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cdenniston
12-07-2011, 13:55
I will be hiking the LT this upcoming summer and just wanted to ask a couple questions as I begin my preparation. I have a pretty tight schedule with work and school, but have managed to free up time this summer. I can hike the LT in June or July, I don't know if there is much difference between these two months but if there is which month would you recommend? And what sort of weather should be expected? Night time Temperatures? Rain?

lemon b
12-07-2011, 14:47
July. Blackflys might still be around in June.

Tinker
12-07-2011, 18:47
Yep. Trail may still be muddy in early June from snow melt way up high, too (though rain can make the LT muddy any time - it often is). Rain and snow melt are what make the Green Mountains green. ;)

Jeff
12-07-2011, 19:03
Yes July is a better bet...but LT thruhikers start in early June and go through October.

The quantity of mud and bugs differ from year to year. If you go in June bring DEET and a headnet & hopefully you won't need them too much.

stranger
12-07-2011, 20:24
There is no debate here, July is the better month if you have a choice. July is the warmest month of the year in Vermont, some of the mud will be gone but expect wet feet every single day without question north of Route 4, the Long Trail is quite wet, and I don't mean rain (you will see what I mean in time) but it will rain alot. Bugs will be out through September and mosquitos will be out in good numbers in July, plan on a bugnet in shelters or using a tent. July should mean no blackflys, hopefully! Night temps won't get cold in July, probably around 50-60 would be a typical low in the valleys. It can get hot in the day, but nothing too bad. Me and a buddy are hiking in late July / early August from the Canadian Border, I've made the trip northbound before as well. Good luck and feel free to PM me any questions.

Slo-go'en
12-07-2011, 22:14
If it's a choice between June and July - July hands down. I did the LT in June once -- never again! But of course the BEST time is September.

Cookerhiker
12-07-2011, 22:43
Another vote for July. Black flies will likely be gone but you'll still have mosquitos

mirabela
12-07-2011, 23:46
Definitely July, like everyone says. Late June can be OK, but earlier in the month it's often very buggy. June is muddier on average but July can be a mess too if it's a wet year.

Ordinary summer nighttime lows will be in the 40's and 50's. You might see some warm nights in the 60's or even higher, and it can dip into the high 30's in the summer if you get the right combo of high pressure, northern air mass, full moon, and so on. It rains ... patterns vary year by year, but you can count on * some* sort of significant rain event at least once a week, and it sometimes happens that you get three solid days in a row of soaking rain. I forget which summer it was, but there was one within the last few years where it rained measurably something like 28 out of 30 consecutive days. It's usually not like that, but be prepared for it.

jakedatc
12-08-2011, 02:16
Starting to plan for July sometime also. Can't wait it should be a fun trip.

cdenniston
12-08-2011, 10:09
Thank you all for the advice. July sounds like the better of the two for sure! I really wish that I could make it in late summer/fall but I have school. My family is originally from VT but because of school I have never been able to make it to NE in the Fall, disappointing. Do you guys have any other general advice for the LT? I am just beginning my preparation so any advice would be great.

Spokes
12-08-2011, 13:03
Yes July. Also be sure and get a copy of the Vermont Long Trail Waterproof Hiking Map (https://www.greenmountainclub.org/products.php?catid=3) available from the Green Mountain Club. I can't say enough good things about the GMC and their helpful staff. Awesome.

Cheers!

Jeff
12-08-2011, 13:03
If you are hiking northbound Manchester makes for a good first stop. We have two quality outfitters available to help tweak your gear choices. Mountain Goat outfitters is really great at shoe/foot issues.

Spokes
12-08-2011, 13:15
........ the best thing to help foot and shoe issues is a stay at the infamous Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel!

jakedatc
12-08-2011, 22:41
I don't have my book or map yet.. but is there a list of shelters/ huts whatever that cost $ to stay at? on the trail. not town stuff.

stranger
12-09-2011, 01:38
Thank you all for the advice. July sounds like the better of the two for sure! I really wish that I could make it in late summer/fall but I have school. My family is originally from VT but because of school I have never been able to make it to NE in the Fall, disappointing. Do you guys have any other general advice for the LT? I am just beginning my preparation so any advice would be great.

Resupply - I would recommend breaking it into at least 4 resupply stops...Manchester Center, Rutland, Waitsfield, Johnson (Morrisville), remember you walk right past the post office in Jonesville, which is 3 miles from Richmond, another likely resupply stop. Johnson no longer has the supermarket so we are going to head into Morrisville a few miles further, which also has a reasonable motel.
Direction - I would recommend going southbound, the typical advice of building up your strength for the tough northern section doesn't make much sense to me, it's only 100 miles or so before the trail gets interesting heading north, not much time to get in decent trail shape, the middle section is still going to be tough...by going southbound, you start off in more challenging terrain but can look forward to 100+ miles of moderate/easy walking towards the end. Going north, the trail just seems to get more and more difficult in my view. Plus it's harder to get to Journeys End so it's easier to plan ahead to start there, finishing at the MA border means a 4 mile walk down to town with public tranportation and motels.
Mileage - I don't know what your level of experience is but from Lincoln Gap to the Lamoille River is quite jagged and rough, muddy, wet, puddles, rocks and roots...miles will take longer in this section. Going northbound, you can expect to slow down, not speed up, as the hike develops.
Camping - hang your food, footwear and pack at night, plenty of porcs who chew on things. Plus the obvious shelter mice and the odd squirral.
Water - many water sources in Vermont originate from beaver ponds, I would treat everything that is not a spring

Cookerhiker
12-09-2011, 11:44
....from Lincoln Gap to the Lamoille River is quite jagged and rough, muddy, wet, puddles, rocks and roots...miles will take longer in this section. ...

I agree with this although there are some tough ups/downs outside this segment as well. The Lincoln Ridge (Lincoln Gap to Appalachian Gap/Rt.17) is spectacular as is Camel's Hump. Don't underestimate the part between Camels Hump and Mansfield. I found hiking from Taylor Lodge to Rt. 2/Jonesville very tiring with constant up and down.

The GMC-published Long Trail guidebook is well worth purchasing and among other things, will describe the shelters and which ones charge fees. One annoying feature which you can choose to ignore: the book estimates hiking times based on 2 mph but adding time for each 500' of elevation for ascents only, not descents. This is simply ludicrous. Especially if you hike NOBO, the descents into Appalachian Gap and down Whiteface Mountain are extremely slow-going, especially under wet conditions.

Re. Straenger's advice to hike SOBO, it has merit. I thruhiked the LT inside-out in 2007 (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=6248) but also did key portions opposite. I don't think it makes an overall difference. I will say after hiking the northern half first, the southern half seemed very easy.

Also, search the Long Trail forum on WB for lots of previously-dispensed advice. Have a great hike!

stranger
12-09-2011, 19:41
I agree with Cookiehiker, the Long Trail has significant ups and downs throughout, and I 100% agree that the section between Jonesville and Taylor Lodge is tough, for me...personally, that day was the hardest of the entire trip.

Also I think it's important to realise WHY the Long Trail is slow going - I think alot of people think it's simply because it's up and down, over relatively high mountains (for the east coast), why that has an impact it's hardly a significant issue. The problem is that the Long Trail is in New England, this means mud, puddles, more puddles, roots, rain, wind, stinging nettles, slime covered rocks, ladders going up rocks, etc... It's slow going because of the footing.

I would advise against a northbound hike, I think going northbound makes more sense in terms of 'theory', I absolutely think going southbound makes more sense in 'practice'. Saying that, my first hike was northbound and I wouldn't change it for the world.!

This time I'm going southbound

Papa D
12-09-2011, 20:24
I did the trail Northbound and would suggest the same for a lot of reasons. P/M me if you want my exact itinerary, etc. I did the trail in July (2010) and had nearly no fly problems. We had a bit of mud but that wasn't too bad either. It's a truly great hike. Let me know if I can help

cdenniston
12-09-2011, 20:41
I had not considered hiking southbound. This sounds like a good strategy though, it would not be fun being worn out and knowing that the trail is only going to get more difficult. I haven't really decided on how hard I want to hit the trail, but because it is relatively short I do not think I will be pushing myself to much. Vermont is the most beautiful place I have ever been and I am really looking forward to this hiking this trail and getting to see so much of VT. I ordered the Long Trail Guide, the End to Enders Guide, and a Map so when I receive those I will start getting into the logistics a little more.

Is it practical to plan on sleeping in my own shelter (tarp w/inner-net) for the majority of the trail, or should I really plan on the shelters being at good stopping points and having available space?

All this advice is great! Thank you!

Slo-go'en
12-09-2011, 21:50
In general, the LT is not too friendly towards tents, especially north of the AT split. Some of the popular sites have overflow areas for tents, but only when the shelter / lodge is full. Camping at non-designated sites is strongly discouraged and largely not practical. The good news is that usage is much less north of the AT split, except for Camels hump and Mansfield.

This is one trail where having a bug bivy and tarp is a good combination. The bivy in the shelter when the bugs are bad and the trap if you happen not to have a solid roof that night.

Papa D
12-10-2011, 21:51
Actually, there is pretty reasonable tenting all along the LT - even North of the AT Split. For example, there is really great tenting at Skyline Lodge (check with caretaker), platforms at Emily Proctor, great unrestricted grassy tenting at Cooly Glen, Twin Brooks (obviously), Plenty of room at Roundtop, plenty of room at Spruce Ledge, Laura Woodward, and several non-shelter sites (if you are careful and respectful) -- on my end to end hike, I'd say I tented about 60% and stayed in the shelters about 40% -- shelters are obviously convenient in the rain (and when you just don't feel like tenting), but your own space, free of snoring, people rolling about, headlamps on and off, is just so nice when you can get it.

stranger
12-10-2011, 23:49
In my experience, you will need bug protection in the shelters until late July, no question, and there are places where it's not 'legal' to tent, so I would make sure you have a defense against bugs that does not include DEET or another bug spray, but something that actually puts distance between you and them!

Yukon
12-12-2011, 18:54
You can use a hammock the entire length! There are some GREAT spots to hang on LT :)

mirabela
12-12-2011, 22:02
There are a few stretches where the tenting is pretty limited. From the MA line up to Congdon Camp, the area from Mansfield up to the Lamoille, and the stretch from Rt. 58 to the Canadian line all come to mind. I'm not saying impossible, just difficult to find a suitable and legal spot. A little first-hand beta goes a long way in some of these places. I know, for instance, of a killer, beautiful, hidden area with a nice nearby water source about halfway along between Laura Cowles and Montclair Glen, but unless you know just what you're looking for, good luck ...

cdenniston
01-22-2012, 13:40
Thank you all for your advice! School just started back up so I have be a bit preoccupied but I am back with another question. Did any of you use a wood stove on the Long Trail? I currently use a Bushbuddy Ultra and haven't been able to find any rules or regulations for using wood stoves on the Long Trail. I will be hiking with one other person so it would be nice to use wood as my fuel as I will have to boil a decent amount of water every day for my coffee and multiple meals.

4eyedbuzzard
01-22-2012, 13:49
Thank you all for your advice! School just started back up so I have be a bit preoccupied but I am back with another question. Did any of you use a wood stove on the Long Trail? I currently use a Bushbuddy Ultra and haven't been able to find any rules or regulations for using wood stoves on the Long Trail. I will be hiking with one other person so it would be nice to use wood as my fuel as I will have to boil a decent amount of water every day for my coffee and multiple meals.Generally no problem with a wood burner on the LT. Downed wood is plentiful and provided you're skilled with finding the dry stuff even when it's wet out you'll have no issues.

Slo-go'en
01-22-2012, 17:28
Generally no problem with a wood burner on the LT. Downed wood is plentiful and provided you're skilled with finding the dry stuff even when it's wet out you'll have no issues.

And a nice little smokey fire can help drive the bugs away. On my E2E in June some time ago, the first thing we did when arriving at camp was to start a small, smokey fire to drive away the million or two black flies we had collected along the trail and brought to camp with us.