Long Trail Wild Life

imported
#1

What kind of wild life is one liable to see while hiking the Long Trail. Bears? moose, canadian gray jay?

HikerDude

#2

Some of the rides into and out of town can be pretty wild :smokin I saw plenty of moose poop but no moose. One racoon and plenty of birds. The chicks who volunteer for the GMC are hot!!!:pimp

Chef

#3

Thanks Chef, I’ll bear that in mind.

Cheers

Cheers

#4

Porcupines!! Guaranteed if you hike more than 2 days. They’re quite fearless.

Cookerhiker

#5

Cookerhiker is correct,porcupines are fearless and quite prolific along the LT.I stayed overnight at David Logan Shelter and woke up several times while the porkies ate away at the shelter floor.Keep your pack and boots somewhere the porkies cant get at them.
Saw a Cow and Bull Moose just north of the summit of Camels Hump.
Speaking of wildlife,dont stay at Gov.CLEMENT Shelter,the Shelter is next to a dirt road, and the local,two legged drunks like to harass hikers staying at the shelter.
Enjoy the trail,it’s a great hike.

OLD & IN THE WAY

#6

Well, I like Chef’s sense of humor and his priorities. And I as for Cookerhiker I was just about to say, “Porcupines, No way.” But OLD & IN THE WAY backed you up on that one. So I will keep a lot out for Porcupines.

And the situation at Gov.CLEMENT Shelter is noted. Bummer that.

HikerDude

#7

The porcs like the sweat on the boots, bacpacks, shelter floor. They will chew up your boots no problem. IN MA we have a shelter thats being slowly eaten by them.

Ya the clement thing sux.I always stay at clarendon gorge or camp ontop of Beacon hill. Then the next day I usually just push past it and over Killington, with a stop for a great cheeseburger and beer at Killington summit restaurant. and then right down to the road/LT INN.

Chef

#8

Hey, sorry for the typos in my last post.  That post was rather cryptic.  But I guess you got the general drift.

So is there a Porcupines defense?
Anybody every been used for target practice?

oh well

HikerDude

#9

…also like privys. they’ve been known to knaw on the doors.

Yeah, I’ll admit I haven’t hiked Vermont in years (I completed the Long Trail in 1981 - shows my age!) but I heard a story from a 2004 thru-hiker that a porkie led them along the Trail for over a mile. The Trail was too narrow w. rocks, roots, growth etc. for the hikers to pass and with shorts, they (obviously) didn’t want to step over it so they resigned themselves to the porkie’s pace.

Cookerhiker

#10

Thanks for the laugh. I can just imaginge the little critter holding up a couple of exasperated hikers. Good lesson for learning to live in the moment and also to think about how little power we really have in the big world.

eclecticliz