Camel's Hump is Vermont's third highest mountain (and its highest undeveloped peak), but because of its distinctive profile, perhaps the state's most recognized mountain. Part of the Green Mountain range, it is one of the oldest mountains on earth. With its neighbor to the north, Mount Mansfield, it borders the notch that the antecedent Winooski River has carved through this area over eons. The hiking trails on Camel's Hump were among the first cut in the Long Trail system, and Camel's Hump remains a popular summit for through- and day-hiking. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area  Ranked 45th  - Total 9,620 sq mi (24,923 km²)  - Width 80 miles (130 km)  - Length 160 miles (260 km)  - % water 3. ... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ... The Green Mountains may refer to: The Green Mountains in Vermont in the United States extending into southern Quebec in Canada. ... In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop (in America) or prime factor (in Europe), is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ... Southern and northern Mount Everest climbing routes as seen from the International Space Station. ... The mountains and hills of Great Britain, and to a lesser extent Ireland, are the subject of a considerable number of lists which categorise them by height, topographic prominence, or other criteria. ... In mountaineering, the four-thousand footers (or 4ks) refers to a group of mountains of interest in the sport of peak-bagging. Each peak is at least four thousand feet above sea level, and also meets a more technical criterion of topographic prominence. ... The New England Fifty Finest is a list of mountains in New England, used in the mountaineering sport of peak bagging. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area  Ranked 45th  - Total 9,620 sq mi (24,923 km²)  - Width 80 miles (130 km)  - Length 160 miles (260 km)  - % water 3. ... The Green Mountains may refer to: The Green Mountains in Vermont in the United States extending into southern Quebec in Canada. ... Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in the U.S. State of Vermont. ... The Winooski River is a tributary of Lake Champlain, approximately 90 miles (145 km) long, in northern Vermont in the United States. ... The Long Trail is a hiking trail which covers the length of the state of Vermont running north and south 272 miles from the Massachusetts border (near Williamstown) to the Canadian border near North Troy, Vermont. ...

Geology

Camel's Hump is more notable for its shape than its height of 4,083 feet. 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. While it looks somewhat volcanic from the east and west, the movement of glacial ice created its current form and the National Park Service names the peak as "an exceptional illustration of the complex anticlinal deformation which formed the Green Mountains".^[3] Glacial and Glaciation redirect here. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ...

Botany

Alpine vegetation at the summit of Camel's Hump

The summit of Camel's Hump is home to 10 acres of alpine tundra vegetation.^[3] Plants found in this region include: bigelow sedge, alpine bilberry, mountain sandwort, crowberry , mountain cranberry, Labrador tea.^[4] 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.^[4] Camel's Hump also supports a significant population of red spruce trees which have been under decline.^[5] The Forest Decline Project at the University of Vermont published a study in 1991 citing acid rain as a culprit of the reduced seed production and germination.^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... Carex (L., 1753) is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (although other, related species are also called sedges, those of genus Carex may be called true sedges). ... Binomial name L. Bilberry is a name given to several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae) that bear tasty fruits. ... Species See text. ... Species Empetrum nigrum Empetrum eamesii The crowberries (Empetrum L.) are a small genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs that bear edible fruits. ... Binomial nomenclature Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. Ref: ITIS 505637 The Cowberry or Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is a small evergreen shrub in the plant Family Ericaceae that bears edible fruits. ... Labrador tea, is a name commonly applied to two species: Ledum palustre (Northern Labrador Tea, also known as Rhododendron tomentosum) and Ledum groenlandicum (Bog Labrador Tea). ... Binomial name Picea rubens Sarg. ... UVM redirects here. ...

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

Download high resolution version (1106x1105, 266 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1106x1105, 266 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... Distribution Species See List of Acer species Maples are trees or shrubs in the genus Acer. ...

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"^[7]. Abenaki wigwam with birch bark covering The Abenaki (also Wabanaki) are a tribe of Native Americans belonging to the Algonquian peoples of the Northeast portion of North America. ...

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.^[8] World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... A much-reproduced fictional portrait of Champlain by Théophile Hamel (1870) (no authentic portrait has survived)[1]) Samuel de Champlain , the father of New France, was born around 1580 in the town of Brouage, a seaport on Frances west coast. ... Landsat photo Lake Champlain (French: lac Champlain) is a large lake in North America, mostly within the borders of the United States (states of Vermont and New York) but partially situated across the US-Canada border in the province of Quebec. ... Categories: People stubs ...

In 1905, publisher and philanthropist Joseph Battell donated 1200 acres (5 km²) of virgin forest, including the summit of Camel's Hump, to the State of Vermont. ^[9] 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).^[8] Joseph Battell (15 July 1839 - 1915) was a publisher and philanthropist from Middlebury, Vermont. ...

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.^[10] 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 at the summit and educate hikers to respect the fragile alpine ecosystem that exists on the mountain. The Green Mountain Club and its members from across the country preserve and protect the Long Trail System. ... The Long Trail is a hiking trail which covers the length of the state of Vermont running north and south 272 miles from the Massachusetts border (near Williamstown) to the Canadian border near North Troy, Vermont. ...

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." ^[11] 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.^[12] The profile of Camels Hump appears in the Vermont coat of arms on the Vermont flag. Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof. ... Wilson Snowflake Bentley (1865–1931), born in Jericho, Vermont, was the first known photographer of snowflakes. ... // Bill Harley Bill Harley is a childrens entertainer who has been called the Mark Twain of contemporary childrens music by Entertainment Weekly. ... Vermont Public Radio (VPR) is the public radio station covering the state of Vermont. ... Categories: Stub | U.S. state flags ...

Hiking Camel's Hump

"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^[13]. The views from the summit are panoramic, and on a clear day one can see Mount Marcy in New York, Mount Washington in New Hampshire and Mount Mansfield^[5], the highest peaks in the three states. Mount Marcy is at 5,344 ft the highest mountain in the Adirondack Mountain Range and the highest point in New York State. ... The Summit Mount Washington is the highest peak in the American Northeast at 6,288 ft. ... Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in the U.S. State of Vermont. ...

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

Lanza, and many others, recommend the Burrows Trail. Burrows ascends the west face from Camel's Hump Road taken east from Huntington and is roughly 2.5 miles from trailhead to summit. The Burrows Trail is also used in the winter as a snowshoe and ski route. From a trailhead approximately 0.5 mile downhill from the Burrows trailhead, the Forest City Trail heads further south, passes some very picturesque streams and waterfalls, and meets the Long Trail at Montclair Glen Lodge. From this location, the Long Trail climbs the south face, which is steep and somewhat technical towards the summit. There is a connector trail, connecting the bottom of Burrows Trail to the waterfall bridges at Forest City, for those choosing to use the Burrows Trail upon descent. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Huntington, Vermont Huntington is a town located in Chittenden County, Vermont. ... The Long Trail is a hiking trail which covers the length of the state of Vermont running north and south 272 miles from the Massachusetts border (near Williamstown) to the Canadian border near North Troy, Vermont. ...

The Monroe Trail ascends the east face, which is an easy to moderate trail, like the Burrows Trail but slightly longer.

The Long Trail continues north from the summit, and there are numerous sidetrails around the summit itself that are good for exploration in the summer.

There is a clearing several tenths of a mile north of the summit, where the Burrows and Monroe Trails intersect the Long Trail. The clearing is the last protected environment one faces when climbing the mountain, and once above treeline winds and temperatures can be severe at times.

Notes

The Boston Globe is the most widely circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. ...

References

• Huden, John C. (1962) Indian Place Names of New England, Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation ISBN 0-934490-18-X
• Johnson, Charles W. (1980) The Nature of Vermont: Introduction and Guide to a New England Environment, The 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

External links

• Maps and aerial photos
  • WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
  • Surrounding area map from Google Maps
  • Location in the United States from the Census Bureau
• Hiking Camel's Hump