My First Solo Hike on the Long Trail - Killington Summit to Sherburne Pass in August 1964.

This story took place in the summer of 1964. I took two days in the third week of August to return to Breakneck Brook Camp for the second time that summer. The second day my grandparents took me to the base of Killington and I rode the chairlift to the top. The ride is beautiful and interesting, the trees decreasing in size until at the top they are hardly higher than your head and extremely difficult to penetrate. There was no view from the summit as it was in the clouds, giving one an unusual sensation of isolation and imprisonment. Intending to hike from Killington peak to the Sherburne Pass, I was unable to find the trail off Killington leading down to the Long Trail. Finally I located Cooper Lodge through a break in the clouds. I oriented myself with it and plunged into the trees, from which any view at all is impossible. Even with numerous sidetracks and detours, I came out within 100 feet of the lodge. The lodge was easily spotted by the immense ring of garbage around it. It was pretty run down. In those days pack-in, pack out seemingly hadn't been thought of!

I found the Long Trail, which would have been hard without my guidebook, and walked down it for a short ways to find a more suitable location for lunch. Just as I finished eating it started to rain. Turning back was out of the question. My grandparents had left after dropping me off and were supposed to meet me at Sherburne, so I had no choice but to keep on and get wet. It poured all the way to Pico Camp, so I missed most of the scenery because I was hurrying to get out of the rain.

At Pico Camp, which is much better than Cooper Lodge and a fairly nice place, I asked directions to the summit of Pico. Although it had stopped raining, the shrubbery was wet and I didn't dry out any. I hoped to see a view from Pico and was not disappointed, for the clouds opened to the south, disclosing a dramatic view of hundreds of rolling, cloud - covered mountains. It was as if I was the only person on a primitive wilderness world.

I did not stay long on Pico, or Killington either, because the temperature on Killington was freezing and Pico was not much warmer. The fire tower on Pico, I found, had been removed and rebuilt on Killington, while a large radar installation occupies the top of Pico. Returning to the Long Trail, I proceeded to the Long Trail Lodge, meeting on the way a party bound for Massachusetts. I arrived at the Sherburne Pass exactly on time in spite of the rain. The Long Trail in this region is swampy, so it is best to wear tough, waterproof shoes.

This was my first solo hike on the Long Trail, and in spite of the rain and cold, I really enjoyed it. The Trail has been re-routed since those days, but I believe the way I took is still open as side trails.

This account was taken from an account I wrote in 1993 about my growing-up years, entitled “The Early Years”.

Ted Rice, March 25, 2012.