Skiing with Henry Knox: A Personal Journey Along Vermont’s Catamount Trail

by Sam Brakeley

In 2015, Sam Brakeley stood at a crossroads in his life. His long-time girlfriend was moving to Utah, with or without him, and he was torn between following her or remaining in New England with family, friends, and the land he loved. So he set out to complete the Catamount Trail, a 330-mile cross-country ski trail that runs across Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Canada. He took advantage of his time in the woods to reach a decision―and brought Henry Knox along for the trip. In 1775, Knox undertook a winter journey of similar length, retrieving dozens of artillery pieces from the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain and dragging them 300 miles through snow and cold to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to help George Washington drive the entrenched British army from Boston. Knox, too, faced his own challenges in love, leaving behind a young pregnant wife. By exploring Knox's eighteenth-century physical and emotional journey while undertaking his own twenty-first-century trip on the Catamount Trail, Brakeley reminds us that history has many lessons to offer the living.

Genres: History, Memoir

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2019

About the author

Sam currently lives in Sharon, VT where he runs Hermit Woods Trailbuilders, LLC, a dry-stone masonry and trail construction company. When he's not writing, he's an avid hiker, skier, paddler and runner and loves exploring the New England landscape.

Reviews

[Taylor Guss · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fellow New Englander who also went to a small Maine school and yearns to live in the woods of Vermont, I found a lot to like about this book. The author's narrative about his journey along the Catamount trail was repetitive at times (frequent musings about the cold, staying warm, continued surprises at the graciousness of strangers), the firsthand accounts were still fun.

I also enjoyed the interwoven story of Henry Knox, which I found interesting since I didn't know much about him or his journey from Ticonderoga to Boston before. There were definitely parallels between Knox's journey and the author's, but only loosely (e.g. missing one's partner, dealing with ever-changing weather conditions of New England). I wish there was some more reflection on the parallels between the two.

[SPOILERS] In the epilogue, we find that the author has decided to go to Utah with his longtime partner, and that New England will "always be there" when he decides to come back. He also dismissed his journey as *not* a soul-searching one, because he isn't that type of person. Wasn't that the point of your journey, or this book?

Overall a fun narrative of a wintertime journey through Vermont's Catamount trail, and an interesting history of Knox's journey prior to the Revolutionary War. However - if you are looking for soul-searching, this book does not really have it.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brakeley seems like he comes from good stock. The type of stock that breeds rugged outdoorsmen and rugby players. But not those brute rugby players we may so often imagine, but those who spend their spare time playing chess or enjoying musical theater.

Sam's journey is inspiring for someone like me who has dabbled in "tripping". Most of the drama of the trip comes from Sam's pursuit of the trip at an XC ski and winter camping level well less experienced than most that would attempt the full catamount trail. The way Sam weaved the two narratives together was fun and fascinating as I learned a bit of history to break from the trip journal which mostly drove me forward.

Sam's openness about how he thought through a big life decision was interesting to compare and contrast to ways I've made similar decisions.

[Dotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the historical research about Henry Knox and I enjoyed the geographical descriptions of the Catamount Trail and Vermont. Brakeley’s story about his personal experience wasn’t that interesting to me, and I didn’t think the writing was that good. I’d recommend the book if you are an avid xcountry skier.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a thru hiker and nordic skier who lived in Vermont for the past decade, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of thru skiing the Catamount Trail. My friend gifted me this book and I so enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the trail and the ways I could connect it to places I know so intimately. It is a true adventure story with history and personal narrative woven in seamlessly.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I thought the historical recounting of Henry Knox's journey from Ticonderoga to Boston was really interesting. And it was great to get some insights as to what its like to ski the Catamount Trail!

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to be a skier to enjoy this book. It is a good blend of American Revolution history and personal soul searching.

[Tracy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great "in-tandem" history mixed with his story!