The Long Trail

[T-Dubs]

Are there any problems with hammocking the Northern part of the Long Trail? I may have a chance to do some hiking this Sept and thought I'd ask for some input.

Any other insights to the LT would be appreciated. I have the E-2-E guidebook and maps.

Thanks,
TWS

[Coffee]

Nope. None what so ever I saw. You will just have to skip camping above the tree line. Most people don't do this anyways. I did the northern 80 miles of the long trail 2 years ago this October. Great time of year to be up there. I hear Sept is the best. Some of the shelters are really nice, think way better than the AT and a lot of them enclosed. On bad weather days don't rule out hanging in them or at least stopping close.

You can also stay in the ski resort warming huts on a couple of the mountains. I think it's Jay's Peak that has the sky car that hikers can ride for free. I skipped that ride.

Something to be ready for is that the LT is marked and you can find it in most places, others you can see a trail but blazes maybe a quarter mile apart. I think there was one mountain I swear I saw 5 blazes up and over and thought I was following a creek bed.

You should beat the leaf change. If not the leaves on the ground maybe an issue. Nights will start to get long and cooler. Nothing to huge of a deal.

If you are driving up there I remember Journey to the end road where the LT northern terminus is can be hard to spot and not in good shape. I ended up walking the last mile or so along the road.

There is a pond and shelter just north of Mt Mansfield. I highly recommend this. The shelter is more of a cabin. It has a back deck overlooking the pond. Not to be missed.

Some of the shelters are pay with a caretaker. Last year their new policy was that you would pay one fee, something small like $5, and that would be good at all the places for a few weeks or month. Just up that way for long distance hikers not to keep paying fees. The fee itself was designed not to make money, but to cause people to start using some of the areas that don't see a lot of use and hopefully not some of the high use areas that they put a fee with.

As it starts to get close, PM me if you want. I have family that lives up there and can get you a report of weather or leaves or whatever.

Enjoy, it is a great area.

[T-Dubs]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate your suggestion concerning weather, etc. I may take you up on the offer when time gets close. I was a bit concerned about water issues initially but now it appears there may be too much rather than too little.

TWS

[oldsoldier]

If you could, update us with your notes from your hike. I did the first few miles in a couple of days years ago, and am looking for something week longish to do. I would rather do part of the LT than the AT, as I have done most of MA & part of NH on the AT, and want something a little different. Good stopover places, reliable (well, this year, they should ALL be reliable) watering places, towns to hit, or avoid, stuff like that. And, pics!!!

[T-Dubs]

I'm not planning to spend much time in town--at this point. I've got an 'Ace-in-the-Hole' for my support. My son is spending 6 months in Burlington as part of a Fellowship program. He's both the reason I'm going up (deliver some furniture) and the supply delivery person for my hike. Seems to be a pretty nice situation all-around.

I will share any information and photos I end up with on this trip. My first day on the LT should be either the 14th/15th of Sept.

TWS

[Quoddy]

There's almost nowhere on the LT that you can't hang. The very top of Abraham, Camel's Hump, and Mansfield are the only exceptions. Most, but not all of the best water sources are in valleys, which is where most of the shelters are located. In September figure on night time temperatures reaching the lower thirties in the north. I did an end-to-end of the Long Trail in late August last year and the only time it cracked below forty was in the north, at night, in the higher elevtions (over 3000').

[Coffee]

There isn't much in the way of towns up north on the LT. There is a ski resort, Jay's Peak I think, that people send packages to also a P.O. in Joneville that people send them too. Not too many other stops.

[Quoddy]

I forgot to mention that if you are restricted on time consider starting at Rt 15, near Johnson, and head south from there. The 70 mile section from Johnson to Lincoln Gap is the very best, in my opinion. Don't figure on big mileages through there, though.

[T-Dubs]

Quoddy and Coffee,
Thanks again for the additional information. I appreciate your input and advise.
I'm counting on Jonesville to be my first supply with my son bringing me stuff from his temporary quarters in Burlington. Other than that, I'm still looking at the possibilities.
(-:

TWS

[bear bag hanger]

I hiked the Long Trail in 2006 with a hammock. Didn't have any problems, spent 20 nights in the hammock and about 10 nights in shelters or in town (it rained a lot when I hiked it). The biggest problem is the Green Mountain Club prefers you use the shelters and have a lot of rules about not stealth camping, particularly in the northern sections of the trail. Wasn't always able to follow their rules, I'm not a fast hiker. At most of the shelters there is plenty of room and trees to hang a hammock, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. One of the things I learned is you can camp in or near the warming huts on the top of ski runs. They keep them open for hikers during the summer. I actually hung my hammock on the railings of one of the huts during my hike.

http://www.trailjournals.com/bearbaghanger

No photos, my camera broke early on.