Day 35 of a Long Trail thru-hike ends at Plot Road in Vermont, and for once the numbers look almost gentle: just 411 feet of elevation gain per mile. On the Long Trail — the 273-mile backbone of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Canada — that counts as an easy day. A typical day here runs 500-600 feet per mile, and hard days top 700. Hikers used to Oregon's stretches on the Pacific Crest Trail, at 70-90 feet per mile, find the comparison dizzying.
This entry follows three hikers — going by trail names Rock Rabbit, The Historian and the diarist — juggling logistics in the final stretch. Rock Rabbit is chasing a continuous footpath to the Canadian border, and the group reshuffled their pickup points to make the remaining sections workable, shifting a road crossing from Johnson further north to Plot Road and adding four miles to his day rather than splitting it into two punishing 10-plus-mile pushes. When he emerged from the woods at noon as predicted, the diarist jogged south pack-free at nearly 4 mph through an apple orchard to intercept him.
The resupply stop delivered an unexpected highlight: the Johnson Hardware Store. Beyond the camping gear and a replacement headlamp — lost in the first 100 miles — the writer, a self-described tool junkie, discovered it's a Milwaukee Tools service center with one of the largest Milwaukee inventories in the United States. Bonus thrift: a pair of lime-green tights from the hiker box, now worn as a midlayer under another hiker's pants.
There's a trail-culture moment too. Two section hikers needed a shuttle back to Barnes Camp, an hour's drive, and the group gave them a lift — windows down, for obvious hiker-stink reasons. The day closed the way so many thru-hike days do: burgers outside, then homemade tortellini with spinach and cheese, capped with Ben and Jerry's, very much the Vermont choice. Injuries are being managed — a sore wrist, a splinted broken finger healing well — as the border draws closer.
For travellers, this is a useful window into what the Long Trail actually asks of you. It's the oldest long-distance trail in the United States, finished in 1930, and its steepness-to-mileage ratio rivals anything on the East Coast. Section hikers can learn from the group's approach: breaking the final stretch into manageable chunks, using road crossings as resupply and shuttle points, and leaning on small-town resources like Johnson's hardware store. Stowe and nearby Barnes Camp sit close to the trail's northern miles, with Ben & Jerry's territory all around.
Who's this for? Anyone weighing a Long Trail attempt — full or sectional — or curious how a fall thru-hike plays out day by day. It's less a guidebook than a realistic look at the grind, the generosity of strangers and the payoff of a hot meal after a long day in the Green Mountains.
Original reporting: The Trek.
