The Long Trail

Climbing Mt Mansfield (VT) in January

Hiking up the Sunset Ridge Trail on Mt Mansfield

Mt Mansfield (4393′) is the highest mountain in Vermont and can be quite challenging to climb in winter conditions. I recently climbed the peak with several friends, including my friend Ken, who is hiking all of the Vermont 4000-footers this winter. I’ve …

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How to Hike Vermont’s Long Trail

Bog Bridges on the Long Trail, Vermont

Finished in 1930, The Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States and shares a National Scenic Trail designation along with longer trails such as the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. The trail is 272 miles in …

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Sleeping in Shelters on the Long Trail

Boyce Shelter, The Long Trail

When I started my end-to-end hike of the Long Trail, I planned to avoid sleeping in shelters. This is an attitude shared by a lot of other backpackers, especially those who hike the Appalachian Trail, where shelters are often infested by mice …

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Mud, Glorious Vermont Mud

A muddy section of the Cedar Brook Trail

Vermont’s Long Trail is famous for its mud. In fact, the mud is so bad in the spring from snow melt, that the Green Mountain Club asks hikers to stay off the Long Trail until Memorial Day each year to reduce erosion …

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