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Secretary’s Report - Green Mountain Club Northeast Kingdom
(NEK) Section Business Meeting - Saturday January 6, 2001
By MICHAEL CHERNICK
Introduction: On Saturday January 6, 2001, the Northeast Kingdom
Section of the Green Mountain Club convened its quarterly
business meeting at the Burke Mountain Club In the absence
of Section President Chris Bechard, Vice President Daisy McCoy
called the meeting to order and presided. 21 attendees reviewed
the section's past events and planned for future activities.
The meeting included a detailed report on the Champion Lands
and the Green Mountain Club’s potential future role
as a corridor monitor.
UPCOMING EVENTS: The meeting's first item was a discussion
of upcoming activities. The list presented in these notes
reflects both events discussed at the meeting and an invitation
that our section has received from the Montpelier Section.
Saturday January 20 - Main Club Board Meeting at GMC headquarters
in Waterbury. On the agenda will be two items of special interest
to our section. First, the Northeast Kingdom Section's Bylaws
will be considered. Second, the question of the GMC’s
potential role as the hiking corridor monitor for the former
Champion Lands will be on the agenda.
Saturday January 20 - Those persons who were fortunate enough
to sign with Sue Morse for the Keeping Track hike will explore
animal tracks in a guided hike/snowshoe. Participants will
be notified regarding the time and meeting place.
Sunday January 21 - Beginner Snowshoe- Meet at 1:00 p.m. at
the East Burke Club House. The snowshoers will then travel
to Joe Anastasia's property for the afternoon's event. This
snowshoe is on relatively flat terrain and does not entail
any significant hill climbing. It is ideal for beginners and
children. The trip will be conducted at a leisurely pace.
Saturday February 17- Bald Mountain Snowshoe- Dave Hardy will
lead the group on a moderately difficult snowshoe trek to
the tower on the summit of Bald Mountain in Westmore. Meet
at the Long Pond public access parking lot at 10:00 A.M..
The round trip is 4.2 miles. Bring warm layered clothing,
water, lunch and a hot beverage. For more information contact
Dave Hardy at GMC headquarters dave@greenmountainclub.org
(802-244-7037).
Saturday March 10 - Gore Mountain Snowshoe - Luke O'Brien
and Michael Chernick will lead a difficult 6 plus mile snowshoe
to the cabin on the summit of Gore Mountain. It is anticipated
that this will be an all day trip. Bring warm layered clothing,
lunch, water, a hot beverage and a flash light. Outstanding
views along the way. Meet at 9:00 A.M. at the Island Pond
Depot. For more information contact Luke O'Brien, vlc@sover.net
or Michael Chernick chernick@together.net (802-223-0198).
Saturday March 17 - Main Club Board Meeting - Middlebury College
Alumni Center in Middlebury.
Sunday April 1 -Road walk in Peacham of 5-6 miles in length.
Reidun and Andrew Nuquist will lead this Montpelier Section
outing. The group will meet at 1:30 at Peacham Four Corners.
For more information contact the Nuquists at nuquist@together.net
(802-223-3350).
Saturday April 28 - Road walk in the Conte Fish & Wildlife
Management Area to be led by John Armstrong & Jean Haigh.
Details will be forthcoming.
Saturday April 28 - GMC Northeast Kingdom Section Annual Meeting
at the East Burke Club House. The executive committee will
meet at 4:30, potluck dinner at 5:00 followed by the business
meeting and elections at 6:00.
June 8-10 - GMC Annual Meeting to be held at the Bolton Ski
Area in Bolton. Information on this event will follow from
The Main Club.
June 16 - Forestry Education Initiative in Essex County -
More details will be forth coming.
GPS ANNOUNCEMENT: Section President Chris Bechard has acquired
a GPS unit for use in future club activities. The Maine based
DeLorme Manufacturing Company donated the equipment. While
Cris was unable to attend this evening, Bob Fisher brought
her unit and demonstrated its operation to club members following
the adjournment of the business meeting. Daisy McCoy will
explore the possibility of Lyndon College offering a G.P.S.
course.
TREASURER'S REPORT: Section Treasurer Caroline Bechard was
absent. However, Section Director Beth Dugger reported on
various financial matters, other than the section's current
balance. The Main Club has provided a $300.00 gift to the
section as a financial start for our expenses. The Keeping
Track event attracted 82 paid attendees. One dollar of each
person's admission was retained by the section. In addition,
the section raised $80.00 in raffle proceeds. The Burlington
Section's $300.00 grant for tool purchases will be managed
by Section Trail Coordinator, Luke O'Brien.
NEWSLETTER PROPOSAL: Efforts to electronically distribute
the newsletter are continuing under editor Jay Collier's direction.
Jay encourages the submission of stories and photos. Luke
also suggested the listing of the executive committee roster.
CHAMPIONSHIP LANDS UPDATE: Beth, Luke, Chris & Dave Hardy
(Director of Field Operations at the Main Club) met in November
with Dave Willard, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) Forester
responsible for the Northeast Kingdom. Plans were discussed
for VLC, GMC & ANR to jointly work on trails’ projects.
The VLC has adopted the Bald Mountain Trail, and Luke is hoping
GMC will also adopt an area trail.
Beth reviewed the continuing planning process that is being
facilitated through Land & Water Associates, the contractor
that ANR has hired to develop long term use and recreational
planning for the former Champion Lands. She emphasized that
individual (dispersed) pedestrian entry is permitted at this
time. She reminded everyone that Main Club is still reviewing
whether to apply for corridor monitor status for hiking. Beth
also explained that the planning process is focusing on both
short and long term planning.
Luke noted that the development of hiking trails, on the
former Champion Lands (meaning the state and privately owned
Essex Timber sections), will be incremental. For now West
Mountain & Sable Mountain have hiking trails, and the
VLC has developed trails on Gore Mountain and Bluff Mountain
in the Island Pond area.
TRAIL GUIDE: Jay requested that we should gather information
for a trail guide. In the long term a guide is possible. For
the interim, Luke mentioned that VLC has developed a brief
guide for its annual Mountain Challenge and that it is publicly
available. Jay will arrange to have the guide posted as an
online resource.
Next Meeting & Adjournment: The next meeting of the Green
Mountain Club Northeast Kingdom Section (the Annual Meeting)
was announced for Saturday April 28 at 5:00 p.m. at the East
Burke Club House. Luke then moved, at 7:00 p.m., that the
meeting adjourn, and the motion was seconded and unanimously
approved.
Other news and events
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