Long Trail Divisions

Thanks to everyone who read my first post on this blog. I haven't heard any "are you crazy?" or "why are you doing that?" comments yet, like I did when I told my friends I was training for a marathon. I have 3 friends already signed up to do a section of the Long Trail (LT) with me. There are 12 sections of the LT so there are plenty more hikes to join me on. Consider bringing your friend, a family member or your dog!

I bought the Long Trail Guide published by the Green Mountain Club. This is a must have for an end-to-end hiker. The guide is comprehensive and gives a detailed description of each trail (called "divisions"), the elevation, side trails and camping options.

The Long Trail is broken into 12 divisions:
Division 1 - 14.3 mi - MA-VT State Line to Vt. 9
Division 2 - 22.6 mi - Vt. 9 to Arlington - West Wardsboro Rd.
Division 3 - 22.7 mi - Arlington-W. Wardsboro Rd. to Mad Tom Notch
Division 4 - 20.6 mi - Mad Tom Notch to Vt. 140
Division 5 - 23.7 mi - Vt. 140 to U.S. 4 (Shelburne Pass)
Division 6 - 19.9 mi - U.S. 4 (Shelburne Pass) to Vt. 73 (Brandon Gap)
Division 7 - 22.5 mi - Vt. 73 (Brandon Gap) to Cooley Glen Shelter
Division 8 - 18.9 mi - Cooley Glen Shelter to Birch Glen Camp
Division 9 - 30.3 mi - Birch Glen Camp to Bolton Mountain
Division 10 - 27.2 mi - Bolton Mountain to Vt. 15
Division 11 - 26.7 mi - Vt. 15 to Tillotson Camp
Division 12 - 23.3 mi - Tillotson Camp to the Canadian Border

Time to start planning my trip. I'm considering starting the hike this Fall, but my weekends are filling up quickly. I may have to wait until next Spring. I'm starting to get my gear in order and will need to buy a few things like a water filter. And of course, this means I will have to buy some gadgets too (I can't help it!). I'm looking at buying a GPS unit to log my hike. I will upload the GPS coordinates and waypoints for a future hiker. If you have personal experience with a GPS unit, send me a note with your suggestions or leave a comment. Or leave me a comment just to say hello!

On a sidenote, I am running in the Reach the Beach race this weekend in New Hampshire. I'm really excited about the race. This one falls under the "Why are you doing that?" category. I will post a report next week about the race along with some pictures.