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johnnyblisters
04-20-2010, 07:24
I'm planning an end to end on the LT this September after college graduation. I haven't gotten my map or guide book yet so forgive me if this info is in there. How can one get back to Williamstown, MA from the Canadian border?
Any help would be appreciated.

johnnyblisters
04-20-2010, 22:15
Bump, any long trail vets have some recommendations?

Tinker
04-20-2010, 23:03
My wife picked me up.
I don't have any knowledge of public transportation in that area.
That's why I'm doing a SOBO thru this Sept. It'll be easier to get a ride home from Mass. than northern Vt.

mark schofield
04-21-2010, 06:41
Hi Tinker, I did a SOBO last September from the boarder to Rutland. I left a bit too eairly for the foliage by about 2 weeks. I should have started around the second or third week. You sure get in shape in the northern parts. All the best. Mark S.

mark schofield
04-21-2010, 08:33
If you have the option, I'd go north to south. It's quite a hassle getting in/out from the northern terminus. My wife dropped me off last year at the border and getting off at Rutland was no problem. You will travel with the chqanging foilage, and the last 100 miles wil be a breeze. The shelters are close enough together so the first difficult week getting up to speed and into shape don't have to be long days if you don't want to. Have a nice walk. And check out this link. Mark S.
http://www.downthetrail.com/the-long-trail/

dgever
04-21-2010, 14:50
I did an end to end this past fall with no plan on how I was going to return home. Once I got to north troy I went to the B&B to spend the night and the lady there called a guy who gave me a very entertaining ride to Burlington for 30$.

Niloc
04-21-2010, 17:36
Dgever has a good idea. I would do something like that, and once you get to Burlington you can take bus to wherever you need. Also, as your trip gets closer and you know the exact dates, you may be able to update the post with a time you expect to be finished your hike. I have seen other Vermonters on this forum who may be willing to meet you and give you a ride into town. For example, if I'm free around that time I may be able to do a hike up near Journeys End and meet up with you to give you a ride to Burlington.

rcli4
04-21-2010, 18:13
When I did it we stayed at the 1896 house and they took us to the bus.

Clyde

johnnyblisters
04-21-2010, 21:51
Thanks for all the great suggestions, I may be in contact with some of you for more info when the hike comes to an end. AMC season ends the beginning of Sept. so if anyones available for a shuttle let me know.

Johnny Thunder
04-21-2010, 22:06
hitch. i did the canadian border to kean, nh in two cars.

pedxing
05-08-2010, 17:39
You'll notice two people have threads (offering shuttles to the Northern terminus - you might ask them if they would shuttle you from the terminus). There is at least one other paid service mentioned at longtrailhiking.info . When I was northbound, my #1 plan was to meet someone headed the same direction who had a ride. Back up option was to walk back to Rt. 105 and hitch out. Happily I met a guy I'd run into on my first LT hike and he offered to pick me up. If I go northbound again, I'll probably go with the same plan.

Dogwood
05-08-2010, 17:53
If you have the option go SOBO starting at the northern terminus. Get the possible hassle of your ride over with before you start your hike knowing that at the MA/VT border you'l be on easy street as far as getting a ride back to where ever you are going. That's what I have always done. I have had no problem hitching to the northern terminus once from Burlington and once from Mt. Pelier. IMO, VT is one of the easiest states to get a hitch. However, do be aware that starting out up north is, IMO, quite a bit more physically strenuous starting out than starting at the southern terminus. Be ready to hike up/down/up/down!

And, then there are always possible rides/shuttles offered by those listed in the End to Enders Guidebook. Contact the Long Trail website for additional possible rides/shuttles.

pedxing
05-10-2010, 23:28
Dogwood offers a good rationale for making it a SOBO hike. It's one reason I'm likely to go SOBO this year.

Of course, the North need not be more strenuous if one goes for lower mileage in that portion.

johnnyblisters
05-11-2010, 13:15
I plan on taking my time going NOBO. It just feels right to me ,YMMV. I forgot about a college buddy who lives in Johnson Vt, he said he could hook me up in Johnson as well as pick me up at Trails End. If anyone is going to be finishing around the end of September, contact me and I may be able to give you a ride. Thanks for everyones help!

StubbleJumper
05-11-2010, 19:45
From what I can see, one of the easier ways out of the northern terminus is to simply walk north another 3 miles or so until you get to Mansonville, Quebec. From there you can catch a bus to Montreal:

http://www.destinationknowlton.com/knowlton-bus-schedule.html

NorthCountryWoods
05-14-2010, 15:27
From what I can see, one of the easier ways out of the northern terminus is to simply walk north another 3 miles or so until you get to Mansonville, Quebec. From there you can catch a bus to Montreal:

http://www.destinationknowlton.com/knowlton-bus-schedule.html

If you are going to do this, you are now required to have your passport with you and I strongly advise checking in with Canadian customs ahead of time. It might even be a good idea to let US Border Patrol know what you're doing.

Neither side is messing around when it comes to people walking across the border up here. They've stepped up enforcement and have gone to a zero tolerance policy on crossing anyplace other than the stations. They took an old lady down for walking across in Derby Line to get her dog and arrested a man for crossing to get pizza in Stanstead.

NorthCountryWoods
05-14-2010, 15:36
BTW, I work up near the border and have been stopped and questioned regularly. Even by the same patrol officers over and over. Some I've actually hung out and gotten to know socially. They know me by name, know my truck, know what I'm doing and what I'm going to tell them.....but they stop and question anyway. Acquaintance or not, it's all business when they're on duty.

I would suggest turning around at Journey's End and hitching to St Albans or Burlington. I've never been good at getting rides, but pick up people all the time and VT's one of the easiest places to hitch.

StubbleJumper
05-14-2010, 20:23
Sure, you need a passport, but it's really no big deal. You walk from Journey's End to North Troy. Another mile north, and you hit an official border crossing with a customs agent. A quick chat, show him your passport and your on your way to Mansonville.

Now, if you have a criminal record, or if you are a known terrorist, then the Canadians might not let you in!

NorthCountryWoods
05-20-2010, 08:06
Sure, you need a passport, but it's really no big deal. You walk from Journey's End to North Troy. Another mile north, and you hit an official border crossing with a customs agent. A quick chat, show him your passport and your on your way to Mansonville.

Now, if you have a criminal record, or if you are a known terrorist, then the Canadians might not let you in!

Thought you were advising to just keep hiking north at Journeys end when you hit the border. Going to North Troy is a better plan.

outsideinmi
08-01-2011, 10:16
MARK!!! amazing long trail blog, great colors and no bugs in september!!??

catch
05-01-2012, 19:14
I'm planning an end to end of the long trail this July and am running into the same problem of figuring out how to get back to my car (whether I leave it at Journey's End or in Williamstown) - would you mind expanding on how you ended up managing it? Thanks!

10-K
05-21-2012, 21:56
Me too... Need a ride from the southern terminus to the northern end August 2.... Commercial shuttles are +$500

cleanshave
05-23-2012, 21:00
Hey guys, I'm planning a southbound thruhike of the Long Trail this Sept. 2012 and thought I'd share my research about getting to and from the northern terminus. Its pretty simple and cheap. Local buses will get you to within 18 miles of the terminus, and to a point where hitching is easy.

http://www.thingsgoingsmoothly.com/2012/05/long-trail-northern-terminus/

NorthCountryWoods
05-28-2012, 08:31
Hey guys, I'm planning a southbound thruhike of the Long Trail this Sept. 2012 and thought I'd share my research about getting to and from the northern terminus. Its pretty simple and cheap. Local buses will get you to within 18 miles of the terminus, and to a point where hitching is easy.

http://www.thingsgoingsmoothly.com/2012/05/long-trail-northern-terminus/

Excellent info. Link to both the Burlington to St. A and St. A to Richford schedules-

http://www.gmtaride.org/franklin/routes-schedules-franklin.html

Not sure if I'm reading the schedules right, but it looks like you'd have to catch the 6:40am bus out of the Burlington area and would have the whole day to hang out in St. Albans to get the afternoon bus to Richford. Several shopping options along the route that goes thru city of St. A.

The 5:15 arrival in Richford would give you limited time to hitch out the 18 miles to the trailhead. Luckily Journeys End camp is only a half mile or so from the lot and under 2 miles from North Jay Rd. Richford does have a couple B&Bs and a Macs Market if you did have to stay over.

Better option than hitching the whole way or paying for a shuttle. The St. A express is only $4 one way. Didn't see the rate for the Richford bus, but doubt it's much.

stumblegasp
10-08-2012, 22:53
What worked for me... I finished a thru at the northern terminus late September, 2012, and traveled to a Boston suburb via hitch and public transport. Note that this scheme takes time.

Walk out to VT105 on the south edge of North Troy -- about 3 miles of roadwalk. Walk-and-hitch south to Morrisville (VT105 to VT101 to VT100 to VT15). This is a 40-mile hitch and will probably take a while, but you're likely to meet some interesting and generous locals.

The Morrisville PO will hold a General Delivery package of clean clothes. If you have to overnight in Morrisville, there are options in the End-to-Ender's Guide. I stayed at the Thistledown Inn (http://www.thistledowninn.com/), downtown; a 10-minute walk to the gazebo on Lower Main St. where you'll catch the shuttle bus (read on). Sheila at the Thistledown is very thoughtful and the place is beautiful. If you take the early morning shuttle, tell her you'll have to miss breakfast -- she might give you a discount; otherwise, ask for the cheapest room she has or risk being put in a more expensive one.

From Morrisville there's a shuttle, the "Route 100 Commuter" that will cost $2, exact change, weekdays only; details at http://www.gmtaride.org/. It leaves Morrisville early in the AM and in the early evening. You can transfer at the Waterbury Park & Ride to the "Montpelier LINK Express," which goes to downtown Burlington, for another $2, OR you can continue on the "Commuter" to the Waterbury Amtrak station.

At the Waterbury station, you'll need a cellphone to call Amtrak and get a "reservation number" for the train to Springfield, Mass. When you board the train the conductor will ask what fare the phone system quoted you, and he'll charge you that. He might ask for your reservation number, but he wasn't interested in mine.

At the Springfield Amtrak station you can book your next Amtrak leg at the ticket window, or walk around the corner to the Peter Pan bus terminal (exit the train station, turn right onto Lyman St., at the end of the block turn right onto Main St.; the bus station is 1/2 block ahead on the left). At the ticket window you can book a bus to Boston (or even to Williamstown, if you left your car there).

Good luck.

coach lou
02-01-2013, 16:03
Northern Terminus Question

In many of pictures of folks at boundry marker looking north, there is a straight cut in the trees that looks like a power line cut. Does anyone know what that is?

pedxing
02-01-2013, 16:23
In my 3 times at the terminus, I don't remember a substantial cut in the trees - other than the LT and the Journey's End. There was a small gap just behind the boundary marker that didn't really go anywhere. Perhaps someone will correct me (it's been almost 3 years since I've been there)..

coach lou
02-01-2013, 16:26
In my 3 times at the terminus, I don't remember a substantial cut in the trees - other than the LT and the Journey's End. There was a small gap just behind the boundary marker that didn't really go anywhere. Perhaps someone will correct me (it's been almost 3 years since I've been there)..

It is in a picture right now in the new gallery posts!

pedxing
02-01-2013, 17:06
Wow! Very clear in that pic. Looks freshly groomed. It doesn't show in my pics (angle, lighting, growth?). I'm wondering if that could be the border clearing. I'm sure someone else will know better than I.

StubbleJumper
02-01-2013, 21:58
I always presumed that the cut-line was to mark the border and permit some form of border patrol.

Miner
02-01-2013, 23:15
The northern US border is a giant clear cut line. You see it at the northern end of the PCT out west as well.

Odd Man Out
02-01-2013, 23:18
Yes, they are going to build a wall to keep the Americans from escaping to Canada, eh?

coach lou
02-02-2013, 08:33
Thank you folks.......I will now Google earth it . I should have done that already!





..........later that morning...................Indeed it appears that that clear cut is from Lake Champlain straight to the Connecticut River and then a jagged cut all the way to Amity, Maine.

Furlough
02-02-2013, 11:23
I'm planning an end to end on the LT this September after college graduation. I haven't gotten my map or guide book yet so forgive me if this info is in there. How can one get back to Williamstown, MA from the Canadian border?
Any help would be appreciated.

About Face. Forward...March.

StubbleJumper
02-02-2013, 20:18
Yes, they are going to build a wall to keep the Americans from escaping to Canada, eh?

Don't be silly. Everybody knows that a giant wall is ugly. Much better to grow a 4,000 mile cedar hedge.

pedxing
05-22-2013, 11:13
My current plan is to turn around at the border, walk back to 105 and hitch east (then south) from there - to get back to greate Boston. Has anyone tried this? Is traffic better or worse than it would be if I hit 105 near North Troy coming out via Journey's End?

I hiked Northbound once before and was lucky enough to meet up with a kind soul going the opposite direction who offered to pick me up after he finished (he lived near Johnson) if I called him from Jay Peak before he had to go back to work. Absent such good luck, this seems like the best plan I can come up with.

stumblegasp
10-21-2014, 21:43
My current plan is to turn around at the border, walk back to 105 and hitch east (then south) from there - to get back to greate Boston. Has anyone tried this? Is traffic better or worse than it would be if I hit 105 near North Troy coming out via Journey's End?

I doubt that would save you any time. At the end of my 2012 thru, I walked-and-hitched south on VT105 from North Troy to well past the 105/101 junction before I got a ride, and then it was only for a few miles. (You may be luckier, of course.)

Next time I do the LT, I'll probably just turn around at the Canadian border and hike the 50 miles south to VT15, then hitch east to Morrisville for the Route 100 Commuter (see my previous post). You might get a shuttle to Morrisville from Nye's Green Valley Farm B&B -- they're about 4 miles west of the VT15 crossing.

pedxing
10-21-2014, 22:13
Thanks Stumblegasp, as it turned out my wife planned on coming out and meeting me 17 days into the hike. I ended up accelerating so she could meet me at 105, finish up with me and walk back to the car. There were record rains then (2013) so I didn't want to risk Journey's End road. Walking back to 15 isn't a bad idea. I met someone who lives in Hyde Park the first time I did the LT and he hosted me the next 3 times I've done it, so it could work very well for me. Though next time I'll probably go southbound.