Long Trail Hikers Face Pre-Hike Travel Chaos
Hikers heading to Vermont's 273-mile Long Trail face travel mishaps like forgotten knives, lost boots, and major flight delays before reaching the start.
A group of hikers is attempting the 273-mile Long Trail in Vermont after a journey plagued by travel chaos. Their pre-hike troubles included a forgotten knife at airport security, lost hiking boots, and flight delays of several hours.
The source report from The Trek details the multi-step journey of the hikers, who go by the trail names The Historian and Rock Rabbit. Their adventure began with a 3 a.m. wake-up call in Montana to catch an early flight east.
Airport Ordeals and a Lost Knife
Part of the flight excitement involved a tiny ultralight folding blade knife. The hiker usually checks it but walked into the secure area with it by mistake. Security advised that if they rushed back to check-in, the knife could be placed in checked luggage. The knife was handed over with a luggage receipt.
Later, in Minneapolis, a baggage agent from Boston called. The knife had arrived solo in Minneapolis with a sticky tag on its paracord lanyard. A gate agent boarded their plane and handed them a new baggage receipt. They were told to look for a package on the luggage conveyor belt in Boston. The first item from the conveyor was a bin containing the knife. The hiker called this a crowning achievement of customer service from Delta.
Meanwhile, Rock Rabbit was dealing with a separate ordeal. He was on a 10-hour coach flight from South Africa with a stopover in London, where temperatures were over 100 degrees. His flight from Heathrow was then delayed by six hours due to a broken water main at the airport.
The Boot Saga and Final Approach
After reuniting in Boston, the group took the Dartmouth Coach to Hanover, New Hampshire. They stayed with friends who had hosted them the previous year. While sorting gear, a problem emerged. The Historian and Rock Rabbit both wear the same model of boots. Only one pair was present.
A call to the Boston hotel confirmed the boots were still there. Arrangements were made for the boots to be shipped overnight to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where they would start their Long Trail hike. After two days of visiting, they departed for the final leg. They planned to take the Amtrak Vermonter train but were informed of a 'tree strike' and had to ride a bus instead. The bus trip was odd, including a 15-minute stop in a car dealership parking lot. They arrived 30 minutes late.
A shuttle driver named Cindy drove them the final hour and a half to their hiker hotel. Upon arrival, the shipped boots were not there. The label had been printed, but there was no evidence the boots had been picked up. They would have to wait until morning to see if they arrived.
Chin up, and thankful he had decided at the last minute to travel in his everyday trail runners, The Historian soldiered on. The group found a Korean restaurant and ate as if they were already experiencing hiker hunger. After dinner, they stopped at a local health food store for a pint each of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. They went to bed with full stomachs, hoping for boots in the morning and dreaming of the rocks and mud to come on the Long Trail.
