Vermont's Long Trail has a reputation for being tougher than its mileage suggests, and Devil's Gulch is exhibit A. A thru-hiking party recently navigated this ravine on day 39 of their journey — a jumbled slot of glacial erratics wedged between two cliffs, where hikers pick their way across tilted boulders with gaps of 15 feet or more dropping to wet, moss-slick crevices below. Some compare it to Maine's infamous Mahoosic Notch; others just call it hell.
The party — a trio hiking under the trail names Rock Rabbit, Anniversary and The Historian — are tackling the trail in a supported, split-up style. The Historian, hiking with an impaired arm and aching knee, struggles on descents, so the group uses a satellite communicator to coordinate. Rock Rabbit scouted ahead through the Gulch and messaged back that conditions were passable, letting the slower two plan their exit to the Eden Crossing road for a pre-arranged shuttle. Even then it wasn't simple: a pack shift on a gap crossing nearly sent Anniversary tumbling, prompting the pragmatic fix of hurling the pack across first, then following it.
The rewards were real. Beyond the Gulch came soft flat trail, then ladders (standard fare on the Long Trail), and the 525-foot climb to Ritterbush Overlook via a stone staircase of roughly 100 steps — an engineering feat the hikers made a point of appreciating. Rock Rabbit logged 8.2 miles with 2,671 feet of ascent, an average of 528 feet of climbing per mile. For context, that's several times steeper than typical Pacific Crest Trail grades in Oregon.
The day also captured the social side of long-distance hiking. At the road crossing, the group waited out a shuttle alongside a man who had driven in at 5am to surprise a northbound thru-hiker he'd last hiked with 30 years ago in college. The conversation turned to gear evolution — external-frame packs versus modern internal frames, and six-ounce umbrellas as the marvel of the moment.
With the trail arcing around Jay Peak, the group positioned themselves off-trail to support Rock Rabbit's final miles, landing a discounted room at Jay Peak Resort with a kitchenette and a view of the mountain. The timing proved useful for sorting out a family matter at home, too — one of those reminders that flexibility is part of any long hike.
For travellers, this is a good window into why the Long Trail punches above its weight: Vermont's oldest long-distance path, running 273 miles from Massachusetts to Canada, packs relentless elevation and scrambling into short miles. Devil's Gulch itself demands care — smooth, wet rock and deep gaps make it a genuine hazard in rain, and a light pack helps. But the story's real takeaway is the community: shuttle-arranging, message-relaying, trail-angel-surprising hikers who make a punishing route doable.
