Green Mountain Club's Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series: "Searching for White Blazes: Hiking the Long Trail in Winter"
In celebration of the twenty-eighth anniversary of Green Mountain Club's Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series, the Bread Loaf Section will host speaker Mary Lou Recor on Thursday evening February 20 at 7:00PM when she will share a slide show of her winter end-to-end hike, "Searching for White Blazes: Hiking the Long Trail in Winter."

The Long Trail Guide rightly states that the Long Trail is "not designed for winter use": white blazes, dense woods, deep snow, remote trail, short days. The following is an excerpt written by Mary Lou for the Green Mountain Club:
"How would you like to become part of an elite hiking group? A group that gives out no patches or certificates, that keeps no records and holds no induction ceremonies. A group so esoteric, no one except the members know who they are. And even they don't know the other members. I am talking about people who have hiked the Long Trail in winter. Before you scoff, think about this: the number of people who have climbed Mount Everest and returned to give a PowerPoint presentation: over 5,000. The number who have day hiked the Long Trail in winter: "a handful." The number of through hikers: a really teeny-tiny handful."

When Mary Lou decided in 2004 to day-hike the Long Trail in winter, she figured it would take her twenty years to finish if she ever did. In fact, it took only fourteen winters, numerous friends and unfailing optimism to cover all 270 miles.

Join us! The program is open to the public and held at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, 2 Duane Ct, Middlebury from 7:00-8:30PM. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30. Admission is free, however voluntary donations will be accepted support the GMC's Education Program.

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