View Full Version : Met 2 CDT Nobos This Weekend
Footslogger
07-04-2005, 20:53
The wife and I drove up to Yellowstone to spend the weekend and saw 2 CDT hikers along the way on Rt 287. Some of you may know them, since they are both former AT and PCT thru-hikers.
The first one was Merlin. We saw him sitting along side the road about 10 miles north of Rawlins eating lunch. Stopped to chat and offer him some trail magic. He had just come out of town that morning and his pack was full so all he'd take was a bottle of cold water - can't blame him because it was really hot and dry.
Second hiker we met along the road was Han Solo. He had just hiked out of Dubois that morning so, like Merlin, he wasn't looking for any handouts that had to be carried. But we talked for a while and told him we would put out a note about our meeting.
Anyhew ...we had a great weekend at Yellowstone.
'Slogger & BadAss Turtle
It seems a little early to be that far north. I would assume they had to skip parts of Colorado or took a few cut-offs.
Footslogger
07-04-2005, 21:20
Well, Merlin had just started at the Colorado state border and was hiking a section northbound. He told us he had already hiked everything south of Wyoming.
Han Solo said that he is thru-hiking the trail and has been out for a little over 2 months. Not sure if he has skipped any of the southern sections or not.
'Slogger
Han Solo said that he is thru-hiking the trail and has been out for a little over 2 months. Not sure if he has skipped any of the southern sections or not.
'Slogger
Hans is quick but, I'd be surprised of he did the snowier sections of the divide in southern Colorado. It's common to take the Creede Cut-Off or some alternates either direction during normal snow years. The fastest hikers in 2002, during a low snow year, were able to hike the Weminuche, but by July 4th, were only able to make it to the WY border.
I've met Hans Solo, he must be southbound.
Footslogger
07-05-2005, 09:12
I've met Hans Solo, he must be southbound.================================
Well ...he was walking northbound from Dubois toward Yellowstone when we met him this past Saturday.
'Slogger
To early to have walked from Mexico, must(?!?!) be flip-hopping. Pretty common for the Nobo to get to Colorado and the San Jauns and then hop up to Rawlins and continue across the basin.
To early to have walked from Mexico, must(?!?!) be flip-hopping. Pretty common for the Nobo to get to Colorado and the San Jauns and then hop up to Rawlins and continue across the basin.
I suppose he could have skipped all of Colorado. For two months on the trail, I would expect his mileage anywhere from 1000 (if he did parts of snowy CO) to 1500 with mostly clear trail. Togwotee Pass is well beyond that, but not enough so if he skipped all of CO and started back up in Rawlins.
If he's hiking paved road to get him up there, well, that's just plain stupid! ;)
Footslogger
07-05-2005, 11:46
Don't know much about what he's hiked and what he's skipped. When we saw him hiking on Rt 287 north of Dubois it did make me wonder where the actual CDT route was in that area. Never did see any real trail crossings on 287. Have never hiked the CDT but when I do I don't think I'd spend any more time than necessary on that road. Too much great scenery on either side.
As I said before, we stopped to talk to Merlin further south towards Rawlins. He had the BLM and regular trail maps and was trying to locate the trail crossing down in that area.
Seems like you have a lot of options in terms of where to hike in that section of the CDT. The Continental Divide, rather than being a rather narrow slit in the ground as many people think, is actually a relatively large strip of land in some areas. I'm starting to learn and understand that the actual CDT kinda winds back and forth across that corridor.
One thing for sure ...I really need to do my homework before taking on the CDT.
'Slogger
There are atleast three or four ways to do the Great Divide or hike across the Red Desert.
Probably the most used is the BLM route which has adequate water and sometimes skirts Ferris Mountains which is the eastern part of the Great Divide and the CDT Society route.
Straight through from near Wamsutter to South Pass City (?) on gravel roads. From what I understand you tend to rely on passing drillers and riggers for your water on this route.
And the western divide where you're likely to whither and die.
Crossing the desert had to be some of the most enduring and serious hiking I've ever done. We did it during a heat wave. Up a 4am to start hiking in the dark when it was cool. Siesta time, around 1pm, when it was just too hot to hike we set up a tarp (normally along a fence line) for shade until 5-5:30pm when it was still hot, but bearable, when we'd hike until just before sunset.
Four to five or 6 liters of water in, maybe a pint of piss out! Beautiful, but harsh country. Just seeing awesome sunsets and rises, the wild horses and antelope, etc, was worth the trip.
The Wyoming BLM website appears to be down for "security" reason but, Ray Hanson, in the Landers Office, has been very helpful to hikers and was instrumental in establishing a route and continues to establish clean water sources.
Establishing your own route on the CDT is no easy task, there's lots to choose from.
While the CDT Alliance tries to secure and build the "official" trail it's at the mercy of the FS and the BLM and many times doesn't make sense. At one point in the "official" guides where the trail fizzled out, it says something like "due to griz activity in the area the FS suggest you skip this section." Hello, I'm in the middle of nowhere!
On the otherhand, Jim Wolf and the CDT Society suggests a little more crosscountry and bushwhacking to get to the good stuff! ;)
An great way to get a taste for the trail is to read Jonathan Ley's journal, it's excellent. He also has a CD with exceptional maps with notes and alternative.
Check it out. phlumf.com (http://www.phlumf.com)
Footslogger
07-05-2005, 13:10
Thanks Sly ...we actually have Jonathon's maps on CD but haven't gotten around to printing them out yet. Merlin and Han Solo had Jonathans maps and the BLM map(s) and showed us the difference between the "official" CDT and some of the alternatives.
I saw, on the ride home, the signs for wild horse viewing near Wamsutter in the Red Desert lands and I figured that this was one of the routes I'd prefer hiking myself. Just have to be careful with the water.
Still a lot of data to absorb before I'm ready to tackle the CDT.
'Slogger
I was up in the Zirkel Wilderness this weekend (just north of Steamboat Springs, not far from the Wyo border). LOTS of snow near Buffalo Pass..enough snow where I had to use map and compass work, and postholed a fair amount.
Anyway, saw a CDT SoBo hiker (Rawlins - Mexico) named Bill. Bill said much snow between Rawlins and the point I met him just north of Steamboat. He asked if I was hiking to Canada...guess I still look like a thru-hiker at times. :)
Bill was planning on taking a zero day in Steamboat.
Speaking of the CDT...is CDT-L down (and backcountry.net site in general)?
Spirit Walker
07-05-2005, 15:03
All the Backcountry.net sites have been down since last week. I think Ryan is on vacation and won't be back for a few days. (He said something in reply to a question before the crash about being back after the 4th.) Seems maybe someone took advantage of that.
I saw, on the ride home, the signs for wild horse viewing near Wamsutter in the Red Desert lands and I figured that this was one of the routes I'd prefer hiking myself. Just have to be careful with the water.
Still a lot of data to absorb before I'm ready to tackle the CDT.
'Slogger, when the cdt-l website is back up read the entire archive, it's not that much really and is a wealth of info. Spiriteagle's (Jim and Ginny's) site is also a good one with just about everything you need to know.
Spiriteagle (http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/index.html)
BTW, since you're almost local, you could cache your own water through the middle section or along the road in and out of Rawlins.
Footslogger
07-05-2005, 15:37
BTW, since you're almost local, you could cache your own water through the middle section or along the road in and out of Rawlins.========================================== =======
Actually ...that was my thought exactly. The trick would be stashing them in a spot we'd be sure to find again (before someone else did). The wife and I hiked 7 days in Big Bend National Park (SW Texas) during a very dry year. We stashed 2 gallons in the desert about 15 miles from the end of the hike and darned glad we did. We were running on empty when we got to the stash site and SO happy that someone hadn't snatched it ahead of time.
'Slogger
Spirit Walker
07-05-2005, 17:33
Since the BLM website is down for a while and CDT-L is also down, fyi - we just put the most recent BLM water information up on our website - location and status of water sources. www.spiriteaglehome.com