He called a Brighton official to ask about the missing marker and learned that it too had been vandalized with vulgarities.
“The damage it does, it’s hard to recover from that,” he said, explaining that incidents like these can push people away from trails that should be accessible.
“What we’re seeing in society writ large is what you also see on the trail, to some extent,” he said.
Predom said the broader Green Mountain Club organization has been working to be more inclusive and inviting.
“We just try to post hikes and make sure everyone knows that they’re welcome,” he said.
He grew up across Lake Champlain in upstate New York, where he worked for The Buffalo News, the Glens Falls Post-Star and the Plattsburgh Press Republican.