Long Trail is September or October?

[ShelterLeopard]

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]

I meant Long Trail IN not is... whoops.

[Slo-go'en]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[10-K]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?

[Jeff]

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]

Thanks Jeff- when does your hostel close? Are you open through September?

[Kermitt]

If anyone is hiking the LT. from the north in Sept. in would be interested, I do hike 12-13 miles a day.

[Tinker]

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]

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!

[Papa D]

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]

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...