Retro Hippie Hill Hunt Scene

It’s that time the year again when thoughts of old-time Hunt times come flooding back for many Rumson-Fair Haven area folks. There may still be a Hunt, but not this one. So, we are offering a glimpse back to the days of the Haskell Hunt from a non-tailgating vantage point with a reprise of the following Retro Pic(s) of the Day piece originally posted on Oct. 20, 2017 … 

The hunt for more Hunt photos ensued and the find was a treasure trove of glimpses at the happening scene up on hip, hip Hippie Hill. RFH grad and Hippie Hill frequenter Bird Jensen reminded us last year that the last weekend in October “would’ve been the weekend we’d all gather at Hippie Hill.” 

Fair Havenite Tom Bull’s description of The Hunt to “outsiders” has quickly become a classic: “I used to explain to people how it was a cross between a Grateful Dead concert and a Grey Poupon commercial.”

The elegant tailgating part shown in previous years would be the Grey Poupon commercial aspect. We will reprise that next. Hippie Hill is the Grateful Dead concert side — or so it would naturally seem.

So, here’s the Dead concert — or, perhaps, a little Lennon soirée …

It was probably the late 1970s. These peacefully assembled cool long hairs and renegades likely snuck into the Haskell Hunt through the fence and onto that infamous hill on ol Amory Haskell’s elegant estate. Call them musicians, concertgoers and peace pipe tokers, if you will.

Somehow, we doubt they were watching the horses. Word has it that those who traversed that hill in search of the party of the century (along with some peace, love, caviar and guitars) found a pretty great adventure of the classic kind there. Well, it was something like that. No tails on which to tailgate here. And the hippie interlopers lived to tell about it.

Get a gander of the scene.

Recognize anyone? Looks like there’s a photo bomber by default just taking a little nap, or something. Something else, right?