If you can find a group, great. If not, go anyway. The Long Trail doesn't get the crowds at the beginning like the AT does, but if you start in early July from the MA/VT border, there will be plenty of hikers especially at the shelters and tent areas. Many of them will be AT thru-hikers (and you're unlikely to keep up with them), but you'll also meet starting LT end-to-enders. You'll be able to camp with other people every night, especially in the first ten days, then once you get north of the Inn at Long Trail (where the AT heads east), there will be fewer of you but you'll be keeping the same general pace and you'll see the same people most every night. Sort of an ad hoc group, if you will.

You'll need to hitch into town for resupply in Manchester Center, which I know can be disconcerting for a solo female hiker, but I can pretty much guarantee that there will be several other hikers doing the same thing that same day, and you can join them. Resupply in Rutland is on the bus from the Inn (and you should definitely stay there!!!). Resupply further north usually requires hitching, but again you can do that with another hiker, or call the hostel and see if they can pick you up, like the B&B in Johnson.

As much as I cursed every step of the Long Trail while I was hiking it, the overall trip was terrific. Hope you have a great hike.

Oh, and