An Unprecedented Day in the Blogosphere

At the risk of freaking everyone out, I am taking the radical step of posting two days IN A ROW. Settle down, get another cup of coffee, and prepare to be dazzled. Well, maybe lower your expectations for "dazzling" first....

This is part two of the New England road trip/hiking extravaganza from August. As I was planning my trip to NH, I learned that our dear friend and hiking buddy, Deja, would actually be in the neighborhood around the same time. This was pretty extraordinary news, since I haven't seen her since we summited Katahdin together in 2011 and she's been teaching in Japan for the last couple of years. But in an incredibly happy coincidence, Deja planned to thru-hike the Long Trail in Vermont during her term break, beginning the day after the MLS program wrapped up in NH. After a bit of logistical wrangling, we arranged to meet in Montpelier, VT, and I would hike with her for the first 35 miles.

It's much easier to stock up for just two days on the trail.

This was super exciting--not only a chance to get back on the trail with Deja, but a return to VT, a state that I love, love, love. I mean what's NOT to love? Artisan cheese. Craft breweries. Insanely, ridiculously cute little towns. Oh--and Ben and Jerry's. Love. Vermont. For those of you who haven't been, Montpelier is the state capital. It is also about 5 square blocks big, with a lovely river running through and a statehouse that looks like a tiny model. The whole place is smaller than the Atlanta city government facility. I did, however, become mired in what passes for a traffic jam in downtown Montpelier, as I drove in circles, trying to find the surprisingly elusive Greyhound station to meet Deja. Unlike Atlanta, though, there was never that concern that another driver would embrace the road rage and shoot you in the face. In Vermont, they're more likely to roll down the window and pass you a joint or some sort of vegan bakery product. So small and friendly. Did I mention my love of Vermont?

One of the many reasons to love Vermont....

After I finally found Deja and her friend Jan--a fellow thru-hiker who lives nearby--we headed to various stores to buy supplies, then headed north to the trailhead. Here begins the educational portion of the post....
The Long Trail is the oldest long distance hiking path in the United States and an inspiration for the development of the AT. It was laid out by the Green Mountain Club between 1910 and 1930, running 273 miles from the Canadian border, the length of Vermont to the Massachusetts state line. The southernmost 100 miles of the Long Trail are contiguous with the AT, so I've already done that part. Another important point is that the two trails are identically blazed, with the white rectangle so closely associated with the AT.

We hit the trail at the Canadian border, pretty deep in the middle of nowhere. We kept joking about how hilarious it would be to emerge from the woods and find a border control dude sitting there in a lawn chair checking papers. Happily, we were all alone. Since I had only a couple of days, we left my car in a parking area about 35 miles south. After a late afternoon start, we reached our first shelter. Like the AT, the LT has small lean-tos at regular intervals. The ones that I saw tended to be a bit smaller than those on the AT, with very few decent tent-sites--not surprising, I suppose, given the more remote nature of the LT at the northern end.

Ready to go.

The trailhead at Journey's End, VT.

The monument at the Canadian border. The
line marking the border is visible in the background.

Very swanky signage.

Very threatening signage.

Hitting the slopes. At Jay Peak.

Rainy day lunch break.

Unfortunately, I had to abandon Deja for the two day drive back to Georgia. She carried on alone and completed the trail faster than anticipated--yay, Deja! It was awesome to be back out on the trail, though sad to be without Pancho. Maybe another adventure soon....

Parking lot re-supply, before my departure.

The end of my hike....

One last shot.