Why the Long Trail?

So how did this start?

I grew up a few miles from the Appalachian Trail in Western Connecticut. I’d hiked plenty as a kid, but one of my first overnight backpacks without adults was with my Eagle Scout high school buddy — up Lions Head to the shelter by Bear Mountain, which we climbed after dark to escape an over-talkative shelter-mate, then down the back side on icy rock (not sure why we did this in March), then through Sages Ravine, then over Mounts Race and Everett in dense fog and snow. We carried a whole coconut and a small boom box. I can’t remember why. But hiking the entire AT has been a bucket list item ever since that epic, somewhat misguided adventure.

Now I find myself on the wrong side of 50, navigating a period of significant change in my life. With any luck I have plenty of active years left, but I’m not getting any younger, and the clock is ticking. It’s not going to get easier to do a long hike than it is right now, and I’d like to know if I’m up to the challenge — physically, but more importantly, mentally. Is my lifelong dream just a romantic fantasy, or does it have legs? I do know I like exploring the world on foot. Do I want that to be my dawn-to-dusk pursuit, day over day, for 3 to 6 months? Dunno.

So why the Long Trail?

I’ve done solo backpacks. I’ve done wilderness trips, on foot and by canoe, up to two weeks long. I know the beer-and-pizza cravings on Day 7, and the feral feeling that takes hold on Day 8 and beyond. I don’t know what happens after that. A 3-to-6-month thru-hike of the AT is a serious commitment — I’d have to quit my job or take unpaid leave, and the logistics are significant. And what if I hate it?

I decided to look for a trail long enough to give me a real taste of what it’s like to be a thru-hiker, without having to quit my job or deal with gnarly logistics. Why not the Long Trail? At 272 miles and change, it’s committing but not so long that I have to completely upend my life to finish it. Sure, it’s muddy, it’s hard, it’s full of pointless ups and downs (PUDs), and it’ll be mentally and physically challenging. But it’s also the original long path in the US, and I have a soft spot for New England, where I grew up, and Vermont specifically.

So why September/October?

I like New England, but I hate the bugs in the woods in summer. I don’t need that extra challenge. I’d rather deal with cold, possibly freezing temps, and the extra weight I’ll need to carry. Plus, oh man, Vermont in the fall. Yes please.

So why NOBO?

I’m actually in the best shape I’ve been in since I was 20. I’m hiking every weekend and walking every day. I’m eating pretty well. But I’m not sure I’m in Long Trail shape. Did I mention it’s muddy, hard, and full of PUDs? The southernmost 100-ish miles are shared with the AT in Vermont and are a bit friendlier than the LT from Maine Junction — where the AT splits off — to the Canadian border. I want the chance to get my trail legs under me before the harder stuff. It does mean weather could be a factor later in the trip, but I’ll take my chances.

So am I doing this solo?

Yes and no. I’m lucky that my delightful life partner Liz loves hiking and is planning to join me at Killington to hike the hard part of the trail with me. The logistics didn’t work out for her to do the whole thing end-to-end, but I’m grateful to have company for two-thirds of the trail, plus a few days of recovery — and disc golf, hopefully — in the Smugglers’ Notch/Stowe area afterward.

I’m starting to get really excited about this trip. I have my ticket to Boston, and I have a ride to the Pine Cobble Trail in North Adams. It’s real, it’s happening, and I can’t wait. Wish me luck! 🙏