The Catamount Trail in Vermont is the longest backcountry cross-country ski trail in North America. It is 300 miles of trails stretching the whole length of Vermont, from North to South, all the way from Quebec to Massachusetts… a winter Long Trail for skiers and snowshoe lovers!
Today, I came across a great article in NY Times about the Catamount Trail, which made me feel like grabbing my skis, jumping in the car, and getting to the Catamount Trail immediately to ski it from one end to the other.
It reminded me of this magical weekend I had with my son years ago, skiing 2 sections of the Ski Marathon in Canada over a weekend. About 35 kilometers of trails, flat terrain (mostly), open fields, blue sky, and immaculate landscape… simply magical.
But coming back to the Catamount Trail, I’ll let you read Sarah Tuff’s article. She is doing a wonderful job at describing her experience and making you dream.
She has you imagining the great landscapes the trail crosses, the wide-open farms, the trees covered with snow… Thanks, Sarah!
Divided into 31 sections and going through about 200 private lands and 135 miles of public land, the Catamount Trail was started in 1984, and its last section completed in 2008. It follows remote wilderness routes, cross-country ski trails, and old logging roads. It also goes through a number of Nordic Centers and you’ll find 12 inns along its way (according to the NY Times article).
The various sections are of different levels of difficulties and interestingly the Catamount Trail Association offers a large number of free and guided tours, for every skier group, including 3-, 4- or 7-day tours. You can consult their website for the tour schedule (check often for updates!). Upcoming multi-day tours include a 6-day tour in Southern Vermont from March 5 to 10.
For more information:
Catamount Trail Association website
General map of the Catamount Trail
Detailed maps of each of the 31 sections
Some of the inns along the trail:
- Blueberry Hill Inn, Goshen
- The Old Tavern, Grafton
- Highland Lodge, Greensboro
- Mountain Top Inn, Chittenden
- Sleepy Hollow Inn, Huntington
- Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe
- Woodstock Inn, Woodstock