The CDT - Towns, Miles and Resupply (1999-2004)

One of the usual concerns on the CDT is: "How can I resupply?" And it's certainly a valid concern.

We started like a lot of others, looking for mileages between towns. We found it wasn't all that easy to find out. For example - at the time we were doing our planning, there was NOBODY who could give us a reasonable mileage between Reserve, NM and Gila Hot Springs. The numbers we got varied between 80 and 170 miles. So --- why? Well, part of it was that people took different routes, so their mileages were different. At that time there was no guidebook of any sort - so no one had even wheeled it on a map. And when I wheeled the route we intended to take, the distance was an "interesting" number in that it was obviously not right either.

You don't have most of those problems - because there are a number of people who've published reasonably good mileage numbers in various places. But still - YOU need to check the numbers you're gonna use for YOUR hike because very few CDT hikers follow someone else's exact route all the way. We're an independent lot - and many, if not most of us, are insistent on hiking our own hike rather than someone else's. So what we did - and what we will do - may not be something YOU want to do - and your mileages will be different.

So what difference does it make? Well, how hungry do you want to get? The tales of hikers running out of food, particularly in the area north of Gila Hot springs, are legion. One hiker was sorta rescued (partially resuppied) by a USFS Ranger in the Black Range.

Another factor here is that many hikers have thruhiked the AT and the PCT - and ASSUME that they can do the same kind of mileage that they did on those trails. Sometimes it's true - for some sections. But more often than not, those hikers overestimate their projected daily mileages. So - if you project your daily mileage between two towns to be 20 miles per day and the towns are 120 miles apart, then you might ASSUME that it will take 6 days to walk that section. But what if your daily mileage is only 15 miles per day? Then if you're carrying 6 days food, you're gonna be one hungry puppy on days 7 and 8.

So - why would you only be doing 15 mpd? Hmmm - how about altitude? Do you have any idea how much it can slow you down? Some people thrive at 11,000 ft - others die (or at least think they will).

How about errors in the maps? That can slow you down big-time - getting "lost" takes time - sometimes LOTS of time. Or how about that the guidebook/map miles are sometimes off (and generally lowballed) by anywhere between 5% and 20%, depending on which guidebook you're using and which section you're hiking at the time. How about SNOW? Have you ever walked on Colorado or Montana snowpack for 3 weeks? That'll really slow you down. So will a foot or three of September snow in Colorado. And if you hit a "real" blizzard, you might find yourself holed up in some remote valley in the high country for a couple-three days. How's your food supply gonna hold out for that? Then there are the 4 (or more) stream crossings per mile in the Gila.

And finally - where did you get your mileage numbers? If your numbers came from someone who planned a different route than you intend to hike, then why would you think their miles are a good basis for planning your hike? If you ain't planning your own hike, your own miles, your own resupply - then you ain't hikin' your own hike - you're hikin' someone else's hike. And you just may find some unpleasant surprises hidden in "their" hike.

Now - someone's gonna say: "Oh, that wouldn't happen to me." And I'm gonna say - you didn't read the 2004 journals on Trailjournals.com, did you? Or any of the other journals for the last 15 or 20 years, either. It DID happen. It DOES happen - every year - to someone. Do you really want that someone to be you? But then, it's not my problem, is it? I won't miss any meals if YOU miscalculate.

Resupply is generally not much more difficult than on the PCT. We usually were able to find a town every 5 to 7 days. Some of our longest stretches were about 150 miles between towns. For the most part, we were able to buy food as we went, except for a few very small towns or resorts, and in a couple of those cases, we could have hitched to a larger town and gotten what we needed. The biggest difference from the other long trails is that towns are often a LONG way off trail. Sometimes 15 miles, sometimes 35 miles. It can be a long wait for a ride.

Now - all that having been said - if you've hiked other long trails, you have your own resupply techniques. If you've got "special diet needs" or if you're a vegetarian or vegan, you're gonna have some minor problems on the CDT. Most groceries likely won't carry the kind of variety you're accustomed to and salad bars are few and far between, as are health food stores. Plan accordingly. Using your own dehydrator is a wonderful concept - and, to be honest, one we've never felt any real need for. But there are those who do. On a related note, this is cow country - so if you are vegan or vegetarian, you won't find a lot of options at most of the restaurants either.

Even for those who, like us, will eat anything that doesn't move fast enough when we're on the trail - there are places where maildrops are de rigeur unless you're into starvation as a lifestyle. Those places are specifically listed in the information that follows. But the number of maildrops you'll NEED is less than you might think. With that in mind, you might also check out Mike and Kam's Shop-As-U-Go" page for their 2003 thruhike on this same subject.

So - what follows is a summary of the numbers we're using for preliminary planning purposes for our 2006 hike. Our 1999 hike followed different routes, so the mileage was different. Keep in mind that it IS OUR hike and these numbers can only serve as a general guide for what you might want to do - if you use them at all. If you choose different routes (i.e. the ‘official route’) your mileage may be very different. If you use these numbers without understanding what they mean, then you'll likely get what you deserve - an ADVENTURE (which is the usual consequence of ignorance). ADVENTURES - are bad things that happen to other people, far away. Or alternatively - dirty, nasty things that make you late for dinner.

P Post Office L Lodging G Supermarket g Small grocery M Meals D Laundry
C Camping S Shower $ ATM I Internet NF Forest Office B BLM Office

Town Services Cum Miles Miles to next town Miles off-trail
Waterton Lakes, BC M,L,g,C 0 104 0
East Glacier, MT 59434 P, M, L, D, I, g, $ 104 120 0
Benchmark Ranch (Augusta, MT 59410) p, (M, L, S) No phone 224 52 1.5
Lincoln, MT 59639 (Rogers Pass) P, M, L, g, I 276 65 20
Helena, MT 59601 (MacDonald Pass) All services, incl outdoor store 341 85 15
Elliston, MT (MacDonald Pass) L, M 341 85 7
Butte, MT 59701 (Homestake Pass) All services 426 71 10
Anaconda, MT 59711 (via Hwy 274) All services 497 94 0 - 17
Wisdom, MT 59761 (Chief Joseph Pass) P, M, L, g, D 591 123 26
Salmon, MT 59761 (Lost Trail Pass) P, M, L, G, D 591 123 46
Leadore, ID 83464 (Bannack Pass) P, M, L, g, D, C, S 714 98 13.5
Lima, MT 59739 (from Monida) P, M, L, v. sm. g 812 95 16
Macks Inn, ID 83433 P, M, L, v.sm g, C, D, $ 907 55 0
West Yellowstone, WY 59858 P, M, L, G, $ 907 55 7 - 15
Old Faithful, Yellowstone NP 82190 P, M, L, g, $ 962 103 0
Togwottee Pass Resort 82513 p, M, L, v.sm g, $ 1065 125 0-10
Dubois, WY 82513 (Togwottee Pass) All services 1065 125 22
Pinedale, WY 82941 All services xxx xxx xxx
Big Sandy Lodge , WY 82923 p, M, L, C, S 1190 45 2.4
South Pass, WY 82520 p - snacks 1235 130 0
Atlantic City, WY 82520 p - snacks 1240 125 xx
Lander, WY 82520 All services xxxx xxx 38
Rawlins, WY 82301 All services 1361 150 0
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 (Buffalo Pass) All services + NF office 1511 103 18
Grand Lake, CO 80447 All services + NF office 1614 87 0
Winter Park, CO 80422 All services 10
Silverthorne, CO 80498 All services, incl outdoor store 1701 79 0
Twin Lakes, CO 81251 P, M, L, v. sm. g 1780 81 2
Salida, CO 81201 (Monarch Pass) All services 1861 100 20
Creede, CO 81130 (San Luis Pass) All services, incl outdoor store 10
Lake City, CO 81235 (Spring Creek Pass) All services 1961 120 25
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 (Wolf Creek Pass) All services, incl outdoor store 2081 76 25
Chama, NM 87520 All services 2157 88 8
Ghost Ranch, NM 87510 P, M, S, C 2245 55 0
Cuba, NM 87013 All services 2300 115 0
Grants, NM 87020 All Services 2415 90 0
Pie Town, NM 87837 P, M, C 2505 40 0
Reserve, NM 87830 (via Hwy 12) P, L, M, G, D, NF, I 2545 90 35
Gila Hot Springs, NM P, g, S, D, C 2635 65 0
Deming, NM 88030 All Services 57? 0
Columbus, NM 88029 All Services xxxx 3
Palomas, Mexico All Services xxxx --- 0
Mimbres, NM P, M, S, D, C
Silver City, NM 88061 All services 2717 80 0
Hachita, NM 88040 P, g, C 2797 47 ?
Antelope Wells, NM C, water 2844 0 0

Anaconda, MT 59711

The Anaconda cutoff is so named because it goes directly through Anaconda, MT. The "official" CDT route is about 100 miles longer and circles east of Butte, MT, rejoining the Anaconda cutoff at Goat Flats. (Both Jim Wolf and CDTA recommend the longer route.) Anaconda is also accessible via a 17 mile hitch (or walk) on Highway 274. If you follow the official trail, resupply in Butte via Deerlodge Pass, Homestake Pass at I-90, or I-15 might be a better option.

Anaconda is a spread out town but a good stop. There are several motels, many restaurants, a laundromat, post office (in the center of town, an ATM, 2 large supermarkets (Albertsons and Safeway - ~2 miles apart), and at least one smaller grocery, as well as Internet access at the library (in the center of town near the post office). There's also a movie theater.

The lady at the post office was very ‘hiker-friendly’. We stayed at the Marcus Daly Motel and the owner gave us a ride to Safeway, waited for us and drove us back to the motel. It’s a ‘hiker-friendly’ town, though the grocery stores are each about a mile from the Post Office, one in each direction.

Antelope Wells, NM / Tierra Commun

Antelope Wells is some 40 miles south of Hachita, NM along a little-used road. Antelope Wells has been used as a southern terminus for the CDT by hikers for many years, but apparently is no longer the “official” terminus. Antelope Wells is a Port of Entry at the Mexican border and there are no services except a water faucet.

The “official” terminus is now at "Tierra Commun," which is on the eastern North-South border of the New Mexico bootheel. There are apparently NO services at the “official” terminus. Access to Tierra Commun is difficult, requiring a 4WD vehicle. Reportedly, the Hachita Food Mart "may" support hiker shuttles. There may be another private shuttle service available.

Atlantic City, WY 82520

Atlantic City Mercantile
100 E. Main St
Atlantic City, WY 82520
307.332.5143

The Atlantic City Mercantile is NOT a store – it’s a bar, with lots of beer and good, if limited, food. And it’s only open for lunch and dinner.

The Sagebrush Saloon is next door and serves breakfast and lunch. There’s another B&B in town but we didn’t check it out.

The other ‘services’ here consist of a public telephone (outside with the heat, dust, traffic and mosquitoes) and cabins (if available). We managed to buy cheese and bread from the saloon to fill in the lunch menu for the next couple days. There is no post office here, but the Atlantic City Mercantile will hold packages for hikers. There is also no fuel at either Atlantic City or at South Pass and the nearest gas station/ mini-mart is 38 miles away in Lander, WY.

Benchmark Wilderness Ranch

USPS:
Beverly & Darwin Heckman
PO Box 255
Augusta, MT 59410
406-562-3336

UPS:
Benchmark Ranch
RD #1
Augusta, MT 59410

MAILDROP - FEE, call/write first. You may be able to hitch to Augusta (but returning to the trail may be a problem.)

Benchmark Ranch – was different. It’s a very small ranch resort. Our maildrop was there but it was locked up and we had to search for someone to get it for us. We got there on a Sunday afternoon in early season when no ‘guests’ were there, so Beverly had gone into town. Eventually someone told her we were at the Ranch and she came back out (bearing salad fixin’s and ice cream). We got showers, rented a cabin, ate dinner and repacked for the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We bought some Coleman fuel from the handyman/hostler, but I wouldn't count on that. There is no phone. We left early the next morning. Note: she applies only part of the ‘package fee’ to cabin rental. There may be a per person charge rather than a per package charge. You really want to call and check out the deal here before committing to it. We consider it to be a wonderful service - but some hikers have failed to do their homework and have been unpleasantly surprised.

Augusta has a post office, grocery, camping, motel and restaurant. It's about a 30 mile hitch from the trail.

Big Sandy Lodge 82923

Big Sandy Lodge
#8 Spotted Tail Circle
Rock Springs, WY 82901
307-382-6513
http://www.big-sandy-lodge.com/
email: bigsandylodge@wyoming.com

MAILDROP $25, contact the Lodge before sending anything.

Big Sandy Lodge came after a long, beautiful stretch through the Wind River Range from Togwotee Pass. We were told at first that our mail drop wasn’t there, but Tim found it when he checked again – it was hidden in the back of the pile. We got there early (noon), took a shower ($7.50 ea.), camped out across the lake (free), ate dinner ($12 ea.) and breakfast ($6 ea.) and left the next morning. The ‘package fee’ ($20) was applied to our bill. There might be cabins available, but they’re expensive. Tim sold us some cheese (expensive!!) and gave us some Coleman fuel – but don’t count on the Coleman because he doesn’t normally have any available. There was no phone.

All of this applied to our 1999 hike. The prices have undoubtedly changed - upward.

From Big Sandy we went south through the Cirque of the Towers and the Popo Agie Wilderness. We definitely recommend that route.

Butte, MT 59701

Butte is one of the larger towns in Montana – and it’s not really all that big. But it does have motels, restaurants, supermarket, post office, ATM’s, etc. - ALL services. It is very spread out.

There are three major ways into town from the Trail - from Deerlodge Pass, Homestake Pass (I-90) and I-15. All of them require a 5 to 16 mile hitch.

Chama, NM 87520 (from Cumbres Pass)

Chama is the first town in New Mexico for southbound CDT hikers and the last for north-bound hikers. For those who are doing the road-walk to the south (or come in that way), Chama is on the trail. For those who are doing the CDTS route through the mountains, the easiest access is from Cumbres Pass in Colorado. It’s an eight mile hitch and shouldn’t be hard, but traffic on the road is light and it may be a while before the first car/truck comes along.

The Post Office is on 5th St in the middle of town (near Fosters Hotel) and a bank with an ATM is close by. Fosters is a good restaurant, but there are several good restaurants on the south end as well. A good grocery, a campground with a laundromat, a mini-mart and several motels are also on the south end of town.

The north end of town has a laundromat and campground about 0.75 mile north of Fosters Hotel. The problem with the town from a hiker’s point of view is that it’s spread out over about 2.5 miles. We stayed at the Chama Suites (may have a different name now), which was entirely non-smoking and served a free breakfast. It was a really good stop for us – especially since the owners drove us back to Cumbres Pass. We didn’t find Internet access in Chama although it's probably there if you look hard enough.

Columbus, NM 88029

Columbus, NM - is small compact town. It has a post office, a motel, 2 B&B’s (one of them a couple miles outside of town), a couple restaurants, a small grocery, a library with Internet access and a gas station/convenience store. It may have a laundromat (if you can find it). It also has camping, water and showers at Pancho Villa State Park. Columbus is just 3 miles from the border and Palomas, Mexico. If you’re southbound, Palomas is a good place to have a beer and possibly a meal - lots of bars, restaurants & pharmacies. It’s an easy hitch back to Columbus or Deming.

Creede, CO 81130

Creede, CO – can be accessed from either San Luis Pass (11 mile walk) or by a long hitch (35 mi) from Spring Creek Pass. There’s a grocery, post office, outdoor shop, several restaurants and B&B’s, a hotel, motel, gas station, theater and laundromat. Many of the restaurants and other businesses close about the first of October. We walked out of Creede as part of the “Creede cutoff”. It would probably be a hard hitch to get back to Spring Creek Pass.

Cuba, NM 87013

Cuba is a town that CDT hikers walk into. Again, it’s spread out, but only over about ¾ mile. The north end has a motel, laundromat, a couple restaurants, and a mini-mart. The south end has several motels, a laundromat, a couple restaurants, several mini-marts and the Post Office. In between there are several small grocery stores and 2 fairly large groceries. Internet access is at the library, which is about 1/3 mile east of the Cuba Visitors Center. There is a hostel, but it is about 5 miles out (north) of town.

Deming, NM 88030

Deming, NM was a pleasant surprise. The town is spread out, but the essential hiker services are all in a fairly compact area. The post office, a couple motels, a couple laundromats, several convenience stores, 2 big supermarkets, a number of restaurants, a bar, gas stations, an ATM, a pharmacy and the library (with Internet access) are within 6 blocks of the center of town. Deming also has both Greyhound and Amtrak service, as well as being directly on US I-10.

Dubois, WY 82513 (from Togwottee Pass)

Dubois is a tourist town, but still a good stop. Lots of motels, restaurants, a laundromat, fairly good grocery, Internet access at the library, lots of tourist shops, a book store, and a post office. Overnight service is NOT available in Dubois except via FedEx.

The owner of the Cowboy Café (and his son) thruhiked the AT some years ago. The Cowboy Café puts out some really good food – including a killer pie a la mode. Hitching out was somewhat easier but still took about an hour. Dubois is a better stop than Togwotee Lodge. It is relatively compact and easy to get around.

Don't go French on us - it's pronounced "doo-boyz".

Brooks Lake Lodge is NOT hiker friendly - they do maildrops only and don't like hikers to stay too long - reportedly it upsets the "paying" guests.

East Glacier Park, MT 59434

We stayed at the Whistling Swan Motel both ways – when we were headed north while we got a boot problem resolved and got the Park permit, and then again while we were waiting for transportation to get back to Warm Springs so we could continue south. Mark Howser is the owner. He thruhiked the AT in 1992 and he’s ‘hiker-friendly’. East Glacier has several motels and 2 hiker hostels, a decent (but small) grocery, laundromat, several good restaurants, post office, an ATM at the Lodge, transportation to Waterton Lakes, Canada and Amtrak access. Of course, there’s also Glacier Park Lodge, beautiful but expensive. The chili at the Two Medicine Grille was the best we found on the CDT – as were the huckleberry milk shakes. Mark might also be able to find you some Coleman fuel – if you ask nicely. Amtrak took us from East Glacier to Shelby, where we caught the Rimrock Stage bus to Butte and Warm Springs.

There are at least three good alternate routes through the Park to East Glacier from the border. You must get a permit to hike in Glacier NP. Generally the rangers have been friendly for the last several years. That hasn't always been the case. Don't piss them off -

The permit process has changed several times over the last ten years. The most recent incarnation required that the permit be picked up at Two Medicine (~12 miles) or St Mary's (~40 miles). But check with the Park about the procedure.

There are two very small stores inside Glacier NP: one at Two Medicine and one at Many Glacier. There's also a lodge, a motel and a restaurant at Many Glacier.

Elliston, MT 59728 (from MacDonald Pass)

Hitch west to Elliston, which has a cafe/motel but no grocery. Some hikers have had maildrops at the Post Office in Marysville. There are no other services.

Ghost Ranch, NM 87510

Ghost Ranch Abiquiu
HC77, Box 11
Abiquiu, NM 87510
1.877.804.4678
http://www.ghostranch.org/
email: info@ghostranch.org

MAILDROP ONLY. No outgoing mail.

Ghost Ranch is a good place for a mail drop. If you hit it right, you might be able to get a meal, a shower and/or a campsite. If not, they at least have water, Coke and snack machines – and they will hold packages for hikers. Contact them before you mail it though. When we got there, they were in the middle of a conference and had no room, so we took our mail drop, loaded up on Coke and snacks and kept on moving.

Gibbonsville, ID 83467

Hitch from Lost Trail Pass - could also go to Salmon, ID or Sula, MT

Gila Hot Springs, NM

The Wilderness Lodge
Gila Hot Springs
HC 68, Box 85
Silver City, New Mexico 88061
(505) 536-9749
http://www.gilanet.com/wildernesslodge/
email: wildernesslodge@gilanet.com

Doc Campbell’s Post
Rt. 11. Box 80
Silver City, New Mexico 88061
(505) 536-9551
http://www.gilahotspringsranch.com/doc-campbells-post.htm
email: pyluecke@gilanet.com

MAILDROP. You may be able to mail to Doc Campbells Gen. Store or to the B&B in Gila Hot Springs or to the store at Mimbres. (Mimbres has small store and several B&B type places.) You can no longer mail to NF offices.

Gila Cliff Dwellings Visitor Center - has restrooms and water but will no longer hold packages for hikers. There are no other services here.

Gila Hot Springs is 3 miles south of the Gila Visitor Center. Doc Campbell’s Post has a very small grocery, microwave sandwiches, GOOD home-made ice cream, unleaded gasoline, water and a phone. It also has showers and a laundromat in back (ask about these). There are a couple of campgrounds nearby and a mile south of the Trading Post on Access Road is the Wilderness Lodge B&B with reasonable prices (breakfast included), comfortable beds and a hot spring in the front yard.

Grand Lake, CO 80447

Grand Lake has all necessary services including an outdoor shop, laundromat, restaurants, motels, and a hostel. Both groceries and the post office are on the western edge of town. The groceries (2 of them) are small but can be used for long term resupply. Shadowcliff Hostel is one of the best hostels we've run into anyplace. Grand Lake is a ‘walk-through’ town – and the hostel is about 30 yards off the trail as you're headed south into town. There’s also Internet access at the library and a repertory theater for those so inclined.

Good trail town, great hostel

Grants, NM 87020

Grants – is another town that you walk into/through. It has NF and BLM offices, a Post Office on 3rd St with a register. Unfortunately the Trail Angel at the Post Office is no longer there. On the main street (Santa Fe) there are a number of motels, several banks with ATM’s, a Pizza Hut with an AYCE buffet at noon, a Chinese restaurant with AYCE buffet and the Uranium Café which serves really good breakfasts. The grocery is Smith’s – about a mile off Santa Fe, but you pass it on the left on the way into town on Lobo Canyon Road. Internet access is available at the library. Again, the only problem with Grants is that it’s a Western town and is spread out.

Hachita, NM 88040

Jeff Cullum
Hachita Food Mart
4398 Highway 9
Hachita, NM 88040
505.436.2593
email: hachitafoodmart@msn.com

Hachita has the Food Mart, which provides meals, very limited groceries, camping, showers, fuel, Internet access and shuttles. They will hold packages for hikers but call first.

Check with the Food Mart for possible leads on shuttles to/from the border.

Helena, MT 59601 (from MacDonald Pass)

We stayed at one of the many motels in Helena and used a taxi(expensive) to get back to the trail the next day. Helena has a good outdoor shop, lots of motels and restaurants, supermarkets, post office, shoe repair – anything a thruhiker might need including a bus system that’s slow, but cheap. We didn’t investigate Internet access, but presumably the library would have it. Nearly every town along the trail either had Internet access or was getting it.

Lake City, CO 81235 (25 miles from Spring Creek Pass)

The Creede cut-off lops about 100 miles from this section. Don't take it unless weather is really bad as this is a beautiful stretch of mountains.

Lake City, CO is another long hitch from the trail and somewhat spread out. Both groceries are small but can be used for resupply. The outdoor shop has Coleman fuel (expensive) but isn’t really hiker oriented. There are several B&B’s and restaurants, a post office and a laundromat, as well as a campground that might provide shuttles back to the trail.

Lander, WY 82520

We didn’t go to Lander. This is another town that reportedly has “all services” including an outdoor shop, hotels and the regional BLM office where Ray Hanson has been known to hang out. The BLM office may also have information on the water sources for the Great Basin. You WANT that if you can get it. Even sight unseen, it’s definitely a better town stop than South Pass/Atlantic City, which have no groceries, fuel or laundry. But it’s also a long hitch.

Leadore, ID 83464 (from Bannock Pass)

Leadore was an easy hitch from Bannock Pass in that the first truck picked us up – but it was over 2 hours before that truck came along. It's not a heavily traveled road. Leadore is an old mining town (which is the origin of the name. It has 2 small groceries, a post office, gas station, 2 restaurants (one of which is not always open), a laundromat, a Forest Service office, a motel (3 rooms) that was full when we got there. The grocery across the street from the motel has a grassy area where we camped ($1 per night) and a shower ($1 each – no soap or towels). The Leadore post office also has a hiker register. There’s free camping at a city park north of town, but we didn’t investigate that. The town is compact and easy to get around. It may be easier to walk to/from town than to hitch.

Lima, MT 59739

Lima, MT – was not on our original schedule, but it looked a lot easier to resupply there than to carry 10 days food, so we sent a maildrop from Leadore. Lima is hard to get to – the trail runs 4 miles south of Monida, which is the nearest Interstate access. Lima is a 16 mile hitch north of Monida, which gets (maybe) 6 vehicles per day using that exit. In order to get to Lima in less than 6 days (we didn’t have that much food), we had to actually get ON the Interstate to hitch. Since then, Mike and Connie Strang at the Mountain View Motel & RV Park (phone: 406-276-3535; 866 812-7407) have emerged and will pick up hikers at Monida. Call from the lone phone in town. Lima has a post office (friendly postmistress), a gas station/mini-mart, a restaurant with a couple cabins, and a motel. There was another restaurant and grocery in town, but they may be closed.

Mike and Connie Strang are very helpful and friendly and will accept mail drops: c/o Mountain View Motel and RV Park PO Box 277, Lima MT 59739.

But call first.

If you're southbound, this is a good place to call Yellowstone for a permit. The phone for the backcountry office is 307-344-2160 or 307-344-2163. Mack's Inn or West Yellowstone might be a little late.

Lincoln, MT 59639 (from Rogers Pass)

Hitching in and out of Lincoln from Rogers Pass wasn’t bad at all (about ½ hour each way). There are three ways/passes into town.

Lincoln has motels, a laundromat, camping at the local park, ATM, restaurants (but don’t bother with the pizza) – even Internet access at the library. There’s a hiker register at the Post Office that goes back 20 years or more.

Lincoln was a nice stop and a good trail town – friendly people and good food. It's fairly compact. Again equipment problems kept us there a second night (tent and water filter). I left a failed water filter there (Pur Hiker). I also left most of a gallon of Coleman fuel at the hardware store – they said they’d keep it for future hikers. I wonder if they did - or if it's still there waiting for someone to claim it.

Lincoln weather was "interesting" when we were there. It ranged from warm sunshine to rain to sleet and snow - all at 5 to 10 minute intervals.

Macks Inn, ID 83433

Macks Inn is very small, but it was a total zoo when we got there. It’s a resort and this was the height of tourist season, so there were no motel rooms. But they have a campground, gas station/mini-mart, laundromat, post office (with a trail register), motel (if you can get a room), a restaurant and a dinner theater. There are also a few groceries and an ATM at the resort office. We walked into and out of Mack’s Inn because we followed Jim Wolf’s route. The dinner theater was good (and included an AYCE dinner). For those so inclined, there are also the resort activities – fishing, canoeing, rafting, etc. It’s very compact and easy to get around. I would recommend a mail drop here, though you could probably buy enough to get you into Yellowstone. Or you could hitch 15 miles or so to West Yellowstone (all services) for supplies.

MAILDROP ?

Marysville, MT 59640

Marysville is about three miles off trail. Post office only.

Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park has a post office, several reasonably good groceries and restaurants, an ATM, VERY limited backpacking equipment, lots of interesting sights to see and LOTS of tourists. The Park uses a reservation system for backcountry camping. Call from Togwotee Pass if you’re headed north or from Lima if you’re headed south – they will take phone reservations from thruhikers. The phone number for the backcountry office is 307-344-2160 or 307-344-2163. But watch what they give you – they gave us a 28 mile day.

There is no camping at Old Faithful Village, just a lodge. The nearest campsite is 5 miles south.

Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 (from Wolf Creek Pass)

Pagosa Springs is a relatively easy hitch from Wolf Creek Pass. The town has all necessary services, although it’s really spread out. Like most western towns, it’s built for people with cars. But there’s a laundromat, good outdoor shops, restaurants, motels, post office, large grocery, gas stations a movie theater, a pharmacy and ATM’s. Pagosa also has hot springs for those who are so inclined. We got a ride back to Wolf Creek Pass with a friend – ask at the outdoor shop.

You could go to South Fork instead (M, L, g, P) but Pagosa Springs has better services.

Pie Town, NM 87837

Pie Town has a post office, free camping at Jackson Park and either the Pie-O-Neer Café or the Daily Pie Cafe (which is closed on Monday and Tuesday), depending on who you listen to, what year it is, what day it is, the weather - whatever. Both have been open (and closed) at various times. There is a public phone next to the café. There are no other services - not even a Coke machine in town. Pie Town is said to be very hiker friendly, with several Trail Angels, but we got there at a time when none of them were available so we can’t speak from personal experience.

Quemado, NM is about 15 miles west. We didn’t go there but we’ve heard that it’s a good stop. But it can also be a hard hitch.

Pinedale, WY 82941

Again, we didn’t go to Pinedale, but it may be a better stop than either Dubois or Togwotee Lodge. Pinedale reportedly has all services including an outdoor shop. There’s also a shuttle that runs to three different trailheads in the Wind River Range – although it may be expensive.

Rawlins, W Y82301

We took the BLM designated route around the northern edge of the Great Basin and then down into Rawlins. It took us 4 days and 4 hours from Atlantic City. The town has a post office, laundromat, library (which may or may not have Internet access), a computer shop which does have Internet access, lots of cheap motels, pharmacies, ATMs, a good grocery, and enough restaurants to keep us fed, although most of the restaurants and some of the stores in town close on weekends. There’s even a movie theater in town for those so inclined. The town is spread out over about 3 miles – the supermarket, some motels, the movie theater, and some restaurants are on the east side of town. The post office, library and downtown area are in the middle and some motels, restaurants, a laundromat are on the west side of town. It’s not set up for hikers, but its not an unfriendly town as Wamsutter has been consistently reported to be.

Reserve, NM 87830

Reserve was a really tough 35 mile hitch from the “official” CDT. There are 2 motels, several restaurants (some or which are closed on Monday and Tuesday), a laundromat, a bar (the only source for beer in town), 2 small groceries and Internet access at the small library in the Village hall. The town is spread out but not unreasonably so. If they're still there, the Village Motel and Elk Country Café are at the south end of town. The library is up the hill behind the high school (ask for directions) and the Forest Service office is 2 miles west of town on NM 12. Everything else is in the main part of town. We thought the best hamburger in town was at the Elk Country Café (they also have good pizza). Grandma T’s at the other end of town was a good place for breakfast. We got a ride back to the trailhead from the owner of the Village Motel - it could be a tough hitch back out there. Next time we'll just plan to hike into and out of town - if we go there.

Salida, CO 81201

Monarch Lodge
22720 West Highway 50
Monarch, CO 81227
719-539-2581
http://www.monarchmountainlodge.com/
email: mml@monarchmountainlodge.com

Salida, CO 81201 is a long hitch out of Monarch Pass. But it has all the necessary services including restaurants, an outdoor shop, supermarket, ATM, movie theater and pharmacy but is really spread out. The commercial district is a one-mile walk from the motels and most of the restaurants. That’s also where the post office and library (with Internet access) are located. We stayed at the Apple Grove Motel and the owner arranged a ride back to the trail with one of the locals (for a price). Again, it was a good town stop in spite of a few drawbacks.

Alternatively, Monarch Lodge which is a few miles from the pass will hold packages (No fee). But check with them first. A number of past hikers have found that either their package didn't get there or the Lodge was closed when they arrived. UPS might be better than USPS.

Salmon, ID 83467 (from Lost Trail Pass)

Our stay here was unplanned, accidental (literally) and limited. We spent nearly all our time at the Salmon Valley Baptist Church where Ginny was recuperating. But we did explore enough to know that Salmon has motels, a large supermarket, ATM, outdoor stores, several restaurants, a laundromat, medical facilities, a movie theater and a post office. Our entry and exit from Salmon were unusual – Mike and Michelle Palmer drove us into Salmon (with a side trip to the emergency room) from near Rock Island Lake. And Bob and Sue Martin drove us directly to the Divide above Jahnke Lake, so we can’t comment on the hitch either from or to Chief Joseph Pass.

Hitch from Lost Trail Pass - could also go to Gibbonsville, ID or Sula, MT

Leaving Salmon - try the bus:

CART, Salmon
(208) 756-2191
206 South Saint Charles
Salmon, ID 83467
(Public Bus Transportation)

Separ, NM

Separ is located just off I-10 and has a gas station (Continental Divide Gasoline) that sells snacks. Get water from the faucet outside.

Silver City, NM 88061

If you follow the official or semi-official routes to/from Antelope Wells, you will pass through Silver City, which has all services, including a hostel. (but is very spread out). We didn’t stay there, but we did check it out at a later time. This is a relatively large town with all services available including an outdoor shop and hostel. Like most Western towns it’s spread out and not particularly easy for hikers to work with.

Pinos Altos is a small tourist town on the official trail north of Silver City that has a post office, motel and restaurant. And an ice cream parlor.

Silverthorne, CO 80498

Silverthorne/Breckenridge is the last of the ‘yuppie’ areas. Both towns have all services – again including outdoor shops and a free transportation system to all the towns in the area – Silverthorn, Frisco and Breckinridge. Jim Wolf’s route goes right through Silverthorne which also has a hostel close to the trail. The “official” route passes about 10 miles west of Silverthorn, near Frisco which has a post office and grocery, among other services.

There's a free bus to neighboring towns of Frisco and Breckenridge.
We followed Jim Wolf's route. The official route is much longer through here. All services are available, including a hostel and outdoor store

Copper Mountain Ski Area is also on the trail. It has a very small grocery, a post office and several restaurants. There was a pizza bar/deli that was reasonable across from the grocery. But you’ll need to keep moving to find a place to camp. This isn’t a place to stay unless you’re independently wealthy.

Note: none of the northern Colorado towns are hard to get around – many have free public transportation. All of them provide ample services for resupply and equipment replacement. All of them are expensive.

South Pass City, WY 82520

South Pass City State Historic Site
125 South Pass Main
South Pass, WY 82520
(307)332-3684
http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/south1.htm
email: sgoetz@state.wy.us

South Pass City, WY is at the south end of the Wind River Range. We stopped at the Rock Shop about a mile up the highway for burgers and Pepsi and water and beer (it was a really dry day). I don’t know if the Rock Shop café is still open. Then we bushwhacked cross-country to get into BLM land and find a campsite. We were in South Pass City by 0900 when they opened. It’s possible to send a mail drop here, but don’t count on sending anything out. There is a register at the General Store/Post Office. They will hold packages (no fee).

We took the tour of the historic site, Ginny got some coffee and we got some soda and ice cream at the VERY small and limited store in ‘town’. Reportedly, some of the locals have been Trail Angels to some of the hikers, but we walked the 5 miles to Atlantic City and stayed at the motel there.

MAILDROP. Or you could hitch to Lander, WY (35 miles - All services)

Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 (from Buffalo Pass)

Steamboat Springs is an expensive stop but has everything a thruhiker might need, including several outdoor shops, ATM’s, a large grocery, post office, restaurants, laundromat, motels and Internet access at the library. And it has free transportation to get where you need to go. There are also public hot springs – both free and paid. This is the first real ‘yuppy’ town headed southbound. It’s also one of the few with a movie theater. Getting into town was an easy hitch out of Buffalo Pass – getting out could be a little harder, but we can’t say for sure because we were given a ride by the owner of the Knight’s Rest Motel. You can also get to Steamboat Springs from the highway about 20 miles south of Buffalo Pass, but it makes a longer stretch from Rawlins.

Encampment (all services) is a possibility for breaking up the section between Rawlins and Steamboat.

Sula, MT 59871

Sula has campgrounds and a store

.

You could also go to Salmon, ID or Gibbonsville, ID from Lost Trail Pass. Or to Wisdom, MT from Chief Joseph Pass.

Togwottee Mountain Lodge (at Togwottee Pass)

PO Box 91
Moran, WY 83013
(307)543-2827
(800)543-2827

MAILDROP. Or hitch into Moran, WY or Dubois, WY

Togwottee Mountain Lodge accepts maildrops. But ours didn’t show up there, which may have been for the best. The Lodge has a good restaurant,a gas station, a VERY small grocery and very expensive cabins. Reportedly, they "may" give hiker discounts for lodging. Ask.

It was a really hard hitch into Dubois. We got into town with the help of a friend of one of the waitresses at the restaurant. Tom runs dog sleds in winter (he keeps about 85 dogs) and works at the resort in the summer.

Twin Lakes, CO 81251

Twin Lakes, CO is 3 to 6 miles from the trail, depending on which route you take. There’s a very small grocery with a post office in back, a couple B&B’s, the Nordic Inn and 2 restaurants (one of which is at the Nordic Inn). Don’t plan on resupply here except via maildrop, but it’s a good place for an overnight stay if you can afford it. There’s a small laundromat and motel 6 miles east.

MAILDROP. Or go into Leadville

Wamsutter, WY

By reputation, Wamsutter is NOT hiker friendly (we didn’t go there). It’s strictly an industrial town and has little in the way of hiker services. We’ve known a number of thruhikers who have gone there – none of them have expressed any affection for the place. And I know at least three who've been mugged there. I find it hard to be impressed by a town that has a prominent Pay Day Loan Cash Adance website. I was raised in one of those towns. YMMV

The route through the Great Basin to Wamsutter is a bit shorter, but water is more of a problem.

Warm Springs, MT 59xxx

Warm Springs has a VERY small and VERY limited grocery with VERY limited hours. It also has a bar which apparently closes at sundown – or when the last customer leaves, whichever comes first. The bar owner allowed us to set up our tents on his lawn in back of the bar, but again – ask nicely. He doesn’t owe it to anyone – even to thruhikers. You can get water there though. If you are doing the Anaconda cut-off you will pass by the store/bar.

The Montana State Hospital is at Warm Springs. Be sure to get a picture of yourself at the sign - as thruhikers, it's appropriate.

Waterton Lakes, B.C.

Waterton is a small town on the Canadian side of the border. There are restaurants, lodging post office, grocery and a campground. Other services are available (dependent on season) but we didn’t go looking for them. This is a ‘tourist” town.

The Prince of Wales Lodge is an upscale, pricey (and beautiful) lodge that stands prominently at the head of Waterton Lake.

Transportation is generally a shuttle from East Glacier Park, MT although there are other methods of access (including hitchhiking). The border crossing "can" be difficult, especially if you've had previous problems with the law.

There are three good alternate routes from the border to East Glacier. One of them starts at Waterton, two of them start at the Chief Mountain border crossing. There are also alternate routes from Waterton that don't go through East Glacier.

There are two very small stores in Glacier NP - one at Two Medicine and one at Many Glacier. For mail drops - Many Glacier Ranger Station
Babb, MT 59411

For permit by phone - St Mary Ranger Station, 406.732.5572

West Yellowstone, WY 82190

West Yellowstone, WY – We didn’t go there in 1999, but we did go back as part of our trip to the Beartooth-Absorokas. It’s a tourist town and has “all services” including an outdoor store.

Winter Park, CO 80422 (from Berthoud Pass)

Winter Park is a possible resupply, but expensive. It’s basically a ski town for the very rich. We don’t qualify. But it has everything a thruhiker might want (including a movie theater) and it’s not a difficult hitch into town. Getting out was just a little harder.

The restaurant at Berthoud Pass is closed permanently. Actually it's to be torn down - if it's still there at all.

Wisdom, MT 59761

Wisdom is accessed from Chief Joseph Pass. It was a tough hitch – over 3 hours to get into town and other hikers had much the same experience. Wisdom has 2 motels (one of which is of the really “cheap” variety), a small grocery (be very creative), a laundromat (although the dryers don’t dry), post office, 2 restaurants (one of which had the best cinnamon rolls in Montana), and a bar that actually has good pizza. Wisdom also had the most prolific mosquito population of any town we visited. Keep in mind that Wisdom is a ‘working’ cattle/horse town. Tourists and hikers are considered nothing more than an outside source of income. For available services and ease of access, Salmon, ID would be a better choice for a thruhiker.

From Chief Joseph Pass you could also go to Salmon, Sula or Gibbonsville via Lost Trail Pass.