The Bishop family were the first non-native settlers on the land that became the Hogback ski area. For two generations, they worked at carving a farm out of the forest. The stony remains of the foundations of their house, barn, sheds, corrals and other structures can be seen just off Grant Road in the Conservation Area.

Last year, we removed underbrush, fallen logs, and other debris to make the house foundation more visible. This year, we’ll be tackling some of the outbuildings. Note – this is NOT archaeology. We are not trying to uncover artifacts. We’re just removing plants and vegetative debris that are smothering the stonework. This is a very emotionally satisfying project - revealing evidence of the hard work of the people who came before us on this land.

Bring your own favorite tool or borrow one from the HMCA collection. Note that if you want to use a chainsaw, you must wear full safety gear: chaps, helmet, ear, eye and face protection. Meet at the Grant Road entrance to the Conservation Area. Don’t know where that is? Go to our website, hogbackvt.org, click on Maps, and download the map to the Grant Road access point.

Jan 9, 2025, 12 to 1 PM

Jan 12, 2025, 12 to 5 PM

Jan 15, 2025, 6 to 7 PM