The Long Trail

A bit of history for reference.

The Appalachian Trail joins another trail in southern Vermont called The Long Trail, and they proceed on the same path for about 125 miles until they cross Rt. 4. There the Appalachian Trail turns east for New Hampshire and The Long Trail continues north to Canada. The Long Trail, built between 1910 and 1930 is 275 miles long stretching from the MA/VT state line to the Canadian border, all of it in Vermont. It is the oldest long distance hiking trail in America and the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail.

I first became aware of The Long Trail when I crossed Harmon Hill, southeast of Bennington and saw a sign which said, "Katahdin- 55x miles; Canada (via The Long Trail) - 22x miles." (I had been walking on The Long Trail since I crossed the MA/VT state line, a few miles south of Harmon Hill.) I was intriqued by the notion of walking to Canada, and by the shorter distance; and I was ready for some fulfillment, success, whatever you call it, but I put that thought away and slogged on.

When I walked the wrong way and ended up in the Rutland outfitter, my mind was stewing with options. I thought, I have already hiked about one-third of The Long Trail; why not finish it, and then go back to the A.T.?

That is what I'm doing; I think I can do the rest of The Long Trail in 2-3 weeks. I turned off the A.T. yesterday. Last night I shared a shelter on The Long Trail with a nice young couple hiking with two beautiful Golden Retrievers. They were very well behaved. Today I'm writing this from Brandon, VT about 10 miles--and a difficult hitch--off The Long Trail (I stopped here for groceries--the options are fewer and farther apart than on the A.T.) It is a different world; no helpful guides like the A.T. publishes to tell you where the next grocery store, or library or laundromat is. I like it. It is closer to the real thing.

Here is my new plan: I will hike The Long Trail to Canada, and assuming Homeland Security does not arrest me as an illegal alien, from there I will catch a bus to Baxter State Park, ME and restart my A.T hike from Mt Katahdin. I will climb Katahdin and then hike south on the A.T. back to the Maine Junction at Willard Gap, just off Rt 4 in Vermont, where I left the A.T. for The Long Trail.

From there, I will take another bus back to Delaware Water Gap and resume hiking the southern part.

There is a black lab in this library named Jack (he belongs to one of the employees). He is to die for.

Comments

[G-Unit]

I'm a section hiker of the long trail, and love every moment of it.
My kids and I hiked from Glen Ellen lodge to Smugglers notch. Hard but beautiful and that included the weather.
My statement is we had to hitch a ride back to our car, all the empty pick-ups passed us, big cars with 1 person in them but all of a sudden a Toyota Corolla pick us up, 3 hikers packs etc and they were 2 in their car. Took us right to where we needed to be, thank you very much. Then I went out with my brothers in-law on the A.T. again we had to hitch 2 rides to back to our car, big cars and pick-ups passed us by again. Our next 2 rides came from people in Toyota Corolas. 3 rides 3 coroloas.
New advertising campaign, Toyota Corola, a backpackers friend.
Any one else find this happen

[Dewayne Mikkelson]

Your hiking options are to die for. I would have done the exact same thing. Whenever I am someplace close to another state/country I always want to cross over just to say I did it. It sounds like you are getting your hiking legs under you.