Day 41 of a Long Trail thru-hike, and the finish line is finally within sight. A trio of hikers — trail names Rock Rabbit, The Historian and the writer behind the diary — are tackling the final major climb of Vermont's 273-mile Long Trail: Jay Peak, near the Canadian border. This entry from The Trek captures what the last stretch of a long-distance hike actually feels like, and it's a useful read for anyone eyeing this famously rugged route.
The team has adapted a 'leapfrog' strategy for the endgame. Rock Rabbit, the strongest walker, covers the trail on foot while the other two drive ahead to scout the next road crossing and set up recovery camps, trimming the mileage and load he has to handle solo. On this day the plan called for Rock Rabbit to summit Jay Peak alone — the writer's knees and a splinted finger made the steep north-side descent unwise, and The Historian opted out too. Instead they plotted logistics: a drop at North Jay Pass, then a short 1.3-mile walk from the Journey's End parking lot up to the border monument, where all three will finish together.
The day delivered a genuine scare. Checking a live tracking app, the support crew saw Rock Rabbit had moved just five feet in an hour on the foggy, alpine southern flank — and he'd already taken three falls the day before, bruising his ribs. After a tense wait, they called the Jay Peak ski patrol (who confirmed the whole mountain has cell reception, a rarity on the Long Trail), then finally reached him by phone. The crisis? He'd stopped for second breakfast and a card game with other hikers known as the Party Snails. Meanwhile, a weather inversion meant that while the valley sat under mist, the summit itself was basking in sunshine.
Beyond the drama, the entry is a candid look at how thru-hiking plans meet reality: shared water filters got ditched to save weight, yoga never happened, and two pots stayed because hot dinners were worth six extra ounces. The Long Trail itself — America's oldest long-distance footpath, running the length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada — is notoriously steep, with this section's ~3,200-foot ascents and descents packed into nine miles. Jay Peak Resort, where the crew stayed, doubles as a winter ski area and makes a comfortable summer base for hikers and non-hikers alike. Day 42 brings the final push to Canada.
