Candidate Sites for Bamforth Ridge Shelter

Comparison of the Candidate Sites

Distances are derived from topographical maps and GPS measurements. Observations were made on the Scouting Hikes of August 8, November 4 and 12, and December 7 and 19, 2001. Small improvements in accuracy have been made from earlier hike reports.

The future shelter on Woodward Mountain will be located 2 miles north of US-2 and 2 miles east of the present LT parking area on River Road. Hikers will cross the Winooski River by ferry and go east either on River Road and US-2.
The spur trail to Gleason Brook joins the LT 4.8 miles from River Road (0.4 miles south of the Alpine Trail) at an elevation of 2700 feet.
All sites require internal paths to connect the privy, shelter, tent platforms, and water source. All sites have mixed hardwoods, and are similarly flat and drained. Thus, the effort to build these paths is about equal at all sites.
Ann B's 'Selection Checklist' offer minimum requirements for distance from other shelters (10.0 miles), distance from road (2.0 miles), and distance from water supply (0.25 miles). All sites meet these criteria.
Ann B's criteria for distance from trail (0.25 miles) and elevation change from trail (100 feet) are met by the County Line and Boulder Ridge sites, but not the Gleason Brook site.

	Gleason Brook	County Line	Boulder Ridge
Distance from road	From Couching Lion, 4.5 miles with 1660-foot ascent and 925-foot descent via Forestry, Alpine, and Long trails, and the spur trail.	From River Road, 4.2 miles with 2180-foot ascent via the Long Trail.	From River Road, 2.1 miles with 1560-foot ascent via the Long Trail.
Distance from trail	0.4 miles and 330-foot elevation drop, as estimated from maps. No scouting has been done for the actual route.	150 feet with no elevation change. Long Trail could be adjusted to extend this distance.	500-800 feet with no elevation change
Distance from water supply	Gleason Brook abuts the site. Water runs all summer.	200-300 feet. Reliability is not certain.	300 feet. Reliability is not certain, but brook can be followed downstream.
Ownership	Camels Hump State Forest (Chittenden County)	Camels Hump State Forest (Washington County)	Camels Hump State Forest (Washington County)
Distance to shelter southbound (Montclair Glen)	3.8 miles	4.0 miles	6.1 miles
Distance to shelter northbound (Woodward Mountain)	9.2 miles	8.2 miles	6.1 miles
Aesthetic character: view, privacy, beauty	In a quarter-mile wide valley on a flat spot. Mixed birch and softwoods. Valley faces north. Rocky outcroppings to the west. Valley is remote from roads and trails. Informal access is possible from Honey Hollow. A small ridge runs parallel to the brook and can be used to separate the privy from the tent sites and shelter.	On a hardwood saddle sloping to the east. Just north of the site the LT crosses open rocks with 180-degree views from Camels Hump to Bolton Valley. The water supply appears sufficient. Access for ATVs and skis is impossible. No noise, but directly adjacent to the LT.	On the north slope of a ridge running east from Bamforth. Although the site is within a quarter-mile of a ledge with remarkable views of Camels Hump, Worcester Range, and Mount Mansfield, access is not obvious. No noise from interstate or railway, as the site faces east. The site is protected from westerly winds. No view, although a hint of one in winter. Interesting cliffs on on either side of the brook. Access for ATVs and skis is impossible.
Potential impacts of use	Within the Gleason Brook Natural Area. Honey Hollow beaver ponds are about a quarter-mile west.	Site is close at the edge of the Camels Hump Natural Area (2500-foot elevation)	Small cliffs, perhaps suitable for bobcat, are near the water source.
Trail construction required	0.4 mile spur.	LT may require adjustment to insulate the shelter area from LT traffic.	None.
Assets	Dry-season water supply Large site with adequate separation of lodge and tents sites Building materials can be carried near the site via woods and skid roads	Good location for climbing Camels Hump from the north Nearby is a 'sunset' view Lake Champlain Good base for maintenance work on the LT	Easy access for volunteers Good base for maintenance work on the LT
Flaws	Spur trail is longer than required with a much greater elevation change. Long hike-in for construction and maintenance.	Proximity to the ski-around trail may encourage bootleg use.	Site may not be large enough for a lodge.
Questions	Does the ATV accessibility to the Honey Hollow beaver ponds make the site approachable from the west? The spur trail should avoid the ski-around trail (to avoid bootleg use of that trail). What is a feasible route? What is the cost and effort to build such a trail?	Check water supply Are there rock quarries for foundations, LT improvements, and the trail to the water source?	Check water supply
For more information	Site summary with photos, and Report of 4-Nov hike	Report of 12-Nov hike	Report of 29 Dec hike with photos