Long Trail

The '''Long Trail''' is a hiking [[trail]] located in [[Vermont]], running the length of the state. It is the oldest [[long-distance trail]] in the [[United States]], constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the [[Green Mountain Club]]. The club remains the primary organization responsible for the trail, and is recognized by the [[Vermont General Assembly|state legislature]] as "the founder, sponsor, defender, and protector" of the Long Trail System. ==Geography== The Long Trail currently runs 272 miles (438 km) through the state of Vermont. It starts at the [[Massachusetts]] border (near [[Williamstown, Massachusetts]]), and runs north to the [[Canadian]] border (near [[North Troy, Vermont]]). It runs along the main ridge of the [[Green Mountains]], coinciding with the [[Appalachian Trail]] for {{convert|100|mi|km}} in southern Vermont. Additionally, over {{convert|175|mi|km}} of side trails complete the Long Trail System. The Long Trail traverses almost all of the Green Mountains' major summits, including (from south to north) [[Glastenbury Mountain]], [[Stratton Mountain (Vermont)|Stratton Mountain]], [[Killington Peak]], [[Mount Abraham (Vermont)|Mount Abraham]], [[Mount Ellen (Vermont)|Mount Ellen]], [[Camel's Hump (Vermont)|Camel's Hump]], [[Mount Mansfield]], and [[Jay Peak (Vermont)|Jay Peak]]. ==Maintenance== The Long Trail is maintained primarily by the Green Mountain Club. Fourteen club sections maintain assigned sections of the trail. Although volunteers perform most of the club's work, the club also employs a staff to handle day-to-day operations. The Green Mountain Club also receives assistance from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]], [[National Park Service]], [[Appalachian Trail Conservancy]], and private landowners. ==Historical curiosities== The section of the Long Trail between Woodford (on Vermont State Route 9 just east of Bennington, Vt) and [[Glastenbury Mountain]] some {{convert|10|mi|km}} further north has gained notoriety due to the fact that at least four people inexplicably vanished in that area between 1945 and 1950. Only one body was subsequently found and the fate of the other missing persons remains a mystery. The case which perhaps gained the most media attention at the time was the disappearance of the 18-year-old [[Bennington College]] sophomore [[Paula Jean Welden]], of [[Stamford, Connecticut]], (elder daughter of industrial designer William Archibald Welden of the [[Revere Copper Company|Revere Copper and Brass Company]]), who in the afternoon of December 1, 1946 set out on a day-hike on the Long Trail from Woodford Hollow and northwards in the direction of [[Glastenbury Mountain]]. Despite repeated and extensive searches of the area nothing was ever found. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. ==External links== * [http://cdi.uvm.edu/collections/getCollection.xql?pid=longtrail&title=Long%20Trail%20Photographs Historic photographs of Vermont's Long Trail, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library] {{coord missing|Vermont}}