1. The BasicsEveryone in Vermont knows the Long Trail. There is even a brewery named Long Trail Brewery. But none of my friends outside Vermont, not even avid hikers, were familiar with the Long Trail. So, here are the basics. It's America's first long-distance trail, maintained by the Green Mountain Club. It runs the length of the state, north to south, with the southern 100 miles matching up with the Appalachian Trail. The guide book that I bought had the tagline "Hiking Vermont's High Ridge", meaning that you get to traverse Vermont's highest mountains and many of it's lower peaks. 2. "The Long Trail is Hard!"Or, as one of the caretakers we met along the way commented, "The Long Trial is gnarly, man!" If you had been on a certain section of the Long Trail between Appalachian Gap and Mount Mansfield at the same time as my friend, Ciara, and me, you would have heard us exclaiming about the Long Trail's difficulty over and over. Ciara, an avid backpacker since she was 14, has trekked in the Rockies, the Appalachians, Patagonia, etc., and she thought the Long Trail was quite challenging. The reasons for this were much debated along the way. Here's what we landed on. First, the trail was constantly ascending or descending, most of the time quite steeply. On the section of the trail that we hiked, we very rarely had flat or gently sloping ground. On the contrary, we spent a good chunk of our time looking for foot holds and hanging on trees for support as we scrambled up or down boulders. Also, much of the trail in our section was covered by rock, and given the weather (discussed in #4), the rock was wet and slippery, requiring much concentration and careful foot placement. 3. Plan for shorter distances than you think you can coverGiven that we both had previous hiking experience, we had planned our section of the Long Trail based on distances we were able to cover during previous backpacking trips. We found that we had grossly underestimated the trail. The thing about the Long Trail is that, because we were always steeply ascending or descending, we spent a lot of time and energy scrambling up/down rocks, only to realize that we had gone less than a quarter of a mile. Typically able to hike 2-3 miles per hour, Ciara and I found ourselves going more like 1 mile per hour. There was a point when we had to completely rethink our plan because we realized, at that pace, we wouldn't make it until the next trail shelter until after 11:00pm. If you plan for shorter distances, you can always head to the next shelter if you are hiking faster than planned, which is way easier than revamping your plan shortly before nightfall. 4. Don't underestimate the weatherOn the Long Trail, we encountered bright sunshine, high winds, near-freezing temperatures, rain showers, thunderstorms, and rumors of hail. All in one day. Vermont's weather is notoriously volatile. Be prepared with a rain jacket, extra layers for warmth, a pack cover (something yours truly completely forgot), and a warm-sleeping bag. My 30 degree bag was never too warm for me, and, one morning, I woke up to temperatures in the 30s. The on-again, off-again rain showers had a big impact on our hike, as it made the rock on the trail slippery, though Ciara and I usually welcomed the drizzle, which cooled us off as we hiked. 5. There are trail sheltersWe did not carry a tent on the Long Trail because there are trail shelters that you can use for sleeping. There are many websites that recommend carrying a tent, just in case the shelters are full. Most of the shelters that we encountered were lean-tos, with one side open to the woods, while a few "lodges" are completely enclosed. In the lean-tos, there were long, raised sleeping platforms, as well as hooks and strings on the ceiling to hang food/packs/etc. In the lodge, there was an upper platform and a lower platform stretching across the width of the cabin, like really wide bunk beds. Though it was mid-July when we were hiking, Ciara and I never had difficulty finding a spot in the shelters, since we rarely encountered others along the trail. I loved our night at Bamforth Ridge Shelter - the only "crowded" night on our trek, thanks to a group of ten pre-teen boys and their two group leaders. The boys and their leaders ended up taking the tent platforms, while Ciara and I shared the shelter with a pair of college boys. The shelter was open to the woods, and it stormed that night. We were able to snuggle into our sleeping bags and fall asleep with the sound of rain on the shelter roof. BE WARNED: Come prepared with a mosquito protection plan for sleeping in the shelters. Even the enclosed lodges don't keep mosquitoes out completely. I had so many bites on my neck and ears at the end of our trip. I wished that I had brought some sort of netting as protection. 6. It's absolutely beautifulVermont is so lushly green that it almost doesn't seem real. Can the color green really be that vibrant? (The answer is yes!) The Long Trail combines mountain views with lots of forest walking, unlike some trails where you have constant views of the surrounding peaks. The forested portions of the trail were never boring, as we were searching for footholds half the time and came across scenic overlooks often enough. We typically stopped for a snack and a rest while soaking in the views. On our second day, we walked along Bamforth Ridge, which was an exposed ridge and gave us an extended view of the Green Mountains. During the third day on the trail, we rested by a beautiful stream, so peaceful that we ended up staying for a snack and journaling. Add in 360 degree views from the summit of Vermont's highest mountains - Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield - to make for varied scenery that's interesting and enchanting.
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AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
December 2017
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