The Long Trail, Vermont

“I'm feeling a bit bored and restless, so it's time to start thinking of next summers big hike. For me, this summer's was a 13 day hike of the NH AT ( http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread.php?id=25031&q=nav&age=-1" target="_blank"> TT trip report thread
http://forums.alpinezone.com/viewtopic.php?t=558 " target="_blank"> cleaned up trip report )

A next step up (in terms of distance and time) would be to hike http://www.hikevermont.com/intro.htm" target="_blank"> Vermont's Long Trail, allowing three weeks. Anyone done all or part of the Long Trail or interested in doing it next year?”

“Gforce is on it right now!


This is his last week on it.


8)”

“I'll be looking forward to his trip report then. I'm thinking: Cohos? 100 Mile Wilderness + Katahdin? Long Trail? or Vt/MA AT? for my next long backpack.”

“Just did a search of gforce and saw the "good luck" thread you started for him. Kewl! Sorry I missed the chance to wish him well!”

“I can't wait for his phone call.


8)”

“I’d love to do it. If I get divorced between now and next summer, count me in.”

“ped - I have done a part of it, and, may consider doing a 3 week jaunt with you if you are serious. It;s a damned nice trail, well maintained with great views and unparalled history. What time of year were you thinking?”

“BB: August is when I'm most likely to go. Late July to late August is when work is slowest and I'm giving up the least money to take off for a few weeks.

If you were going to go that would be a good reason for me to do it instead of one of the other New England trips.”

“actually a friend of mine is intending to do the vermont long trail next july or august, and i think ive talked myself into it too, so ill be going along with him when he does it- wont know much more till later though

-nate”

“ped, i have been thinking about a hike like that for next year but hadn't figured out what or where yet. this has at the least, sparked my interest. the dates will make a difference to me, but i would like to be kept up to speed on what your plans are. thanks. mccracdb_1@msn.com”

“baumee - The Long Trail is the best maintained trail I've ever been on. Those Green Mountain folks are fanatical!”

“Whoo-hoo! The mutts and I did an overniter near Manchester last week. Nice trail. Nice shelters (worth the $6.00 fee).”

“I'll definitely follow up with Baume, BB and anyone else whose interested as the date gets closer.

I already told my girl friend that I want to go on a six week backpack next summer (she lives with me and if I go, I am sticking her with the house and dog, so it helps to set up a useful bargaining position. Gee maybe I should have asked Buddha's advice on this)”

“I was in Southern Vermont last w/e. I stopeed into an outfitter and picked up a GMC book on the Long Trail and looked through other info. I'm getting more serious about choosing this as my long hike of next summer - leaving late July or early August.

I'm starting to think that it might be nice to start at the Canadian border and come south, leaving the option of hiking the Mass. At for a bit if I came in ahead of schedule. Are there reasons for starting at the Mass end?”

“The southern end is easier than the north end. So one theory is you start at the south end and get out all your kinks before you hit the rock scrambling and steep trails of the northern end. The other theory is that you start at the north end and hit all the rock scrambling and steep trails while you're still fresh.

Being from N. Vermont I would say start at the south end because the north end is more scenic. So your trip would increase in beauty as you hiked.”

“If you hike south you have the sun
in your eyes?”

“Thanks Reptiles and Elf. Transportation may be a big issue for me.

How hard is it to get to the trail head at the North end of the trail? How hard is it to get to phones and buses if you finish at the North end?”

“hey did gforce post a trip report? is he back?”

“yes, gforce is back . . . and recovering. I had to bail in Jonesville with a partial tear in the muscle just above my knee (vastus lateralis to be exact). So I only completed 188 mi. I had to hike on it for 17 mi. to get to Jonesville, but it was just too painful and swollen to continue. I did it when my foot slipped out sideways off a wet rock and my knee continued straight down . . . ouch!!!

I'm definitely going to finish it next year. The LT is an awesome trail . . . especially the northern part after it separates from the AT. It also slowly gets tougher and tougher from that point north. I hope to post my trip report by the end of the week. I've got lots of notes and it will take some time to put them into a sensible manner. After that I'd be happy to give you all the help I can. I learned quite a lot from what I did finish.”

“Yikes! Sorry about your leg and your trip. Heal quickly.

I'm looking forward to your notes. Anyway, welcome back.”

“My Long Trail plans are getting clearer. The business I expect to do most of my work for in the summer will be closed from August 7 thru Labor Day - so I'm thinking of hitting the trail right around August 7th and allowing three weeks (maybe 23 days) to complete the trail.

Anyone interested in coming along? I don't mind soloing and enjoyed the NH AT solo, but it would be fun to at least start out with other people. If you are interested, please let me know. I can probably adjust my start date a little to make starting together a little easier if people are interested.

I'd about 85% certain of doing this at this point.”

“I cannot afford to take that much time off, but it would be nice to at least spend a few days hiking along with you.”

“Sure ped. Nearly everyone here has several weeks off this summer and the freedom from family obligations to enjoy it backpacking. Bastard!

Maybe I’ll be up there around that time with friends and we could plan to possibly hook up for a bit. I know we’d slow you down based upon your last trip report but we make pretty agreeable company. We’ll discuss more as the date gets closer.”

“It would be great to start off with both of you, or to meet up along the way.

Thanks Viol man - you've made me feel even better about my decision not to teach in the summer, but to try to live on consulting income alone in the summer. Last summer I worked my tail off in June and July and had August free. If I can get as much work this June and July, I won't regret taking three weeks off in August.

I might end up taking one or both of my kids along, but with one graduating high school and the other almost done - I do have some extra breathing room. I can tell them in good conscience that if they don't want to come with me, they can stay with my ex.”

“"and the freedom from family obligations to enjoy it backpacking. Bastard!"
VioliN
12:09:09 PM

Well, I never would have advised you to reproduce.”

“Well... there was a bill before the NJ Legislature...”

“I plan on joining ya for a spell, as long as it's not when Violin is there. I have a restraining order.”

“wait.....violin is going to backpack with a trailtalker? stop the presses!”

“That remains to be seen!!!!


8p”

“I want to know why Pedxing doesn't get assailed as an undead-flesh-eating-zombie like the rest of us? What, you can hike with Ped but not with us?
Anyway....all joking aside, I plan on visiting "you-know-who" in the summer. Maybe we could help you do a leg of your journey. We would love that.”

“Buddha - it would be great if you came along for a stretch and Dunadan, I would definitely look forward to walking a bit with you.”

“I was hoping to meet up with you on this one pedxing. Right now I'm scheduled for the 17th of July to start the Jonesville to Canada section.

If you have any questions or need info on the MA to Jonesville section let me know. I have the old LT Guide and End-to-Enders Guide if you would like to have those to get started planning. Just send me an email grach96@hotmail.com”

“I guess we won't overlap g. If things change for you, let me know. I definitely need to keep my time off limited to the period when my potential income would be dropping anyway and can't afford much time off until the 7th of August. It would have been fun to start out with you.

I did pick up an LT Guide a few months ago. If you really won't be using the End-to-Enders guige, I might email you about that.

I'll probably be out that way in June or July to hike the AT from Norwich to the intersection with the Long Trail - but that doesn't quite take me to the stretch of the LT you'll be hiking.”

“how many miles from the maine junction to the northern terminus?”

“A lot. 8D

I think it's around 170 miles, but I don't have my guide book with me. I could look it up for you tonight.”

“thats approximately what i came up with”

“Maine Junction?”

“It's where the LT & AT split. It's near Killington.”

“OK......LZ”

“I think its a little under 170. Might be a little over once you add in the access trail to/from the Northern terminus (Journey's end trail).”

“169.1 miles including the 1.3 mile long access trail.”

“There's a new web site devoted to the LT. It looks like a great resource for people planning the trip.

It's still in development, but there has been a recent round of improvements and the developer (who will be starting the trail in a few weeks) has started promoting it on a few websites.

http://www.longtrailhiking.info”

“i had been planning on doing the NH section of the AT this july, but after reading an article in the excellent monthly journal known to all as backpacker magazine, i am very seriously considering doing a thru or a large section of the LT, instead. southbound”

“There is a 26 mile piece of The Long Trail from Smuggler's Notch south to where I bailed out with ENS a few years ago.

Perhaps I could hitch a ride with you if the timing is right.”

“i wont be going anywhere near maryland on the way, but ill be happy to buy you a beer at The Inn”

“Oh - I responded to this a different thread, but I'd still be a maybe for some or all of the trip if it should focus on VT. I was torn between doing the whole of the LT again and going on your trip as it was.

Marko it would be great to be walking in Vermont with you again!”

“If you're looking for a nice section, the area from just south of Mt. Abraham and just north of Camel's hump is amazing. You're above treeline for a good chunk of the way and there is alpine tundra vegetation on Camel's Hump and Mt. Abraham. There will be a handful of people at the big peaks but the trail is pretty much empty everywhere else. The views are exhilarating.”

“i want to do at least the part north of the maine junction. ive done all of the LT that is concurrent with the AT”

“im thinking of doing 5 legs of 5 days each, with a re-supply at the end of each leg. each leg would be about 50-60 miles”

“that would be about 10-12 miles per day, which sounds like a-lot if youre a weekend warrior, but not when youre long distance hiking when daylight is at its longest”