2017-2020: Continental Divide Trail

New Mexico: Lordsburg -> Silver City -> Gila River -> Doc Campbell's -> Gila Cliff Dwellings -> Pie Town -> Grants -> Cuba -> Ghost Ranch -> Chama

Colorado: Twin Lakes -> Copper Mountain -> Silverthorne -> Breckenridge -> Ptarmigan Pass -> Berthoud Pass -> James Pass -> Monarch Lake -> Grand Lake -> Nevwe Summit Wilderness -> Arapaho National Wildiife Refuge -> Steamboat Springs -> Mt. Zirkel Wildferness

Wyoming: Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest -> Riverside -> Rawlins -> Casper -> Bull Springs -> AAtlantic City ->South Pass City -> Wind River Reseervation -> Cirque of the Towers -> Waterton Valley -> Pinedale -> Green River Pass -> Lower Green Lake -> Green River Lakes -> Bridter-Teton National Forest -> Shoshone National Forest -> Lava Mountain Lodge -> South Entrance, Yellowstone NP -> Jackson Lake -> Shoshone Lake -> Yellowstone NP

Idaho: Macks Inn Alternate

Montana: Lima -> Shineberger Creek -> Tendoy Creek

Idaho: Leadore

Montana: Bannock Pass -> Lehmi Pass -> Chief Joseph Pass -> Rainbow Lake -> Anaconda -> Cottonwood Lake -> Helena -> Marysville -> Lincoln -> Augusta -> Chinese Wall -> Switchback Pass -> Strawberry Creek -> Kip Creek -> Benson Creek -> Maria's Pass -> East Glacier Park Village

I began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail on April 29, 2011. I completed it on October 10, 2014, about 3 1/2 years later. and in 7 separate sections, some of them northbound, some southbound - not exactly a record-breaking pace ("thru" hikers typically take about six months.) I spent those intervening years mostly working, with some traveling to Mexico.

Once I completed the PCT, the travel bug bit me hard: I was off to the Middle East, more of Mexico, and Central and South America. Finally, in April of 2017, I got my courage up to try and tackle The Big One: The Continental Divide Trail.

The CDT, at 3100 miles, is the longest of the Big Three trails (CDT, PCT, and The Appalachian Trail), the least traveled, and in many ways, the most difficult. I had been told not to attempt it until I had completed one of the other two. Well, I was ready! And I (almost) did it:

I hiked the CDT in 2 major sections, with about a year in between:

Apr 24 - Sep 2, 2017: Mexican border to Yellowstone National Park - 1940 miles
Jul 13 - Sep 13, 2018: Yellowstone National Park to Glacier National Park - 1071 miles

In 2020 I tried hiking the last 110 miles from East Glacier Village to the Canadian border, but was only able to hike about 10 miles before I pooped out: too old (80) and too out of shape. But it wasn't all bad: my children joined me for a week or so, which helped soften the final effort. I have documented this event here:

The Big Three

As for the PCT, preparations involved getting in shape, acquiring gear, and assembling supply packages to be sent ahead. Here's the gear list I came up with (my base weight is about 3 pounds lighter than it was for my 2011 PCT gear list - Woo woo!). Feel free to scroll it.

2018 CDT Gear List

Particularly useful was Yogi's CDT Guide. It had maps for all the towns on or hear the trail, with all the information necessary for eating, sleeping and resupplying. For example, here are the pages for Silverton:

Yogi's CDT Guide was terrific for town info. For assistance while on the trail, I relied on FarOut's app of the CDT on my iPhone. It showed the trail, where I was on (or off) it, the location of water sources, alternate routes, towns, you name it. Forget paper maps, compasses, magnetic deviation, dead reckoning, etc. This is the computer age, man. Below is a sample FarOut screenshot. It shows a section of the CDT in North Montana, including a CDT alternate route in yellow. If you were there, it would your location on the map. Pretty slick.

(By the way, Dana and I met Yogi while we were hiking the John Muir Trail).

OK, Enough general info. Click the Next button to begin the report of my hike: Or jump to the beginning of a state by clicking on it: New Mexico -> Colorado -> Wyoming -> Idaho -> Montana

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