Now we love exploring new places and past hiking destinations have included summits, lakes, swamps, viewpoints, and campsites, but I never imagined our planned goal for the day would be to reach a privy in the woods.
In late May, we ventured out to Camel’s Hump, to use the microspikes one last time for the season and get a good hike in after a long, “socially distanced” mud season. We started early and avoided the crowds, and frequently stepped aside on the way down to allow hikers heading up to pass. A surprising number of people did not have traction like we did, so they did not move with the same ease, slipping and sliding all over. While quietly considering the safety and impact concerns of improper traction/footwear, I wished I could give microspikes to the entire hiking community, so they could see what a difference they make!
When we returned to the trailhead, we met a volunteer from the Green Mountain Club, who was educating hikers, answering questions, and recruiting volunteers. When she asked Ted if we were interested in volunteering, he jumped at the opportunity to add our names to the list without even knowing what the consequences may be. Not long after, we received an email from a GMC staff member, asking if we were interested in helping to haul 50lb bags of bark mulch up to privy sites on the Long Trail. I admit, I laughed as I read the email to Ted, but he responded with such enthusiasm about his love for carrying stuff, we signed up.
Next thing I know, there are three giant burlap sacks in the back of my Subaru, and we have a mission to deliver them to three different locations along the Long Trail. Our first adventure was to the Bamforth Ridge shelter, where the shelter and privy were truly our only destination for the day. The hike up was wooded and scenic, with a cute little overlook with a bench along the way. The shelter itself was surprisingly big and well-maintained and the lack of graffiti and carvings was refreshing. It was such a calm and quiet place, I felt a little bummed we weren’t staying there longer. It was amazing how fulfilling it was to spend time in the woods, enjoy exercise and fresh air, and do something good without ever needing to hit a summit.
A week later, in mid-June, we delivered another bag of mulch to the Montclair Glen Lodge privy and made a loop up over Camel’s Hump. This was extra cool because it was more new trail for us, as we’ve only summited Camel’s Hump via the Burrows Trail before this, and we really enjoyed the mix of terrain and opportunities for a little rock scrambling.
The last bag of bark mulch found its way up to the Battell Shelter, which sits along the Long Trail a bit further south. Since trailheads tend to be so busy earlier in the morning this summer, we opted to go for an evening hike this time. We were both somewhat surprised and relieved that we had no issue with finding parking, and were thrilled we were right up front without any road walk to the trailhead. Ted definitely gets more credit for this delivery, as he carried the ENTIRE load of mulch on his own! For the previous trips, there were the extra preparation steps of needing to divide up the mulch between our backpacks, and we were feeling lazy this time around. I joked that I bet the whole bag would fit into one of our North Face duffels, though it wouldn’t be the ideal backpack with no waist belt. Hilariously, Ted is so thin he was able to tie the extra straps around his waist, and was convinced he could tough it out for the couple of miles up.
We met two women at the shelter who were backpacking the Long Trail, and chatted with them for a bit before continuing up to the storage shelf to dump the mulch. We debated a bit, looking at the time and mileage to the summit, and opted to run up to Abraham while we were there. I don’t know why I love this summit so much. Maybe it’s the rocks or the view, or maybe it’s because we’ve had the summit to ourselves both trips up there. Maybe it’s the moose we saw on the way back.
It was pretty great to get the trunk of my car back, but I have to say, I’m sad the mulch is gone. There was something really fun about having these outhouse missions, and knowing that we were contributing to keeping the “facilities” in good shape. With the public health concerns this year, this was a pretty perfect volunteer opportunity, with the freedom and flexibility to choose when we went, and without the risks of going with a group. If you don’t mind a physical challenge, I highly recommend becoming a “bark mulch packer.” You can bet we’ll be asking to do this again next summer.