Camel's Hump (Vermont)

Infobox Mountain
Name = Camel's Hump
Photo = Camel's Hump-VT.jpg
Caption = Camel's Hump, April 1968
Elevation = 1,244+ metres (4,080+ feet) [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7016 PeakBagger.com: Camel's Hump] Accessed online: June 19, 2007]
Location = Vermont, USA
Range = Green Mountains
Prominence = 570 m (1870 ft)
Coordinates = coord|44|19.18|N|72|53.20|W |region:US_type:mountain |display=inline,title
Age = 550 million years
First ascent =
Easiest route = hiking trail
Listing = New England 4,000-footers, #46 New England Fifty Finest

Camel's Hump is Vermont's third highest mountain and highest undeveloped peak; moreover, because of its distinctive profile, perhaps the state's most recognized mountain. Part of the Green Mountain range, it is one of the oldest mountains on Earth. With its neighbor to the north, Mount Mansfield, it borders the notch that the antecedent Winooski River has carved through this area over eons. The hiking trails on Camel's Hump were among the first cut in the Long Trail system, and Camel's Hump remains a popular summit for through- and day-hiking.

Geology

Camel's Hump is more notable for its shape than its height of 4,083 feet. Isolated from neighboring peaks by the Winooski Valley and glacial action, the mountain's conical silhouette is distinctive, if misleading. It has two "humps", with the southernmost being the higher, and a steep drop to the south as a result of a quarrying action of the ice passing over it. While it looks somewhat volcanic from the east and west, the movement of glacial ice created its current form and the National Park Service names the peak as "an exceptional illustration of the complex anticlinal deformation which formed the Green Mountains". [http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/Vermont/NNL/CH/index.cfm National Park Service. Camel's Hump: National Natural Landmark] Accessed online: June 19, 2007]

Botany

published a study in 1991 citing acid rain as a culprit of the reduced seed production and germination. [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9122%28199109%2978%3A9%3C1191%3AFARSRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage Richard M. Klein, "Factors Affecting Red Spruce Regeneration in Delining Areas of Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont" American Journal of Botany, Vol. 78, No. 9 (Sep., 1991), pp. 1191–1198.] Accessed online: June 30, 2007.]

History

The Abnaki name for the mountain was "ta wak be dee esso wadso," or "tahwahbodeay wadso" (wadso meaning mountain), which has been variously translated as "resting place", "sit-down place", and "prudently, we make a campfire in a circle near water (and rest) at this mountain" [Huden, John C. "Indian Place Names of New England", Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation, 1962. ISBN 0-934490-18-X ] .

Since Europeans first saw the mountain, probably on Samuel de Champlain's 1609 trip down Lake Champlain to the west, the mountain has had a number of names related to its distinctive shape. De Champlain named the mountain "Le Lion Couchant", a heraldic image which roughly translates as "The Resting Lion". Ira Allen later referred to the mountain as "Camel's Rump" on a map from 1798. It was not until 1830 that the name "Camel's Hump" came into usage. [http://www.central-vt.com/visit/attract/camhump/index.html] Accessed online: July 1, 2007]

In 1905, publisher and philanthropist Joseph Battell donated 1200 acres (5 km²) of virgin forest, including the summit of Camel's Hump, to the State of Vermont. [Ring, Wilson: "Vermont still has stands of old-growth forests", The Associated Press State & Local Wire, October 7, 2001] The bequest was intended to form a state park to be kept in a "primitive state" and in 1911 the state forester was given charge of the area who managed the land in accordance with Battell's wishes. Since then, Vermont has adopted new legislation to preserve its natural areas and in 1969 created a Forest Reserve enclosing the mountain. Camel's Hump State Park has grown since the original bequest and in 1991 totalled approximately 20,000 acres (81 km²).

In October 1944, during World War II, a B-24J bomber plane on a training mission crashed into the side of the mountain, near the summit. While most of the plane was salvaged and removed, portions of the wreckage (principally a wing section) still remain. The Alpine Trail passes by the site. [Longstreet Highroad Guide to the Vermont Mountains: [http://www.nasw.org/users/nbazilchuk/Articles/Camel.htm Gamel's Hump] .]

Though protected, the Camel's Hump area is a favorite recreational venue for hikers. Trail work began on Camel's Hump at the formation of the Green Mountain Club (GMC) and by 1912, a trail had been constructed between the mountain and Sterling Pond. [ [http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=15 The Green Mountain Club: History of the Long Trail] Accessed online: June 19, 2007] This initial trail would later become a high point in the "footpath in the wilderness" known as the Long Trail. In the 1950s, the GMC constructed shelters along the trail and at the summit. The GMC now trains and pays a caretaker to reside at the summit and educate hikers to respect the fragile alpine ecosystem that exists on the mountain.

In 1999, an image of Camel's Hump was chosen as a prominent feature for the Vermont state quarter. While many other options were considered, including covered bridges and the snowflake photographs of Wilson Bentley, the seven-person panel ultimately decided on Camel's Hump stating that it was "perfect for the quarter." The panels findings explained the choice: "It's wild and natural, like the Vermont countryside. It's unique and asymmetrical, like the independent and quirky reputation Vermonters have." [Associated Press: Camels Hump picked for new Vt. quarter, The Boston Globe, June 11, 1999] Many notable Vermont institutions have adopted its memorable name, including the children's radio show "Camel's Hump Radio" hosted by Bill Harley on Vermont Public Radio. [ [http://www.vpr.net/camelshump/index.html Vermont Public Radio: Camel's Hump] Accessed online: June 19, 2007] The profile of Camels Hump appears in the Vermont coat of arms on the Vermont flag.

Hiking Camel's Hump

"With the only undeveloped alpine area in the Green Mountain State and a skyline that sets it apart from everything else, Camel's Hump may be Vermont's finest peak," says Michael Lanza in his guidebook for New England hiking enthusiasts [Lanza, Michael: "Foghorn Outdoors' New England Hiking: The Complete Guide to More Than 380 Hikes", page ?. Avalon Travel Publishing, 2004.] . The views from the summit are panoramic, and on a clear day one can see Mount Marcy in New York, Mount Washington in New Hampshire and Vermont's Mount Mansfield, the highest peaks of the three states.

Lanza recommends the Burrows Trail. Burrows ascends the west face from the end of Camel's Hump Road taken east from Huntington and is roughly 2.5 miles from trailhead to summit. The Burrows Trail is also used in the winter as a snowshoe and ski route.

An alternative trailhead approximately 0.5 mile downhill from the Burrows trailhead on Camel's Hump Road, the Forest City Trail heads further south, passes some very picturesque streams and waterfalls, and meets the Long Trail at Montclair Glen Lodge. From this location, the Long Trail climbs the south face, which is steep and mildly technical towards the summit. There is a short connector trail, connecting the bottom of Burrows Trail to the waterfall bridges at Forest City, for those choosing to use the Burrows Trail upon descent.

The Monroe Trail ascends the east face, which is an easy to moderate trail, like the Burrows Trail but slightly longer.

The Long Trail continues north from the summit, and there are numerous sidetrails around the summit itself that are good for exploration in the summer.

There is a clearing approximately 200 yards north of the summit, where the Burrows and Monroe Trails intersect the Long Trail. The clearing is the last protected environment one faces when climbing the mountain from the north, and once above treeline winds and temperatures can be severe at times.

Notes

References

*Huden, John C. (1962) "Indian Place Names of New England", Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation ISBN 0-934490-18-X
*Johnson, Charles W. (1980) "The Nature of Vermont: Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment", The University Press of New England ISBN 0-87451-856-3
*Meeks, Harold A. (1986) "Vermont's Land and Resources", The New England Press ISBN 0-933050-40-2
*Morrissey, Charles T. (1984) "Vermont A History", W.W.Norton and Co. ISBN 0-393-30223-7

External links

* [http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/camel-hump.html Hiking Camel's Hump]
* [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~doc/hiking/camelshump/ Forestry Trail Mile-by-Mile]