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Coordinates: 44°19′10.37″N 72°53′10.78″W / 44.3195472°N 72.8863278°W / 44.3195472; -72.8863278
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==Geology==
==Geology==
Camel's Hump is more notable for its shape than its height. Isolated from neighboring peaks by the Winooski Valley and [[glacier|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. The movement of glacial ice shaped it into what is referred to as a [[roche moutonnée]] and the [[National Park Service]] names the peak as "an exceptional illustration of the complex anticlinal deformation which formed the Green Mountains".<ref name="nps">
Camel's Hump is more notable for its shape than its height. Isolated from neighboring peaks by the Winooski Valley and [[glacier|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. The movement of glacial ice shaped it into what is referred to as a [[roche moutonnée]].{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed|date=February 2020}} The bedrock consists of [[phyllite]], [[quartzite]] and schist.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/SpecialBulletins/Thompson_1991SpB12.pdf|title = Bedrock Geology of the Camels Hump-Bolton Mountain Area, North-Central Vermont|date = 1991|access-date = 27 January 2016|website = |publisher = |last = Thompson|first = Peter and Thelma}}</ref>

In 1968 the [[National Park Service]] designated Camel's Hump a [[National Natural Landmark]], citing the peak as "an exceptional illustration of the complex anticlinal deformation which formed the Green Mountains".<ref name="nps">
{{cite web
{{cite web
| title = Camel's Hump: National Natural Landmark
| title = Camel's Hump: National Natural Landmark
| publisher = National Park Service
| publisher = [[National Park Service]]
| url = http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/Vermont/NNL/CH/index.cfm
| url = http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/Vermont/NNL/CH/index.cfm
| accessdate = 2007-06-19
| accessdate = 2007-06-19
Line 34: Line 36:
| archive-date = 2010-05-28
| archive-date = 2010-05-28
| url-status = dead
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> The landmark area consists of approximately {{convert|5300|acres}} from the summit down to {{convert|2500|feet}}.<ref>{{cite web
}}</ref> The bedrock consists of [[phyllite]], [[quartzite]] and schist.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/SpecialBulletins/Thompson_1991SpB12.pdf|title = Bedrock Geology of the Camels Hump-Bolton Mountain Area, North-Central Vermont|date = 1991|access-date = 27 January 2016|website = |publisher = |last = Thompson|first = Peter and Thelma}}</ref> In 1968, Camel's Hump was designated as a {{convert|5300|acre|adj=mid}} National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=CAHU-VT
|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=CAHU-VT
|title=National Natural Landmarks: Camel's Hump
|title=National Natural Landmarks: Camel's Hump
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|language=en
|language=en
|access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Preserving Our Natural Heritage, Volume II |page=586 |url={{Google books|bRFF-ixDXT8C|page=586|plainurl=yes}} |accessdate=11 February 2020}}</ref>
|access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref>


== Botany ==
== Botany ==

Revision as of 19:05, 11 February 2020

For the peak named "Camels Hump" in Australia, see Mount Macedon.
Camel's Hump
Camel's Hump, July 2012
Highest point
Elevation4,083 ft (1,244 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence1,860 ft (570 m)[2]
ListingNew England 4,000-footers
New England Fifty Finest #46
Coordinates44°19′10.37″N 72°53′10.78″W / 44.3195472°N 72.8863278°W / 44.3195472; -72.8863278[1]
Geography
LocationHuntington / Duxbury, Vermont, U.S.
Parent rangeGreen Mountains
Geology
Age of rock550 million years[3]
Climbing
Easiest routeHiking trail
Designated1968

Camel's Hump (alternatively Camels Hump) is a mountain in the Green Mountains in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is Vermont's third-highest mountain and, at 4,085 feet (1,245 m), it is the highest mountain in Camel's Hump State Park. Because of its distinctive profile, it is perhaps the state's most recognized mountain, featured on the state quarter. With its neighbor to the north, Mount Mansfield, it borders the Winooski River, which has carved through the Green Mountains over eons.

Name

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.[4] The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) lists twelve variant names including Tah-wak-be-dee-ee-so wadso and Catamountain.[5] While place names are determined by local usage the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) serves as a central authority in the United States concerning place names. Since its inception in 1890 the BGN has discouraged the use of the genitive apostrophe.[6] Local usage is often at odds with this policy and so the name of this mountain is alternatively spelled with and without an apostrophe.

Geology

Camel's Hump is more notable for its shape than its height. 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. The movement of glacial ice shaped it into what is referred to as a roche moutonnée.[citation needed] The bedrock consists of phyllite, quartzite and schist.[7]

In 1968 the National Park Service designated Camel's Hump a National Natural Landmark, citing the peak as "an exceptional illustration of the complex anticlinal deformation which formed the Green Mountains".[8] The landmark area consists of approximately 5,300 acres (2,100 ha) from the summit down to 2,500 feet (760 m).[9][10]

Botany

Alpine tundra grasses at the summit of Camel's Hump, Vermont, June 2008.

The summit of Camel's Hump is home to 10 acres (4 ha) of alpine tundra vegetation.[8] Common plants found in this area include: Bigelow's sedge (Carex bigelowii), alpine bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), mountain sandwort (Minuartia groenlandica), crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum). A direct result of glacial formation, these alpine species were once widespread but as the lower elevations warmed, only the very peak of Camel's Hump remained hospitable to the fragile plants.[3]

There are 18 species of plants at or near the summit of Camel’s Hump that are thought to be rare or very rare.[11] Of these, five species are protected by the Vermont endangered and threatened species rule:[12] Boott's rattlesnake-root (Nabalus boottii, generically known as white lettuce), bearberry willow (Salix uva-ursi), lesser wintergreen (Pyrola minor), alpine sweetgrass (Anthoxanthum monticola), and squashberry (Viburnum edule). The Green Mountain Club's Summit Caretaker program actively promotes Leave No Trace principles and helps to protect the alpine tundra natural community on the summit of Camel's Hump.[13]

Despite extensive logging during the late 1800s and a great fire in 1903, Camel's Hump continues to support a significant population of red spruce (Picea rubens). Starting in the 1960s, Hub Vogelmann and his graduate students from the University of Vermont observed an extensive decline in the red spruce population on the west slope of Camel’s Hump. Vogelmann’s 1982 landmark paper “Catastrophe on Camel’s Hump” identified the cause of the decline to be acid rain.[14][15] Similarly the Forest Decline Project at the University of Vermont published a study in 1991 that again cited acid rain as the culprit.[16] These findings raised public awareness and eventually led to a revision of the Clean Air Act. By 2017, with mounting evidence that the health of red spruce was on the rise,[17][18] the scourge of acid rain in the northeast had largely come to an end.

The Vermont state quarter depicts Camel's Hump and Maple trees with sap buckets

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."[19]

In 1905, publisher and philanthropist Joseph Battell donated 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) of virgin forest, including the summit of Camel's Hump, to the State of Vermont.[20] 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).[4]

In October 1944, during World War II, a B-24J bomber 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.[3]

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.[21] 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 near the summit during the summer 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."[22] 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.[23] The profile of Camel's Hump appears in the Vermont coat of arms on the Vermont flag.

Hiking Camel's Hump

Summit marker on Camel's Hump. Notice the inscription reads "Camels Rump"

"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.[24] The views from the summit are panoramic, and on a clear day one can see the highest peaks of the following states: Mount Marcy in New York, Mount Washington in New Hampshire, as well as Vermont's Mount Mansfield.[25]

The most popular trails in Camel's Hump State Park are the Monroe Trail and the Burrows Trail.[26] Both trails terminate at the Hut Clearing 0.3 miles (0.5 km) north of the Camel's Hump summit on the Long Trail. Be advised that the trail south of the Hut Clearing is open and exposed. Seek shelter on the side trails during thunderstorms and windstorms.

Here are some popular day hikes to the summit on Camel's Hump:[27][28][tone]

Camel's Hump via the Burrows Trail. At the end of Camel's Hump Road east of Huntington, the Burrows Trail ascends the west face of Camel's Hump, intersecting the Long Trail at the Hut Clearing. Round trip is 4.8 miles (7.7 km) with 2,400 feet (730 m) of elevation change.

The Burrows Trail, the oldest trail on Camel's Hump, travels through some of the oldest spruce-fir forest on the mountain, one of the few areas believed to have escaped the 1903 fire.[3] The Burrows Trail is also used in the winter as a snowshoe and ski route.

Camel's Hump via the Monroe Trail. At the end of (a different) Camel's Hump Road south of Duxbury, the Monroe Trail ascends the east face of Camel's Hump, intersecting the Long Trail at the Hut Clearing. Round trip is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) with 2,583 feet (787 m) of elevation change.

The Monroe Trail was built in 1912. It is named for Will Monroe, who cut the Long Trail from Camel’s Hump south to Middlebury Gap beginning in 1916. The Monroe Trail climbs through an extensive grove of paper birch that dates from the 1903 fire.[3]

Camel's Hump East Loop #1. The Monroe Trail intersects the Dean Trail 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the trailhead. Turn left onto the Dean Trail to reach the Long Trail in 1.0 mile (1.6 km). Turn right (north), the summit is 1.7 miles (2.7 km) northbound on the Long Trail. To return, continue north on the Long Trail 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to the Hut Clearing. Turn right (east) onto the Monroe Trail, descending 3.1 miles (5.0 km) to the trailhead. Round trip is 7.4 miles (11.9 km) with 2,583 feet (787 m) of elevation change.

The Dean Trail crosses the Hump Brook Bridge 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from the Monroe Trail. At 0.3 miles (0.5 km), it reaches a spur trail to the Hump Brook Tenting Area, with tent platforms and campsites (available for a fee). At 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the Monroe Trail, the Dean Trail overlooks a beaver pond with views of Camel's Hump.[27]

Camel's Hump East Loop #2. The Monroe Trail intersects the Alpine Trail 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from the trailhead. Turn left onto the Alpine Trail to reach the Long Trail in 0.5 miles (0.8 km). Turn right (north), the summit is 0.2 miles (0.3 km) northbound on the Long Trail. To return, continue north on the Long Trail 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to the Hut Clearing. Turn right (east) onto the Monroe Trail, descending 3.1 miles (5.0 km) to the trailhead. Round trip is 6.6 miles (10.6 km) with 2,583 feet (787 m) of elevation change.

The Alpine Trail traverses the site of a plane crash that occurred on Camel's Hump in October 1944. A B-24J Liberator bomber from Westover Air Force Base (now Westover Air Reserve Base) in Massachusetts struck the mountain just 100 feet (30 m) below the summit, scattering men and debris all over the snow-covered peak. The collision killed nine crew members and left one survivor.[3]

Camel's Hump West Loop. From the Burrows Trailhead, take a short connector trail to the Forest City Trail, which terminates at the Long Trail. From the junction, the Long Trail ascends the south face of Camel's Hump. At the Hut Clearing north of the summit, descend the mountain via the Burrows Trail. Round trip is 5.8 miles (9.3 km) with 2,400 feet (730 m) of elevation change.

The Forest City Trail follows an old logging road used by the Forest City Lumber Company to log much of the western side of the mountain in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The trail ends a short distance from the Montclair Glen Lodge, which was built by the Green Mountain Club in 1948.[3]

Camel's Hump via the Long Trail. From the parking lot on Duxbury Road, follow the Long Trail south 6.2 miles (10.0 km) to the summit. This hike is the largest vertical climb on the Long Trail.

  • Western face of Camel's Hump Mountain from South Burlington, Vermont.
    Western face of Camel's Hump Mountain from South Burlington, Vermont.
  • Camel's Hump from Hinesburg Hollow Rd., Huntington, Vermont: Jul 2006
    Camel's Hump from Hinesburg Hollow Rd., Huntington, Vermont: Jul 2006
  • View east from old fire tower atop Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain in Chesterfield, NY: 2008
    View east from old fire tower atop Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain in Chesterfield, NY: 2008
  • Painting of Camel's Hump by John Frederick Kensett, 1852, oil on canvas.
    Painting of Camel's Hump by John Frederick Kensett, 1852, oil on canvas.
  • Eastern face of Camel's Hump taken in 1968
    Eastern face of Camel's Hump taken in 1968
  • Postcard of eastern face of Camel's Hump
    Postcard of eastern face of Camel's Hump
  • Postcard of western face of Camel's Hump
    Postcard of western face of Camel's Hump

Bibliography

  • Alfieri, Amy; Chipman, Brian; Gobeille, John; Johnson, Michael; Leonard, Matthew; Nerenberg, Jason; Peterson, Robert; Sausville, David; Sabourin, Gary; Zaino, Robert (2017). "Camel's Hump Management Unit: Long Range Management Plan" (PDF). State of Vermont: Agency of Natural Resources; Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation; Fish and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 21 January 2020. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Johnson, Charles W. (1998). The Nature of Vermont: Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment. Hanover, NH: 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.

References

  1. ^ a b "Camels Hump 2 Reset". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  2. ^ "Camels Hump, Vermont". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bazilchuk, Nancy. "Camel's Hump State Park". The Longstreet Highroad Guide to the Vermont Mountains. ISBN 1-56352-504-6. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "Camel's Hump State Park". Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  5. ^ "Camels Hump". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  6. ^ "Domestic Names - Frequently Asked Questions". U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Retrieved April 4, 201. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ Thompson, Peter and Thelma (1991). "Bedrock Geology of the Camels Hump-Bolton Mountain Area, North-Central Vermont" (PDF). Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Camel's Hump: National Natural Landmark". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  9. ^ "National Natural Landmarks: Camel's Hump". National Park Service. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  10. ^ Preserving Our Natural Heritage, Volume II. p. 586. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  11. ^ Alfieri et al. 2017, pp. 31–33.
  12. ^ "10 App. V.S.A. § 10". The Vermont Statutes Online. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Backcountry Caretakers". Green Mountain Club. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  14. ^ Alfieri et al. 2017, p. 11.
  15. ^ Brown, Joshua E. (October 14, 2013). "Remembering Hub Vogelmann". University of Vermont. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  16. ^ Klein, Richard M.; Perkins; Tricou; Oates; Cutler (Sep 1991). "Factors Affecting Red Spruce Regeneration in Declining Areas of Camel's Hump Mountain, Vermont". American Journal of Botany. 78 (9): 1191–1198. doi:10.2307/2444923. JSTOR 2444923.
  17. ^ Alfieri et al. 2017, p. 54.
  18. ^ Dillon, John (June 12, 2018). "UVM Study: Spruce Trees Are Recovering From Acid Rain, Years After Tighter Pollution Controls". Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  19. ^ Huden, John C (1962). Indian Place Names of New England. Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation. ISBN 0-934490-18-X.
  20. ^ Ring, Wilson (October 7, 2001). "Vermont still has stands of old-growth forests". The Associated Press State & Local Wire.
  21. ^ "History of the Long Trail". The Green Mountain Club. Archived from the original on 2007-06-30. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  22. ^ "Camel's Hump picked for new Vt. quarter". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. June 11, 1999.
  23. ^ "Camel's Hump". Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  24. ^ Lanza, Michael (2004). Foghorn Outdoors' New England Hiking: The Complete Guide to More Than 380 Hikes. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1-56691-381-0.
  25. ^ "Camel's Hump". Dartmouth Outing Guide. Dartmouth Outing Club. 2004. p. 173. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  26. ^ "Appendix G: Trail Register Sign-Ins Summary 1988–2016" (PDF). State of Vermont. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  27. ^ a b Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont (6th ed.). Waterbury Center, Vermont: Green Mountain Club. 2011. ISBN 978-1-888021-35-6.
  28. ^ "Camel's Hump State Park Trails Guide" (PDF). Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
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