From My Experience...The Long Trail

The simplest comparison I have for hiking the Long Trail is to those individuals that have experience hiking the Northern Sections of the Appalachian Trail, specifically the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Southern Maine. The Long Trail is not very forgiving.

The first ~100 miles, however, going NOBO (where the AT/LT are joined) is a nice shakedown into hiking. I’d recommend hiking NOBO if you have very little experience hiking or are not in the best physical shape since the first 100 miles going NOBO are more forgiving than the other 174 miles further North.

After the split with the Appalachian Trail at the Maine Junction, the Long Trail becomes, in the words of a former AT/LT hiker, “annoying”. By annoying, I mean that there are plenty of PUDS (pointless ups and downs) throughout the day that bring you to wooded summits only to bring you back down only to climb right back up. The trail mainly travels in thick forest so you will see A LOT of greenery for miles. There is a nice gradual 18 mile stretch from VT 15 to the spur to Hazen’s Notch Camp Shelter but expect the rest of the trail to be lined with overgrown vegetation, muddy, rocky, rooty, steep, or a combination of these.

Be attentive of the blazes especially near ski areas as the trail will cross, join, intersect, or leave a ski slope(s) or snowmobile slope(s). The first 100 miles with the AT will spoil you will blazes marked at least every 5 mins but marked blazes become fewer after Maine Junction. The Long Trail guide book will warn that certain wilderness sections are poorly blaze with overgrown vegetation so pay attention and you’ll be fine.

There are rewards! Beautiful ponds, especially Stratton and Sterling Pond. Incredible vistas off of Glastenbury and Stratton firetowers, Killington Peak, Sunset Ledge, Mt Abraham, overlooks on the Lincoln Range, Camel’s Hump, Mount Mansfield, overlook on Laraway Mountain, and Jay Peak.
The Long Trail is America’s Oldest Long Distance Trail and it travels through some of Vermont’s most beautiful wilderness. It is not the Appalachian Trail; it is its own trail and surely can be quite an adventure given the right mindset. Enjoy!

More information can be found here: http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=2
I hope this information from my experience helps in planning your next Long Trail adventure and feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.