Green Mountain Club (GMC) Bread Loaf Section

We are the Bread Loaf Section of the Green Mountain Club in the Addison County area of Vermont. Details of all activities & events are on our calendar. Check out photos from our hikes and other activities. Non-members are always welcome. Read more about who we are on our About page.

Spring activities

Go to our Calendar for details of all Bread Loaf's scheduled activities.

Group outings, led by volunteers, have been scheduled for March, April and May.

Trail Work will be scheduled in early June.

Our volunteers will be at the Annual GreenUp Festival on Saturday, May 4th

Stop by our table at the Middlebury Natural Foods Coop from Noon - 3PM on Washington St in Middlebury to learn about Green Mountain Club activities including outings and trail work.

MNFC, 9 Washington St, Middlebury, VT (Google Map location)

Temperatures have been unseasonably chilly, but April is finally here.

Recommended seasonal reading: GMC mud season tips

During mud season, avoid muddy and slushy hiking trails. Give them time to dry and make sure trail access parking areas are not inaccessible.

This is a great time to check out GMC's April workshops!

Also on GMC's website, Trip Planning and "10 Essentials".

Many cliff trails are closed during peregrine falcon nesting season March 15-August 1st.

Raven Ridge cliff trail in Monkton is closed March 1- June 15th.

Click here for Safety Reminders, plus...

  • Refer to published maps & resources. (We maintain a variety of links to info on this website.)
  • To check out the GMC's new digital downloadable maps that don't require cell phone service, click HERE. (Or click on GMC's 'Shop' menu item.) Once there, scroll down to view all available maps. Please note that GMC strongly recommends always having a paper map and compass in the backcountry. Digital devices may fail due to batteries dying, getting wet or broken, etc, and should only be used as an addition to paper maps.
  • "Producers of app aim to cut down on backcountry rescues" (includes a 3-minute video) and interviews with Neil Van Dyke, the state's search and rescue coordinator and GMC's Matt Krebs, operations and publications coordinator. This story was produced by WCAX on December 10, 2018.

Photos of recent activities...

Bread Loaf Section's 44th Annual Meeting was held March 14, 2019.

Our 2019 slate of officers and committee chairs were elected. Special thanks to:

Keegan Tierney, GMC's Director of Trail Programs, for reporting on plans for Long Trail projects in 2019 and beyond.

And also thank you to the evening's program speakers, the Harrington and McIntosh families of Ripton for their wonderfully inspiring and entertaining program,

"Short Legs, Long Trail - Four Summer on the LT."

Click here to learn details about Annual Meeting.

Keegan Tierney, GMC's Director of Field Programs

"Short Legs, Long Trail" presentation

Snowshoe to Treadway Mountain in Ticonderoga, taking a shortcut across Putnam Pond. (2/16/2019) Photos: I.Hughes & B. Francis.

Safety and Trail Updates

To help ensure a safe and fun outdoor experience, we strongly encourage you to read and learn from these online resources before heading outside:

ALSO - Find Weather Forecast Websites on our "Safety Reminders" page.

Other recent news of interest...

photo: David & Doug at GMC headquarters
Trail Blazer Award – Given to a relatively new GMC volunteer who has taken to their role with great enthusiasm and commitment.”

2018 GMC Volunteer Awards

At the Sept. 22nd Volunteer Appreciation Picnic at GMC headquarters in Waterbury Center, awards were presented to three Bread Loaf volunteers.

David Morrissey received the Trail Blazer Award. "Given to a relatively new GMC volunteer who has taken to their role with great enthusiasm and commitment.”

David has demonstrated his dedication to and love of the trails since he took on his position as Trail Manager for Bread Loaf Section in January 2015. His quiet dependability, organizational skills, attention to detail and time spent arranging work parties with volunteers and Middlebury College have been invaluable to Bread Loaf Section. Not to forget lunches and cookies! Our trail maintenance needs during these past few seasons have been significant.

Nancy Morgan & Doug McKain both received the Roy O. Buchanan 10-Year Volunteer Service Award. This award is given to GMC volunteers who have served for at least 10 continuous years in one or many roles

Congratulations! Well deserved.


Kids in Action! Volunteers helped clean up trails in Middlebury .

On Sunday Sept 30th, our awesome Young Adventurers Club worked with Middlebury Area Land Trust's Jenn Smith & John Derrick to learn about how to do trail clean up work at Wright Park.

Go to our YAC Facebook page for photos and to read about other Young Adventurers Club activities. (You don't need to be a member of Facebook to see our page.)