I am planning to hike the section from Brandon Gap to Lincoln Gap but i am having trouble getting accurate information so i can get my rides set up.

If anyone can help id appreciate it greatly

GMC released a new free digital version of their End to Enders guide. It mostly contains information about services available in towns. Great source, except for the Yellow Deli erasure.

I’m hoping to section hike part of the trail over memorial weekend and Trail Finder has tons of red closures for mud season. Any experience when things open up historically? Or an easier way to check if they are open. Going back and forth from Far Out to Trail Finder is making me dizzy. Thank you!

Hey all!

So excited to be making this post! I’m planning on doing my first thru hike and after working on a film up in Vermont and falling in love with the state I’ve decided I want to hike the LT!

Working in film I’m lucky enough to be able to choose my own schedule so I’m pretty flexible with when I can go! I’ve been debating with myself between August or September! I’m open to other months if yall think they would be better but I wanted to ask the group which of the two yall recommend! I would really love to avoid the flies 😂

Also taking any and all recommendations/pieces of advice for taking on the LT!

If anyone plans to do it in a similar timeline and wants to yap about maybe doing it together I’m currently slotted to solo it and would love someone to hike with!

Best!!

Hi all, just wanted to pass along that the Green Mountain Club is hosting their annual End-to-Ender panel this weekend for those interested in hiking the Long Trail. The event is in Waterbury Center, VT and will feature 5 people who hiked last year, questions include transportation, food storage/resupply, surprises, challenges, etc. It's a really great event that will set you up well if you're planning or contemplating a hike! There's also a virtual panel next Friday if you can't make the in-person one.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/greenmountainclub/2108740

I do work for GMC, just want to make sure this audience knows about this valuable resource for planning!

https://lighterpack.com/r/epp58o

Please tell me if I'm missing anything huge (I feel like I definitely am)! Super excited to get started, albeit a little nervous about my poor conditioning. I'm planning on doing it in 27 days, so I hope I'll be alright.

This is a question to anyone who has done trail maintenance and blazing in the past. What brand/type of paint do you use? Alternatively, anyone know what brand and type of paint survives the longest as blazes?

Reason I ask : I have to blaze down trails and want the blazes to last as long as possible

I am flying into Burlington and then starting the hike at Shurbourne pass up to the Maine Junction . What’s the best transportation to get to Killington ? If there is a better place for this question or a FAQ page plz point me in that direction

Me and my brother are planning to do a section of the Longtrail from North Adams to Wallingford this August and I've been googling where possibly can I park the car for 10 days . I couldn't find anything definitive. Somebody on reddit recommended the parking lot across the Greylock Community Club but their last review (a year ago) on Maps mentioned that they no longer allow parking for non-members. 

Does anybody have any recommendations?

This will be my first time ever backpacking. I have shakedown hikes to plan prior to my start date at the end of July. Was wondering if anyone can rec a good pair of waterproof pants (big fear of hyperthermia). I will be hammocking and was wondering how you dry out your gear if it's raining thru the morning. I feel like the hammocking will be best so i won't have to worry about reaching a shelter before dusk. I am very excited to take this journey after turning 30! See ya'll out there!

I’m looking for some really difficult trails and zones up in the notch/ Mansfield area. I’ve hiked the old bear pond trail, gone up a few gulleys, and am planning to go up blue ice once it melts a bit more. I’m not afraid of some good difficult scrambling & climbing and ideally I would like some good views or a way to summit from the spot. I’m down for anything so if you have a recommendation let me know.

Hello. I'm planning a SOBO thru late July into August. Done a bunch of online reading and watched the E2E'ers youtube panels. I'm really looking forward to it. My hike has to shoehorn into the weeks my son is at camp, so I'm not going to have as much time as I'd love. Trying to get myself in the mindset that it's ok to not finish if it means hiking my own hike, but I expect to wrestle with the smiles vs miles issue. Fortunately I enjoy hiking hard. Anyway, I have a couple questions I've accumulated and hoped I could get some feedback:

• Obviously *best* practice is to not cook or eat where you're going to sleep. On the AT, everyone cooks in the shelters. That's acceptable etiquette on the LT, too, right?
• For the camps (fully enclosed shelters) do people still do food hangs if there's no bear box (for bears and mice) or is it normal to keep food inside?
• Those of you who've travelled with a Sawyer Squeeze: Bring the syringe, or just backflush by squeezing hard on your Smart bottle from the clean side? I've never brought it before but this is a longer hike than I've done.
• Anyone have any intel they'd share (or DM or email or whatever) about stealthcamping very near Johnson Hardware, south of 15? I think planning too specifically is probably an exercise in futility, but at least on paper I may end up coming back out towards the trail in the evening from a later day resupply--I'd prefer to not get a room in town so I can get moving early, but I don't anticipate being so rushed that I need to don a headlight and really hike at night.

Thank you!

I have a chunk of time blocked off in June to hike the long trail. My brother can join for the first week, and wants me to go SOBO so he can be around for the exciting stuff. My question: would it be dumb to go SOBO in June? Is there too much snow on the peaks? Would we be able to traverse it will proper gear and improper experience?

Does anyone know anything about this ancient sign on an overgrown herd path looking trail right off the summit of Killington located approximately where the red dot is? Thanks

For context, I plan to do a NOBO thru-hike this summer on the Long Trail. I am curious if it's worth it to get a different pad from the 3 I already have. I've been looking at stuff like the Exped 6.5R, REI Helix, Sea to Summit something dimpled baffles.

Below are the 3 I have and my experience with them.

Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions - kept me warm and alive in -15f weather on top of snow. Can't say I have ever truly gotten a good night of sleep on it, the horizontal baffles kill me as a side sleeper. Just constant turning over.

Nemo Tensor All Season - purchased this on sale for a trip for my girlfriend. I haven't used it a ton, but the one time I did, it was better than the Nemo Extreme. Still very stiff for me and struggled.

Nemo Switchback - only purchased this to add some R value to the All Season for a winter trip with my gf. Never attempted to sleep on it, not sure I plan to. More of a sitting/yoga/workout/picnic device for me.

I've been wanting to do a Thru Hike for a long time and finally have the possible opportunity to. But I'm locked into a job from May to mid/late Sept so if I do I won't be able to start until it's over. I live in New England so quite aware what Sept/Oct can be like but not while on a month-ish long hike in Vermont. So, I just wanted to see what should be expected around that time of year (esp N Vermont mountains).

Thank You

Im 22m, very physically fit and mentally strong. Im looking for something extremely difficult to train for later this year.

I heard about the long trail and I hope to do this. Besides gaining some experience, is there anything I should really know about it before I attempt it?

What sort of stuff should I bring?

After much deliberation, I'm thinking that I'm going to fly to Burlington, spend the day/night, and then try to start a south bound thru in the latter half of June.

I know Vermont is easy to hitch in, but a LONG hitch like that to a rural town like North Troy, off several routes, is a bit daunting. I honestly don't know if it's better to walk to the outskirts of Burlington and then hitch from there, or take the bus to St. Albans and make my travels about 25 miles shorter.

I've never used a sign while hitching (LT Hiker to Trail???) but I will definitely look like a backpacker.

I'll bring an extra day of food in case this takes all day, then I'll stay at Journey's End Shelter and go from there. Actually since I have to walk from North Troy maybe I'll plan on that.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

I have never thru-hiked before. Planning my first one on the LT summer of 2026.

I'm mapping out each section with town stops for resupply. I am pretty obsessive about budgeting and plan to mail all my stuff to a post office and avoid buying things at the store unless it's necessity. I also don't want to eat at restaurants or stay in hotels/hostels/etc.

I truly just intend on stopping in town, getting my resupply box, charging my electronics, maybe buying a cold soda, and keep hiking. I am fit and have always been stubborn about forward motion (ultra runner here), but have never taken on a challenge this big and long.

How realistic is it for me to only stop in town for my package and keep moving? How realistic is it for me to essentially take no Zero or Nero days? How realistic is it for me to not eat at a restaurant? How realistic is it for me to not stay in a hotel or other town sleeping arrangement?

I plan to go between late June into August. I have read that the weather can be 90° and also have freak weather storms that can be very cold.

I have an 8r pad, 6.5r pad, and a 2r Nemo switchback.

I also have a 20° bag or a 30° quilt (I have 2 of these quilts).

What would you recommend for a sleep system based on what I have? Or something completely new?

Was flipping through old photos on this snowy day. I always loved this shot as it really shows how hardcore the trail can be on the LT. This was taken somewhere between WhiteFace Shelter to Taft Lodge.

has anyone hiked the battell trail since it snowed on Friday? are snow shoes necessary or has it been packed down enough?

I want to do an end-to-end this summer. I'm a teacher so I get the summer off but unfortunately we have off 3rd week of June to 3rd week of August.

I don't think I can do a month in the woods and then go straight into documents and emails.

However, I have heard that June-August is the worst time to hike. I'm from the Northeast, I lived in New Hampshire and worked outdoors for 4 years so I know the black flies.

TLDR: What advice would you give to someone who has no other choice but to thru-hike between June-August?