Crossing the Long Trail...Off My Bucket List

The Long Trail spans from the Massachusetts/Vermont border 273 miles north to the Canadian border along the Green Mountains.

Having backpacked only once before moving to Vermont and subsequently falling in love with the sport/lifestyle within my first week of living here, it was only right to cap off my college career with a thru-hike of Vermont’s Long Trail (LT).

People often ask me how I ended up here in Vermont, having grown up outside of Chicago. When the college search began, my mom asked me what I wanted my chosen home to look and feel like. I loved this question and knew that what I wanted most was to be surrounded by mountains. I wanted to be in a landscape that inspired me. When choosing between going east or west, my sister being in Boston drew me to the Green Mountains.

I remember initially feeling intimidated by the mountains, wondering how to navigate and stay safe. Over time and with more experience, I can honestly say that Vermont’s backcountry is one of the places I feel safest. The past five years have proven to me the magic of the mountains. During such transient and transitional times in my life, I have been grateful for the constant of calling this place home.

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After a few years of ‘completing the LT’ at the top of my bucket list and a few months of planning and preparing, it was a relief to finally get started! A couple buddies dropped me at the trailhead on June 1st in North Adams, Massachusetts. With everything I needed to sustain myself on my back, off I went!

Each day, I rose with the sun and packed up camp while eating the same breakfast of oatmeal, with possible hints of the prior night’s dinner, and instant coffee. And then, I walked.... all day long, down and up and down again, through thick mud and rock scrambles, fields of ferns and evergreen forests. With a few pit stops to refuel, I usually made it to my next camp by 4pm where I unpacked, yet again, and waited for an “acceptable” time to start making dinner.

After 8-10 hours of hiking, once I sat down at camp, I moved as minimally as possible… my body ached and even getting up to fetch water from the stream was a haul. I’d make dinner, brush my teeth, hang my bear bag, and was zipped up in my sleeping bag by 8pm each night, if not earlier. One of my favorite things ever is sleeping with the sun -- and rising with her, too. I loved this lifestyle. Eat, hike, eat, hike, eat, sleep, repeat. Within the first week, I really found my pace and my systems for packing, unpacking, and repacking my home each night.

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Once I got serious about this bucket list item becoming a reality, I knew that I wanted to complete this feat on my own. I saw it as a true symbol of self-sufficiency and independence. I’ve come to learn, throughout college, that I’m much more of an introvert than I ever wanted to believe; I really value time alone and in my own head. Plus, if I’m being completely transparent, I’m not sure there’s anyone in my life at the moment I’d want to spend such an intense month with. Let's be real: Backpacking is hard and no where close to glamorous. It does, however, make me feel like a total badass. It requires a whole lot of grit and for me, an ability to laugh at myself. It is such a unique form of independence as you literally carry your home (plus sustenance, layers, etc.) on your back. I was empowered to do this whole thing on my own….

That was until I quickly realized how important it was to rely on the community around me -- my friends and family in Burlington (and beyond), as well as the community around me on trail. I had expected for my solo hike to mostly be filled with solitude and there was that, as well as a thriving community of other thru-hikers -- folks I often had nothing in common with other than this shared goal of hiking 273 miles.

Rewind a few months prior to committing to hiking the LT, I came to the realization as to how poorly I accept and rarely ask for other people’s help. This experience quickly became practice in doing so. Asking and relying on my friends to drop off my resupplies of food was, at first, incredibly uncomfortable for me. As was accepting “trail magic**” from strangers. But, the more I allowed my trek to be “enough”, even if I only hiked 8 miles that day, I was absolutely thrilled to be on the receiving end of a lending hand. It was a humbling reality that it would all be a whole lot more fun to NOT totally do this on my own.

** “The term “trail magic” was coined by long-distance hikers to describe an unexpected occurrence that lifts a hiker's spirits and inspires awe or gratitude. “Trail magic” may be as simple as being offered a candy bar by a passing hiker or spotting an elusive species of wildlife.” (The Appalachian Trail Conservancy)

After 28 days and 273 miles, I finally crossed the border into Canada! I owe a big thank you to everyone who supported me along my journey. To my friends who dropped off resupplies throughout Vermont, to those who joined me for a hike or night, to my dearest dad who hiked 60 miles with me, to friends near and far who cheered me on with letters/texts/calls… To the friends who had previously hiked the LT and shared their resources and advice, and to the strangers who quickly became friends along the trail… this was such an amazing experience and I would not have wanted to do it without you all.

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I have been back in Burlington for about a month now. It’s been surprisingly difficult to put words to the experience but I keep trying. Although I was in the woods for 28 days, it feels almost like a dream. Right now, I am processing… which is a process, right? With such a feat behind me, I feel empowered to continue challenging myself as an outdoors woman and getting others out there -- whether I’m outfitting people at Patagonia Burlington or physically leading trips. Stay tuned! :)

- Harper Simpson,
Patagonia Burlington