SAM staff have enjoyed many stories from Jack and Ruth Hunter about SAM campers in the ’60s that would attempt the Long Trail, only to have many of the elements of the arduous journey get in the way of completion. This was before trip permitting was required months in advance, during an era of campers riding in the backs of pickup trucks for hours to trailheads, and when resupply meant hitchhiking into town for additional food. The many lessons learned during these early journeys were passed down to create a program that contributes to the success of our campers today.
This summer the Questers Long Trail program will see its 60th teen thru-hike the Long Trail! Over the past decade, Long Trail Questers have logged over 14,000 miles combined, and that doesn’t include the miles racked up by the amazing staff! We are also celebrating a 96% end-to-end rate of completion since 2010.
We continue to honor the history of the Long Trail, by naming our trip groups for some remarkable figures in Long Trail history. The Robbins group is named for Catherine Robbins, who in 1927 was the first woman from Vermont to complete the hike. The Taylor group is named for James P. Taylor, who conceived and facilitated the completion of the first long-distance hiking trail in the US in 1930.
The Robbins and Taylor Quester groups will be hiking Vermont’s Long Trail again this summer. We still have room for a few more hikers. Even if you can’t make it, you can support them by sharing what you’ve learned about backcountry travel over the years or just send them a letter of encouragement this summer! They love getting mail out on the trail!