1st Timer Looking for Good Oct. Lower Vermont Section Hike

[jESQa]

Hi All, we are looking to do a 15-20 mile section of lower Vermont or Upper MA into VT Columbus Day wknd (one night). We plan to park at end point and find transportation to the start. Can anyone recommend a good section hike that has a camp midway thru (hopefully where others will stay), and best way to get to the start? I realize this is not very far but it's our first time and we will have a small dog with us. Gotta start somewhere!! And for this short of a hike, do we need to buy a map? I've heard the AT is very well marked. We have the packs, tent, bags & pads and some other equipment already. Just need a good route! Thank you in advance!!

[Cosmo]

Hi All, we are looking to do a 15-20 mile section of lower Vermont or Upper MA into VT Columbus Day wknd (one night). We plan to park at end point and find transportation to the start. Can anyone recommend a good section hike that has a camp midway thru (hopefully where others will stay), and best way to get to the start? I realize this is not very far but it's our first time and we will have a small dog with us. Gotta start somewhere!! And for this short of a hike, do we need to buy a map? I've heard the AT is very well marked. We have the packs, tent, bags & pads and some other equipment already. Just need a good route! Thank you in advance!!

You can leave your car at the Greylock Community Club on Rt 2 in Mass, then shuttle to Rt 9 in Vt and hike south. You have two overnight options, Cogdon Camp or Seth Warner shelter. Starts with a good sized rock staircase up from the road, but then it's pretty mellow. Tricky little rock scramble about 2 miles from Rt 2. There's a blue blaze bypass trail, I'd use it if it's raining. See the ATC Shuttle List for shuttlers. Figure on $1/mile.

Cosmo

[jESQa]

Thanks, this sounds like it might be a good option! what do you mean by a rock staircase at the start, and a rock scramble near the end? Trying to determine difficulty level. We are athletic but I neglected to mention both dogs are very small (12 lbs) and one will be carried part of the way in a front-carry pack because she's a tripod. They love the outdoors and since we're headed to another destination after the hike, we need to have them with us. Yes I know, this presents a challenge and I would not take them on a strenuous hike, that's why we're looking for something moderate. I've been looking over topo maps and trying to get as much info as I can on the net about the AT in general. Thanks for any additional information you can provide!

[Cosmo]

Thanks, this sounds like it might be a good option! what do you mean by a rock staircase at the start, and a rock scramble near the end? Trying to determine difficulty level. We are athletic but I neglected to mention both dogs are very small (12 lbs) and one will be carried part of the way in a front-carry pack because she's a tripod. They love the outdoors and since we're headed to another destination after the hike, we need to have them with us. Yes I know, this presents a challenge and I would not take them on a strenuous hike, that's why we're looking for something moderate. I've been looking over topo maps and trying to get as much info as I can on the net about the AT in general. Thanks for any additional information you can provide!

You might need to carry the dogs over the descent in Mass, or use the bypass trail. The rocks steps coming up from Rt 9 (southbound) are fairly regular. If your dogs have some hiking experience, they will probably be fine, if you're sure they can handle the daly mileage. The trail is pretty moderate in that section, generally. Do be aware that there are porcupines here and there in the area--not an infestation by any means--but it would be prudent to have eyes on the dogs rather than letting them free range. Mass requires dogs be leashed on state lands (the AT is on state land in northern Mass).

Have fun and enjoy the foliage,

Cosmo

[Slo-go'en]

On the whole, the LT is a pretty rugged trail, even the AT section.

The Stratton pond / Lye Brook wilderness area is a reasonably mellow "walk in the woods" area where it would be possible to do a loop and avoid a shuttle, but the mileage would be fairly short. Shorter mileage might be a good idea since by mid October the sun is setting really early and it starts to get dark in the woods well before actual sunset.

And yes, it would be helpful to have a map. You'd be pretty much lost without one.

Also keep in mind if the foliage is still good Columbus day weekend (and it's looking like it might be) it will be pretty busy all along the LT. It is also Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, so you'll hear a lot of French, since the LT is very popular with hikers from Quebec.

[rafe]

I found most of the AT-LT stretch to be fairly mellow, not hard walking at all. A bit boring, in fact. It seems to get easier the further south you go.

For an easy overnighter that's also a loop, you could start at the Inn At the Long Trail, take the current AT up to Killington peak, then take the old AT (aka the Sherbourne trail) back down. Or the other way around.