For most of the fall my husband Ken and our dog Gus have hiked the length of Vermont on the Long Trail in four-day increments.
I dropped them off for the first time north of Jay Peak, at the Canadian border, and retrieved them for the final time in Williamstown, just over the Massachusetts border. Ken and Gus started their hike in Jay with mild temperatures in the 80s and sunny blue skies. The splendor of Vermont’s fall foliage season was in full display on their first morning and followed them as they wound their way south on the trail.
Stunning mountain views, cloud forests, and clear streams and waterfalls were daily experiences. But not even these prepared them for the wild blueberries they found on one of their mountain tops that delayed them for several hours!
Evenings were spent around a campfire with other overnight hikers before sleeping in huts built and maintained by the Green Mountain Club.
It was pouring rain when I picked Ken up in Massachusetts, but his spirit was not dampened. He and Gus had experienced the majesty of Vermont from miles and miles of its highest ridges.
Hiking the entire Long Trail is not for everyone, but most anyone can experience a portion of it within a reasonably short drive of your home, especially if you live in Central Vermont. As if one needs yet another reason to buy real estate in Vermont...!"