Howdy Chance! You are gonna love the CDT! All the big scenery of the PCT with an even more remote feeling.
Anyways I hiked the PCT in 2009 and the CDT this year. I used all the same gear and strategy as on the PCT.
The CDT was wetter ,cooler, and windier the the PCT but not drastically so.(except for Raintana uh I mean Montana but it was an unusual year.. ain't they all!)
The few small changes I made were merely different brands and refinements to my system. I went from a Golite Pinnacle on the PCT to a Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus pack thereby saving 1lb etc.
The same 20 degree Western Mountaineering Ulra-light Bag worked just fine throughout the CDT.
I did not use GPS so I was heavily dependent on my compass. For the CDT I used a Suunto M3 compass(PCT was a cheap Coleman). Basically the more expensive compass was not strickly neccesary but I have had the cheap compasses burst at altitude and on the CDT you will reach 14,000 feet. The CDT in Colorado averages 11,000 feet through the entire state.
SNOW
I went Northbound so I hit snow in Northern New Mexico and walked atop it for the next 200 miles as i took the San Juan Route. I picked up my Iceaxe and gloves at Chama NM. I also had sent a bunch of sheetmetal screws to use for ice traction. By screwing them into the bottom of my trail runners I did get better traction on the icy crusted snow.
The one thing I would do different would be to carry a set of Crampons for the San Juan Mountains Section of southern Colorado. Remember I was Northbound so I reached the San Juans at the end of May so for a Southbounder your snow will be all at the beginning up in Glacier NP.
I did not want or need snowshoes however.. there were times in the afternoon when if I had had them they would have made the going a bit easier. YMMV.
Maps
On the PCT I used the Wilderness Press guidebook maps.
For the CDT I got Jonathan Ley's CDT-CDT ROM and printed the maps myself. I printed them on 8.5X11 paper single sided. If I were to do it again I might print the maps double sided savign paper and weight.
I also liked the way some hikers had printed them on 11X14 paper. Much more detail was visible and you could actually read everything. Sometimes my laser printed 8.5X11 maps the names of peaks and rivers etc. were illegible.
One other thing I did different from the PCT was to write "Hiker to Town" and "Hiker to Trail" in big bold letters on my Tyvek Gorundsheet. The CDT is less well known to locals as many times people told me my sign made the difference and got them to pick me up. The resupply hitches are long and can be tough on the CDT. Get Yogi's town guide!
Another difference was I took an Ipod shuffle loaded with some music and audio books. I was totally anti-ipod on the PCT and only rarely used a tiny radio. The CDT can be a much more solitary experience. I went weeks without seeing another person on the trail. The little shuffle was nice to give me a break from my own thoughts. It was nice to hear another voice besides the ones in my head! Anyhow I know the whole "technology on the trail" thing is different for everyone. HYOH and all that.
Anyhow I am beginning to write a book here!
If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them here or also by email
[email protected]
Of course I only know what worked for me but it was all the same stuff I used for the PCT as well with only the few exceptions above.
I am jealous! I know what an amazing time I had and if you liked the PCT you are really gonna love the CDT!:sun