In 1913, Abbot Academy Principal Bertha Bailey approved cross-country walking as an official sport. According to Jane Carpenter in her book, Abbot and Miss Bailey, “in 1920 it was remarked, ‘Abbot is decidedly a walking school,’ with fifty-two arm bands given out in June to those who had accomplished a given number of designated walks. These walks were later classified and printed in 1927 in the Athletic Association Handbook with sensible rules for group hiking and for student ‘hike leaders,’ who were selected for maturity and experience, usually taking the place of faculty chaperones.” Walks continued as an important part of the school’s athletics up to its merger with Phillips Academy in 1973.

Below are lists of the designated walks.

Walks, 1957

Walks, 1972