Trails and Shelter Summary for 2003

	Green Mountain Club Montpelier Section Est. 1955	This is a working draft. There is no guarantee that it is up-to-date.
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Summary of Trails and Shelters activity in 2003

Photos are on another page and on the individual event reports.

Trails and Shelters summary for 2002.

News items


Date	Topic	Narrative
26 Jun	Peregrines in Smugglers Notch	Observations by National Wildlife Foundation, Vermont Chapter, 6 June: "Smuggler's Notch (Cambridge) - pair seen - appear to be favoring a ledge on a rock face east of Elephant's Head - no obvious sign of nesting. Ibid 26 June: Suspect non-nesting pair. There appears to be no need to close the spur trail.
June	John Notte Bench	The memorial bench at on the Long Trail at Duxbury Window is in service.
August	Long Trail relocation on Bamforth Ridge	The Long Trail Patrol, using FP&R funds leftover from last summer's shelter construction, rerouted the LT for several hundred feet north of the spur to the shelter. The former trail, which ventured too close to the headwaters of the BRS water supply, was brushed in.
September	Long Trail between Vermont 108 and Sterling Pond	Ken H has joined Bill C as co-adopter.
1 Oct	Bamforth Ridge Shelter suggested modifications	Dave of GMC proposed that Boy Scount labor be used to build a sleeping loft and adjust the deacons bench. The consensus of the trails and executive committees that there was no need for such effort.

October	Vermont Forest, Parks, and Recreation budget	John attended the annual meeting of GMC with the regional foresters responsible for Camels Hump State Park and Mount Mansfield State Forest. Priorities for FPR funding in 2004 include Bamforth Ridge section of the Long Trail south of the shelter and the Sterling Pond Trail. In 2004, Watson Camp may be closed and the caretaker and outhouses shifted to Sterling Pond Shelter. It appears that Monclair Glen Lodge may be rebuilt in 2005.

Unplanned and spontaneous efforts


Volunteer	Date	Location	Narrative	Hours
Bill C	28 May	Bamforth Ridge	I found myself with some time and a chainsaw today so I meandered up to BRS. I cut the one blowdown across the trail and then felled two trees, including the one over the tent platform. Just as you said, Eric, I had to keep trimming it but I got it to fall away from the platforms. Took the section chainsaw to Leo's Small Engines for maintenance and repair.. That just about finishes the work on Bamforth Ridge for the season. Quinn needs to take care of the privy but all the requested work is finished (I think). I also found a pair of vise grips in the shelter, which I placed in our toolbox.	8.0
Scott C	August	Sterling Pond area	Scott (Laraway Section) built and installed signs for the 2002 LT relocation across Elephants Head. The project is now complete.
Eric S and Bill C	August	Notch Brook	Installed a ladder on the west bank, about 100 feet beyond the Elephants Head Picnic Area. The bank had become eroded and the trail descended over roots.
Ken H and John B	17 Sep	Bamforth Ridge	We scouted the work laid out for 20 Sep. It was a sunny day about 65 degrees. We arrived at the trailhead at 7:15 and 7:45 and hiked to the Bamforth Ridge Shelter spur, arriving at 8:50. We hiked about 1.5 miles south to the work site, taking 55 minutes. The plan we devised is described in the report of the work hike. We hiked back to the shelter for lunch. We noted blue flagging tape extending from the single tent platform, perhaps to the spike camp used by the Long Trail Patrol in August. Also, red flags and temporary "blazes" (plastic markers) remain from the LTP's relocation of the Long Trail just south of the spur. We left about 2:30 and arrived back in the parking lot at 3:40.	18.25
Bill C, Moira O, Ken H.	26 Oct	Elephants Head	The task was to reduce the root ball of a fallen elm tree and route water away from the trail (as usual.) Bill made good use of his chain saw. Note that the Mountain Road is now closed for the winter, about 1/2 mile below the picnic area.	not reported

Planned work hikes


Item	Date	Location	Narrative	Attendees	Hours
Spring walk-through	17 May	Bamforth Ridge	Clean drainage, and other spring tasks on Long Trail from Duxbury Road to Bamforth Ridge Shelter. The report.	15	112.0
Spring walk-through	24 May	Smugglers Notch	Clean drainage, clip, and other spring tasks on Long Trail from Elephants Head Picnic Area to the spur to the view. The report.	8	55.0
Mulch pack-in	31 May	Montclair Glen Lodge	Carry bark mulch for the privy; pack out miscellaneous items. The report.	11	71.5
Trail adjustment	20 Sep	Bamforth Ridge section of Long Trail	Install bog bridge, relocate 90 feet of LT, build 10-foot rock water bar. The report.	11	117.5

Adopter efforts


Volunteer	Date	Location	Narrative	Hours
Keith, Donald, and Cheryl L	06 June, 15 June	Sterling Pond Shelter to Chilcoot Pass	On June 6th we hiked from Smugglers Notch to Madonna Mt, brushing and cleaning water bars. There were no blowdowns. The trail is in good shape. We put in a few new waterbars. On June 15th we hiked in from Beaver Meadows...to Madonna. We brushed and cleaned waterbars on that section of the Long Trail, which is in very good condition.
Duncan W	Spring	Montclair Glen Lodge	15 March: There is NO frozen water in the brook, I fell into a dry channel about 4-5' down. I snowshoed down to the brook to break a trail, and in some places I went up to my chest in drifted snow, however, for the most part the snow has a heavy crust and not especially deep. Nobody had been to the shelter in awhile. On Sunday, April 13, 2003, I did my spring "dig out the front door" and inspected the shelter, out-house, etc. and will send a report sheet soon. The snow comes off of the metal roof and buries the front of the shelter. It took me two hours to dig out the front door (see enclosed picture).
Reidun and Andrew N; Fred J	15 May	LT from Duxbury Road to Bamforth Ridge Shelter	WATERBARS. All need cleaning. Ideally, 4-6 volunteers (including two Nuquists) leap-frogging each other up the trail should be able to handle this in one day. The long ditch--I always want to call it the Great Ditch--can use several people. DEBRIS. There are downed branches (mostly small) everywhere all the way up. They need to be picked up or kicked off the trail. DEADFALLS. There is a small deadfall (4") across the trail soon after leaving the parking lot. It can be cut by handsaw or dragged off the trail by several volunteers. There is a second tree (18") down across the trail at 1/3-1/2 M. This one needs a chain saw. It can be stepped over, but it is awkward. LEANERS. There are two big birches leaning by the double tent platforms. One tree (12") is leaning over the entrance area to the platforms; another (15") is hung up in two other trees (Bill will love this one!), OVER the second platform. The first should fall cleanly. STEPPING STONE. Just above the Great Ditch where the brook crosses the trail, there is need of a good-size stepping stone or stones on the upper side. This spot has been deteriorating for a while. BRUSHING IN. Half way up the hill, after leaving the logging road, the trail needs brushing in at the usual spot over the rocks where hikers are always debrushing. Very frustrating. BOGS. There is a wet, low spot above Bannister Ledge that can use some digging out, but is passable as is over the stepping stones. Thomas's Bog, up high with puncheons, can also use some digging if there is enough personpower: there is a log blocking the drainage on the right, and the ditch ends prematurely. SIGNS. Fred installed "Shelter" and arrow signs on the signpost at the LT/side trail junction. Yes, we need something where the trail turns away from the third/last tent platform towards the shelter. Another blue blaze would do it, but who wants to carry paint for one blaze? PRIVY. The bin in the privy is two-thirds full. SHELTER. The shelter looks nice and plumb, it survived the winter well. The infamous burn spot in the floor needs sanding and staining. Some idiots had a sizeable fire on the ground (on a piece of roofing material), right in front of the deacon's bench. Effort must be made to erase all sign of the fire and firepit. We may want to put another sign (in addition to the wooden "No fires" sign outside the shelter) on the wall, to tell folks that no fire of any kind is allowed at BRS. WATER SOURCE TRAIL. Wet leaves here and there need to be removed, exposing the rock work. ROCKS in general. Clean rocks of wet leaves on the LT, speeding up the drying and encouraging hikers to step ON them and not next to them. A rake would be useful. CHAINSAW. Fred fired it up, it works.
Reidun N	23 Jun	Bamforth Ridge Shelter	1) There was another fire ring in front of the shelter, neatly circled with rocks. We suggest a strongly worded sign needed INSIDE the shelter, discouraging fires. We did not take the time to remove the firepit. Three young south-bound hikers said they might try to clear out the fire ring, so you may not find it. 2) There is another fire ring next to one of the double platforms, the one in the back. If we don't want fires, we need wooden signs next to the platforms, signs like the one outside the shelter. 3) The signboard at the entrance to the sidetrail has a 'generic' poster that says something to the effect that fires are discouraged, but if you have to have one, use an existing fire pit and downed wood. We are conveying conflicting messages here. 4) What do we want to do with the clearing in the long run? If we want to keep it open (which I personally favor), we need to clip saplings every year. They are really sprouting in the sunlight. There are also two striped maple saplings to the right front of the shelter which we may want to cut down.
Fred J	28 Jul	Bamforth Ridge Shelter	I visited the shelter and found it in excellent condition. Two (no wood fires) signs were installed. One sign was placed on the first large tent platform and another on the small tent platform. A picture sign (no campfires) was placed inside the shelter by the carry out all trash sign. The shelter looked like it had just been swept and needed just the removal of one small piece of wood, the metal hook was left at home and I will install it the next time I am in the area of the shelter. I found 10 bags of mulch under the shelter. The privy was clean and about half full. A trip to the water source revealed that there is plenty of water, however the flow was less than I expected considering the amount of rain we have had the last few days. I should also note that the White Birch by the large tent platforms has been cut and the danger is eliminated No fire rings where found and the helicopter drop zone is starting to revegetate.
Duncan W	27 Sep	Montclair Glen Lodge	Last weekend, I reversed the direction of the front door. I found the front sills logs to be completely rotten and people were starting to fall through the floor inside the front door. I could remove the inside of the major logs with by hand, it was powder! I took some pressure treated 8X2" wood and constructed a door sill, which will only last a season at the most. I tired to screw nail it into the more intact parts of the sill logs.

Watson relocation committee

This committee's activities are not reported under the Trails and Shelter Committee.

Volunteer Hours Summary: 1 October 2002 to 30 September 2003

GMC requests volunteer hours to be reported for years ending 30 September, which is at variance with the work year (ending November) and the officers' terms (ending in April). This note is placed here to make record-keeping transparent, with the intention of minimizing double-counting. All data reported here are taken directly from reports and summaries contained on these pages. These numbers do not include adopter's efforts, which are reported to GMC.


Event	Date	Workers not previously counted	Hours
Work hike	05 Oct	1	52
Spontaneous effort	9, 12, and 15 Oct	0	13
Work hike	19 Oct	6	45
Spontaneous effort	3 Nov	0	7
Work hike	17 May	10	112
Work hike	24 May	3	55
Spontaneous effort	28 May	0	8
Work hike	31 May	0	71.5
Scouting hike	17 Sep	0	18.25
Work hike	20 Sep	5	117.5

Report submitted to GMC

Number of Volunteers	24
Number of Volunteer Hours	499.25
[Killington Section only]	--
Travel hours	63	estimate

Note that travel hours are included in volunteer hours. Generally, we travel 30 minutes one-way to our trails. We had 63 volunteer-days and around 63 travel hours.

Volunteer Hours Summary: 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004

Here is a start for next year's report.


Event	Date	First-time workers	Who	Hours
Work hike	18 Oct
Work hike	25 Oct

Plan for 2004

I am proposing the usual spring work hikes and have entered them on the website.

This event should be submitted to the March planning meeting, in consultation with GMC, to be published in the summer Trail Talk:

Tear down Watson Camp, carry out nonburnables.
Burn Watson Camp (early November 2004)
Build tent platforms for caretaker and hikers near Sterling Pond Shelter.
Move the composting privy to Sterling Pond Shelter.

The Long Trail Patrol is expected to do rock work on Sterling Pond Trail.

The Long Trail Patrol is expected to do rock work on Bamforth Ridge.

Trouble spots

LT south of Madonna, between the 2 ski trails. A brook has worn the trail to the ledge.
Water pool at Bamforth Ridge could use stabilizing.