Long Trail SOBO resupply and must-stays

imported
#1

Hi,
My wife and I are going to do the northern portion of the long trail to the AT (or farther if we have time) this summer Mid July to Mid august or so.

First, we prefer to carry as little food as possible to keep the pack weight down. Most resupply options seem to just hit the big towns. So, I was looking for other sobo’s experiences on resupply. Or Nobos…

Also, would like to hear the “must see” or “must stay” places on and off the trail.

Thanks for any info. I have started reading the end2end guide, but wanted more experience info on soboing and more frequent resupply. Then I will collate and come back with more questions.

YEAH! We can’t wait! Training for AT 2005… Or just an excuse to take 3-4 weeks off!

Gravity man and Tuffie (GA-WV 01)

Gravity man

#2

The Town of Johnson, 50 miles from Canada, is on route 15 east of the LT. Its an easy hitch to a nice college town with a good grocery store and plenty of places to eat. Jonesville is tiny but the Post Office is on the trail and the local store does stock enough for short term resupply (not a large selection but all the staples) and they have a deli. Jonesville is about 90 miles from Canada on Route 2. Waitsfield, a winter ski town, is 7 miles east of App Gap (110 miles) and has a grocery store and restaurants.
Those are the towns I’ve been to. I have not spent many overnights in Northern Vermont, but I’m sure others who have will give you good ideas. Then Inn At Long Trail in Killington is great, a real trail classic: great food and pub with Irish music and cozy rooms. Laundry and mail drops at the Inn and The Rutland Bus stops there too.

Celt

#3

I sobo’ed last Fall with another woman and my dog. We r/s for the first time in Johnson, which we reached in 5 days. Great little health food store there: Roo’s. As well as a Grand Union (Vermonters complain this is one of their worst GU, but it served the purpose). I also sent a drop there.
Next stop was Jonesville, as Celt mentions. I have differing opinions on the r/s option with that store, as I’ve stated in other LT threads. We ended up in Richmond that day, taking a ‘nearo’. Store there, mo’ better. Also a laundry and several restaurants, library for internet and our trail angel Marion who put all 3 of us up for the night, on short notice. Richmond is the home of the infamous Mama Bower’s B&B, she was full. However we managed to spend our last night there on the trail before heading back to North Troy to get the car. This is a must stop, if they’re full, Marion MIGHT take overflow, but arranged through the Bowers. We did spend the night @ the new Smugg’s campground, which was fabulous (brand new bathroom and shower house) and could have hitched to Stowe which has a plethora of options. Oh, the hostel in Johnson was not open for us, we tented behind the Tavern, but there is a reported awesome hostel there usually (she was having surgery).

Next r/s after Jonesville/Richmond was Bristol - which we accessed out of App Gap. Turns out Lincoln Gap (though unpaved in parts) is the usual route to Bristol, but we still managed hitches there and back. As Celtl mentioned you can go east to Waitsfield where accommodations are plentiful (except for leaf season when we were there), there is one particular place everyone mentions, it’s in the E2E guide.

Those were the only r/s/drops we had planned for the northern 170 miles.

Bluebearee

#4

I did two LT SOBOs in '02 & '03. Rte 15 has the Long Trail Tavern at the bridge jct. They open at 3 pm and have a field out back out of sight next to a brook for tenting. They have burgers, pizza, and brew and allow the use of a shower. Johnson is an easy walk or hitch with PO, grocery, laundry, drug store. One of the tavern patrons let me use his van to run my errands. Sterling Pond is nice, but recommend Taft Lodge instead, very spacious with great view and just below the Chin of Mansfield. In three stays at Taft only had a few folks there for the night twice. Jonesville PO right off the LT, store just .2 mi W. Twice I stayed with the Squires, walking distance from PO and you can tent out back or use the clean shed. They are listed in the E to E guide, email them on dates. They also have a nice wide brook out back with deep pools for great swimming! Best deli is west in Richmond. From Jonesville I have gone to Killington the last two times, so the food load was heavy starting out. Stark’s Nest ski hut (Mad River Glen) is south of Rte 17 and a great place to stay for the views, but water is about .4 mi. downhill. From Lincoln Gap to Rte 4 the trail is less strenuous. The 19 mile section from Rte 73 to Rte 4 is a breeze, not much to see there and can be very overgrown in sections. Most of the shelters are great up north. Almost half of the time I was the only one at them, even in the summer! I carried a hammock last time for more options as tent sites are not very abundant. I also gave myself several extra days to take advantage of good weather on the many summits and ridges, and this paid off last year as with few exceptions I had rain from Johnson to Killington.

OJ

#5

Must Stay:
On the trail: Spruce Ledge Camp (overlooking Devil’s Gulch and Ritterbush Pond), Sterling Pond shelter or Watson Camp (both overlooking Sterling Pond but Watson Camp is an enclosed cabin with a porch), Taft Lodge (you already heard about this place from OJ’s post, just keep in mind that shletrs around Mt. Mansfield are very popular on weekends), Bamforth Ridge shelter (on the northern approach to Camel’s Hump), Stark’s Nest (liek mentioned above, carry in your water as there is none here), Skyline Lodge (overlooking Skylight Pond, very peaceful and nice).

Must See:
Jay Peak (you will go over this one, hopefully in good weather), Devil’s Gulch (LT goes right through it, enjoy it), Bamforth Ridge (approach to Camel’s Hump, a long open ridge best in clear weather), Burnt Rock Mt. (on LT but less frequently visited than Camel’s Hump or Mt. Mansfield), the glacial pothole just south of Burnt Rock Mt. (hard to find because there is no sign but it is close to the trail, it took me 2 times before I found it). Many more things to see if you check the book often.

Water:
One section that is notorious for being a dry stretch is the Monroe Skyline. This is the ridge that goes over General Stark Mt., Mt. Ellen and Mt. Abraham. Sometimes there is water at Theron-Dean shelter but it is not always true. A more reliable site is about 1 mile south of Stark’s Nest (Mad River Glen Ski Area Aki Patrol hut). You will come to the trail junction for Glen Ellen Lodge on the left (assuming SOBO). Go a short distance farther and take the next right, it should have a small water sign on it. Just down the trail a few feet is a dripping spring (there used to be a large PVC pipe but I am not sure if it is still there). This spot has been very reliable even in dry seasons. The trail to Glen Ellen Lodge might get you to a water supply too but it is a steeper and longer trail than to this piped spring.

I could go on but I will not in this post. If you need more details, feel free to email. Have a good journey!

Rob

#6

Just thought I would add some info on Starks Nest as over the years I have stayed up there five times. They do have a privy for those that prefer such facility. The water source (since 1990 from experience) is down the Catamount ski trail about .4 mile right across the maint. road. You will hear the water running and have to push through some tall grass to get to it, but it has always been flowing well, even in August. For ease of walking I recommend using the maint. road which leaves the LT just south of the lift. It adds some distance, but is much less steep than the ski trail when you are lugging extra water back up. There is trailmap of the ski area posted up there and last year even a hand drawn map to the water was left inside. For some unknown reason I met a few NOBO’s who tried, but could not find the water. I think they just did not go far enough. For SOBO’s I have never found water at Theron Dean. The only reliable water was way back at Birch Glen Camp and you do not want to carry extra water from there to Starks Nest as there is some good elevation gains and rough trail. The views from Stark’s Nest are worth spending the afternoon and night up there, especially views to the north and west at sunset just about 400 feet of the hut.

OJ

#7

It took us two attempts to find this water last fall. And only after two runners came up and happened to mention it, I hadn’t gone far enough down the hill. Someone had posted directions to it the day or two before in the hut, but we just didn’t go far enough down. And yes, that was one steep a** climb up that black diamond run, which I did TWICE. But staying @ Starks Nest was probably the highlight of the trip. I’m a skiier and being at the top of the legendary single chair of Mad River Glen was very cool. :happy

Bluebearee

#8

The Long Trail is great, especially north of Taft to border. Not well used, challenging terrain and uninhibited(let it all hang out baby). Have hiked it many times though not real recently. From the posts here, the situation has remained secluded and good for Fall colors. Happy trails, 2 Spirits

2 spirits