Long Trail (Section 09): Birch Glen to Buchanan Shelter

Packing over 8,000 feet of climbing and descending into 22.5 miles, the 9th division of the Long Trail is one of the toughest for thru-hikers. Start from Birch Glen Camp and hike northwest to begin the 8-mile haul to the crux of the hike, the Camels Hump summit.
After passing Cowles Cove shelter, hunker down for a steep climb of Burnt Mountain, the first of four rugged challenges up to Camels Hump. After descending a trail ladder, the Long Trail continues climbing to skirt the summit of Mount Ira Allen; from there it’s a short grunt up to the summit of Mount Ethan Allen (where an overlook offers views east to the White Mountains).
From there, descend past the Montclair Glen Lodge to Wind Gap, and the start of the 1.4- mile, 1,300-foot climb (a 17% grade!) up Camels Hump. Scramble up steep rock slab, navigate exposed sidehill sections, and use occasional hand-over-hand moves to reach the summit (a bad-weather bypass is available via the Alpine Trail). From there, enjoy views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks (west), Mount Washington (east), and Mount Mansfield (north).
Heading down the Hump is not much easier; from the top, the LT begins a beautiful 4,000-foot ridgeline descent (passing the Bamforth Ridge shelter about halfway down)–this is one of the few sustained exposed stretches on the Long Trail. Reach Duxbury Road at the bottom and turn west for 3.6-mile walk to rejoin the LT north of the Winooski River outside Jonesville Vermont. End your day at the Duck Brook shelter or trudge on a bit further to make camp on the western slopes of Bolton Mountain at the Buchanan Shelter.

Shelters: Birch Glen Camp, Cowles Cove, Montclair Glen Lodge, Bamforth Ridge, Duckbrook, Buchanan

-Mapped by Berne Broudy, AuthenticOutdoors.com
MORE LONG TRAIL MAPS
Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7 | Section 8 | Section 9 | Section 10 | Section 11 | Section 12

Trail Facts

• Distance: 36.3

Waypoints

LNG116

Location: 44.2366634, -72.9298788

Section 9 departs northeast from Birch Glen Camp heading toward Huntington Gap.

LNG117

Location: 44.2408916, -72.9093414

The LT crosses Huntington Gap and also the Catamount Trail.

LNG118

Location: 44.2545601, -72.9058268

The LT passes the Cowles Cove shelter.

LNG119

Location: 44.2627634, -72.8970479

The LT passes the Hedgehog Trail. Ahead, the climb up Burnt Rock Mountain gets steep with a few scrambling sections.

LNG120

Location: 44.2677141, -72.8959181

Burnt Rock Mountain: Enjoy views north of Ira and Ethan Allen as well as Camel’s Hump. The LT is about to head up all three. Ahead, the LT drops off Burnt Rock via a trail ladder before making a steady ascent of the east slopes of Ira Allen up the “Paris Skidway.”

LNG121

Location: 44.3008874, -72.8795217

The LT meets the Allis Trail and turns left to continue towards the Montclair Glen Lodge and then then Wind Gap.

LNG122

Location: 44.2938755, -72.8838587

Mount Ethan Allen: Enjoy the overlook to the east. Ahead, the LT descends north to Wind Gap before the steep climb up Camels Hump.

LNG123

Location: 44.3034792, -72.882426

The LT passes a junction for the Forest City Trail; ahead at Wind Gap, the trail jogs west then east to begin clambering up the southern face of Camels Hump.

LNG124

Location: 44.3188611, -72.8870042

The LT meets a bad weather bypass option (the yellow-blazed Alpine Trail) which leads around the Jump to rejoin the LT heading north. Ahead, the LT skirts below th southern face of the hump and climbs the more manageable (but exposed) rocks on the south/west side.

LNG125

Location: 44.3195506, -72.8863347

Camels Hump: Great views abound from the summit–Mt. Mansfield to the north, Mt. Washington to the east, Mt. Marcy (and other Adirondacks) to the west. The LT continues north across the exposed rock summit area; use caution not to disturb the sensitive alpine plants in this area.

LNG126

Location: 44.3219942, -72.8854976

Continue through Camel’s Hump Clearing, the site of an old 19th century mountain lodge. from here, the LT begins a steady descent off the Hump on an exposed ridgeline (one of only a few on the entire LT).

LNG127

Location: 44.3290695, -72.8791801

The LT meets up again with the Alpine Trail (the bad weather bypass around the Hump summit).

LNG128

Location: 44.3494745, -72.8649348

The LT passes the Bamforth Ridge shelter. Here, the descent mellows and the trail soon widens.

LNG129

Location: 44.361841, -72.8765597

The LT turns north to descend through a drainage. Here there is access to the Gleason Brook. Ahead the trail crosses over the Brook via a bridge before finishing the descent.

LNG130

Location: 44.3692018, -72.8794085

Here the LT meets Duxbury Road. Turn left to continue continue 3.2 miles to Cochran Road. There, turn right, walk across the Jonesville Bridge, across US-2, under I-89, and continue north for about .3 mi to re-enter the woods at waypoint 131.

LNG131

Location: 44.3888392, -72.9335759

Just before the powerlines, the LT heads back into the woods on the right side of the road.

LNG132

Location: 44.3912303, -72.9183197

The LT passes a junction to the Duck Brook shelter. Ahead, follow and old forest road, cross a stream, and then leave the old road, following white blazes along the way. As the trail climbs ahead, it reaches a trio of valley overlooks. As soon as the LT tops out its climb of the ridge, it turns east to descend to Bolton Notch Road.

LNG133

Location: 44.4179721, -72.8974455

Cross Bolton Notch Road and continue east on a steady climb. After about 800 feet of climging, the LT turns north up the spine of the ridge, offering a few views west to Lake Champlain.

LNG134

Location: 44.4299673, -72.8829399

After turning east, the LT passes a junction to an overlook point.

LNG135

Location: 44.430768, -72.876227

The LT arrives at a junction to Buchanan Shelter, a good place to spend the night before the climb up to Bolton Mountain.

Sidehill Scramble

Location: 44.319548, -72.887579

Managing exposed sidehill slab on Camels Hump

Cowles Cove Shelter

Location: 44.254562, -72.905809

Climbing Burnt Rock

Location: 44.265528, -72.895622

Blazes on Burnt Rock

Location: 44.266092, -72.895392

The LT’s white blazes are painted on the bare rock on the way up Burnt Rock.

Trail Ladder

Location: 44.2721543, -72.8958321

Dropping down a trail ladder into Ladder Ravine

Ethan Allen Overlook

Location: 44.294369, -72.883511

Montclair Glen Lodge

Location: 44.3012473, -72.8827

Up the Hump

Location: 44.306348, -72.882669

Steep rock scrambles are the name of the game.

Hump Ahead

Location: 44.307335, -72.883171

The prominent summit is present throughout the climb.

The Final Push

Location: 44.319371, -72.886776

Approaching the Camels Hump summit

Views on the Descent

Location: 44.3293741, -72.8788376

The descent from Camels Hump offers great views as well

Hump Cairns

Location: 44.330366, -72.878692

Cairns marking the route down from Camels Hump

Steep Roots

Location: 44.359957, -72.868681

The descent down towards Bolton steepens here.

The Long Trail in Green

Location: 44.361018, -72.868168

LT Overlook

Location: 44.398694, -72.912363