Long Trail guidebooks

imported
#1

In the interest of weight I’m thinking of just bringing the end to enders guide along. I just got the 2003 guide today and it seems pretty complete with all the shelter, town and water info and miles to and from shelters. Is it a mistake to not have the fat LT guidebook? Seems like the elevation profiles aren’t too great and their is a lot of superflous info. I have an older one and was thinking of just jotting down important info and mileage to roads on the end to enders. What do you all think? I know there have been a couple recent relos like Jonesville and Killington. Thanks

A-Train

#2

I don’t think the fat LT guide is necessary at all, unless you really care to know exactly how the terrain ahead will be. I’d rather be surprised any day. The End-to-Ender’s Guide is extremely helpful in towns and with shelters and water, and all the rest (which is documented painstakingly in the fat LT Guide) is really pretty much details. I’d leave the fat one at home.

Bayley

#3

Train,

In '02, I carried the slim book (E2E) and my partner MAFMan carried the 12 small maps from the fat book (tore them out, I think, but I’m not certain). We’d have a map burning every time we walked off a map.

Between the two of us, that was all that was needed.

Shoe

Jan LiteShoe

#4

I’m an avowed map and guide book aholic, we all probably know that. So I and DebW carried both. I like reading about views and names of outlooks, etc and having the daily mileage and waypoints, etc. It’s just as well signed as the AT and since you know Vermont, A-Train, as far as getting off trail for an unforeseen emergency, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You could try to photocopy the maps (I can’t tear apart a book) or tear them out. Much is superfluous as you said.

Bluebearee

#5

Which guide has better information on getting a ride from the north end of the Long Trail?

Green Stick

#6

The E2E has more info about shuttles and such. We left a car at the Rose Apple B&B for the duration and he shuttled us the couple miles to Journey’s End.

Bluebearee

#7

Both books are good, but things do change wihout much notice. Best to check with the GMC. I thru-hiked N to S in '02 and '03 and the Jonesville relocation several miles to the east had not happened as of August '03. The new bridge is in at Jonesville right across from the PO. The prior year the GMC offered a shuttle service which allowed hikers to avoid the 3 mile roadwalk on River Rd. Did it this last year with no problems. The trail up Bamforth Ridge actually is an improvement over the two prior routes. The Killington relocation is now several years old and from Rte 4 to the south it’s nice. Many AT/LT hikers still use the old trail, now called the Sherburne Pass Trail. I never stayed at the LT Inn as they were always full, but went east another 1.4 miles to the PO/Deli/motel which were great. The most relocation runs up the old Elelphants Head trail from Rte 108 to Sterling Pond, and it is much more rugged and time consuming than the old way up through Smugglers Notch. The Long Trail Tavern at Rte 15 was still letting hikers camp and use the shower this last year, but the owners wife passed away and he was too ill to run the place. Hope the employees keep it running The LT north of the AT is great as you can still find some solitude (except the high peaks).

OJ