Castleton is a rural village, population 1500, in west central Vermont, twelve miles from Rutland, Vermont's second largest city. It has a broad main street with locally-owned businesses and is surrounded by rolling farmland, boreal forest, small lakes and mountains. With its white clapboard houses and shady streets, it retains a friendly, Vermont small town atmosphere.
Castleton State College is one block from the town center. There has been an educational facility at this site for more than 200 years, including the Vermont State Medical School in the first half of the 19th Century and a teacher's college until 1962 when Castleton joined the Vermont State College system. The college has 2000 enrolled students and offers 30 academic programs. The attractive campus has all the amenities needed for a successful conference and is compact enough so that all events are only a brief walk from the dorms. The 500-seat auditorium will comfortably accommodate our larger events. There is plenty of parking.
If, while at Castleton, you wish to shop for extravagant outdoor gear and home furnishings or eat food served by someone that you have to tip, you will have to go to Rutland.
How can I get there?
Drive to Rutland. Head west on U.S. Rte. 4 to Castleton. Fasten your seat belt.
Ride your bike. Wear a helmet.
Hike the AT/LT to the Inn at Long Trail/Sherburne Pass/U.S. Rte. 4, take the Rutland/Killington Commuter Bus ($2 fee) to Rutland and catch The Bus (free commuter bus) from the Marble Valley Regional Transit Center to Castleton, 802-773-3244, x117, www.thebus.com.
Fly into Burlington, Boston or Albany and catch a Vermont Transit bus to Rutland. See #3 to catch The Bus to Castleton.
Fly into New York City (Penn Station) or Albany and take The Ethan Allen Express to either Rutland or Fair Haven. See #3 to catch The Bus to Castleton.
What are the accommodations like?
On campus (make your reservation when you register):
Newly renovated college dorm rooms, mostly suites with lounges. Bring a fan. Fee for linens or bring your own (extra long linens for beds).
Tent camping on the lawn. Bring your own tent and bedroll. Bathrooms open during the day with Port-a-lets provided at night. Showers in the gym.
Limited RV camping in parking lot. Sorry, no hookups. Showers in the gym.
Off campus:
Lots of hotels/motels, including national chains, in Rutland, twelve miles east.
Lake Bomoseen Campground, seven miles northwest. Hookups, tenting, cabins. 802-273-2061, mail@lakebomoseen.com
Bomoseen State Park, seven miles northwest. Campsites and lean-tos, beach. Flush toilets and showers. 888-409-7579.
Half Moon State Park, ten miles northwest. Tent sites, cabins, lean-tos. Flush toilets and showers. 888-409-7579.
Stay with a friend. Flush toilets, showers, maybe some meals.
How much of the AT can I hike during the conference?
We are offering day hikes covering about 135 miles of the 150 AT miles in Vermont. We will also have one-night backpacking trips covering about 40 AT miles.
What other destination hikes are you offering?
Pico Peak (one of the New England 100 Highest)
Stratton Pond, Griffith Lake, Lowell Lake (swimming)
Bromley Mountain observation tower
Vermont's 4000 ft. peaks: Killington, Ellen, Abraham
Natural history hikes: Lost Pond Bog, old growth forest (off-trail)
Eastern Adirondack hikes: Black Mountain
Thundering Falls (wheelchair accessible)
How are you rating the hikes?
Easy
less than five miles, less than 1000 ft. elevation gain over easy to moderate terrain.
Moderate
less than nine miles, less than 2000 ft. elevation gain over moderate terrain.
Strenuous
more than nine miles, more than 2000 ft. elevation gain with steep sections.
Very Strenuous
more than nine miles, more than 2500 ft. elevation gain over rough, steep terrain.
Hiking times:
˝ hr. per mile plus ˝ hr. per 1000 ft. elevation gain,
plus 1 hr. for lunch and other stops,
plus ˝ hr. for hikes with swimming,
plus ˝ hr. for hikes longer than four miles and
described as easy or slow-paced.
Will there be any biking?
Yes, we have planned rides for each day, Monday through Thursday, one of which will be off-road on an unpaved rail trail. The rides will cover between seventeen and twenty-five miles at a moderate pace, with rest stops to enjoy Vermont's scenery. No pre-registration is required.
What are some of the excursions?
We are offering excursions to many nearby historic sites, both in Vermont and nearby New York State.
One excursion will include Woodstock, one of the prettiest towns in America, where we will visit one of our newest National Parks, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. After touring the mansion and carriage house, we will have some time to walk the park’s network of carriage roads up to a peaceful pond called “The Pogue”. We will finish with a tour of the Billings Farm and Museum, originally home to Frederick Billing’s herd of Jersey cattle, and finally, eat ice cream at the dairy bar.
Several other excursions will explore the Revolutionary War history of the Lake Champlain area. One excursion will begin by visiting the Mount Independence State Historic Site, where we will see the remains of a military complex which was one of the largest communities in America in 1776. In the afternoon, we will board the MV Carillon, a replica of a 1920’s Thousand Islands cruise boat, for a narrated historical tour of Lake Champlain. We will pass Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, as well as Hand’s Cove, where Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys began their successful attack on Ticonderoga. We may see bald eagles and osprey along the water, and possibly “Champ,” the mythical Lake Champlain monster.
What about trail work?
We haven't finalized the trail work schedule, but here are some possibilities:
Trail clearing (Old Job Trail)
Shelter Building (Lost Pond)
Blaze painting and sign posting (Long Trail)
Blowdown sweeping/clearing
Waterbar cleaning
Shelter re-roofing (Kid Gore)
Shelter staining
What else might I be interested in?
During the day, we will hold panel discussions on shelters, trail magic and global warming. In the evening, there will be slide presentations, entertainment and dancing.
What are some of the workshops?
Trail fitness and wellness
Natural history: wildflowers, bears, mushrooms and scat
Leave no trace
The AT as canary in the mine shaft
Community outreach: getting kids outdoors
How many volunteers will you need? What are some of the jobs?
About 300. We will need volunteers to meet and greet, provide information, lead hikes and excursions, dance, handle complaints, park cars and wash dishes (just kidding). For information: click on “Volunteer.”
What do I get if I volunteer?
Besides supporting a good cause and making more friends than you could possibly ever need, you will get the following:
Free entry on the days you donate at least four hours.
Invitation to a volunteer reception on Monday evening (food and free raffle).
Free T-shirt if you donate four hours.
Free admission to historic sites for excursion leaders.
Reduced conference registration price.
How much will it cost if I don't volunteer?
Registration Fee: $40*
Conference and meals: $30/day*
Dorm room: $25/day*
Fun: Priceless
* Prices are approximate and may change prior to the conference.
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