View Full Version : Long Trail is September or October?
ShelterLeopard
03-24-2011, 19:27
I need some advice from Vermonters:
I may be waiting to start college until January (one of the colleges to which I was accepted, accepted me for the January term), and I may have an extra 4-5 months on my hands. I've wanted to do the LT for a while, so now would be the opportune time to do it.
My question: When is it too late to start the LT? I don't mind the cold- or even a little snow, but I don't want to be stuck in feet of snow. I had enough of that last year in the Smokies...
I figure it'll take me a month at a fairly leisurely pace.
So when is the latest I could start WITHOUT experiencing any snow? (I'm assuming mid September) When does the leaf turning season usually end? (Meaning, when does life get gray and icy)
I go up to Vermont every November, and every time I'm there, it snows.
If I started in mid- September, and ended around mid/ late October, do you think I'd be done before the serious snow began?
Part of me would love an adventure on the LT in some real snow, but the more sensible part remembers how awful it is to be damp and cold all the time, and how I'm not really experienced enough to do that all by my lonesome.
ShelterLeopard
03-24-2011, 19:31
I meant Long Trail IN not is... whoops.
Slo-go'en
03-24-2011, 19:51
It can snow any time from mid Sept on, but mostly in the northen section and it usually doesn't last long. It's not until late October that the weather really starts to get dicy.
Go SOBO starting in mid Sept and you'll get the best colors and minimize the risk of any serious snow. That is by far the best time to do the LT.
Bags4266
03-24-2011, 19:53
These are the same questions I have. I am doing the LT this Fall and want to hit the peak leave change just right.
Bags4266
03-24-2011, 19:54
It can snow any time from mid Sept on, but mostly in the northen section and it usually doesn't last long. It's not until late October that the weather really starts to get dicy.
Go SOBO starting in mid Sept and you'll get the best colors and minimize the risk of any serious snow. That is by far the best time to do the LT.
I thought of this too, this way you can chase the color change.
stranger
03-25-2011, 08:31
I think hands down the best time to hike the Long Trail would be early September, mainly because snow would be unlikely, the bugs would be almost non-existant and you would still have chilly nights where you want to get into your bag.
Also, keep in mind, with peak folliage season, prices go up and it becomes much harder to find a bed when you do hit up a town.
Sorry, I'm not from Vermont but spent heaps of time up there and in upstate NY, which has nearly identical weather patterns.
I will be watching this thread closely too..
Penciled in for my long hike next year is to start the LT at the border, hit the AT and hike it SOBO back to Erwin.
I was thinking of starting at the northern terminus of the LT in June - feasible? (sorry SL, not trying to hijack your thread...)
Smooth & Wasabi
03-25-2011, 09:02
My favorite hiking time here is mid august to early october. Cooler, few bugs, dry, etc. SOBO starting in mid september should be perfect. As was said in can snow anytime but that is a great weather window. You can't always predict foliage but you should experience some great stuff at that time. The later into october you go anectdotally seems to be wetter.
10K you should be fine starting your hike then. A higher chance of bugs, heat, and rain but its all relative. Sounds like a great adventure. Northern LT is in my opinion way better than southern LT/AT. I think you will like it.
Lone Wolf
03-25-2011, 09:04
i lived at the north end of the LT in Jay for 10 years. if it were me i'd leave around September 7th heading SOBO
Slo-go'en
03-25-2011, 10:45
I was thinking of starting at the northern terminus of the LT in June - feasible?
Yes, it is feasible, but not advisable.
My first LD hike was the LT going SOBO on June 1st. First half of the trip it rained all the time, second half got eaten alive by the Black Flies. Of course, every year is different, but having a full body bug net for use in the shelters is a good idea for that time of year.
ShelterLeopard
03-25-2011, 11:03
No prob. 10-K!
And it sounds like mid September SoBo is the thing to do. We'll have to see how college goes, this might not happen at all this year. But, it might :)
I didn't think of the prices going up until I looked at a B&B website near the LT last night. That would be a bit of a bummer, but not too bad. Does anyone know when Jeff closes his Green Mountain Hostel in Manchester?
ShelterLeopard
03-25-2011, 11:17
If college doesn't get delayed, I may do my next long hike next May- and it might be the JMT- I've always wanted to do that one as well, and it'd be more adventurous for me, since I've already hiked a large portion of the AT, and never hiked in CA.
ShelterLeopard
03-25-2011, 14:06
And another question: If I start the LT SOBO in mid September, will there still be other hikers around? I do NOT like hiking in large crowds and fighting for spots in shelters, but I do like it when there are other hikers around. I like the social aspect of the trail, just not to the extreme. Will section/ LT thrus be a little scarce?
After Labor Day there is a chance you could be alone at shelters many night. While hiking, you will pass several hikers each day.
Of course, weekends will still bring out the crowds that time of year.
ShelterLeopard
03-25-2011, 16:26
Thanks Jeff- when does your hostel close? Are you open through September?
If anyone is hiking the LT. from the north in Sept. in would be interested, I do hike 12-13 miles a day.
All of my LT section hikes were done in early-mid September. There's good swimming at Stratton and Little Rock ponds in the southern half of the trail. I don't know if I'd do it (as a thru) sobo (get the tough stuff out of the way first) or nobo (work up to the tough stuff). I had planned on doing it last year. I may do it this fall - lots of time to decide.
double d
03-25-2011, 19:56
I'm hiking the LT this summer from Rt.4 (Killington) to North Troy (about 180 miles) to complete my LT hiking. This will be done from the end of June through the end of July, but in talking to many LT hikers, they all have told me that Sept. is the best month to hike the LT!
hmm - interesting - I end to ended the LT last yeat - talking to other LT folks, i would day that Sept. is the last month I would expect no snow - October would be mixed and Novemner would lilkely be a winter hike
ShelterLeopard
03-25-2011, 22:36
Some snow would be fine- I just don't want to wake up to two feet of snow and have to slog through it. I'm more okay with hiking in deep snow if I am psychologically geared up to do it beforehand...
Pickwick
03-25-2011, 23:05
Hi ShelterLeopard.
I hiked the LT in (mostly) September of '06, finishing in the north on the 21st. I never saw full autumn colours on that trip and I suspect the peak that year (in the north) was probably a week or two after I finished. I don't know how typical that year was though as I am not a Vermonter and it was a wetter than average September. I think I saw the first hints of colour sometime around the 12th(?) of September, with significant patches of pretty pre-peak leaves in the last week of my hike. Many hikers have September and October LT pictures up on trailjournals from several years if you want a really good idea; but be wary of upload date vs. actual date.
Temperatures in September were nice and cool, with only a couple of below freezing nights and only a couple of hot days. There was no significant snow; only a couple of days with flurries.
Socially, there were quite a few hikers of all types on most days, though I did spend a few nights alone (mostly in the north).
I hiked Stratton October 9 last fall, Stratton/Arlington AT/LT trailhead to fire tower and back. Foliage was peaking or just past at the lower elevations, leaves mostly gone due to pretty stiff, gusty winds by 3100, and above that was the spruce/fir crown. The winds at 5 pm at the tower were strong, steady at about 40 mph and temp was 38 F (I checked meteorological records later). No snow, but six days later came a foot of snow at the summit and it's been continuous snow cover up at high elevation since.
I believe if you start up north near Sept. 15, you'll mostly avoid snow but run the risk of it on Mansfield and the other 3800+ peaks up north and centrally, with the risk diminishing as you head south, certainly the difficulty once you get past Camel's Hump, and with foliage peak trailing behind you but not by too much.
NorthCountryWoods
04-01-2011, 08:19
It really depends. You could get snow in September or you could get 70 degree days until late October.
In 03 we did a NOBO E2E starting in late september and finished october 14th. We saw some sporadic snow, but nothing really stuck around and day time weather was about perfect hiking weather. No bugs, cool to down right cold nights and excellent views.
SOBO would work out even better.
mirabela
04-01-2011, 18:39
The highest peaks almost always pick up at least a little hint of snow sometime in September, but it doesn't get serious until later in October most years. Ice can be a bigger problem once you're past around the 10th of October in a normal year -- peaks like Mansfield and Camels Hump will start to have some water ice around then.
I'd second the suggestion to go southbound for a fall hike, as the weather and terrain won't be quite as bad as you get further south, and you can sort of follow the foliage. You don't say how long you're planning to take, but if you're going to do an average-to-leisurely type of hike, say 23 - 28 days or so, then you'd probably have a really good time with something like a September 10 - September 15 start. That would put you around peak foliage a lot of the way, and you probably won't catch too much snow.
Just make sure you're prepared for cold, as nights in the mountains that time of year will often be frosty, and you'll probably also get some cold rainy spells.
would a hiker get drowned hiking in August? worth putting it off a month? and hiking in september
While September is a wonderful time to hike the LT, August is good alternative. If that is the time that fits your schedule....go for it.
stranger
04-09-2011, 08:30
Andy, August is a good time to be on the trail, and the weather would be generally warmer across the high peaks which are exposed, where as Sept up high and some cold rain could prove miserable at times. However I would still expect mud and long flooded puddle sections any time of the year, I do remember bugs being a non issue towards the end of my hike, but it was a long time ago now!
On my hike I reached the Canadian border on August 5th, and it was a very cold morning, I was quite surprised...until then, we had nothing that I would consider even chilly.
There is an amazing photo journal from Jamie Compos at www.downthetrail.com where he hiked the LT starting in late September I believe, great writer and journalist and nice guy.
ShelterLeopard
05-08-2011, 16:40
Is the "trail culture" on the LT like the it is on the AT? I mean, when I switched up to Katahdin I immediately hooked up with other hikers who I'm sure I would've continued hiking with had I stayed a little longer. (You know that bond you get with the people with whom who begin the trail) Is it like that on the Long Trail?
I'm trying to decide between the Long Trail in September, and doing a SoBo AT hike beginning in September. (Probably only do half the trail, get off before the serious snow).
NorthCountryWoods
05-09-2011, 18:38
Trail culture wains once the AT turns left. September and October will diminish it even more.
http://www.trailjournals.com/journals.cfm?sort=&year=2010&trail=other#The%20Long%20Trail%20-%20Vermont
More info. than you need on the LT.:)
I did a sobo on the LT long ago. :eek:
Started after the gathering in Hanover- Early Oct and finished Nov 2nd.:) Great hiking weather and not that many hikers.;)
I missed most of the fall color show though...:(
Most hikers connect on the LT- just like the AT. ;)
If the LT is thier first trail of any distance, they find the same sense of acomplishment and connection to the trail as a long distance backpacker.:)
stranger
05-10-2011, 03:41
While there is connection between Long Trail hikers, keep in mind that the hiking season window is much larger, and the trail is a fraction of the length of the AT, it's not the same.
Also 'most' hikers who are attempting LT thru's are starting anywhere between 1 June and 1 October (approx) a window of nearly 20 weeks. Where as 'most' AT hikers seem to depart either terminus within a 6 week window by contrast
Most Long Trail hikers go northbound, and most of them leave in July and August.
Leaving the Canadian border in late Sept would probably be the least popular time to thru-hike the LT, in the less popular direction, thus minimizing ongoing encounters with other hikers.
Saying that, it would make sense for anyone leaving that time of year to go southbound to get over the more exposed peaks (Mansfield, Camels Hump, Mt. Abe) before the weather closes in. There is a decent amount of exposure on the Long Trail north of Appalachian Gap.
Then there was the time I did a nobo on the LT starting in early june. Even though the trail is'nt really long, its long enough to establish friendships, bond hikers and give them a sense of accomplishment- just like the AT.
True its shorter with a bigger window- that doesn't matter. The culture is the same and you will meet people to hike with -if you want.
ShelterLeopard
05-10-2011, 10:19
Thanks everyone! Very useful.
After discussing it with my flight officer (spouse) I'm planning a SOBO E2E starting August 3, 2012.
Plan is to stay on the AT at least until the PA/MD border with the potential of going further on the AT.
It's a bit over a year away but so far I've been pretty consistent in pulling off my long range plans.
Question: Are the LT guides updated annually like the AT guides?
No, they don't print guidebooks every year, but the trail route doesn't change that much anyway.
There is a yearly guide to the LT, I believe it's called the E2E guide, which is similar to the Thruhiker's Companion.
I got one along with the latest LT guidebook last year. It shows mail drops, grocery stores, hosetls, etc. along the LT.
Uh...............duhh (for myself) -
Here: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=69256
The End to Enders Guide is now updated every other year. Bob McCaw who used to publish the AT Thru Hikers Handbook did the most recent editions. The latest was just released in March of 2011 and I would not expect another until 2013.
It is well written and stays fairly accurate over a two year period.
You can order it from the Green Mountain Club here:
https://www.greenmountainclub.org/product_detail.php?sku=2225
The End to Enders Guide is now updated every other year. Bob McCaw who used to publish the AT Thru Hikers Handbook did the most recent editions. The latest was just released in March of 2011 and I would not expect another until 2013.
It is well written and stays fairly accurate over a two year period.
You can order it from the Green Mountain Club here:
https://www.greenmountainclub.org/product_detail.php?sku=2225
See you next year for sure! :)
NorthCountryWoods
05-10-2011, 14:10
It is well written and stays fairly accurate over a two year period.
On trail issues yes it is mostly accurate. On off trail amenities the guide is usually vague and lacking in detail.....mainly because the GMC has no control over restaurants/grocery stores/lodging openings and closings.
I live here and can't keep up with the changes month to month. For example.....
Grand Union and the PO in Johnson were under a couple feet of water last week. Not sure if they've reopened yet but mail was processed out of a neighboring town for a few days. The laundromat has moved around town a few times in the past couple years.
Long Trail Tavern has been boarded up for over a year now but wouldn't surprise me if it just opened up one day.
North Troy village market was closed a couple days ago. No explanation, not sure what's going on there.
Always have a back up plan for resupply on the LT.
mirabela
05-10-2011, 17:14
Is the "trail culture" on the LT like the it is on the AT?
It isn't the same, but it's nice. Maybe I'm dating myself here, but if the AT thru-hiker class is like the crowd following around the Dead tour, then the long-distance LT hikers around you are like the handful of people you keep bumping into at Bela Fleck shows in weird little midwestern towns. In other words, it's more intimate and there's a little less of a feeling that there is a Way Things Are Done. I've always liked the culture of the LT, and any time I've done legs of any distance there have been some people hiking roughly parallel itineraries. There's company if you want it.
It isn't the same, but it's nice. Maybe I'm dating myself here, but if the AT thru-hiker class is like the crowd following around the Dead tour, then the long-distance LT hikers around you are like the handful of people you keep bumping into at Bela Fleck shows in weird little midwestern towns. In other words, it's more intimate and there's a little less of a feeling that there is a Way Things Are Done. I've always liked the culture of the LT, and any time I've done legs of any distance there have been some people hiking roughly parallel itineraries. There's company if you want it.
Never thought of it thataway but I've seen about the same percentage of both types on both trails. I think the reason you may have less prima donnas on the LT is its so short that darn near anybody can do it - anyway they want.
Or maybe I haven't spent enough time on these trails to know the difference:o
DuctTape
06-17-2011, 21:35
I did a SOBO hike starting late September of '07. The locals seemed to think that I was lucky not to have seen any snow. Had plenty of shelters all to myself.
It isn't the same, but it's nice. Maybe I'm dating myself here, but if the AT thru-hiker class is like the crowd following around the Dead tour, then the long-distance LT hikers around you are like the handful of people you keep bumping into at Bela Fleck shows in weird little midwestern towns. In other words, it's more intimate and there's a little less of a feeling that there is a Way Things Are Done. I've always liked the culture of the LT, and any time I've done legs of any distance there have been some people hiking roughly parallel itineraries. There's company if you want it.
That's exactly why I'm doing the LT for my next hike, great way to put it too
Transition Bob
07-10-2011, 21:08
I might be interested in doing the LT north to south in Sept., starting around the 19th. I'm 64 and would also be willing to do 12-15 miles a day. Tell me more about your plans.
Early September Southbound. Mid August Northbound, I've seen dustings early Sept. The trail has much beauty all the time. Might want to give yourself 5 weeks.
I will be watching this thread closely too..
Penciled in for my long hike next year is to start the LT at the border, hit the AT and hike it SOBO back to Erwin.
I was thinking of starting at the northern terminus of the LT in June - feasible? (sorry SL, not trying to hijack your thread...)
I did the LT SOBO this year, starting June 25 (actually, staying at Journey's End Camp the night before). It rained quite a bit in the first 15 days and the trail was very muddy in many places and often a stream of water (there are hardly any water breaks on the LT). On the other hand, it rained in the rest of VT also, and NOBOs told me that the south-most 60 miles of the LT were very muddy. By the time, I got there, it had not rained for several days, and the southern section had only isolated muddy spot. So, perhaps, the weather is not that much of a consideration for the direction in the second half of June.
The bugs were not too big a deal, except at Stratton Pond.