Lost Pond Shelter burned down in November 2001, and local volunteers led by Marge Fish began planning to replace the structure in fall 2002
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The shelter was to be hauled to the site with draft horses and built entirely with hand tools and no power equipment in the federally designated Big Branch Wilderness.
The rebuild was planned for one long weekend from October 17-22, with site preparation in mid to late September.
The 2002 reconstruction proved successful.
Marge Fish’s contributions to rebuilding Lost Pond Shelter in 2002 went beyond the call of duty. Paul Austin participated in the rebuilding of Lost Pond Shelter in 2002, helping to restore the shelter as a key volunteer effort.
The rebuilt shelter, however, would suffer a tragic second fire.
Lost Pond Shelter burned to the ground in 2006 by parties unknown. The loss was compounded by wilderness constraints: renovating and rebuilding trail shelters in wilderness is subject to a Forest Service review process to determine which management action will have the least impact on wilderness values.
Despite these obstacles, GMC undertook another rebuild. Lost Pond Shelter was rebuilt this summer, once again without power tools, in keeping with its setting in the Big Branch Wilderness. The 2009 reconstruction followed a design based on historic precedent: the design for the three-sided log structure was based on historic Civilian Conservation Corps trail shelters.
Special care was taken in choosing local materials for construction. This final rebuild before the shelter’s closure in 2009 maintained the Long Trail’s commitment to building shelter infrastructure while respecting the pristine character of the wilderness.
Sources
- Long Trail News 2002 (2002). Green Mountain Club. 8.
- Smoke and Blazes (Killington) 56 (2003). Killington Section, Green Mountain Club. 20.
- Smoke and Blazes (Killington) 05 (2003). Killington Section, Green Mountain Club. 6.
- Long Trail News 2003 (2003). Green Mountain Club. 14.
- Long Trail News 2005 (2005). Green Mountain Club. 28.
- Long Trail News 2007 (2007). Green Mountain Club. 31.
- Long Trail News 2008 (2008). Green Mountain Club. 12.
- Smoke and Blazes (Killington) 62 (2009). Killington Section, Green Mountain Club. 5.
- Smoke and Blazes (Killington) 62 (2009). Killington Section, Green Mountain Club. 3.
- Smoke and Blazes (Killington) 66 (2013). Killington Section, Green Mountain Club. 12.
- Long Trail News 2014 (2014). Green Mountain Club. 24.
- Long Trail News 2015 (2015). Green Mountain Club. 2.
- Long Trail News 2019 (2019). Green Mountain Club. 23.
- Long Trail News 2021 (2021). Green Mountain Club. 12.
- Long Trail News 2021 (2021). Green Mountain Club. 21.
- Long Trail News 2022 (2022). Green Mountain Club. 16.
