CDT in 2011 [Archive]

Chance09

09-14-2010, 14:38

Hmmmm I must say that is a very good question. I think you should ask me it again in a month or so, maybe longer. I've been off the trail now for around a week and i haven't started dealing with the BS of everyday life and a job yet.

I do feel like i've stopped hiking, and I really enjoy the planning part. I find comming up with gearlists and thinking about the logistics quite enjoyable.

I have so many dreams and plans for life that I want to "get the CDT out of the way" so to speak. I absolutely want to hike it and i'm not going to rush it but there are many other things that I want to do in life that don't really work out with long distance hiking.

I also don't like the thought of section hiking or shorter hikes. What i really enjoy is the 6 months of freedom and the opportunity to get in the best shape of my life. I can't get into the same mindset on a week long hike as i do on a thru.

I'm lucky as far as the time off thing goes. I graduated college in December of 08 right before my AT thru hike and I moved into my parents basement and a very nice one at that. Right after college I got a job bartending where they absolutely love me and always want to know when i'll be back because they really need the help. So after the AT I went back there and will be starting back up again in a week or so when i'm done with my post vacation vacation.

I've got a lot of job opportunities through networking but i've been hesitant to take anyone up on them because I want to finish my triple crown first. I also want to get them out of the way before I get back into all of the other things I love. Mainly rock climbing. I find it depressing to get back in climbing shape just to go and lose all of my upper body strength again.

I somehow managed to find a girlfriend right before leaving for the PCT this year who stuck with me throughout the hike and me being gone. It was tough, tougher than any other aspect of the hike, but it worked out. That said i don't think i'd do it again. Hiking back to back certainly makes relationships tough. I'm taking her with me on the CDT next year which is either a really good idea, or a really horrible one. I'll let you know when i'm done lol.

I guess my motivation comes from my desire to do these trails versus my desire to chase all of my other dreams and hiking the trails now is easier than it will be in 10 years when my other dreams, family, jobs, kids, traveling the world, going back to school, starting my business ect come into play.

I know these aren't really direct answers to your questions. I don't really have any yet. I think i'll prob be able to answer it better in a month or two.

Dogwood

09-14-2010, 14:53

LOL. You're an addict? Hopelessly, or should I say, hopefully, addicted!

I found I could not maintain this attitude on te CDT, "get the CDT out of the way." I had to slow down and enjoy the incredible journey. SO MUCH to take in and experience.

Chance09

09-16-2010, 14:17

I plan on taking the CDT as slow as possible. I'll have my gf with me and no desire to hurry at all. I did some big miles on the pct for a month straight to really see what my body could do, it preformed admirably but after that I slowed down. What was your average mileage dogwood? I've done little to no research on the CDT

Dogwood

09-16-2010, 15:07

Even at my typically moderate pace I've gone slowly on the CDT. I can't really say what my avg MPD has been because the terrain is so varied on the CDT. You will certainly up the MPD in places like The Great Basin in WY and in NM. I went SOBO starting June 25 at Glacier NP at the Canadian border. It was a grind from Day 1 in the snow postholing and route finding. Be aware of that if you decide on going SOBO; HIT THE TRAIL IN SHAPE!

The CDT has MANY alternate routes, which can play into how fast and how far you actually hike on the CDT. Since I hiked the often longer official designated CDT instead of taking shortcuts in places like Anaconda/Macks Inn/Great Basin/Creede Cut-Off etc I'll estimate that I'll hike at least 400 miles further hiking the CDT than someone else who has taken all the short-cuts hiking the CDT! Taking a few off trail crest alternates, like I did, drawn in purple on Ley's maps over the Continental Divide, and some Ley hasn't listed, can make adifference in total mileage and MPD too.

And, then, there is elevation! In CO you will get up to over 14,000 ft.(if you elect to take the designated Grays-Torreys Peak CDT Route. If you elect you can also do some side trips/alternates to take in summit bids like Mt Elbert, the highest peak in CO.

I highly recommend that you check out Yogi's CDT Planning Guidebook, Mags CDT Planning info w/ many worthwhile links, and Spirit Eagles CDT info. Their info really helped me. And, of course. you should get Jonathan ley's CDT mapset.

BTW, do the Rocky Mountain NP loop! Don't bypass it as most CDT'ers do! IT'S A NATIONAL PARK! There are not too many places on the CDT where you can do a 25 mile 1 day slack pack beginning and ending at the ShadowCliff Hostel. IMO, it's the perfect set-up for a slack pack! I thank MAGS for the head's up on the RMNP CDT Loop!

handlebar

09-16-2010, 18:08

I'll be out there continuing my nobo thruhike (after about 11 months of zeros!---hah!). I'll start out doing the roadwalk just before getting to Steamboat. There were sections in the San Juans where I was making only 1 mph where snow complicated route finding and required frequent kicking of steps. The motto, "Embrace the Brutality!", really fits.

A word of caution: the CDT is by far the most difficult "trail" of the big three. Lot's of route finding, snow is likely whether you are nobo or sobo, lightening is common as you're hiking along the divide in CO. On the other hand, the scenery is really great---even the desert sections in NM (at least as far N as Steamboat).

Dogwood

09-16-2010, 20:16

ShadowCliff is in Grand Lake CO and is practically located at the junction of the North Inlet and Tonahutu Trails both legs of the RMNP Loop. Some may find the loop unnecessarily circuitious, but IMO it's ideal to do as a 1 day slack pack on the CDT if you stay at the reasonably priced Shadowliff Hostel overlooking Grand Lake with incredible views!!! Be in thru-hiker shape, have good weather, and get an early start!

Dogwood

09-16-2010, 20:18

CDT equals exposure! - to sun, UV rays, lightning, strong wind, sleet, snow, and oh yeah INCREDIBLE VIEWS!

Yamagame

12-06-2010, 03:19

Hey Chance ’09,

I just finished the CDT two weeks ago with my bf and just want to say that which you probably already know: hiking the CDT as a couple is tough, especially if your gf hasn’t thru-hiked before. You probably already know this, and Yogi’s Planning Guide goes into it more, but some training hikes together will definitely be helpful and most importantly, setting out expectations for: mileage, speed, who is carrying what, how many zeroes you’re going to take, when to take breaks, what to do when someone feels sick, what to do when you’re lost, when to get up and when to call it a day, what if someone wants to quit, etc. is really key to having a successful thru-hike with a SO. My bf and I did the AT and PCT together (back-to-back years as well) and the CDT tried us as a couple waaay more than either of those trails. My advice is have a plan, be open and communicate way in advance, and be willing to adapt. Understanding *before your hike* how your partner adapts to stress/life-or-death situations/pain/cowboys with guns/etc., and being willing to accept whatever that may be, is pretty important. For example, I’ve heard psychologists say women are more likely to reach a gnarly ford and start crying. On the other hand, men might reach the same ford and want to get ‘er done immediately adrenaline style. There’s nothing wrong with either approach—they’re both coping mechanisms—and understanding that and being able to deal with it will make the hike more enjoyable. (Of course, not every woman reacts that way and not every many reacts that way—but this is a good example of why knowing how your partner will react is the important thing). There’s probably a couple’s hiking page somewhere on WB, but I assure you, I’ve seen and heard of normally great couples going really sour on the CDT, and hiking as a couple on the CDT is a different ballgame entirely than hiking as a couple on the PCT or AT. It sounds like you two are already off to a good start if you're together after a PCT thru-hike apart from one another (I've been on the other end of that--and it is tough!). I wish you two luck and know you will both have a great adventure that will be totally worthwhile.
Best,
Snorkel

Chance09

12-07-2010, 21:44

Snorkel,

Thanks for the great advice, but more importantly, CONGRATS on finishing!:banana As far as taking zeros go I think i have that figured out and just want to share it because I think it's a great idea that I learned from someone this year. Set an average daily mileage, lets say 20 miles. If you walk 22 miles, you put 2 miles for that "day in the bank". When you get 20 miles in the bank you can then take a zero.

Why would you say the CDT tried you as a couple more than the PCT or the AT?

Thanks in advance.

Chance

Dogwood

12-08-2010, 02:36

First off, let me also give a BIG shout out to Snorkel and Frogger for finishing. I heard about the additional complications. The two of you define dedication, committment, adaptabilty, and fortitude. It was GREAT sharing with both of you in West Glacier! I told you about those shoes Frogger! Only kidding!

For one thing Chance, the CDT is a MUCH MUCH LESS sociable trail than either the AT or PCT. I think there were less than 30 thru-hikers, going NOBO and SOBO combined!, on the CDT in 2010! Now, think about that. At several times, as I was going SOBO solo, I went through stretches when I did not see a human for up to 5 days! How do you respond to the, "where the fuch am I feeling when there is no trail to follow and you get off track? How about your GF? How about your GF and you when you are together and she's relying on you? How would you handle those additional pressures? Whenever you hike with a Newbie you take on the added responsibilty of caring for them to some degree! How might you feel if your GF and you were not on the same hiking page? going at the same pace?, as just one example! What happens when that Newbie also happens to be your GF? How might the CDT compare to the hikes you may be used to? How MIGHT it effect your relationship with someone else? another hiking partner? a NEWBIE hiker? with your GF who is a NEWBIE? Who knows? Might bring the two of you closer! Might not!

Spirit Walker

12-08-2010, 11:03

I think the biggest stres for a couple on the CDT is the fact that you really have to hike together all the time. On the AT or PCT, the trail is clear and easy to follow, so if you need some physical and emotional space, you can agree to meet 5 10 or 15 miles up the trail. If your 'clocks' or hiking speeds are not in synch, one of you can take off early and know you'll probably meet up again later in the day. On the CDT, the possibility of losing the trail is quite high. You may spend an hour or two trying to find it or you may end up following another trail or another route entirely, so if you aren't together, it could conceivably be days before you get back together. Either that or you spend a whole lot of time trying to find each other (which can get really frustrating.) So generally, you hike together most of the time. My husband and I hike at a similar pace, so there is no issue there, and if we want mental space we are quite happy hiking 20' apart and thinking our own thoughts when we want and talking when we want. But a lot of hikers can't take 24 hour a day togetherness.

Then there's the responsibility issue. Starting out, you will probably be the leader because you have more experience, but as your partner becomes a secure strong hiker, she may want more responsibility. Some couples have a problem with that. My husband and I divide the leadership - he does some jobs, I do others, and we take turns leading the way. All decisions are by concensus. But we've been hiking together so long, there's rarely any argument. With a newer couple, that may not always be the case. There's a funny PCT book called "The Cactus Eaters" where he warns against mounting a coup mid-way.

The CDT adds stress to the couple relationship simply because it is a harder trail than the AT and PCT. No one thing is that difficult - navigation, weather, miles, faint or non-existent tread, water, wildlife, etc. - but added together they can become stressful simply because you always have to be aware and alert. You can't zone out mindlessly the way you do on the other trails. It becomes somewhat exhausting. Then if you're a hiker in a hurry, as so many are, the added stress of trying to make big miles when the weather, navigation, etc. are conspiring to slow you down, can get to you too. Remember that the maps and guidebooks all under count the miles by at least 10% -- or so it seemed to me. On our first thruhike I had a really hard time going through the Great Basin in Wyoming. On our second thruhik it was a breeze, even though there was much less water and what water was there was really really nasty. The difference was that on the first run, we were in a big hurry to 'get it done'. The second time we knew what to expect, so we took our time. Result was a much more enjoyable hike through the desert. When I'm exhausted, I get really witchy - and we both pay for that.

sbhikes

12-08-2010, 11:30

Congratulations on completing the PCT! I can't imagine being out there these last few weeks. The weather, the snow. I admire you!

I got an email day before yesterday that Coach K, Chocolate n Cheese and Soup Sandwich just finished the trail, too.

I don't think I could hike the CDT or the PCT or even the AT with my partner. I don't think I can even drive in a car more than three hours with him, either. He doesn't handle stress well at all. It has taken a decade and many trips all over the world to get it through my thick head that the tantrums, the pouting, the meanness, the silent treatment are his coping mechanism and are not going away and are absolutely intolerable. He does not know it, but after a lovely backpack trip this summer that ended in a blowup/meltdown in the car 4 hours from home, I have secretly decided never to travel with him again. I hope it doesn't take you a decade to learn a similar lesson.

Spirit Walker

12-08-2010, 18:47

Diane - why do you stay with him? That kind of behavior would be a deal breaker for me.

Chance09

12-09-2010, 11:11

handlebar

12-09-2010, 14:42

What did your cooking system look like? I'm planning on carrying a Bushbuddy and two pots for the time being. One to keep the stove safe and to use for boiling water for drinks and then a larger one for our meals.

Did any of you carry snowshoes for a bit on the CDT?

I'd give that Bushbuddy a second or third thought. It would have been extremely dangersous to light a twig fire in NM windstorms---bad enough to have the alky stove going. Plus, there could be long periods where fuel would be an issue---I'm thinking of the snow-covered Southern San Juans.

As to snowshoes, I had them packed up and on standby for my wife to mail and I know The Thirties sent theirs to Pagosa Springs. No one I knew used them.

Spirit Walker

12-09-2010, 17:59

We used an alcohol stove on our last CDT hike. I use a 1.9 liter titanium pot that I've had for about 15 years, with two lightweight plastic bowls that serve as cups or bowls. It's actually too big, but I've used it forever. Jim and I split a liptons with a packet of tuna, salmon, spam, etc. to add calories. For couples, don't both eat out of the same pot - if one eats more slowly they'll starve on the trail. Have at least one extra bowl - or make two separate meals.

On a southbound hike, snowshoes aren't likely to be necessary. You'll run into snow, but it's more likely to be hard and icy rather than soft and deep. An ice axe is more helpful. Some years there is enough snow in the San Juans that snowshoes can be useful at times. We made sure to not be in Colorado so early that we would need them.

Chance09

12-11-2010, 00:00

Well change of plans. As of today i'll be hiking solo on the CDT southbound starting in June.

Not overly happy about it, quite down actually but better that it happened now than later. I had dreams of proposing at the end.

Anyways, thank you for all of the couples hiking advice. I envy you all just a little bit.

As far as the bushbuddy goes I had the same concerns about wind and such until i met a guy in oregon who had used his the whole way on the PCT. I do plan to carry a few estibit tabs as a backup for days when it's too windy or wet to start a small fire.

Spirit Walker

12-11-2010, 00:08

I'm sorry about your relationship, but better now than while you are in mid-hike or just prior to heading out.

Chance09

12-11-2010, 01:26

yup, back to planning for one

Dogwood

12-11-2010, 01:48

Chance, whether you hike with your GF, another hiking partner, or solo take Spirit Walkers's post #13 hard earned trail relationship savy for the CDT to heart. Much wisdom in what was said! She often says what I'm trying to communicate but does it better!

Sly

12-11-2010, 11:08

Did any of you carry snowshoes for a bit on the CDT?

Starting June 1, we shoe'd through the 1st half of the South San Juans. It was beautiful and cool and exhuasting and we ended up bailing at the Middle Folk of the Conejos River into Platoro due to difficulty and running out of food. If I'm not mistaken on the time, the Onion made it through about a week later.

If you're northbound, in most years, don't expect to enter the South San Juans before mid June..

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PTAPs3UXolI/TQO6tpZBq9I/AAAAAAAAAQI/sfcW76Q4s-E/s640/IMG_0042.JPGhttp://lh6.ggpht.com/_PTAPs3UXolI/TQO6ag14-OI/AAAAAAAAAQE/YshTExgxtpo/s640/IMG_0040.JPGhttp://lh5.ggpht.com/_PTAPs3UXolI/TQO70vurNtI/AAAAAAAAARQ/qpkMlU-d42U/s640/IMG_0048.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_PTAPs3UXolI/TQO7vMONEyI/AAAAAAAAARc/AbAR82TI5qI/s640/IMG_0043.JPG

Yamagame

12-11-2010, 14:01

Aside from Ned (who Dogwood might be pleased to know is still on the CDT, just got an email from Ghost Ranch), Frogs and I were the last SOBOs this season and got hit by the dreaded snow in the San Juans. We were dealing with at times waist-deep soft snow and at the time kept wishing we had snowshoes. Reflecting back upon it, though, I don’t think it would’ve been worth the weight. The post-holing only lasted a handful of days and we still made decent miles while post-holing. The logistics of mailing snowshoes to yourself and then back wouldn’t have been worth the trouble the snowshoes would’ve saved.

With regards to the Bushbuddy, we carried it from Glacier to Helena, decided we didn’t need it during the peak of summer, and then from Pagosa to the end. We didn’t carry a stove at all on the AT or PCT, and I must say, I was super-pleased to have warm food on the CDT. I know Sage went stoveless NOBO, and I think it’s probably easier to be stoveless NOBO than SOBO (though I wonder what the NOBOs have to say about that?). I think if I were to do it again SOBO, I wouldn’t start carrying a stove until I was out of grizz country. To avoid the big bears, we were really good about not cooking where we camped in MT/ID/WY, and also good about not hiking at night. As a result, because we cooked, we think we wasted a lot of good daylight hiking time. Of course, all up to your own grizz comfort.

We didn’t notice any particularly long stretches where there was no fuel. In the San Juans, you’ll probably want to camp at the low passes to avoid being hit by lightening at night, and you’ll find trees there. In times when I suspected that there may be no trees for a while (like in the desert), I always picked up some sticks wherever I found them and kept them until cooking time. I would recommend carrying firestarter. I frequently had a hard time trying to light wet wood at elevations with reduced oxygen levels.

Yamagame

12-11-2010, 14:01

Btw, Dogwood, by “complications” did you mean Frogs’ broken foot? ;-) He’s pretty pleased to be one of the only people in hiking history to be able to say he broke his foot in Glacier and still made it to Mexico!

Miner

12-11-2010, 15:32

Let us know how the bushbuddy works out. I have the Ultra model and I have thought about taking it on the CDT when I get around to hiking it in a few years.

Chance09

12-11-2010, 21:55

As a result, because we cooked, we think we wasted a lot of good daylight hiking time.

Time making coffee isn't time wasted on the trail :D

Yamagame

12-12-2010, 16:40

I'd like to do a shout-out to Starbucks Via packets, which taste and work surprisingly well in cold water. I attribute them to my success post-holing through the San Juans.

Chance09

12-13-2010, 18:16

Lol couldn't agree more about the starbucks packets. Got me through post holing in the Sierra Mountains this year.

I'd also have two mixed in with two carnation instant breakfast packets and some nido whole powdered milk. A great way to get moving fast in the morn.

Iceaxe

12-13-2010, 20:45

HaHA! So someone else likes the coffee packets in cold water as well!
Ditto the carnation instant breakfast with a Starbucks Via packet and some nice cold spring water... YUM!
I went stoveless this year up until the San Juans. Then sent my stove home after Silverthorne CO and went stoveless the rest of the way. Knorr sides, instant rice, oatmeal, Idahoans.. I still ate those things every day. I would just put them in a ziplock container (kinda like a tupperware but much lighter) and add water. After an hour most noodle style liptons were hydrated well enough. Rice took longer. Potatoes were almost instantenously rehydrated. Quick oats took 10 minutes or more.
I would describe myself as a "garbage disposal" as far as my tolerance for eating foods though. Certain things were not so hot no cook.. such as Alfredo noodles...Blek!
My favorite no-cook Knoor is the Tekiyake noodles...YUM!
Anyhow I actually genuinely like the no-cook strategy now.
Though I think I liked having my alcohol stove for the San Juans as I entered May 31st and there was a bit of snow. It was mostly a psychological boost to have a hot meal. Most days I would be postholing from noon on and got pretty tired. That hot meal and some hot chocolate were awesome there.
I suppose in your case, being SoBo, you will have your snow right off the bat in Glacier and then perhaps later in Colorado.
Anyhow the no-cook thing saves weight but the real savings for me was time. At the end of a long day hiking it was nice to just chill and watch the sunset instead of fuss around with my stove. I think that was the biggest positive about it. The simplicity of adding water, hiking while it rehydrated, and then eating someplace on the trail.
I suppose it could save some food smells by not cooking but I never really thought about that aspect much.

Yamagame

12-14-2010, 02:30

Iceaxe is totally right about the stovelessness being a great time saver. I mixed freeze dried foods (Backpacker's Pantrys) in a plastic peanut-butter container with water, usually at a ratio of 1:1 and hiked for an hour or so with it. Most flavors are totally edible even while cold. Same for Mountain House. Also worked for dehydrated quinoa I found in a hiker box. If you hit up the bulk section prior to your hike or go to that great natural food store in Helena, all these bad boys are delicious without a stove: cous cous, dehydrated refried beans, dehydrated lentil soups, dehydrated split pea soups, hummus mix, instant rice...grab some seasoning, maybe some oil, and experiment. It's surprising how much we don't really need stoves.

Personally, I call the process of "cooking food without a stove" by the term "Snorkelling", but it's really just rehydrating stuff. :D

Chance09

12-17-2010, 01:11

I don't know man, I don't think I could go without cooking.

I'm just not in that much of a hurry when I hike that I want to skip a hot meal. I have thought about going to FBC and that's about as far as I'd go.

It's just a toss up between a Haulite Minimalist pot with a canister stove...yes a canister stove and my bushbuddy for boiling water.

The weights are the same, unless i buy the BPL pot for the bushbuddy at 3 oz ($70) so the difference would be the endless supply of fuel for the bushbuddy versus the convenience and the fact that the haulite is about half the size of the bushbuddy/pot.

I'd like to carry my Conduit, not my Circuit so more space saved is a bonus. The lighter/smaller pack saves me about a pound.

I'm thinking about picking up a MLD 30 deg synthetic quilt because i came really close to not making it back on the PCT right at the end after four straight days of rain, sleet, and snow and everything i had got soaked.

Just some thoughts that are running through my head at the moment.

I wouldn't consider myself a garbage disposal, i like to enjoy what I eat. Sometimes I wish i could just look at it as fuel...but if i had to just rehydrate and eat something because my canister ran out of fuel it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Sly

12-17-2010, 01:21

The CDT is considered a cold trail (20* bag minimum) and a hot meal and morning coffee are very much appreciated. Even at 2700 miles, or thereabouts, you only need to average 18 miles a day for a 5 month hike. With 10 days off you need to do 19+ mpd. No biggie once you get into it.

Chance09

12-17-2010, 10:18

Well i guess I'd have to do some work on a sleep system then to make that 30 degree synthetic quilt work.

I had a Montbell Superstretch UL 25 deg bag on the PCT and I did a damn good job of keeping it dry. It was the condensation in the air that finally got to it and made it so damp as to be almost worthless. I'd really like to have some words with montbell about it.

I know it's a tougher trail than the PCT but i'm no too worried about mileage. I'd like to average 25 mpd for the trip. That still leaves me plenty of time during the day to make coffee and eat. I was doing 35s on the PCT this year with an hour long dinner break and a half and hour lunch break.

Sly

12-17-2010, 13:01

Well you seem capable of the miles, but are you any good at math? If you do 25 mpd your hike will be over in 4 months with 10 days off. That would be a shame. Thirty-five mpd is less than 3 months on the trail and almost criminal on the CDT. Trust me you won't have anything better to do but take as much time as possible. Maybe you can take part of your day and sun dry your gear and down sleeping bag.

sbhikes

12-17-2010, 14:20

You guys are making me want to hike the CDT.

And Spirit Walker, I don't know why I stay with the man. I guess if I am totally honest it is because I am poor and I have these parrots and somehow I guess I thought things would be different and it's hard to accept the reality and so I'm playing the "I don't want to be alone" game. The reality is that life with this man is mostly the work/TV treadmill.

Colter

12-17-2010, 16:52

...I had a Montbell Superstretch UL 25 deg bag on the PCT and I did a damn good job of keeping it dry. It was the condensation in the air that finally got to it and made it so damp as to be almost worthless. I'd really like to have some words with montbell about it...

Howdy, Chance. What kind of shelter were you sleeping in? Were you going to bed with dry clothes on? I find that my body heat drives the moisture out of my down bag during the night.

What day did you finish?

Chance09

12-17-2010, 22:50

Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo

My clothes were damp, everything was damp. By day four my best efforts were thwarted at keeping things dry. I thought I was good at keeping things dry too after 80 days of rain on the AT last year.

The air itself was too moist for anything to dry.

Even on most nights my footbox had condensation no matter where I was.

I hit the border Sept 7th, then had to turn around and walk back since our good neighbor to the north denied me entry.

Dogwood

12-18-2010, 01:29

I'm feeling Sly's vibe. Why rush a good thing as my girlfriend sometimes reminds me?

What the fiucks the hurry?

There is more to life than increasing its speed. - Gandhi

Learn to SLOW DOWN, LIVE IN THE MOMEMT, AND FEEL THE RHYTHYM OF YOUR HEARTBEAT IN SYNC WITH THE UNIVERSE. - Dogwood

Hiking can be a GREAT place to let this happen, IF, you will let it!

So many alternate routes, SPECTACULAR scenery, and abundant opportunities to glimpse mega fauna on the CDT too!

Dogwood

12-18-2010, 01:34

I did not entirely heed this advice from some other experienced CDT'ers. The CDT is colder, at higher elev, involves more exposure, more route finding, and can overall be very strenuous, especially in CO and MO, if you encounter deep snow/ice. DO NOT underestimate how these factors can decrease daily mileage!

sbhikes

12-18-2010, 01:49

Does the trail go through Missouri?

Dogwood

12-18-2010, 02:08

Can start/end in Canada, the official northern terminus, or in Glacier NP in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Yamagame

12-18-2010, 03:42

I read on someone's trailjournal, probably Rolling Thunder, that the CDT is like the Harvard of trails---most of the people who do the CDT are the type of people who were doing big miles on the other trails. Just like kids who go to Harvard are used to being the top of their high school, and suddenly, are just average, so too, does the CDT treat big-mile hikers. But, unlike Harvard, competition and rating yourself compared to others and worrying about who is the "top of the class" aren't really things that are happening on the CDT (from what I hear, that's what happens at Harvard). I sensed that on the CDT, there is less of a competitive edge than on other trails and less of a need to prove yourself that young people (myself included) sometimes feel on trails. There's less people out there, and really, the general sense is that we all agree that making it alive is the accomplishment more than how fast you do it. Every thru-hike should be like that, but for some reason, the CDT feels like the only trail where that dimension is actually going on.

I discovered that while doing big miles on the other trails made me feel bad-a$$, I think on the CDT the routes I chose felt like bigger accomplishments. What's the glory of doing big miles on a route on an unsatisfying dirt road?

Also, it is just hard on the CDT to ever really know how many miles you've done because all the maps and guidebooks differ, and it depends which route you took, and the map/guidebook doesn't have mileage for the route you took and what about all the miles you spent walking in the wrong direction? There's no book that enumerates how many miles into the trail you've done or how many until the end. For those who enjoyed counting miles on the other trails (myself included), this can be the factor needed to instigate a paradigm shift.

If someone told me all this before I started my hike, I'd let the nay-saying motivate me to go faster :D But Dogwood is right: the CDT was the first trail I've taken "slow," and it was a cool one to do it on.

Colter

12-18-2010, 10:50

...My clothes were damp, everything was damp. By day four my best efforts were thwarted at keeping things dry. I thought I was good at keeping things dry too after 80 days of rain on the AT last year.

The air itself was too moist for anything to dry.

Even on most nights my footbox had condensation no matter where I was.

You've certainly a very experienced thru-hiker, but FWIW, here's what worked for me when it was rainy in Washington. I used the two guy-outs on my Lunar Solo to provide more clearance for my sleeping bag at each end. I went to bed with dry long underwear tops and bottoms and dry sleeping socks along with my balaclava. of course like everyone I had to get up in the morning and put on wet socks and wet shoes and whatnot, but I slept dry. When it was rainy I had condensation on the outside of the foot-box of my down bag, too, but the bag stayed fluffy. I think small things can make a big difference when there's that much rain and humidity.

Sly

12-18-2010, 10:59

I hit the border Sept 7th, then had to turn around and walk back since our good neighbor to the north denied me entry.

They denied you entry at the border? I never applied for the entry permit, too iffy. I just walked in on the trail and caught a ride back from Manning Park and Waterton, no problem.

At the time a drivers license (PCT) and drivers license and a birth certificate (CDT) were the least of what you needed to get back in, now I believe you need a passport.

Retracing your steps and hiking back to Harts Pass or out through Goat Haunt to Chief Mountain wouldn't be a bad hike (about 30 miles each)

Mags

12-18-2010, 19:56

I read on someone's trailjournal, probably Rolling Thunder, that the CDT is like the Harvard of trails--

I went to the local community college and state college...not sure what that makes the CDT for me.... ;)

Chance09

12-20-2010, 15:40

So what kind of bags did everyone take for the CDT then if it's considered a cold trail and under 20 degree ratings are common?

Spirit Walker

12-20-2010, 16:46

On our southbound hike I used a 10 degree down bag the whole way. Jim used a 20 degree bag until mid-September, then switched to a 5 deg. bag. (Which arrived two days after our first snowfall.) On our NB hike we used 20 deg. bags until mid-Sept. then switched to winter bags. (That time we got our bags about four days before the first snow.

Dogwood

12-20-2010, 19:29

Yes, that's what I meant by complications Snorkel. It was so great to meet others, hikers or not, like Frogger and you, departing on a long journey who did not have chips on their shoulders and with whom I could share, which is a two way street. I was blessed to have met both of you at my start at Glacier NP that got me/kept me in the right frame of mind. Thanks! That really was something for Frogger and you to push ahead and get it done, but IN STYLE, and without the rushing I notice from so many other thru-hikers.

Sorry about that Sbhikes. I meant MT! Just finishing up another 7 days straight of work and 95 hr week!

Dogwood

12-20-2010, 19:30

35* WM highlite starting from Glacier june 25 hiking SOBO to Leadville CO where I switched.

Colter

12-20-2010, 19:58

So what kind of bags did everyone take for the CDT then if it's considered a cold trail and under 20 degree ratings are common?

I went NOBO, which I think makes a difference, with average temps being just a bit higher than for SOBOs. But the reputation of the CDT being a "cold trail" is still valid. It's common for people to use the same bag they used on the PCT or AT and get cold.

My bag was rated for about 25 with overfill. I used my long underwear and balaclava and/or down jacket when it was cold if I needed to, and slept warm every night. Without wearing clothing in my bag I would have needed a warmer one.