Mile 14.2 — Division 2 — Elev. 2800 ft.
Located on a short loop trail, it is a log lean-to with bunks for 8. It was built in 1971 by the Connecticut Section volunteers and Camp Najerog alumni and is named in honor of Harold M. (Kid) Gore, late owner, and operator of Camp Najerog. Its water source is a spring 10 yds. north of the shelter (unreliable in dry seasons). In use from 1971 to present. [GB 24th Edition 1996]
The Connecticut Section is in the throes of getting building materials to the site of the new Shelter which is being built at the site of Caughnawaga. Last fall they felled and peeled the logs for the framework but still need sawed lumber to complete the work. This site is so remote, much effort has been made to find a good route for hauling materials. On Feb. 7 and March 20, 1971, several members, some with snowmobiles, assembled at the site of the former town of Somerset 6.5 miles north of Rte. 9 on the western branch of the Deerfield River. Two attempts have not yet yielded the secret best route to haul materials to the site. The best route may still be locked beneath several feet of snow and still in the hands of Mother Nature. [LTN, May 1971] A recent addition to the shelter system. The Kid Gore Memorial Shelter located 5.2 miles south of the Arlington-West Wardsboro Road adjacent to the Caughnawaga Shelter was completed in June 1971.
Kid Gore passed away in 1969, an old friend of the Long Trail. It was his Camp Najerog that built Caughnawaga Shelter at Glen Haven in 1931 and maintained some five miles of trail. His most important contribution to the Long Trail was the part he played in shaping the lives of so many young men. [LTN, August 1971] On Sunday, August 29, 1971, 113 people hiked to the shelter for the official dedication Program. Thanks to George Bragdon and Bob Gore for the fine program. To provide easier access, Alan Mead and Robert Attenborough scouted a side trail from the Somerset area westward to the LT. This shortcut route is now referred to as the Nutmeg Trail. Construction started on May 15, 1971, and was finished on June 12, 1971. Although it is an open shelter, it resembles and contains furnishings normally found in a closed camp: It is a spacious size, 20 X12 feet with sleeping space for 15. Between the double-deck bunks on each end is a large table which can seat 8 to 10 people. Initial cost was $450. The remaining $191. is to be used for maintenance. The front faces the east and affords spectacular sunrises and illuminating moonlight in the night. Due to its hilly and rocky location, it does not have a “Monticello” type front lawn. [LTN, Nov. 1975]
