By James Kent
Brent Dickinson, a veterinary practice manager from Merchantville, New Jersey, is no stranger to Killington or the infamous Sherburne Pass. His family still owns a condo at Mountain Green, which they’ve had for over two decades. Dickinson graduated from Green Mountain College and was a Poultney volunteer firefighter before moving back to New Jersey. As a firefighter, he witnessed the results of many traffic accidents.
Safety is a constant for Dickinson, and after a recent visit to Killington over New Year’s, he got an idea. As an avid follower of the Killington Locals’ Facebook page, Dickinson noticed a significant amount of posts or responses would focus on conditions of the Sherburne Pass, that hilly stretch of road on Route 4 that brings travelers to and from Killington down to Rutland. If you’ve traveled the Pass this winter, you’ll be all too familiar with its icy and snowy conditions and the joy and splendor of trucks grinding to a halt as they try to make their way up a hill on the Pass. Knowing what the conditions on the Pass are and if there are any issues along the stretch could help travelers with the timing of their driving decisions and potentially reduce accidents.
“I’d be on Killington Locals and notice a similar question, ‘How’s the Pass?’” Dickinson said. “It got to be something I started to pay attention to—a lot. Then I thought, maybe if this information was all in one place, it could be an updatable and valuable resource.”
Dickinson started the Facebook group “Sherburne Pass—Killington Rt 4 Info” on Thursday, Jan. 9. In one week, the group had amassed 1,000 followers. The posts suggest that people are actively reporting on road conditions in and around the Sherburne Pass area.
While most of the posts on this new group page focus on Sherburne Pass road conditions, Dickinson reminded followers to keep things focused on road conditions. Still, he appreciates how a few dedicated followers do an excellent job keeping folks informed of conditions, accidents, and other challenges a trip over the Pass presents. And, while already up to 1,000 members in such a short amount of time might seem daunting to some Facebook group organizers, Dickinson said, “The more the merrier.”
Perhaps, when the winter season is over, activity on the page will taper until next season, but Dickinson said even in good conditions, the Pass always has a surprise or two in store for travelers. Anyone who remembers a certain watermelon hanging out on a guardrail near Pico during the summer of 2019 will attest: The Sherburne Pass always keeps it interesting.
