How remote is the Continental Divide Trail?

[Montana AT05]

Not many Montanans hike the CDT for day hikes and such. There are so many other places to hike, closer to the population centers (as such they are here) and so many others thing do (rafting, etc).

As far as remote meaning far from town, ya, as far as trails go, it's a good distance from towns, especially if by town you mean PCT/AT style towns.

Plenty of solitude awaits if that is what you're looking for.

And yes, Marta, always sad to hear about young seasonal workers dissappearing in Glacier, happens every 3 or so years. Almost always a young male in their mid twenties travelling solo. Can't blame then for their adventerous spirit, sad that they die sometimes, very sad.

[Spirit Walker]

If you get lost - yes, you could find yourself in places where noone goes for days or weeks at a time. There have been several hikers (not thruhikers) who disappeared in Glacier, others who got seriously lost in the Winds, in the Gila, etc. I know one hiker who spent a few days wandering lost in the Centennials before she ran into a local who helped her get out to a road. One hiker wrote in Jim Wolf's DividEnds: "I spent several days lost in the Gros Ventre, it was my best time on the trail." If you stick to the main routes, you may go several days without seeing another person. Our longest was six days in the Scapegoat (early season with a lot of snow on the ground). Average was about 3 days between seeing people - aside from the big touristy Wilderness Areas and National Parks.

[Colter]

I've always thought the CDT was a flawed premise that requires the trail to be located in many of the least interesting parts of the states it passes through.

IMO the trail should have been a Rocky Mountain Trail. Pity.

But, given the popularity of the AT, perhaps it's a good thing.

Least interesting parts? Like the San Juans, the Wind River Range, the Scapegoats, the Bob Marshall, Glacier, the Gila River? Usually I would say that we are all entitled to our own opinion but I know you don't even believe your own words. Why come on a hiking forum and insult two well loved trails in one post?

Some places are very remote, others aren't. There is no place a person would never be found on the route itself, but there are places you could disappear forever if you wandered off the trail and fell off a cliff or something.

[roy_hiking]

My hiking partner and I hiked south from Glacier National Park and for eight days did not see another sole.

[Timinator]

Oh damn, I didn't think this thread got any responses. You guys need to stop watching so much tv lol, I was just curious because there's not many truely isolated places left in the world.

[RED-DOG]

Why you running from the police or something ?

[oldbear]

What the OP is overlooking here is that one of the reasons that a lost hiker won't be found is because a large critter ate him

[BrianLe]

"I was just curious because there's not many truely isolated places left in the world."

On the AT there was never a day that I didn't see other people. I hiked that with one or more others for the majority, so I should say "we never", but I hiked from NY northwards mostly alone and it wasn't that lonely an experience, even early season.

On the PCT there was exactly one day that I saw no one else; that was in a fair bit of snow in the Sierras and even then I saw a tent pitched at a distance at the end of the day. I had some relatively "solitude days" (when I wanted them), but not true isolation.

I hiked a bit more than half of the CDT alone (southern Montana to northern New Mexico), had trail partners for the beginning and ending bits. There were many days that I saw no one on the CDT.
Caveat, however: there are a lot of road crossing and road walking, so there are certainly good chunks where you might not be encountering people, but still perhaps seeing or hearing the occasional vehicle at a distance and "encountering the works of man". But there's a whole lot more solitude, and indeed even some of what I might call "isolated" places.
The isolated places are isolated in part, however, due to the somewhat crazy time of year that you end up walking through some places if doing it as a thru-hike. For more sane people, it's more isolated than the AT and the PCT, but there's not just endless amounts of the sort of intensively isolated areas of the type I suspect that you might mean. Think rather, "very thinly populated".

[Spirit Walker]

Almost every year hikers disappear in Glacier. Those who get off trail there generally disappear completely, thanks to the ursine clean up crews. Since the CDT is, in places, more of a route than an actual trail, it is pretty easy to get off the main track, either by design (taking alternate routes or ones that go cross-country) or by accident (oops!) Even on the main routes, you may not see anybody for days, especially if you are hiking in the off season, as you intend to do. OTOH, there are hunters and fishermen, four wheelers and others who may surprise you when you feel most alone. Our longest stretch without seeing anyone was six days, in the Bob in early June. When we ran into a trail crew I was almost mad, because it was Our wilderness. But I was also happy because any sign of trailwork is generally welcome.

[Spirit Walker]

Oops, didn't realize this was an old thread and I answered twice. Sorry.

[bamboo bob]

It is a good question or concern though. The AT of course is a fun adventure but there are many roads and you are never more than an hour or so from Walmart.
I met a guy named Strider on the PCT who says he listened and he heard an engine every single day of the trip. I last saw him in White Pass (I think) so he may have gone the whole way with an engine a day. Maybe some were airplanes. I expect the CDT is the same in that there really are many roads, ranches, etc. I expect to find out soon Wilderness is at a premium, but there is also a lot of forest to walk in and it still takes some effort to get to next resupply. If you really want to avoid people just bushwhack. It's hard and it takes forever to get anywhere and you wont meet a soul.

[Dogwood]

I was just curious because there's not many truely isolated places left in the world.

Uhh, not really. There are plenty of isolated places or places that offer more solitude. Like BrianLe said it's partly dependent on the time of yr you are in some places. If you want isolation and solitude you might consider that or getting away from trails and areas with vehicle access. I saw only 3 other hikers, all CDT SOBO thru-hikers like myself, in Glacier NP, Bob Marshall Winderness, and Anaconda Pintler on the CDT in 2010. Twice, I went for 5 day stetches without seeing another human on the CDT. I basically hiked solo the whole way, though I may have hiked with someone for a few hrs or possibly only a day. It was great. It teally took self-sufficiency to another level.

[fiddlehead]

Hiked Montana by myself in '98 and saw 2 other hikers that whole state.
If you want isolated places in the world, there are many.
The outback in OZ, The deserts of Egypt, Yukon, northern Alaska, much of Siberia in Russia, parts of northern Maine, and a vast new country is just opening up after 50 years: Myanmar! I hear the northwest part is very wild.

But, yes the CDT can be wild too.
Except for CO, the Winds, the NParks, and the horsepackers in the "bob", you can experience all the solitude you want.
Especially if you use a map and just go from point A to point B and not follow any manmade trail.
It's not hard to do, in fact, it's often the norm.

Have fun.
Hope you find what you are looking for.

[Dogwood]

I've always thought the CDT was a flawed premise that requires the trail to be located in many of the least interesting parts of the states it passes through. ...

Disagree. No trail hits every possible interesting place. So it is with the CDT. You could design a route that hits more "interesting" places though and that doesn't just pertain to the CDT. I do it on nearly everyone of my thru-hikes. I'm always taking hiking side trips or considering worthwhile hiking alternates. These are some of the things I do on so called "zero days!" Besides, are you really going to state Glacier NP and The Bob in Montana, the Wind River Range and Yellowstone NP in Wyoming, Rocky Mountain NP, San Juans, and the oodles of possible above treeline ridgewalks in Colorado, or the Gila River and El Malpais areas in New Mexixco, aren't some of, if not the, most interesting places in those states?

One of the big problems with those who complain about lack of solitude or isolation is that they aren't willing to go the literal extra mile to get there! Very often, they expect to drive close to or take a trail to isolated areas or areas offering a high level of solitude for the sake of their own convenience. I hope those who expect this continue to do so. It makes those places I cherish for the isolation and solitude less likely to be trampled.

Another issue about not finding greater solitude and isolation is that some hikers fail to look for these places! I see this ocurring especially with long distance thru-hikers. They are so often in such a rush to complete a trail and go on to the next latest greatest thing or hike they pass, sometimes with a mile or two of a major trail, places offering solitude and greater isolation.

Since this is the holiday season and it connects with your comments, I think we might all be a little more apprecative of the vast hiking opps that this country has to offer by considering the vast amount of details that have to be addressed and resources that have to come together and work for this to occur and continue to be possible. Not to single anyone out, it's always easier to point fingers or complain than actually do anything to effect positive change, which is why during this holiday season we should consider financially supporting our trail systems here in the U.S.

[SCRUB HIKER]

I was just curious because there's not many truely isolated places left in the world.

Andrew Skurka talking about being in a truly isolated part of the world (the last leg of his Alaska trek) and the effect it had on him. http://youtu.be/hMf7TypZwtc?t=29m