One part of the chapter that initally stood out to me was the section regarding the Long Trail. The Long Trail is such an iconic piece of Vermont today, but I feel like Albers fails do it justice in Hands on the Land. The Long Trail was a vision shared by the men and women of the Green Mountain Club. The trail starts in Massachusetts and weaves its way through the Vermont wilderness before eventually reaching Canada. It spans the entire Green Mountain range for a total of 270 miles, and sees thousands of hikers every year.
The idea of making a long trail through the Green Mountains came about in 1910. It was not until 1930, a time characterized by woodland revival, that trail would finally reach completion. The creation of the Long Trail “made the resurgent forest into a refuge for people living through a period dominated by enormous social change” (Albers 260). This bit of information is, essentially, the extent of Albers’ description of the Long Trail. For that reason, I have decided to analyze the trail’s history in …show more content…
Most of the Long Trail was cleared within the first decade of work. After clearing the final path into Canada in 1930, the Club turned its focus toward expanding the network of shelters. Most shelters were constructed between 1950 and 1960, leading to increased trail traffic in the coming years. With that, GMC members initiated a “carry-in, carry-out” policy to promote hikers’ awareness of the “rare, fragile alpine ecosystems.” Other GMC initiatives include the still-ongoing Long Trail Protection Campaign, which reflects the club’s mission “to maintain and protect the Long Trail for all Vermonters, now and in the future.”
The idea of making a long trail through the Green Mountains came about in 1910. It was not until 1930, a time characterized by woodland revival, that trail would finally reach completion. The creation of the Long Trail “made the resurgent forest into a refuge for people living through a period dominated by enormous social change” (Albers 260). This bit of information is, essentially, the extent of Albers’ description of the Long Trail. For that reason, I have decided to analyze the trail’s history in …show more content…
Most of the Long Trail was cleared within the first decade of work. After clearing the final path into Canada in 1930, the Club turned its focus toward expanding the network of shelters. Most shelters were constructed between 1950 and 1960, leading to increased trail traffic in the coming years. With that, GMC members initiated a “carry-in, carry-out” policy to promote hikers’ awareness of the “rare, fragile alpine ecosystems.” Other GMC initiatives include the still-ongoing Long Trail Protection Campaign, which reflects the club’s mission “to maintain and protect the Long Trail for all Vermonters, now and in the future.”