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The first and most obvious question is:
Why hike the CDT?
Having hiked the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails, the trail that is closest to our heart is the Continental Divide Trail. We think it is the most beautiful, the most challenging, the most remote, the most ‘wild’, with endless vistas, constant wildlife and the greatest sense of freedom. It gives us everything we are looking for in a long distance hike. We love the fact that every hike is unique. We love the incredible beauty of the high mountains, the sage covered hills and the desert. We love the feeling that around every corner there might be wildlife or a new and different beauty.
What are some of the highlights of the CDT?
It is all beautiful, but among our favorite areas were Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Anaconda Pintlers, the Bitterroots, Yellowstone, the Wind River Range, the Gros Ventre, the Red Desert, Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, Indian Peaks, the San Juans, Ghost Ranch, the Gila Wilderness, etc. There is tremendous variety on the CDT. What I especially enjoyed were the frequent wildlife sightings: elk, antelope, deer, moose, bears, mountain goats, mountain sheep, javelina, wild horses, badgers, eagles, etc. In the Great Basin we saw about 50 pronghorn antelope a day. In southern Montana we saw elk almost every day. Almost every day had some sort of interesting encounter with wildlife.
To be fair, there are also some lowlights – frequent areas of fire damage, constant contact with range cattle and the consequential effects on the water quality, a few really bad roadwalks (especially Rawlins), and the perceived need to push for miles in order to finish the trail in one year. But all in all, it is a terrific trail to adventure on.
That said, if you have never done a long distance hike before, I would not recommend the CDT for a first long hike. The remoteness and freedom also make for greater challenges, which can be too much for a beginner backpacker. If you have never done any long distance backpacking, start with a shorter and more popular trail – the Appalachian or the Colorado Trail – and learn the basics of hiking all day every day, resupplying in towns and planning and managing your hike. On those trails there are enough people that if you get into trouble, there will soon be someone along to help you out. The communities along the trail are used to hikers and are likely to be helpful to a beginner, and will make it easier to bail if you decide that long distance hiking is not for you. Because the CDT gets less use than the other trails, sometimes there is little treadway, few trail markers and/or infrequent maintenance on the trail that has been built. Navigation is a constant effort on the CDT. This is not at all true for the more heavily traveled AT and PCT.
The Pacific Crest Trail is good for learning about desert travel, hiking long distances between towns and water sources and traveling in snow and snowmelt conditions. It is a good trail to do before the CDT for that reason. You will have the basic skills needed to hike the CDT, which will then throw a few new ones at you, such as solitude, navigation, and route choices and flexibility.
On the Continental Divide Trail, each hiker ends up choosing the routes that he/she wants to follow rather than one single official route that everyone follows. There are few purists on the CDT. Sometimes route choices are made because of weather, or snow conditions, or getting lost or a desire to cut off miles or add a scenic detour. There are choices between the official routes, the routes recommended by Jim Wolf in his guidebooks, the routes recommended by Jonathan Ley that he followed when he thruhiked, other recommended routes, and shortcuts that are followed by thruhikers in a hurry. This freedom to choose is one of the blessings and banes of hiking the trail. It means that you will want to do some research before you go to see what the options are and to determine the routes that will determine your mileage and itinerary. It means that you will need to become adept at reading a map and deciphering the guidebooks in order to find yourself if you stray off your proposed route. It means you will have to determine what you want out of your hike, before you go, so that you can choose the routes that will best allow you to find what you are seeking.
Some hikers are after the title of CDT thruhiker, or Triple Crown Hiker, and they don’t really care where they hike, just that they walk more or less from Mexico to Canada. For them, the shortest possible route is good enough. There are several frequently used shortcuts and roadwalks that will cut several hundred miles off their route. Others want a hike that is the most scenic possible, and they will choose alternate routes that allow for climbing peaks or spending more time in wilderness areas. Some hikers enjoy bushwhacking and will try to follow ridges as much as possible. Others will want to visit areas that are near the trail corridor, but not on it, so they will choose alternatives that allow them to hike through the Tetons or Beartooths, etc. Sometimes weather or injury forces a hiker to make the choice between taking the scenic route and taking the shorter route. It is a hard trail to do in one year at the best of times. Most thruhikers end up taking shortcuts, even when they didn’t start out intending to do so. That is one of the advantages of hiking the trail in two or more years – fewer compromises are necessary.
How long will it take to thruhike? Anywhere from 4-7 months. Distance? The usual description of the CDT is that it is a 3100 mile trail. Truth is, while the Divide is 3100 miles, the actual routes taken by hikers can be anywhere from 2400-3200 miles – or even longer. In trail registers we saw entries from people who intended to keep hiking up into Canada to the Yukon or even Alaska. And there have been southbound hikers who planned to keep going to South America. Where you go is entirely up to you. There are so many alternatives – some longer, some shorter, some more scenic, some more exposed. Weather, fires, and desire for adventure will determine your route. There are constant tradeoffs – more scenic may mean slower. Jonathan Ley did a lot of off trail ridgewalks – beautiful but slow. Many speed-hikers end up doing long roadwalks – boring but fast. The trail varies from good trail, to jeep road to dirt track to very rough faint goat tracks – with an occasional highway walk. You may choose to bushwhack, but it rarely is required. Accept the trail, in all of its variety, for what it is, and if you don’t like it, find an alternative route that works better for you.
********************Are you ready?
Meaning - do you have the skills to thruhike this trail? I ask that because each of the long trails requires it's own particular "skill set" - and thruhiking the CDT will require the "skill sets" that are best learned on the other long trails (AT and PCT) before starting the CDT. So, let's assume that you've already hiked both of the other major trails. What skills did you learn on those trails? And how well prepared are you for the CDT?
Let's start with the AT - where you would have learned about walking long days, the relationship between time and distance, foot care, cooking and personal hygiene on the trail, a lot about gear and camping, a little about resupply and maildrops, maybe a little about attitude, maybe some LNT, possibly a little about the importance of water, a lot about rain (and snow/sleet/hail?) - and a LOT about these strange people called "thruhikers."
Then let's assume you hiked the PCT - and you learned additional skills - like serious water management, desert heat, even longer days and miles, different kinds of snow, ice axes, the joys of lighter packs and a "warmer" trail, different types of resupply, an "introduction" to 10,000+ ft passes, living without trail shelters - and living with a trail built for horses and wheelchairs. To say nothing of the ever-present dust from the continual pounding of volcanic residue into ever finer and more ubiquitous dust particles by the horses.
So - after all that - what else is there to learn on the CDT? Haven't you learned everything there is to know about thruhiking?
And the answer is - Hell, no!!
Like it or not - you still have a few things to learn.
How about an entire new repertoire of skills? Like "Living with bad water 601," or real honest-to-goodness map and compass navigation rather than the "follow-the-bouncing-blaze" navigation on the AT - or the "hard-to-lose-turnpike" of the PCT. How about learning to live with "Griz" - and with cows - and with lightning? How about learning to hike a "cold" trail if you're southbound - or a "warm" trail if you're northbound? And knowing why there's a difference. Or learning to actually "pay attention" to where you are and where you're going rather than "zoning out" like you did on the other trails? How about learning to constantly make your own decisions about routes, water, time and distance and navigation - rather than automatically following the decisions that somebody else wrote in a book (like you did on the AT and PCT?) How about learning to live without your cell phone (it won't work on most of the CDT)? And learning to live without the comfort of the hundreds (or even thousands) of other hikers that were a part of your "safety net" on the AT and PCT. You know - all those hikers that would be along any second now if something "bad" happened on the AT or PCT - but won't be anywhere within a hundred miles when you're on the CDT. Which, of course, means it would be a really good idea for you to know Wilderness First Aid. How about learning how BAD an idea it might be to light a fire sometimes - like in New Mexico in the middle of a drought?
The CDT is a different world. And it requires "different" skills. And for most hikers, it will also either scare the hell out of them -- or be the most wonderful, most exciting hiking they've ever done. We know more than a few CDT hikers who didn't really enjoy the trip - and some who got nothing more than "bragging rights" for finishing - and a few who won't even talk about it. But we also know a growing number who loved the trail, the country, the people - and their hike. Which one would you rather be when you reach the Mexican (or Canadian) border?
I can tell you that I'll respect anyone who finishes the CDT. But the people we love and respect the most are those who, like us, not only "finished" the trail, but learned to love it - those who really and truly "hiked their own hike", exploring "our" world, learning about themselves and the world they live in - and finding as much, if not more, joy in the journey as in the destination. Yeah - I know - it's a "run-on" sentence. So deal with it.
********************When do you start?
Where do you start?
What routes will you choose?The Continental Divide Trail is a high elevation trail – generally above 7000’ and frequently above 9,000’. Therefore, hikers will encounter snow in Colorado, Montana, and the Wind River Range of Wyoming until the middle or end of June, so when and where you hike will depend on snow conditions and your willingness to deal with those conditions.
Although it varies, most northbound hikers start at the end of April or beginning of May. There are three alternate starting places on the Mexican border: Jim Wolf’s recommended starting point of Palomas, near Columbus NM, the border station at Antelope Wells, or the ‘official’ starting place northeast of Antelope Wells on a jeep track in the middle of nowhere, known as the Crazy Cook Monument. The goal of a northbound hiker is to reach the Colorado border sometime after the first of June (preferably after the 10th). If you start too early, you will find yourself with no place to go once you have finished New Mexico. Start too late and you will have a harder time reaching Canada before winter sets in, plus you may encounter closed forests in New Mexico during drought years.
Most southbound hikers start at the middle or end of June in Glacier. Any earlier and it is likely that the Park Service will refuse to give you a permit to hike through Glacier National Park. You are likely to encounter snow for the first couple of weeks in any case, but a late June start will minimize that. Again, there are several options for starting places and routes through the Park which may be determined less by your choice than by the willingness of the NPS to give you a backcountry permit. Every one of the trails through Glacier is good.
There are advantages and disadvantages to hiking either north to south or south to north. If possible, it is a good idea to see what the snow conditions are for the year you intend to hike before deciding whether you want to hike north or hike south or do some sort of flipflop.
Many hikers do a flipflop – they start in New Mexico and hike to Chama then hike south from Glacier or South Pass. Or start near Butte and hike north for a month, then flip back and hike south.
Flexibility is essential for the CDT – be prepared for your plans to change. Things happen!
********************Do I need a partner?
Unlike the AT and the PCT, you are unlikely to meet a partner while you are on the trail. Sometimes a group of hikers will agree to meet at the beginning of the trail (either end) and set off together, but it is fairly rare for these same people finish together. These are mostly people who either knew each other on previous thruhikes or ‘meet’ on the Internet. Most thruhikers are either solo hikers, or partnered with one or two other people. In 1999, the total number of long distance hikers we met in six months on the CDT was eight, including 3 long section hikers. Thirteen of us finished in 99 - and that was a very large number for the CDT. The last couple of years the numbers have increased. In 2006 over 50 started the trail - about 25 northbound and 25 southbound, plus several section hikers. We met many of them along the way - but generally only in passing. If you go alone, you will understand solitude in ways you have never imagined. Some love it, some hate it.
Having a partner has definite advantages, especially in terms of safety. In areas where grizzly bears are an issue, if you are hiking with others you are likely to make more noise, and so are less likely to have any close encounters of the ursine kind. Also two sets of eyes are definitely better than one. Having a partner makes navigation easier, as you can set off in two directions to look for the trail when you lose it, or, if you are in uncertain conditions (i.e. whiteout or no treadway), you can leave one person on the trail while the other scouts ahead. If you are hiking together, it is more likely that at least one of you will notice when you go astray, and from our experience who that was varied day by day. Sometimes having two people looking at the maps made it easier to figure out where we were or where we wanted to go. In our case, Jim was better at reading the maps, while Ginny was better at paying attention to the guidebooks – which worked out well. Finally, if one of you gets injured, there is a hope of getting help, whereas if you are a solo hiker, it could be several days before another hiker comes along.
If you do hike with a partner though, you will find it necessary to stay closer together than on the other trails. The advantages of having a partner disappear if you aren’t actually hiking together. If one of you strays off trail, as happens frequently, you can lose a lot of time trying to get together again if you are hiking a few hours apart. This can be really frustrating for both of you.
Some hikers who want the comfort of having a friend somewhere in the vicinity without the compromises that are necessary for a close partnership develop a loose agreement to meet in town or whenever they happen to cross paths, but don’t have the mutual responsibility angle of a real partnership. They may agree to hike together in snow areas or where grizzlies are an issue, but will be solo hikers the rest of the time. This can work if you really enjoy being alone, all day every day. It is no benefit in grizzly country.
********************What challenges can I expect?
- Picking a route – it’s up to you to choose where you go and why. Some people enjoy having this freedom; others prefer to follow blazes and not think about it. Which routes you choose will make a difference in the length of your trip and the distance between resupply stops. Will you go the long way around Butte or take the Anaconda Cut-off? Which pass will you take into Butte or Lincoln or Steamboat Springs – there is more than one option. Will you hike the Henry’s Lake route or the Macks’ Inn route? Will you climb over Grey’s Peak or hike the shorter route into Silverthorne? Will you follow a scenic ridge walk or take a longer less exposed river walk? This is a trail you have to think about before you go, not just hope to follow blindly without some planning. There aren’t any white blazes to follow – and not a lot of CDT blazes. Although there were a lot more blazes in 2006 that there were in 1999.
- Weather: snow, wind and lightning: You will run into some interesting weather on the trail. As southbound hikers, we had snow underfoot off and on for the first five weeks of our hike. Our last snowfall was July 4, then the next was September 3, followed by four more snowstorms before we finished our hike. It gets very cold at 11,000’ in October. And even in New Mexico it can get down to five degrees in November. Wind can be a real problem in both New Mexico and Wyoming. We didn’t run into it often, but I’ve heard others complain about the non-stop Wyoming winds. We did get blown off the divide a couple of times because of wind – when you are knocked off your feet, it is time to find a lower route. Lightning storms can also be an issue, especially in Colorado in the summer. Because so many miles are above treeline, the conventional wisdom of going low mid-afternoon can be hard to do.
- Wildlife – bears? If you are lucky, you will see bears, but not too close. Read up on how to camp safely in grizzly country before you go – basically, never cook or store food near your tent, keep a clean campsite, make noise as you hike in grizzly country so you don’t surprise anyone. If you have the basic knowledge, you should be fine. We have never carried either bear spray or firearms, despite many miles in bear country. We have seen bears a few times, but never had any problems.
- Navigation – Because the trail is so little used there is often no treadway. Trail markers are sometimes sparse and old ones may not be legible. You will lose the trail. So, learn how to read a map before you go. Take an orienteering course before you go. Pay attention while you hike. You can’t hike mindlessly.
- Water sources – It seemed that water was more frequent than on the PCT – at most 23 or 24 miles between water sources, usually less -- but the quality was often much worse than on the other trails. It’s all cow country. Cows and sheep are allowed to graze just about everywhere but the National Parks. This has an upside: if not for the cows, in many areas there would be no water for the hikers as there would be no windmills or stock tanks (in areas where the cows are no longer grazed, some of the water sources may be shut off) but a lot of the natural water sources are badly fouled by the cows and the tanks and wells may seem pretty nasty. It is not unusual to find dead animals or birds in a water tank. Because of ongoing drought in the west, some of the water sources may have little water in them, and what there is may be saline or have algae growing in it. What this means for the hikers is – a filter may be more of a necessity than on the other trails, but it will also get clogged much faster between glacial silt and animal waste (we went through five filter elements on our first thruhike). Sometimes the water source may be hard to recognize - the little spring in the middle of the rock pile 100 yards off the trail at Mormon Spring in Wyoming, the mud puddle that was actually the only water source for ten miles, the tiny trickle that crossed the road that was the “small stream”, the “aqueduct” in New Mexico that required you to drop down into an apparently dry wash to find a small streamlet that passed under the road. Bottom line, if you find water – always fill up, because the next water source may be either dry or fouled. If you find better water later, you can always switch, but don’t let yourself run dry.
- Altitude – most of the trail is above 7000’, in Colorado it is mostly above 9000’. Don’t be surprised if you have some problems with altitude. On our first two week hike in Colorado, we had to deal with Acute Mountain Sickness and ended up bailing out four days early. On our first thruhike, the AMS did not return, but we could always tell when we were hiking above 10,000’ because Ginny would slow down and have a much harder time hiking than she did below that elevation. On our second thruhike, altitude sickness was a problem for both of us until Monarch Pass. As stated above, there are also consequences in terms of weather, snow levels, lightning storms, etc. Also the sun will be more intense – wear lots of sunscreen.
Created: Fri, 06 Jan 2004
Revised: 15 Nov 2009Copyright © 2004-2009 Spirit Eagle