Colorado, the second state of the Continental Divide Trail (for northbound hikers), presents a set of new challenges for hikers leaving New Mexico. Hikers face elevation, snow, thunderstorms, cold, moose, recreational cannabis, and increased prices once they cross the border into Colorado from New
Continental Divide Trail Week 12: Wyoming!
DAY 78: The Last Great Breakfast We wake up at 7:30 (early for waking up in town) and head downstairs where we are greeted with pancakes, strawberries, watermelon, and bananas for breakfast. Have I mentioned how much I love Steamboat Springs? Karen and Johan give us a ride back to the CDT at
Continental Divide Trail In Photos: San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado are the first real challenge of the Continental Divide Trail (that is, if you're hiking northbound and you don't consider the nearly 800 mi / 1,300 km of New Mexico to be much of a big deal). New Mexico has some climbing, but it does nothing to prepare
Continental Divide Trail Week 11: Farewell Moisture
DAY 71: Dog Attack (Arrive Grand Lake/Denver, CO) I wake up early, 5:30, since today I'm trying to reach Grand Lake with enough sunlight left to hitchhike the 100 mi / 160 km to Denver - where I have a chest x-ray scheduled for tomorrow (and where I have a friend who I am hopefully staying
Continental Divide Trail Week 10: Shortcuts to Town
DAY 64: Mount Elbert (Arrive Leadville, CO) When we wake up, the wedding party has yet to arrive. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. What is a bad thing? All of the frozen condensation on my sleeping bag. I can't wait for all of this to melt while my sleeping bag is stuffed away in my
Continental Divide Trail Week 9: Moist Is Dead?
DAY 57: All Alone The smart thing to do would be to start when the sun comes up (then again, the smart thing to do might have been to never begin the CDT in the first place). Instead, I let the sun wake me up (sunrise is around 6:00), and the leisurely pack up my things before starting to hike
Continental Divide Trail Week 8: Three Is Company
DAY 50: Frozen Shoes I wake up today to a first on the Continental Divide Trail (and a first in my life), frozen shoes. The combination of last night's freezing temperatures and my having hiked through muddy, water-filled trails yesterday afternoon lead to a peculiar predicament this morning.
Continental Divide Trail Week 7: Big Decisions
DAYS 43-45: Zero Days 4, 5, & 6 (Pagosa Springs, CO) Moist and I spend three entire days in Pagosa Springs, Colorado - our longest break from during these first seven weeks of hiking. Highlights of our time here include: Picking up a package from the post office with new underwear and