East Dorset Rail Closure

The East Dorset Trail, side trail to the Long Trail, is closed r/t the severe damage at three places on the trail. It is unlikely that the trail will be repaired and reopend

East Dorset Trail Closed due to Storm Damage

Hi all,

We are continuing to account for trail damage that occurred during the heavy rain event in April. The East Dorset Trail took a heavy hit and is completely washed out and impassable about 0.2 miles in from the Forest Service boundary. The river braided and took out a large section of trail and left deep, fast flowing water in its place. The attached shows before and after.

At this time, we are closing the trail and posting a notice for hikers coming from the East Dorset side. We need to further assess the damage, but we will be delayed in doing so due to the high volume of trail and road damage across the Forest coinciding with campground openings.

Please share the message to inform others of this safety issue and loss of hiking connection.

Thanks,

Emily

Emily Lauderdale, MLA Manchester District Recreation Program Manager Forest Service Green Mountain National Forest, Manchester Ranger District p: 802-362-2307 x7227 emily.lauderdale@usda.gov 2538 Depot St Manchester Center, VT 05255 www.fs.fed.us

Bromley Tower Update

 Thanks to the many donors who have contributed to this fundraising effort, we (Green Mountain Club Manchester Section) have reached our goal of $262,000. Next steps are to meet with Vt FP&R, ATC, GMC, and Bromley Ski area and get the stakes in the ground for the exact footprint of the new tower, then with the engineers to finalize design, and finally to submit our Act 250 permit papers. We are hoping for a fall 202 build, but it could be sometime in 2021.
As we know more, we will update you.

Current Manchester Section Officers

At our March 24th Pot Luck and Annual Meeting we elected our section officers for the next year.
Our Officers for April 2019 through March 2020 are as follows:
President - Marge Fish - marge.fish@gmail.com for any questions
Vice President - Katie Brooks
Secretary - Dale Malekoff
Treasurer - Alyson Gryzb
Trails and Shelter Chair - Dave Ratti - dbrspruce@gmail.com for any questions about joining us for trail works and trail projects
Board Representative - Bob Fish
Membership Chair - Ruthann Barrick

Taylor Series Slide Show and Talk

Preston Bristow Saturday, February 9, 7 p.m. Manchester Community Library, Manchester Hosted by the Manchester Section Vermont’s logging railroads lacked the scale of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, where no fewer than 22 logging railroads reached deep into old growth forests. Vermont also lacked villainous timber barons like New Hampshire’s J.E. Henry, the notorious White Mountain railway “wood butcher” famously quoted as saying, “I never see the tree yit that didn’t mean a damned sight more to me goin’ under the saw than it did standin’ on a mountain.” Yet logging railroads did penetrate the Green Mountains, and three are intertwined in the history of the Long Trail. No fee but donations to support the maintenance of the Long Trail will be welcomed the maintenance of the Long Trail will be welcomed.

Summer Employment with Green Mountain Club

Interested in a great summer outdoors?
Green Mountain Club is starting to interview for summer seasonal employment.

Go to  https://www.greenmountainclub.org/about/employment-opportunities/seasonal-jobs/  for more information.

Mud Season Message

Mud Season Has Arrived!

April 5, 2018 by Kristin McLane 24 Comments

Help Protect Fragile Trail Environments

Artwork by Emily Benning.

Spring has sprung, although it’s not always easy to tell in Vermont.  One day it dumps 6″ of snow, the next it’s 50° and sunny, and the back and forth wreaks havoc on our beloved trails.  When the snow finally melts in town and at trailheads, it’s tempting to hope that the entire trail will be just as clear and dry.  But experience has taught us that snow and ice hang on late into May at higher elevations, and even into June on the highest peaks.  And that middle ground between the trailhead and the summit?  It’s a muddy mess.

As the snow melts and the spring rains arrive, the ground can only hold so much water.  Deep and wide mud puddles appear, sometimes taking up entire sections of trail.  But we’re not just trying to keep you from getting dirty.  Trails that are oversaturated are vulnerable to damage from soil compaction and erosion with every footstep.  Soil compaction degrades the quality of the trail by reducing its ability to absorb water, causing increased flooding later and making it harder for vegetation to grow.  Erosion then carries the soil away, leaving rocks and roots exposed.

Think you can just walk around that mud puddle blocking the trail?  Think again – while walking around muddy areas will keep you dry, walking on the edges of trails tramples vegetation, widens the trail, and causes more damage to both trail and environment.

Help us help you!  Trail maintainers, many of whom are volunteers, work hard to keep Vermont’s trails in good shape.  Let’s not add to their work.

Don’t be that guy.

You might say, But it’s so nice out!  I want to hike!

Believe us, we get it!  Hiking is what we live for, and it’s hard to beat that spring fever.  First of all, keep in mind that what the weather is like at the trailhead is not necessarily what it is like farther up the trail.  You could still be walking into winter if you somehow made it past the mud.  Secondly, maybe try some different activities for the next two months: spring is a great time for other outdoor recreation like cycling, paddling, and even road walking.  Check out our outings calendar to join a trip with a GMC section – we don’t just hike!  Spring is also a great time to plan out your summer hikes.  Who doesn’t love poring over maps and guidebooks?  Or take a workshop and learn some new skills for later.

If you really can’t resist the call of the trail, stick to low elevations and south-facing slopes, which tend to dry out earlier in the season.  But even in those places, be prepared to turn around if the trail is suddenly muddy.  One of the seven principles of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics is to only travel on durable surfaces.  Rock is durable.  Hard, dry soil is durable.  Mud is not durable.  Help us protect the trail for use the rest of the year by turning around when you come upon a muddy section of trail.  The trails will dry out and harden again soon enough and you’ll be back out hiking before you know it.

Check out our list of suggested mud season hikes, GMC staff favorite hikes, and even more from VT State Parks (including a weekly trail update with the latest conditions).  You can also join the GMC Facebook Group to chat with other hikers and see where other people are finding dry areas to get outside.

Mud season has traditionally ended around Memorial Day but climate change is making it harder to predict what the season will look like.  If it’s getting later in the season and you suspect the trail you want to hike might be dried out, it doesn’t hurt to check.  Call the park that the trail is in for a status update, or call GMC’s Visitor Center at 802-244-7037 (or email gmc@greenmountainclub.org).  We do our best to keep abreast of conditions and we are happy to share any information we have.

Most of all, thank you for doing your part to keep our trails in great shape!  Vermont’s trails are some of its best features and we want everyone to enjoy them for a long time.