‘Green’ governor
finishes hiking
‘green tunnel’

The Herald of Randolph
June 7, 2001

RANDOLPH, Vt. — Five very tired, very wet, very determined seventh-grade girls from Randolph, Vt., helped Gov. Howard Dean achieve a personal goal Monday — his own end-to-end trek of Vermont’s 250-mile-Long Trail.

In return, the girls got a note excusing them from the next day’s phys ed class at RUHS. The note was signed by a doctor — Dr. Howard Dean.

Nine students and leaders from the White River Craft Center set off with Gov. Dean at 8:30 a.m. from Route 242 near Jay Peak, headed north toward Canada.

The group had stayed overnight on the trail the previous evening, bedding down at the Laura Woodward Shelter. They wanted to be on hand bright and early when the governor arrived, intent on finishing the northernmost 13.3 miles of trail. It was the only section that Gov. Dean hadn’t hiked so far.

It wasn’t great hiking weather. “It was awful,” was the candid assessment of Kevin Harty, one of the directors of the Craft Center. Misty weather turned into rainy weather, and portions of the trail were ankle-deep in muck. The gorgeous view from atop Jay Peak was obscured in fog.

The youngsters were undaunted, however. They had come to hike, and hike they did. They included seventh graders Ashley Boule, Stephanie Hull, Torey Kelley, Jennifer Young, and Malia Anderson, along with Jim MacKenzie, a veteran of last year’s end-to-end hike sponsored by the Craft Center. Besides Harty, Center staffers Michael George and Nathan Webb also participated.

The Craft Center group had planned to get off the trail after nine miles, where Route 105 crosses. Several of them, however, decided to continue with the governor for the remaining 4.3 miles to make sure he didn’t get lost. Nine hours after they started, they arrived at the Canadian border.

Good company

“I think he really liked having the kids along,” said Harty. Wearing a Vermont Pure jacket, the state’s chief executive chatted with the students about Vermont history, including Randolph’s near-miss at becoming the state capital. He showed them trillium and other wildflowers.

The hikers found remnants of winter snows that had buried Jay Peak in 500 inches of snow. One Long Trail shelter was found to be caved in. Several trees lay across the trail, and a little snow still covered a short piece of trail.

“These girls were unbelievable,” Harty said. “This was a major, major hike.” So tired were they at the end that the governor — a notoriously strong hiker — came up with the idea of writing a note to their phys ed teacher. They had had plenty of exercise for the week and could safely sit out one class, he said.

Gov. Dean also originally came up with the idea that the Craft Center kids should accompany him on his final leg of the trail. In Randolph in March, he viewed an exhibit of Craft Center creations at the Chandler Gallery. There he learned of the previous summer’s hike on the Long Trail, and on the spur of the moment decided he’d like to have company on his own trek.

Jim MacKenzie followed through, and arrangements were made for Monday’s memorable, soggy saga.

Hiking combines two of the Center’s programs, Harty explained — its youth advocacy training and outdoor experiential training. The backpacking equipment was paid for by grants from the Lamson-Howell Foundation and Northfield Savings Bank.

Also present on the governor’s trip were Paul Kendall of Braintree and several other members of the executive board of the Green Mountain Club. They briefed Gov. Dean on land use issues and pointed out (through the fog) the 3000-acre acquisition the Club just made to protect the west flank of the Trail near Jay Peak.

Trailhead
New Boots • Gathering • Grapevine • Springer Fever
A.T. Companion • Headlamp Material • Work Trips • Side Trails