Missed the cutoff by 45 minutes on the Long Trail and had to bushwhack

I was on the Long Trail in Vermont near the Stratton Mountain area. I thought I had plenty of daylight left to make it to the next shelter, but the trail was way more rooted up than I remembered. By the time I hit the 4 mile mark, it was getting dark fast. I ended up sleeping under a tarp right off the trail, no fire, just cold granola for dinner. Anyone else misjudge a section and have to camp somewhere dumb?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.mary1mo ago

Yeah that rooted up trail really adds up quick, I've had to pull the same kind of scramble more than once. Next time try stashing a backup headlamp in your pack's side pocket so you can push that cutoff a little further without guessing. Cold granola won't hurt you, but a twisted ankle from rushing in the dark definitely will.

matthewross1mo ago

Heard a thru hiker say the Long Trail’s rooty sections are way more brutal than the mileage suggests. Sounds like you got a real taste of that, 45 minutes is nothing when you're tripping every few steps. Cold granola beats an injury or a rescue call, though.