Churchill Scott Shelter

The creation of the Churchill Scott Shelter on Pico Peak is one of the most complex and meaningful shelter projects in the history of the Long Trail. Its story weaves together land‑use negotiations, accessibility law, volunteer dedication, and the memory of two people whose lives shaped the Appalachian Trail in very different ways: W. Churchill Scott, a lifelong steward of the Killington Section, and Alice Mae Ference, a devoted hiker whose tragic death transformed AT safety policy.

A Shelter Born from a Major Trail Relocation (1999)

The project began when the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail was relocated in 1999 along the west side of Pico Peak. The six‑mile reroute was necessary to avoid ski‑area development pressures and restore a quieter, more natural corridor. With the new alignment came the need for an overnight site between Cooper Lodge and the Tucker Johnson or Stony Brook Shelters.
Initial planning criteria were simple:

  • keep the shelter close to the trail
  • avoid backcountry ski routes
  • minimize environmental impact
    But the project soon became far more complicated.

Negotiating with the City of Rutland: Watershed Protection

The proposed shelter site lay within the Rutland City watershed, and city officials raised serious concerns. They wanted to avoid creating a destination for ATVs, parties, or skiers, all of which could threaten water quality. The most difficult issue was human waste disposal.

Under Vermont law, municipalities have strong authority to protect their drinking‑water sources. Rutland exercised that right.
GMC Field Supervisor Pete Antos‑Ketcham led negotiations, presenting a plan that balanced hiker needs with watershed protection. The final agreement included:
• strict requirements for sewage management
• regular inspections
• city involvement in ongoing oversight
• a prohibition on campfires
• a design intentionally free of scenic views or recreational draw

The result was a utilitarian, low‑impact shelter meant solely for hikers passing through.

Accessibility Requirements: A Backcountry First

A second challenge emerged when the National Park Service determined that the shelter, located on federal land, must comply with the Architectural Barriers Act, requiring accessibility in federally managed structures.

Although accessibility requirements for backcountry sites remain legally ambiguous, NPS managers insisted that the new shelter accommodate wheelchair users.
Shelter designer Jeff Bostwick modified the standard GMC plans to include:
• a ramp instead of stairs
• grab rails for wheelchair transfers
• accessible latching hardware
• increased interior turning radius
This made the Churchill Scott Shelter one of the first ADA‑influenced backcountry shelters in Vermont.

Construction Weekend: August 22–24, 2002

On August 22 GMC staff and volunteers gathered at the Pico Base Lodge. One crew hiked to the site while others prepared materials for helicopter transport. High winds delayed the airlift, but by day’s end, all lumber and hardware for the shelter, tent platform, and privy had been delivered.

Construction began early Saturday. By noon the foundation was complete; by evening the walls and most of the roof were in place, allowing part of the crew to sleep inside the unfinished structure. On Sunday, volunteers cleared the trail to the water source and the Long Trail, installed signage, completed the shelter, and packed out tools.

Dedicated to W. Churchill Scott: A Lifetime of Service

The shelter honors W. Churchill Scott, a pillar of the Killington Section for nearly seventy years. Scott served as the section’s Secretary‑Treasurer and was its primary trail maintainer throughout the Coolidge Range.

His dedication kept the Killington/Pico region alive during a period when local volunteerism was thin. In a 1966 letter, former GMC President Ben Rolston wrote:

“If it wasn’t for Churchill and said out‑of‑towners, Killington’s trails would now be in a state of abandonment.”

Scott’s legacy is one of quiet, persistent stewardship — the kind of work that keeps the Long Trail functioning year after year.

In Memory of Alice Mae Ference: A Hiker Whose Life Changed the AT

The shelter also memorializes Alice Mae Ference, a woman whose story is both heartbreaking and profoundly influential.

A Life Built Around the Appalachian Trail

Born in 1923, Alice lived in New Britain, Connecticut, and was part of a close‑knit Polish‑American community. She married George Ference, and together they spent nine years section‑hiking the Appalachian Trail, slowly working their way from Springer Mountain toward Katahdin.

They were not speed hikers. They were steady, joyful walkers who returned year after year, treating the AT as a shared life project.

The Kennebec River Tragedy (1985)

On September 12, 1985, Alice attempted to ford the Kennebec River in Maine — a crossing that, at the time, had:
• no ferry
• no warning system
• no signage
• unpredictable dam releases from Harris Station

A sudden surge of water swept her away. She was 45 years old.

Her Legacy: A Safer Trail for All

Alice’s death led directly to the creation of the mandatory Kennebec River canoe ferry, which has operated every hiking season since 1987. Every hiker who safely crosses the Kennebec today does so because of her.

A small plaque, inscribed with a stanza from the old Swedish folk hymn, "How Great Thou Art" is fixed to the shelter wall.

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze, then sings my soul. — In memory of One who loved the trail — Alice H. Ference — 1923 – 1985 — Dedicated September, 2002

Sources