View Full Version : mileage in vermont
stringbean
03-15-2007, 11:36
what kind of mileage is should i expect to be doing in vermont? particularly between manchester and hanover, nh. my friend and i are hiking from bear mt. ct, to katahdin starting june 1st. we sat down to plan some things out last night and realized that if we left manchester with 5 days of food we would have to put in 20 mile days to get to hanover. this doesn't seem that doable given the terrain. am i wrong? if not, is there a good town to stop in between? rutland seems ok.
what kind of mileage is should i expect to be doing in vermont? particularly between manchester and hanover, nh. my friend and i are hiking from bear mt. ct, to katahdin starting june 1st. we sat down to plan some things out last night and realized that if we left manchester with 5 days of food we would have to put in 20 mile days to get to hanover. this doesn't seem that doable given the terrain. am i wrong? if not, is there a good town to stop in between? rutland seems ok.
It's surprisingly difficult. No great heights, but lots of altitude changes. Five days from Manchester to Hanover is.... well, somewhat faster than I like to hike. There's another thread about the Inn at the Long Trail... a nice stop (IMO) and convenient access to the trail.
Rutland has everything you'd need to resupply, catch the bus into town from Rte 4 or hitch. However, you really don't need to go into Rutland if you'd like to stretch your five day foodbag with some hot meals along the way.
At Rte 103, eat at the Whistlestop (0.5m to the West).
At Rte 4, eat at the Inn at the Long Trail (best reached from the "north" via Sherburne Pass Trail 0.5m, or chance it and road walk 0.9m east on Rte 4).
At Rte 100, eat at the Killington Deli (0.6m to the east).
On Trail, eat at Mountain Meadows at Kent Pond.
At Rte 12, get some snacks at On the Edge Farm (0.2m west, seasonal hours)
MrsG
ps. Mud is never "done" in Vermud. It's especially muddy today.
Footslogger
03-15-2007, 12:04
[quote=Minerva;339478]Rutland has everything you'd need to resupply, catch the bus into town from Rte 4 or hitch. However, you really don't need to go into Rutland if you'd like to stretch your five day foodbag with some hot meals along the way.
At Rte 103, eat at the Whistlestop (0.5m to the West).
=================================
YO Minerva ...is that little Motor Inn still open just down beyond the Whistle Stop. Had heard the owner died ??
Thanks,
'Slogger
Sadly, Betty passed away this past winter. At this time, the motel, Country Squire, is not open. The last I heard, the family wasn't interested in keeping it open and wanted to sell the place.
MrsG
Footslogger
03-15-2007, 12:19
Sadly, Betty passed away this past winter. At this time, the motel, Country Squire, is not open. The last I heard, the family wasn't interested in keeping it open and wanted to sell the place.
MrsG
=============================
Bummer ...was a nice quiet little respit. Now THERE'S an opportunity for a hiker who wants to get into the business. In addition to a place to stay, a shuttle in/out of the area would be nice.
'Slogger
Kerosene
03-15-2007, 13:33
You could also send a food drop to The Inn at Long Trail, which will be up the hill less than a mile from where the AT now crosses US-4. From there it's an easy 4 days, but doable 3 days to Hanover.
Sadly, Betty passed away this past winter. At this time, the motel, Country Squire, is not open. The last I heard, the family wasn't interested in keeping it open and wanted to sell the place.
MrsG
Stayed there LY on my SB section. Thought to myself at check-in that this lady is an oldtimer. Very efficient, reminded me of my Mom (85) the ''Lunch Room Lady''.
Jack Tarlin
03-15-2007, 13:51
Stringbean:
If you look in the "Articles" section of this website, there's an article on "Re-Supply" that lists a lot of places to buy food, where they are located, how far apart they are, likely hiking times between re-supply points, etc. You might find this information useful.
I just checked my section logs and found we did Manchester to Hanover in 8 days. :o But then we are older and like to stop and smell the roses - or whatever passes for roses - especially on all the uphills!
One thing we did not understand until we had hiked this section is that once you make Maine Junction just past RT-4, you are going against the grain rather than with the grain, so to speak, as you are no longer hiking ALONG the ridges, but you are now hiking OVER the ridges. While the maps didn't make it look too hard, we found RT-4 to Hanover to be the toughest section between CT and Hanover, so you would be wise to give it a little more time.
stringbean
03-15-2007, 14:36
wow thanks for all the help guys! i never thought to rely heavily on places to eat in order to help make the food supply last longer. sometimes i over think things and miss some simple solutions. this sounds like a great idea and its probably what well do.
One thing we did not understand until we had hiked this section is that once you make Maine Junction just past RT-4, you are going against the grain rather than with the grain, so to speak, as you are no longer hiking ALONG the ridges, but you are now hiking OVER the ridges. While the maps didn't make it look too hard, we found RT-4 to Hanover to be the toughest section between CT and Hanover, so you would be wise to give it a little more time.
Ayup. It's not the Whites, but it's a lot of uppin' and downin'. Plus, when I did that section, it was 95 degrees in the shade most of the way... Trail angels had left cold treats here and there... much appreciated!
Blue Jay
03-15-2007, 17:43
what kind of mileage is should i expect to be doing in vermont? particularly between manchester and hanover, nh. my friend and i are hiking from bear mt. ct, to katahdin starting june 1st. we sat down to plan some things out last night and realized that if we left manchester with 5 days of food we would have to put in 20 mile days to get to hanover. this doesn't seem that doable given the terrain. am i wrong? if not, is there a good town to stop in between? rutland seems ok.
Remember this is blackfly season. They bite like dogs and ther are millions of them. Adding that to a forced march is not going to be much fun. There are going to be times where you will REALLY want to dive into a netted area to stop slapping your self. Hell, you're 24, there is no doubt that you could do this. The question is, do you like two types of torture at the same time?
Chef2000
03-15-2007, 17:54
Stringbean, do not forget the restaurant on top of Killington, .2 mile up blue blaze and a couple hundred yards and you will experience the coldest can of budweiser in VT as well as a great cheeseburger
Well.. I am sure it is POSSIBLE to get from Manchester to hanover in a week. But Vermont is a pretty state so why not enjoy it. There is a hostel in Rutland that many seem to have enjoyed. Myself I love the Inn at the Long trail on Route 4. Nice folks run it and the restaurant is awsome!
I found the terrain from route 4 to the CT River to very hilly, even if the mountains aren't that big. They are steep and you get to go east to west right across a north south mountain chain. The terrain south of Killington is relatively easy.
Speed may depend somewhat on conditions. When I went through last summer it was really really muddy!
David
Stringbean, do not forget the restaurant on top of Killington, .2 mile up blue blaze and a couple hundred yards and you will experience the coldest can of budweiser in VT as well as a great cheeseburger
Dang! We missed that. I wanted to go up and take in the view, but my brother wouldn't budge from Cooper Lodge where we stopped for coffee and a chat with the pretty young lass/trail maintainer. I am certain he would have run up the hill if we knew there was food and COLD BEER! DANG!
When I went through last summer it was really really muddy!
David
When isn't VT muddy? I know - when it is covered in SNOW! Actually, last October the first 45 miles of NH were pretty darn muddy too! I had to leave my boots in the garage when I got home from our section hike and while they didn't get any cleaner over the winter at least they lost their foul odor.
stringbean
03-16-2007, 01:15
i really do want to take my time and enjoy vermont. the only problem is i don't have the capacity to carry 7 or 8 days of food... thats alot of weight for my atmos 50. so i think my buddy and i will take our time, utilize the inns and resturaunts, and maybe i could possibly talk my girlfriend into paying a visit to her grandmother while we are in vt. she could pick us up somewhere and bring us to her grandma's for a hot shower and a bed. i don't really mind black flies, but the mud might get under my skin a little.
Tinman
Normally, Vermont would not be muddy by mid to late July. However, last year they had record spring rains. So there was more mud later.
String bean.. If you don't carry 7-8 days worth of food how you gettin through Maine's 100 mile wilderness? I guess you could rush it which would be a shame, or eat less which will be hard as everyone is starved by then.
If you are in VT in June to early July..expect some mud unelss it is a dry year.
DavidNH
neighbor dave
03-17-2007, 11:30
:-? unless there's a 10 year drought, expect the long trail to be muddy,very muddy:-?
Some reading this thread have likely never heard of mud season, something New England hiking enthusiasts should understand. Even once mud season is officially over, wise hikers don't expect the mud to know about it or take heed either. To learn more about mud season and alternative hikes, go here (http://www.hazensnotch.org/vermontmudseasonhiking.htm).
stringbean
03-18-2007, 10:45
its possible for me to carry 7 - 8 days of food but id really like to try and avoid that unless i absolutely have to. i will never compromise the amount of food i eat as im 5'11" and i weigh 150. i can't afford to not eat. like i said, the mud will bother me, but ive hiked in mud plenty of times. its just annoying when its really slippery.
its possible for me to carry 7 - 8 days of food but id really like to try and avoid that unless i absolutely have to. i will never compromise the amount of food i eat as im 5'11" and i weigh 150. i can't afford to not eat. like i said, the mud will bother me, but ive hiked in mud plenty of times. its just annoying when its really slippery.
So plan on a stop in Rutland, or a mail drop to the Inn at the Long Trail... and now you're looking at 3-4 days food. I'm a fairly slow hiker, and made it between Hanover & Manchester in one week, exactly... including a half-day stop at the Inn. The Inn is almost exactly at the half-way point between those two towns.
wilconow
06-21-2007, 17:16
Remember this is blackfly season. They bite like dogs and ther are millions of them. Adding that to a forced march is not going to be much fun. There are going to be times where you will REALLY want to dive into a netted area to stop slapping your self. Hell, you're 24, there is no doubt that you could do this. The question is, do you like two types of torture at the same time?
Will blackfly season in Vermont be over in the first week of July? Thanks. I'm doing Manchester Ctr- Hanover
Jack Tarlin
06-21-2007, 17:54
You may still have flies; will almost certainly run into gnats or skeeters as well.
Bring good insect repellent (I suggest "Ben's" which is almost all Deet); apply only when needed, and sparingly, and you'll be fine.
wilconow
06-21-2007, 18:03
Thanks Baltimore Jack.. If you're back up north by July I hope to run into you in Hanover.. planning a thru next yr!