Long Trail 1991: Starting Out

 

On this date in 1991 long-time hiking partner Gary Winter and I began walking south from the Vermont-Canada border on the Long Trail. This was the first-ever truly long-distance hike for either of us although been out for up to a week and 75 miles on previous hikes in Arizona, Utah and Idaho. This time the hike was 24 days and 270 miles.  We had a plan and a ridiculously heavy packs.  Both changed considerably in the during the coming weeks.

From my August 2 journal:

We started walking today. Came in almost 10 miles from Journey's End Camp. The trail is brushy and overgrown in places.  Not hard to follow but hard walking in places. We had several steep climbs. Footing is also tricky with lots of rocks and roots to catch us unaware. Got a few views of the countryside but we were mostly in "the green tunnel" as Gary calls it. The trail passes through very green and thickly wooded forest with sight distance very limited. We got a glimpse of Canada at the before heading south. Canada looks very much like Vermont: leaves, bark and rock as far as we can see. The forest seems to cling together; roots holding soil holing rock, covered with moss. A few trees here and there are already turning color. Birch trees are common, their bark peeling off in parchment like sheets.

We are camped tonight at Laura Woodward shelter after about a seven and a half hour hike in. The shelter is an open front log structure with a view of Jay Peak and its bunker-like ski building. But mostly the view is trees. We had a pretty ride up from Montpelier, passing through small towns and farm land. Our driver, Rolf Anderson gave us a running commentary about the mountains and local history as we headed north. We stopped for coffee in Morrisville where Rolf amazed us by leaving the keys to his truck in the ignition--definitely not in Phoenix anymore. After coffee, we followed the 43rd Infantry Division Memorial Highway to North Troy. Each passing mile made me more aware of what we were doing: heading into some of the northeast's most remote forest for an extended trip during which will be on our own.