Continental Divide Trail Horror Stories (Class of 2020)
As part of the Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey, I ask hikers what their lowest moments on the trail were and when, if ever, they encountered a situation where they felt legitimately afraid or in danger. The CDT has a well-deserved reputation for not being the most beginner-friendly or
The CDT Resupply Guide: Class of 2020 Survey
As alluded to above, I often advise hikers not to worry too much about resupply before beginning a thru-hike. Barring any dietary restrictions or a tight resupply schedule (i.e. you're on a CDT speed run), there's little reason to stress about where you're going to buy food in Wyoming in a couple of
The Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide: Class of 2020 Survey
In the third part of this year's Continental Divide Trail Thru-hiker Survey, we take a deep dive into Continental Divide Trail hikers' gear. CDT gear lists vary wildly between hikers and (spoiler alert) it's impossible to find a perfect CDT gear list. That said, we can try. I've organized this
The Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey (2020)
In the second installment of the 2020 Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey, we'll take a look at the hikers who were actually on the trail this year. Normally, this information is covered in the initial survey publication, but because of many hikers choosing to cancel their hikes due to COVID-19, I
The 2020 Continental Divide Trail Survey – Part I: NOGO
The 2020 Continental Divide Trail thru-hiking season was not immune to the pandemic and the CDT Hiker Survey is here to reflect this change. This year, just as I did with the PCT Survey, I am first documenting all of the data collected from respondents - both those who hiked the CDT and those who
Advice for the Continental Divide Trail Class for 2020 (from Class of ’19)
Planning for the Continental Divide Trail can seem overwhelming if you've never done a long-distance hike before. What gear do I get? Where do I resupply? Do I really have to dig a hole and poop in it and then pack out my toilet paper? Yes, you really do. The truth of it is, you don't really need
Suffering & Despair on the Continental Divide Trail (Class of 2019)
As part of the Continental Divide Trail Survey, I ask hikers what their lowest moments on the trail were and when, if ever, they encountered a situation where they felt legitimately afraid or in danger. The CDT has a reputation for being more challenging than the Pacific Crest Trail and the
The CDT Resupply Guide: Class of 2019 Survey
After deciding that you're going to hike the Continental Divide Trail and researching your CDT gear, most aspiring thru-hikers move to the question of resupply. What is CDT resupply? It's the replenishment of the food (and other consumable items) carried in a hiker's backpack. The idea that