Signs and Shelters

c) Andrew Carter, 2025

Some of the shelters I stayed in or passed by on the Long Trail.

Journey’s End Camp is on the approach trail to the northern end of the Long Trail. I spent the night here.

Bear Hollow Shelter

Taft Lodge is the oldest shelter on the Long Trail. It’s near the top of Mt. Mansfield.

Laura Woodward Shelter

Little Rock Pond Shelter

A heavily vandalized Cooper Lodge on Killington Peak. A negative consequence of the year-round ski lift which carries tourists to the top of Killington Peak.

Governor Clement Shelter and the fall leaves.

The privy at Governor Clement Shelter. Yes, that’s a wheelchair ramp. I’m sure it’s never been used as such. Most hiking trails aren’t built for wheelchairs.

I would have never guessed that if you walked from the Equator to northern Vermont, you’d be only halfway to the North Pole.

The Appalachian Trail follows the Long Trail for 106 miles in southern Vermont before it diverges to the east at “Maine Junction” to head towards Maine. Both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail use white paint blazes to mark the trail.

The “Maine Junction” sign. Maine Junction also serves as the eastern end of the 4800-mile North Country Trail. The western end is in North Dakota. Most of this trail is in place, although one-third of it currently follows rural roads.

A typical directional sign on the trail.

The Long Trail passes by or through almost a dozen ski areas in its 275-mile length.

Informational signs

I did not see a moose, although I did see lots of moose poop.

Who would have known that the artist René Magritte of “Ce n’est pas une pipe” fame was also a hiker.

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Andrew Carter

I just completed a multi-year thru hike (MYTH) of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It took three years. I hiked 1840 miles in 2021, 733 miles in 2022, and 122 miles in 2023. The only reason I had to hike in 2023 was a wildfire closure at the north end of the PCT in 2022. During the past two years, I've also thru hiked other, shorter US trails. I hiked the Benton MacKaye Trail (GA, NC, TN) and the Tuscarora Trail (VA, WV, MD, PA) in 2022 plus the Ozark Highlands Trail (AR) in 2023. I hope to hike the Long Trail (VT) next year and the Colorado Trail at some point in the future. Please note, all content on this site is copyright.

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