Trying to hike the Long Trail - September 2017

The plan was to hike from the far-north terminus of the Long Trail down to Killington, Vermont. Almost three weeks of hiking, with rest/refueling stops at "The Stowehof" hotel in Stowe and at the "Millbrook Inn" near Irasville. We would finish at the "Happy Bear Motel" in Killington.

Start hiking: 26 September
Finish hiking: 11 October

What actually happened is that I bailed out at The Stowehof because my right knee was really swollen and I was going really slow on the downhills. However, I had not been backpacking in years, so it was a valuable and, at times, enjoyable excursion. It reminded me how I like being in the outdoors for extended periods without contact with civilization.

The part that I actually hiked was 67 miles:

26-Sep   Tuesday               Drive to Journey's End, Hike to Laura Woodward Shelter (10 miles, 2500' ascent)

27-Sep   Wednesday         Hike to Hazen's Notch Camp (9.5 miles, 2600' ascent)

28-Sep   Thursday              Hike to Spruce Ledge Camp (14.5 miles, 3600' ascent)

29-Sep   Friday                   Hike to Round Top Shelter (15 miles, 4000' ascent)

30-Sep   Saturday              Hike to Whiteface Shelter (10.5 miles, 3200' ascent)

1-Oct     Sunday                 Hike to Rt 108 Smugglers Notch (7.5 miles, 1000' ascent) with Night in Stowe

Getting There

We drove up on the 25th of September and stayed in Killington at the Happy Bear hotel. I drove up with Dave Green, while Tom Kloster drove by himself.

Nice town in Vermont on the way to Killington

The final miles to the trailhead

Parking at the trailhead

 The hike itself

The first two days were incredibly hot - high 80's and humid. Really unusual for Vermont in September. Then it turned cold and dipped a little below freezing for the last night I was on the trail. I never needed to use my tarp to sleep under because the trail shelters were not occupied by others when we arrived, so we were able to sleep in the shelters every night.

Taking a break at one of the overlooks. It was pretty cold, so we were sitting in the trees instead of out on the overlook. 

Group Shot: Dave, Mike and Tom at one of the overlooks

One of the smaller shelters along the way. The shelters ranged from a simple lean-to like the one in the photo to more elaborate structures with 4 walls and doors. They were all clean and well maintained. 

Having lunch and taking in the view

Phil joins us in Stowe. This is as far as I got. 

 Trail Conditions

Most trails use switchbacks and other methods for reducing the steepness of the inclines. This helps the hikers and makes the trail less vulnerable to erosion. Not the Long Trail - it just follows a straight line up and over whatever is there. It is never really possible to express steepness in a photo, but imagine the following three photos as being vertigo-inducing, straight-up or straight-down and a little slippery. I held onto trees and branches most of the way down the hills, using one hiking pole and having one free hand. I think that the steepness and the size of the steps that I needed to take is what really drove my knees into a tizzy.

It can be pretty muddy, too

What to bring

Mostly for my own reference if I ever do this again. It was going to be warm for the first few days,
so I just have shorts and tights. I was going to bring my pants for the second and third legs. I should have
documented the food, because I spent more time packing food than I did packing gear. Not shown:
One pair of socks and my hiking shoes.

Sleeping bag, tarp, bivy bag and sleeping pad