After 54 years atop Stratton Mountain, Hugh and Jeanne Joudry are retiring as summit caretakers. Over the decades, Hugh and Jeanne have made an impact on thousands of hikers who have crossed over the iconic summit. Learn more about Hugh and Jeanne, and share your memories of them below.
Thank You Hugh and Jeanne
“The first time I helped Hugh and Jeanne Joudry pack in to the tiny cabin atop Stratton Mountain in 2019 was one of the best field days in my five years at the Green Mountain Club. After meeting at their house in Stratton not far from the mountain, we loaded the truck with their food, clothes, sleep system, novels and artwork, and drove to Stratton Mountain Resort. There we met a cadre of others, some of whom had been helping pack them in for decades. Driving up the Stratton Mountain Resort service road, ferrying equipment and supplies three quarters of a mile along the fire tower trail, and opening the cabin was routine for them but humbling for me, aware that their half century of caretaking eclipsed my own caretaking resume by 47 years.
Leaving the tower that evening, with the window shutters off, the stovepipe installed, and their fridge (a deep hole in a rock crevice) stocked, I was filled with admiration of their eagerness to spend another summer in a tiny mountaintop cabin, surrounded by novels, bugs, conifers and thousands of smelly hikers.
To me Hugh and Jeanne are the epitome of caretakers, defined by an unwavering dedication to place, gracious mountain hospitality extended to all hikers, and the sense they’re most at home in the woods. After 54 years their impact has been immeasurable. I think I speak for us all in congratulating them on a well-deserved retirement!” — Lorne Currier, GMC Volunteer and Education Coordinator
A Lifetime of Memories
In early 2021, Hugh and Jeanne shared their memories and stories of 50 years on the mountain with a virtual audience during the James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure series. You can view that recording below:
Share Your Hugh and Jeanne Story
We know Hugh and Jeanne have welcomed many a hiker over the decades. Now is your chance to share your memories of meeting them atop Stratton Mountain. Share your photos, videos, and written memories via the form below, and we will compile our favorites in a later post.
You can also add a memory to this Kudo Board, a digital card.
Thank you for your love, care, and selfless service. You are gems of the trail who have lived a great work…
Halo of the setting sun…
In the ultimate story of beauty
Each life is graced with gifts
The grip of fear is banished
Equanimity grows
The opening of inspiration
Once shackled in repose
Springs to life in gracious moments
Embracing the universe of light
This day is a nameless friend
Born like any other
It rises to meet us
We know not what it brings
From the depth of darkness
Light shines over the horizon
Rays of hope cast shadows
They come with no demands
Spreading upon the land
Pathways of thought appear
Held gently in the bosom of creation
They wait
In time the seed of certainty will be touched
Nestled in its place
Tenderly cared for by grace
In a home of abiding love
Let the day be your calling
Turn your face toward the glow
Offer leeway to your source of intention
Inner strength will follow
In every breath lives a quiet pause
With each step a purposeful cadence
Moments of the day bring opportunity
All dwelling in silence
Yet the voice of despair echoes in every ear
It celebrates in doubt
Make friends with this misery
What glorious color it brings to your saga
As you embrace your inner truth
Acceptance spreads tendrils of courage
The halo of the setting sun brings focus
It shines bright on the magnum opus of your soul