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Thread: Cooper Lodge

  1. #21
    Virginia Tortoise
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    Stayed there June, 2009. It was a dump. I tented that night and used the shelter to pack things up in the next morning since it started raining (which it did for most of June and July). 2 GMC ridge runners there said that they were probably going to tear it down. He did not say when though.

  2. #22
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    Quote Originally Posted by oruoja View Post
    Maybe some old time Vermonters remember Tamarack shelter which was about 1.5 miles south (built 1969 and removed early '80s) Don't know why that shelter was removed for sure, but suspect it had to do with land conflicts with the ski area.
    Gosh, thanks... now I'm an "old time" Vermonter.

    Reading from my Dad's journal of our E2E hikes of the LT:
    July 4, 1971: had lunch (lousy beef stew) at Tamarack Shelter and a long rest.

    I was 15 at the time.

  3. #23
    Registered User
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    Pico Camp is another option not too far away isn't it? Is that any better?

  4. #24

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    Stayed at the Cooper Lodge in July of 2011. Unfortunately, this shelter has seen betterdays. Spoke with Plans Too Much with theGreen Mountain Club. He said that the majority of the damage isincurred during the winter months by skiers. Wow! Must be some party up there. Plans are to level the place and move theshelter further north along the trail, outside of the ski area to discourage thissort of thing in the future. Good luckfolks!

  5. #25
    Registered User Landshark's Avatar
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    As you can see, discussion of removing Cooper has been going on for years but its still there. It is my understanding the Green Mountain Club does intend to have it removed, but no date has been set. I hadn't heard anything about it being moved, just removed. There was talk of putting another shelter in the area south of it, closer to Governor Clement, but with the improved situation at Governor Clement as well as all the Irene Damage I don't think Cooper is a priority. Did stay at Cooper last August and had a fine if slightly damp chilly night. Was up there in mid-May and it was FULL of garbage.
    "Dreamt last night I was climbing mountains
    Way beyond love’s fierce hold..."

  6. #26

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    August 2013. Still pretty grubby. Water was not even a trickle. Tent platforms just above are OK.

    Cosmo

  7. #27
    Coach Lou coach lou's Avatar
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    We piled in there 20 yrs ago in a downpour......staying outside we would have been drier!

  8. #28
    Registered User Grampie's Avatar
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    I skied to Cooper shelter while at Killington probably 40 years ago. It was trashed by skiers then. When I thru-hiked in 2001 I spent the night there. It was also in bad shape then. I don't think it's condition is caused by hikers but by the others who use it. If the use of Cooper can't be restricted to hikers, it should be removed.
    Grampie-N->2001

  9. #29

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    I stayed there last week. It wasn't real pretty, but there were no mice!

  10. #30
    Registered User
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    I stayed in it two weeks ago and found it to be an enjoyable experience..... something about it.. maybe it's looking out of the windows where the glass used to be, but I love that shelter....maybe it was the bottle of wine a day-hiker gave me..........

  11. #31
    Registered User
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    Green Mountain Club plans to remove it....someday.
    Order your copy of the Appalachian Trail Passport at www.ATPassport.com

    Green Mountain House Hostel
    Manchester Center, VT

    http://www.greenmountainhouse.net

  12. #32

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    Stayed here last October. Nice tenting sites around but stayed inside to avoid the forecasted rain (which never came). Not real pleasant, especially the stone slab floor.
    Trivia: it's the highest elevation shelter in VT.

    FB_IMG_1577664240325.jpg

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    Green Mountain Club plans to remove it....someday.

    It would be nice if they built a replacement far enough down the trail that the locals and weekender partyers would be discouraged from going there.

  14. #34
    Wannabe-hiker NINpigNIN's Avatar
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    Any word on conditions of this shelter recently? I moved to the area in 2019, and my son is visiting next week and we were planning to do a short couple days on the trail that would put this shelter right at a good stopping point for the night if we hike from Rt. 103 in Clarendon to Rt. 4 in Killington.
    And tho our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to ramble on...

  15. #35

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    Welcome, fellow Rutlander! I only moved here in late 2016 so I'm not far ahead of you.

    I have not been up to Cooper since my post in 2019 above. I don't think the scene has changed much. Good places to tent but the shelter isn't too pleasant.

  16. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by NINpigNIN View Post
    Any word on conditions of this shelter recently? I moved to the area in 2019, and my son is visiting next week and we were planning to do a short couple days on the trail that would put this shelter right at a good stopping point for the night if we hike from Rt. 103 in Clarendon to Rt. 4 in Killington.
    The shelter is made of stone and with the cold temps recently, it will be really cold in there. You'd be much better off on the tent platforms. Also note that there will likely be significant ice and snow up there, you will need traction like microspikes. Finally, the trail going up Killington from the south is really rough with poor footing. I would suggest you avoid Killington and adjust your start or end point accordingly and avoid the higher peaks unless your geared properly for winter travel.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  17. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    ... Finally, the trail going up Killington from the south is really rough with poor footing....
    In particular, the stretch from Governor Clement Shelter to the junction with the Shrewsbury Peak Trail. 1,650' elevation gain in 2.7 miles, much of it sidehilling over and around large roots, stumps, and rocks. Once you're past the junction, it's actually pretty reasonable.
    Last edited by Cookerhiker; 11-13-2021 at 10:42.

  18. #38
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    I really enjoyed the whole peak area. Now the wind was looking like it was going to blow big and of course the damp fog. So inside -around inside our bunk, we put out tent flies almost as an inside shelter, protecting us from the wind. In the morning, the shelter was like hoarfrosted and fogged wet inside and out but not us.

  19. #39

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    This place was a sight for sore eyes last month. My family and I got caught in the rain 2/3 the way up, and used the shelter to regroup. Tented on the platforms up above it and was not bad.

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