Shooting Star Shelter 1st

Shooting Star Shelter was built in 1934 by the Long Trail Patrol, a paid summer crew established by the Green Mountain Club to maintain and construct shelters and trail facilities. The shelter was situated on a rock outcrop and named for the shooting stars viewed from the shelter during its construction.

The lean-to had bunk space for 6, and its location placed it 4.4 miles south of the Canadian border on the northern reaches of the Long Trail.

Throughout the mid-to-late twentieth century, the shelter served Long Trail hikers regularly. In 1981, Earl Stewart adopted both Shooting Star and Laura Woodward shelters, spending many days and hours keeping the Long Trail open between Jay and Journey’s End. The structure remained in use and underwent regular maintenance by shelter adopters and the club’s field program volunteers.

In the winter of 2000–2001, an unusually heavy snowfall proved catastrophic for the aging shelter. Shooting Star Shelter collapsed under heavy snow. The club, however, moved quickly to address the loss. Ferdinand Lauffer, of the Northern Frontier Section, designed a replacement for Shooting Star, and with the help of Don Petersen, Walter Pomroy, and others, built a three-sided, Adirondack-style structure in his yard.

The new shelter’s construction faced an unusual challenge. On September 21, the helicopter was able to drop six 800-pound loads of materials at the site, but only after delays caused by the post-September 11 flight ban and bad weather. The replacements of Laura Woodward and Shooting Star Shelters used donated material, expertise, and muscle power, but the helicopter used to fly in materials cost over $4,700.

Over thirty-five volunteers devoted well over 1,000 hours to the projects. By late September 2001, the rebuilt shelter was complete and ready to serve hikers once again.

The new Shooting Star Shelter stood until 2001, when it was officially abandoned, marking the end of shelter use at that location on the Long Trail.

Sources

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