The Long Trail

Last year we thought we might try the Long Trail but time didn't permit so we're back to the drawing board. As I'm contemplating this adventure, I am looking for some information re this hike.

Is it better to go Mass to Canada or visa versa or does it really matter?
How many miles about a day do you average and how long does it take?
Shelters ....are they packed or can you get in pretty easily. (I know this might depend on when you do the hike.)
When is a good time to start to avoid the bulk of the bugs and/or rain?
Water...is it pretty easily accessable?

Anything else you think might be relevant, please feel free to share with me.

Hey Dianne,

Glad to know you guys are going to give the LT a go . . . I am still working on the trip report and will post it hopefully in the next few weeks. I can email you my spreadsheet and answer any questions I can. To start with . .


Is it better to go Mass to Canada or visa versa or does it really matter?

Doesn't matter too much if all involved are already in "backpacking shape". The North is more rugged and South more muddy and flat. Also you will share the Souhern section with the AT hikers and so if you want to finish with "more" solitude that might be a factor. In general, I am glad I hiked it South to North and if someone asked me for my opinion that is how I would tell them to hike it. It will give your legs a chance to adjust to daily walking with a pack before you hit the bigger peaks.


How many miles about a day do you average and how long does it take?

Once again personal preference here. You can hike it fast, spending most of your time on the trail hiking and less at shelters, if this is what you choose. I did mine SLOW, in my usual fashion and had I had more time in my schedule, I would've done it even slower taking more time to see some of the side trail stuff and spend more zero days in camp. I took 28 hiking days to finish the trail and that put me at a 10 mile a day average. I foget how long my shortest day was, maybe 5.5 miles but my longest day was 14.5 miles. Take all the time you got to do it, no need to rush unless time is a constraint.

Shelters ....are they packed or can you get in pretty easily. (I know this might depend on when you do the hike.)

Yup, DEPENDS . . . mostly on the AT hikers and when the masses move through there in the South. We had full shelters at MOST of the shelters South of Killington in August and had the shelters mostly to ourselves North of Killington in Aug/Sept . . . I was happy to NOT have such crowded shelters but gotta say, I missed those AT thruhikers once they were gone. We carried out tents South of Killington and ditched them for an emergency bivy North of Killington

When is a good time to start to avoid the bulk of the bugs and/or rain?

I HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest you hike it mid-August to mid-Sept . . . less bugs, less mud, less AT thruhikers, less cold, less hot, more enjoyment . . . but once again this can differ year to year . . .

Water...is it pretty easily accessable?

Unless there is a drought, you will be FINE with water. I carried 3 liters at the start of everyday because I hate pumping in the middle of the day BUT most others would carry 1-2 liters and get water periodically during the day. Water treatment options was another varied personal choice.


I will sit and add to these suggestions when I have more time in the next couple of days but keep the questions coming since I think quite a few people here are planning this trip and it would be helpful and I LOVE reliving my trip

sli74

Can't wait for your trip report, sli, they're always good. Maybe one of these years I'll be able to do the Long Trail, though with a one year old in the house now, it may be a while. I'll just hike it through everyone else's reports, though by now I know every shelter and stealth site on the trail!

How long does it take? It took me eleven years. You don't have to do it all at once. Do what you can, and pick up where you left off next time.

Yea, a little at a time.

I've been weaning myself slowly away from family. Last year I did many overnights, and this year I plan on several two nighter trips, one in my stomping grounds in the Mahoosucs, and the other in the Pemi around the Bonds. Maybe next year, when my son is a bit older, I'll try a week. I haven't been able to stay away from him for too long. Heck, in a few years, he'll be going with me; he loves hiking, at least when he's in the backpack!

Thanks for the info Seema... I would love to have your information. We're excited and nervous at the same time.

Paul and Greg...a little at a time....well, that's not really my personality. I'm definately a type A goal oriented person. I would love to do it all at once.

11 years would kill me! When we were finishing the 100 Highest, my husband said, "Can't you wait till next year to finish the last 3!" Are you kidding! That would bug me all winter long. But thanks for the advise. I know that's an option but we really want to see if we can do it in one shot. We've never been out that long and want to see how it would feel. And now that the kids can carry most of their own stuff, that has freed us up.

I did the southern half last May/June. We were lucky in that there were hardly any blackflies-really lucky now that I think about it. The trail was nearly deserted-we'd see a few dayhikers and there were other 2 other LT hikers we saw occasionally at night. No AT hikers as it was too early in the season except for insane ones. Water was no problem, it was cold last June but not terribly so. Mileage would depend on how in shape you are before the trip.

My only advice: make sure your boots are in good condition before you go-mine ruined the trip for me, they were the reason I didn't finish. They were actually too old, and I was suddenly having knee and ankle problems when I had never had any problems before. It was a rotton thing to run into on the second day of my hike. So now I need to get myself together to finish this summer. Good Luck!

Edited to add that we ran into some real a$$hole locals at some of the shelters around Killington. It's marked in the guidebook not to stay at Govenor Clement shelter, but at Clarendon we had to leave at nine pm and tent in the woods. Just a head's up.

This will be in my trip report when I get to finally posting it BUT Clarendon Shelter was the "spooky" shelter. I couldn't quite explain why it spooked me but there was a unsettling feeling there that was shared by 2 of my hiking buddies at that shelter and we basically left there before even eating breakfast as none of us could shake the spooks. I felt as though I was being watched and the shelter was full of other LT and AT "Friends" we had made throughout the trip that far so the "spooky" feeling was an odd one . . . maybe we were being watched or something. STRANGE !!!

sli74

P.S. My boots fell apart before I reached Manchester Center and I had to buy new boots at retail cost at the local EMS so my trip could go on . . . .

I guess I really need to get to finishing the trip report.

sli74

Hey guys!!

You would have a great time on the LT!

It took me 25 days, started in the South, carried a tent (and used it) and had a blast! The shelters were a bit on the busy side south of Killington (those darn AT hikers) but also in the North.....some VT colleges send new students out as a meet and greet before the semester starts and I was glad I still had my tent. I hiked the trail in Aug. (2 to 26) didn't take any one day off completely......I hiked a bit each morning before going into town/resupply (Manch. Center, Inn at LT, Jonesville and Johnson) Just a few miles in the morning, then did errands and spent the night, so it felt like a day off!
You should go for it!

Went South To North in 2004

I had a great time going South to North last summer, and it was the first hiking I had ever done except for some overnights in the NH huts. I did a lot of prior planning and took it slowly ... about ten miles daily, finishing in 28 days. I got off the trail and stayed a night in a motel every 4-5 days. It was a wonderful experience!
Hitting the southern section with the AT Thruhikers in late July was very helpful to me. They taught me tricks and were generally very encouraging to beginners. It's also inspiring to see people who have arrived all the way up from Georgia. By the time I was in the more remote and rugged Northern sections I was ready for them. I actually enjoyed the solitude, which is not my usual prefernce.
Strummystick

Hi,

We just finished a 74 mile section, Smuggler's Notch to Middlebury Gap. Last summer (last week in July) we did Canada to Smuggler's Notch. I think that for us, we have enjoyed going with the north to south route, given that we've seen many a northbound hiker struggling to fit in higher mileage days once they hit some of the higher/tougher peaks.

Random thoughts:

1.Last year we saw far fewer groups hiking and in shelters. This year we shared a shelter with a kid's camp group (n=7), and saw many camp groups along the trail. It was hard to get used to groups after seeing so few people in the north.

2. The sections we did this summer had very little in terms of water. We filtered out of yucky puddles a couple of times. Running water usually meant a tiny, tiny trickle. The good thing - you will have so many conversations with folks about shelters and water while on the trail, you will likely feel that you know what to expect.

3. Conversations with opposite direction bound hikers. We had tons of conversations this year with northbound hikers who would warn us of tough times (boulders, slippery rocks, etc) to come.. but the tough stuff never materialized. We found that all conversations on the trail are limited to what each hiker has experienced.

4. If you have the time, take it and don't always push for the biggest mileage. We felt we missed out a little on relaxation time at camp because we hiked early (7:15 AM) and got in close to dinner (5 or 6).

NoBo LT '03

Howdy,

I thru-hiked the LT from south to north in September of '03. I loved hiking in the early fall and that would be my strongest recommendation-- if it fits within your schedule. The foliage was beautiful, there were no bugs, no crowds, and the temperatures were pleasant.

I had limited vacation time, so I had to finish quickly-- in 15.5 days. But, I would echo previous posters' suggestions to take as long as you want. Take the time to enjoy yourself. I would've taken longer if I could've.

Shelters are spaced pretty closely and there are usually plenty of tenting options-- though I ended up never using my tent because of all the shelters. Water wasn't a problem for me. And resupply was about as easy as it gets-- one maildrop at the The Inn at the Long Trail (near Killington) and one maildrop at the Jonesville PO (just past Camel's Hump). Manchester Center is also a good option-- I resupplied there on my AT thru-hike.

As far as equipment goes, I kept it as light as I could given the season and the terrain without compromising my safety or comfort. My pack weighed around 35 lbs fully loaded with 5 days of food, 1L fuel, and 3L water. I hiked in trail running shoes, as I always do, but I'd suggest sticking with whatever footwear you're most comfortable with. Be prepared for blisters and take good care of your feet on the trail (I highly recommend Gold Bond foot powder-- and I discovered Burt's Bees coconut foot cream while on the LT, too)!

Before a hike, there always seems to be a million variables to plan out, but in my experience it all sorts itself out one way or another. You just have to keep a good attitude and be ready to improvise.

The LT is a great trail! Have fun!

amr

I'm deep into planning and exitement about my LT trip.... so I can share my thinking now (Of course, in 5 weeks I may come back and tell you I was totally wrong about everything).

I'm going North to South. For me the advantages are 1) I've done most of my AT section hikes that way and have enjoyed not feeling like I'm traveling with the pack, 2) It seems easier to arrange transportation to a remote trailhead (like the North terminus) to arrange transport from the trailhead (not knowing when I'll finish), 3) Starting out with more isolation and transitioning back on to the well traveled stretch in the south is a good sequence for me, 4) Near the end of long trips, I tend to start rushing and putting in high mileage (for me) days and I'd rather take my time in the North. There are advantages to going NOBO: the guides are written for NOBOs and it would be a more gradual and supported transition into trail life. After all, most people prefer it.

I'm leaving July 25th. Later might mean less crowds and less bugs, but it would also mean shorter days. This way, I miss the black flies and still get out while the days are pretty long. It also fit my work schedules.

I'm going to try to do it in 21 days, leaving a few extra in case I'm still happy being on the trail and haven't finished yet (although I really ought to be working on the house and preparing to teach in September). I found I could learn a lot about different people's paces on trailjournals.com. The End to Enders guide has estimates for the time between shelters. I'm told the "book time" for the LT is pretty much the same as the book time for WMNF. By that I mean if you backpack at book time in the WMNF (or section hiking the AT in Maine and NH), you are likely to travel at book time on the LT - so you can get a good guesstimate of how far you are likely to travel each day by consulting the book times.

End To End LT Guide has realistic book times

As a hiker who leans to the slow side, I found that the book time of the LT fit me almost perfectly, but the North was definitely a bit more rugged. It's a wonderful trail, however, and your idea about getting off the trail easier in the Southern sections sounds valid. In the north you'll be starting things off with some great views (from the top,that is ... yuk, yuk!! ), and you'll be ending with some company in the more travelled Souhern sections that are on the AT.

Blue said:

We just finished a 74 mile section, Smuggler's Notch to Middlebury Gap.

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Hey Blue, I'm leaving tomorrow to do this same section northbound!

I totally agree with the idea of taking your time with this one. We've been section hiking the LT, a week at a time each July for the past two years, and are a day away from doing it again. If we had pushed from the beginning, we could have arranged to be finishing this coming week but taking time here is the key! It is a very peaceful hike in the south and it really gets you into the backpacking mode. It was great being able to spend time with the ATers on the trail and at the shelters but, it was kinda sad to leave them at Maine Junction. Definately more solitude after that.

In the south, the shelters are more crowded and you are liable to find any shelter near a road to have a crowd on a weekend. Even though we didn't have to use our tent last year, we are bringing it again this year because you never know when you're going to come across a full shelter. Our first year, we came across a bunch of girl scouts who set up two tents INSIDE of a shelter and took over the whole thing!

Our average milage has been about 10-12 miles per day with the first day always being a half day as we get out there. Timewise, we've been (like in NH) a little faster than book but, the book is invaluable. I actually bring it with me, something I never do with the WMG.

Two things to keep in mind, the LT is often refered to as "The Green Tunnel" and as you hike it you will see why. It is so lush and full that it, at times, really does seem that way. Unfortunately, this means that there are fewer views but, it makes the ones you get much more special. The other thing, carry plenty of water, more than you would in other areas.

Clarendon Shelter as "spooky"? Not so sure about that. It seemed fine to us but, the Governor Clement Shelter I would not stay at. We stopped there for lunch and that was it. The spooky place to us was White Rocks. That freaked me out something fierce!

Favorite shelters: Cooper Lodge and Story Spring (thus far).

Pics

Some pics from the complete LT here
The LT is a beautiful corridor !

Double Bow said:

Favorite shelters: Cooper Lodge and Story Spring (thus far).

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Some of the shelters in the section you are about to do - we didn't stay at all of these, but visited:

Taylor Lodge - we liked it - little porch/dining area, water is near a beaver pond, but reliable, good view
Duck Brook - even though the water is in a deep ravine, it's amazing (waterfall), the shelter is old, near a road.
Montclair Glen - very old, small, dark, so-so water, but good location near Camel's Hump
Birch Glen - we liked this shelter, had a little dining room, good location, but near an blue blaze trail, so expect groups - water was so-so
Glen Ellen - has a little mouse friend who visits at night, old lodge, but nice view, up high, so-so water
Battell - in a boreal forest, very pretty location, good water, caretaker has a gigantic tent near the shelter.
Cooley Glen - water was a bit far away, but reliable, old shelter
Emily Procter - nice, quiet alternative to Skyline, which gets busy.
Skyline lodge - very nice.. we didn't have a view because of rain, but the caretaker Sara, is a sweety, water was limited.
Sucker Brook - quiet, seemed clean

Thanks Blue! We are planning on staying at Emily Proctor, Battell, Birch Glen, Duck Brook and Puffer (you didn't see that one?). had been thinking about staying at Montclair Glen but, based on what you're saying, I think we might try for Bamforth Ridge or just tent out... we'll have to see how it goes.

Thanks for the tips! Let me know when you are going to be going further south and I'll give you my notes on the parts south of this section.