trail. Car spotting involved. Must call Leader: Paul DeLuca, 476-7987 or pdeluca420@msn.com for meeting time and place.

July 20, Sunday - Hike. Plainfield. Moderate. 4.5 miles. Spruce Mtn. Good views from the fire tower at the summit. Bring lunch or a snack to enjoy at the top. This walk can be fun for the whole family. Meet at 10:00 A.M. Leader: Ken Hertz, 229-4737

July 29, Tuesday - Hike. Groton. Easy. 3 miles. Hike around Kettle Pond. Call Leader: Priscilla Page, 229-9596 for meeting time and place.

August 2008

August 2, Saturday, Possible Rain Date: August 3, Sunday - Hike. Mt. Dix, East Adirondacks. Difficult. 13 miles, 3,200' elevation gain. Hike from Rte. 73 for the first easy 5 miles, last 1.5 miles is challenging. Great views. Must call Leader: Paul DeLuca, 476-7987 or pdeluca420@msn.com or Co-Leader: Paul Demers, 660-2737 or pdemers@vmec.org for meeting time and place.

August 3, Sunday - Hike. Underhill. Difficult. 6.6 miles. Hike Mt. Mansfield on the Sunset Ridge Trail. Call Leader: Charlene Bohl, 229-9908 or charlenebohl@comcast.net for meeting time and place.

August 9, Saturday, Possible Rain Date: August 10, Sunday - Hike. Franconia Ridge. Difficult. 8.9 miles. 7½ hrs. on trail. Summit Mt. Lafayette via Old Bridle path, to Greenleaf Hut and trail. Franconia Ridge Trail to Mt. Lincoln. Descent via Little Haystack Mtn. and Falling Waters Trail. Must call Leader: Paul DeLuca, 476-7987 or pdeluca420@msn.com

August 17, Sunday - Bike Ride. Colchester. Easy. 10-20 miles. Colchester Causeway into So. Hero, possible stop at Snow Farm Winery. Helmet required. Bring lunch and fee for LocalMotion Ferry. Meet at 9:30 A.M. Call Leader: Ken Hertz, 229-4737 or hertzkj@acm.org by Friday, August 15.

August 24, Sunday - Hike. Wallingford. Moderate. 7 miles. "Side-to-Side" trail, Div. #4. Little Rock Pond via the Green Mountain Trail, return on the LT. 1.5 hr. drive from Montpelier. Call Leader: Steve Lightholder, 479-2304 or steve.lightholder@yahoo.com for meeting time and place.

August 26, Tuesday - Paddle. Vergennes. Otter Creek. Moderate. 7 miles one-way. Option for longer. Downstream from Vergennes to Lake Champlain. Take out at Fort Cassin access. Option to continue onto Lake Champlain. PFD and Car spotting required. Meet at the back of Dept. of Labor, Memorial Drive, Montpelier. Call Leader: Andrew and Reidun Nuquist, 223-3550 for meeting time.

September 2008

July 2009

Contact Leader.  Notify the trip leader if you plan to participate.  You don't want to be left behind, and the leader wants to know how large the group will be. Check the suitability of the outing for your fitness, skill and equipment.

Always contact trip leader before bringing a dog.

Be prepared.  Always bring appropriate gear for the event you are attending - lunch, liquid, snacks, footwear and clothing appropriate to the season and weather. For example, a flashlight is recommended for all-day and winter events  since return after sunset is possible. And remember that weather in the mountains can be more severe than in the valleys.

Meeting Place.  Unless otherwise noted, trips leave from the Montpelier High School (MHS) parking lot.

Difficulty Ratings.  The rating levels of difficulty are easy, moderate, and difficult. See guidelines from the Trip Leaders' Handbook.

• Easy - Accessible to all in good physical condition; suitable for families with children.
• Moderate - Requires a degree of stamina; some previous experience is desirable.
• Difficult - Challenging events for people in good physical condition; previous experience necessary.