***Important*** Assault @ Clarendon Shelter in Green Mtns SAturday 8/28

[Peakbagr]

If you're heading into the Green Mts this weekend, please be careful in the vicinity of the Clarendon Shelter. A hiking club trip stopped for lunch at the shelter last weekend and ran into a person who apparently was agitated and acting oddly. Someone made a comment about the good condition of the shelter, setting this person off. An altercation occurred and the individual and one of hikers got into a physical confrontation. Another hiker was struck.

After leaving the shelter, one of the hikers remained with the individual to calm him down. 911 was Mt Club and the Green Mt ridgerunner who said that he knows the individual. If you are planning a hike here, the person is approx. 5'11" and 230lbs. I don't know the outcome with law enforcement, but be aware.

Posting this in Gen'l Back country as more folks liable to see it there.

 

[John in NH]

I had recently been reading through the Long Trail guide and it noted that a lot of homeless people camp in the vicinity of Clarendon Gorge off RT 103 and warns against camping near 103 or parking there long term. The shelter is very close to the road. I wonder if this is a problem area? Certainly might a place to keep hiking through if doing the LT versus stopping.

 

[Summerset]

That is sad to hear; no one wants to go out on a trip of any length and run into something like this. Thanks for the warning!

We didn't stay at Clarendon on our hike of the LT this summer, but certainly did see people/groups camping in the Clarendon Gorge area off Rt. 103, on our way through. Where we saw people camping was on the south side of Rt. 103, near the gorge, but Clarendon shelter is actually a mile in on the north side. The shelter is actually a nice one and the area around it is nicely maintained, I remember it because we stopped there for a snack and to get out of the rain for a while. We did not hear of any problems in this area while we were on the trail from hikers traveling either direction. Gov. Clement Shelter, the next shelter northbound, has certainly had its share of unfortunate events with the locals and hikers in past years, but that has improved within recent years. We stayed there with no problems.

 

[Stan]

I had recently been reading through the Long Trail guide and it noted that a lot of homeless people camp in the vicinity of Clarendon Gorge off RT 103 and warns against camping near 103 or parking there long term. The shelter is very close to the road. I wonder if this is a problem area? Certainly might a place to keep hiking through if doing the LT versus stopping.

Sad that the human condition drives people who are largely mentally ill or substances abusers to campsites in the mountains rather than transitional or permanent housing ... but that's where I'd likely want to go if I were in those shoes. Doubly sad for hikers, for whom the facilities were improved, to be driven away. Hard choices ... think I'll get back to the thread on beer.

 

[Peakbagr]

This incident has been reported to the GMC and the state police. The GMC ridge runner knows the person, including his name, so hoping something will come of this.