Augu 6, 1955 Jay Peak by Leader: Mark McCorison

Trip Reports

Augu 6, 1955 Jay Peak by Leader: Mark McCorison

August 6th — 4 hikers!

Hiked to Jay Peak; followed the old Montgomery Center road from the east side of Jay Camp; LT to Old Camp turnoff; climbed to the peak; returned via an old logging road

Mark McCorison, Ellen Hebblethwaite, Phyllis Murphy and guest Ed Brown arrived at the point of juncture on the Montgomery Center – Jay Road, and the Old Camp Road. After parking the car and getting packs and shoes adjusted, we started along the Montgomery Center Road. The day was a beautiful one after a few days of heavy downpour to wet things own and cool off the air. The road itself was damp but solid – – – for the first mile or so and then we were ankle deep in mud. The incline was only 35 degrees or so, but the nettles grew taller with each step. Mark was wearing shorts and got badly “nettled”, and spent a good deal of lunch time out in the sun to dry up the oil of the nettles to stop the itching.

The site of Jay Camp was very clean, and the cabin was the most complete in both equipment and construction of any of the shelters we’ve seen to date. We ate our lunches here after the 2 1/4 miles covered since leaving the car.

After lunch we started up the 45 degree – 60 degree incline the trail graduated to, and puffed up the next 1.2 miles of trail to the Old Camp Trail junction in a winded condition!!! The 1/2 mile from this point to the peak itself (elevation 3861′) after a nearly perpendicular climb. The view was very limited and only clear for about 15 miles. Through the haze, however, we could make out Mt Mansfield to the S, and Lake Memphremagog to the NE. The rocks at the top of the Peak abounded in blueberries and pools of rain water, with which we refreshed ourselves.

Both the trail up from Jay Camp and down to Old Camp were very thickly sheltered by the trees from the sun and the trail became very wet and almost as bad as the road to Jay Camp on the way down. The lower down to the Camp level, the deeper the mud. The descent was at about 40 degrees most of the way until we came to the stream at the Old Camp site. The site by the way consisted of an old house trailer, several clearings for open ground camping, and plenty of fresh running water! Quite picturesque. To the campsite was a distance of about 2 miles, and from there to our car another mile or so.

Having started the hike at 10:30 and not getting back to the car until nearly 5:30, we were four very “pooped” people! Mark was both leader and “pack-rat” for the hike, and along with Ed, who hails from Newark N.J., lead off. Ellen and Phyl brought up a very slow and dragging rear. A very pleasant day, and well worth the effort to see the view, even tho it was rather limited.