The Long Trail - Training Hike

The Long Trail is a 273 mile foot path in Vermont. It follows the main ridge of Green Mountains from the Massachusetts / Vermont line to the Canadian border. It is the oldest long distance hiking trail in the United States.


I've hiked all but the northern most 88 miles of the Long Trail. I plan on completing it this June. I'll start at the Canadian border and hike south to Rte. 2 in Jonesville. 


In preparation I've been doing a series of training hikes. The general plan is to hike every other day. On each hike I'll increase the amount of weight I carry. After I max-out the weight I'll start increasing my distance. This is my normal training hike routine. 

Physical Preparations for Long Distance Hiking

"All I could do was sit in the middle of the trail and keep myself from crying. My two hiking partners scattered into the woods to look for a campsite for the night while I tried to maintain control over my exhausted body and splintered mind. I could feel every part of my body, from the blisters on the bottom of my feet, to my aching quads, to the pounding pain in my head. We had hiked ten miles and less than three thousand feet in the White Mountains of New Hampshire over the course of an eight hour day, which was about twice what I was able to handle. The last few hours were a blur of bad memories. I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. There was no joy in my life."