any mail drops necessary? (nobo)
Is there a spot where a mail drop is needed? or can you do the whole thing on town stops? i'd rather not have to mail something to keep my options flexible.
I don't think mail drops are absolutely necessary but you need to decide how much food weight you want to carry and how much time you are willing to put into getting to town. Off the top of my head I think of (nobo) Manchester Center, Rutland, Waitsfield, and Stowe(?). Johnson used to be a good spot up north but as far as I know the grocery is gone. Just make sure you have some backup plans in case your mileage estimates are off, it is not like you are ever terribly far from "civilization" but it can sometimes be hard to get there and many smaller towns don't have more than convenience stores. For me the northern LT is one of those trails where I tend to carry extra food because the terrain is rugged and I don't always get as far as I think I might. You might want to check out the end-to-end guide for specifics.
Yea, this is the part i don't enjoy.. never had to resupply before and it's a PITA to figure out for someone who usually just throws stuff together and goes.
I attempted a NOBO LT hike last year when Hurricane Irene hit and cut the trip short. I ended up doing 3 maildrops. Planning for the LT was a challenge.
I discovered one of the grocery stores I planned on resupplying at (Johnson, VT) had closed due a flood.
You may want to double check too.
Last edited by Spokes; 06-18-2012 at 12:25.
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
Spokes i'm talking about the Long Trail. The whole thing only takes 3 weeks so only a few resupplies are needed. it is just a matter of where
Originally Posted by jakedatc
Drats! It's been a long night! I'll amend my last post. Thanks!
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
Maildrops are not Needed, I did the entire AT in 2006 with no maildrops, I did the AT again this year with only 4 maildrops, #1 at Neels Gap, # 2 at the Blueberry Patch, instead of doing the 13 mile hitch hike in to Hiwassee, #3 I had a friend bring it to me at winding stair gap N.C since i do live in sylva which is only about 30 miles away why go in to franklin when you don't have to, # 4 At Kincora hostel that was a grab and go type thang. Their it is i did the entire A.T this year with only four mail drops. RED-DOG ( Flip-Flop 96 & GA-ME 06 & GA-ME 2012 ) Happy hiking.
He's talking about the Long Trail. I made the same mistake!
Last edited by Spokes; 06-18-2012 at 13:18.
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
Well Excuse Me, My bad, i thought he was talking about the AT sorry.
we are in the Long Trail sub forum....... just sayin'
I will probably start without them and if i need something i have a friend in Stowe who could probably get me stuff pretty quickly.
You don't NEED to send any maildrops for a Long Trail thru-hike, you can resupply from the following locations going Northbound, all require hitching except Rutland which you can catch a bus from the Inn at Long Trail:
- about 50 miles in, Manchester Center has supermarkets
- about 100 miles in, Rutland has supermarkets
- about mile 165, Waitsfield has a supermarket (Shaws, not sure about selection)
- about mile 185, Richmond has a small market, good pizza
- about mile 220, Morrisville has supermarkets, the supermarket in Johnson is gone
In additions to those - there are 2 (on trail) maildrop locations:
- Inn at Long Trail (down Sherburne Pass Trail, old AT/LT) around mile 100, requires blue-blaze
- Jonesville Post Office, about mile 185, directly on trail
Furthermore, one can pick up food at various smaller locations like the general store near Clarendon, Warren General Store near Lincoln Gap, etc...
Hope this helps
I would mostly agree with this except to say that the grocery store in Waitsfield is EXCELLENT and that Richmond is not on the trail - you have to get a ride from Jonesville (which is in the process of being re-routed off of the trail as the GMC is buying land for a better crossing of the Winooski River - - I have also heard that the PO in Jonesville is closing (or has closed very recently).
For fun, I'll add one town that may not work into your scheme - Hancock at mile 135 NOBO - - it's not a hard hitch and there is a little B&B there called the Gathering Place - you can swim in their river and there is a pizza restaurant across the street along with a good PO and a well enough stocked hiker friendly convenience store for a re-supply. In 2010, I saw a bobcat or a small mountain lion come out of the woods at dusk and steal a chicken in Hancock - pretty cool (for the Bobcat that is).
Good news bout Waitsfield, thanks for the heads up on Jonesville PO, we were planning on using that one!
Haven't heard about that one closing but it's very possible. They are closing many small POs around the state. Best to call and find out.
Was driving in Eden a couple months back and watched something run across a field, cross the road and across another field. First I thought it was a deer, but it had a long tail and a small head. I was quite a distance away. Could've been a dog, but the more I ran over it in my mind...features matched a mountain lion (they call them catamounts here) more than anything else.
I just called the Jonesville PO and asked. The clerk said it was up in the air after September 1 but she knew they'd be open through August 31st.
(802)434-2684 is the number if you want to verify. Which might not be a bad idea - sometimes it's good to get 2 answers to the same question to make sure they match....
Interesting...
I heard a similar story from the guy that gave me a ride from the Eden PO back to the trailhead last year. He lives in Eden and told me that he watched from his tractor as a catamount took one of his turkeys. He was pretty positive it was a lion and not a bobcat or lynx. (He also let me fill up my water bottles from a piped spring on his farm. That was truly appreciated.)
-Steve
I've told several people that I saw a mountain lion eat the chicken in Hancock and they have told me, "no, you're crazy, it was just a bobcat" - they might be right, but that bobcat would have been as big as a german shepard dog - - interesting to hear the term catamount - heard it before but didn't know what it was. thanks
Maybe a mail drop up north, but that's about it...
And I have also seen a mountain lion, or catamount like they are called around here, in Southern VT. I know my animals, and know what I saw...really cool.
Now that I've discovered freeze dried food that isn't loaded with chemicals and preservatives I'm planning a drop for:
1. Johnson
2. Jonesville
3. Long Trail Inn
4. Manchester Center
I will likely go into either Morrisville or Rutland for a zero and round out my resupply stuff and I'm definitely going to chill for a day in MC...
I'm taking my sweet time and going with 5 drops NOBO.
1. Manchester Center
2. Inn at Long Trail
3. Hyde Away Inn
4. Smugglers Notch State Park
5. Eden
CAUTION NOTE: The Inn at the Long Trail does NOT accept USPS shipments. You have to send to them via UPS or FedEx. I saw this on their website and I called them to confirm.
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