Camel's Hump
In Natural areas of Vermont (1964), Hub Vogelmann describes three distinct habitats on Camel's Hump as follows:
- Camel’s Hump Alpine Tundra: about 10 acres of alpine tundra surrounding the summit (4,083 feet), which he noted is “the only remaining undisturbed alpine summit in Vermont”
- Camel’s Hump Fir Forest: about 1,000 acres of boreal fir forest (not unlike the boreal forest of Canada) extending in a belt on the upper slopes of Camel’s Hump, between 2,800 and 3,800 feet
- Camel’s Hump Northern Hardwoods Forest: about 1,000 acres of northern hardwood forest forming a broad belt on the western slopes of Camel’s Hump, between 1,800 and 2,600 feet
In 1965, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation established Camel's Hump Natural Area, a protected area that includes the alpine tundra identified by Vogelmann. In addition, the Camel's Hump Ecological Area was created by Vermont Statute (10 V.S.A §2353) in 1969. The latter includes all state land in Camel's Hump State Park above 2,500 feet plus all land in the Gleason Brook drainage above 900 feet. An additional tract of land within the Phen Basin block of the park was designated as a natural area in May of 1997. Altogether there are more than 7,000 acres of designated natural area in Camel's Hump State Park. Much of the habitat described by Vogelmann is included in that total.
The Long Trail traverses the length of Camel's Hump State Park, reaching its overall lowest point as it crosses the Winooski River just north of the park's northern boundary. On the south side of the river, at the trailhead on Duxbury Road, the altitude is just 350 feet. Five miles south of the trailhead, Camel's Hump rises to 4,083 feet. The hike from the trailhead to the summit is the longest climb on the entire Long Trail.
On 28 April 2023, starting at the trailhead, I followed the Long Trail south to its intersection with the Gleason Brook. There I broke trail and followed the main branch of Gleason Brook to a triple-fork at 1,700 feet. Taking the east fork, I followed Gleason Brook to its source, which led to the Long Trail at 2,364 feet (approximately two miles from the summit of Camel's Hump). A 3-mile hike north along the Long Trail brought me back to my starting point. There are stunning views along this section of the Long Trail, including views of Camel's Hump itself and the whole of the Gleason Brook watershed.
At approximately 1,900 feet, the deciduous hardwood forest that dominates the Gleason Brook watershed became a mixed forest. By 2,330 feet, just shy of the Long Trail, the forest had become almost entirely coniferous. These altitudes differ from those of Vogelmann, but the transition from northern hardwood forest to boreal fir forest occurred just as he predicted.
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