Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey (2023)

The Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey is distributed to CDT hikers at the end of the hiking season every year to capture a snapshot of the year’s class and provide a useful resource to future CDT hikers and recreators. The Survey is now in its seventh year, and I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to participate and provide feedback.

This year’s survey is the most comprehensive yet, and I’ve devoted a tremendous amount of time to compiling the results. Again, the CDT Survey is meant to be a useful resource to help anyone interested in hiking the Continental Divide Trail figure out how to approach the seemingly monstrous journey. Every year, I try to improve the data collected and fine-tune the presentation to help hikers best. I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Congratulations on arriving at a spot in the CDT Survey that most readers have probably skipped. There’s a lot to cover (I’ll probably need to split this initial article into multiple posts in the future), so I won’t waste your time with any more filler. Here are Halfway Anywhere’s 2023 Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey results!

Table of Contents

1 Notes on the Data

2 Data Labels

3 Demographics

4 Where Hikers Are From

5 Hiker Jobs & Working Conditions

6 Hiker Experience

7 Pre-Hike Training

8 Money Spent on Hike

9 Hiking Partners, Camping, & Alone Time

10 Starting Dates & Locations

11 Hiking Stats & Dates

12 Zero and Nearo Days (i.e. Days Off)

13 Finishing Location

14 CDT Completion Rates

15 Flip-Flopping & Footpaths

16 Alternate Routes

17 Hiker Challenges

18 Why Hikers Didn’t Finish

19 Resupply

20 Where Hikers Resupplied

21 Favorite & Least Favorite Resupply Stops

22 Hiker Diets

23 Resupply Changes

24 Thru-Hiking Gear

25 Technology on Trail

26 Hiker Health & Water Sources

27 Favorite/Least Favorite Sections

28 Best & Worst Moments

29 Social Issues

30 Trail Magic

31 Advice for the Future

32 Thru-hiker Advice

33 Animal Sightings

34 Support the Survey

35 CDT Survey Collection

Notes on the Data

• This year, there were 173 completed surveys. Hiking next year? Sign up to take the survey here.
• Some responses are sorted and colored – e.g., northbound or southbound. More on this below.
• The Continental Divide Trail and thru-hiking generally use acronyms and jargon. If anything is unclear, the thru-hiker glossary may help. Please comment if you still can’t find what you’re looking for.
• I ask that respondents do their best to respond accurately. Not every hiker answers every question, and not every answer is guaranteed 100% accurate (e.g., someone may mistakenly report spending $10,000 on their hike instead of $9,000).
• I refer to survey respondents collectively as this year’s “class.” Remember, this is a sample and not a comprehensive survey of every person on the CDT.
• These results invoke basic statistics. To maximize your time here, familiarize yourself with average, median (M), and standard deviation (σ).
• For stats requiring the length of the CDT for a calculation (e.g., mileage/day), I use 2,974.5 mi / 4,787 km (from the FarOut Guides CDT app).
• More detailed posts focused on CDT Gear, CDT Resupply, CDT Horror Stories, and CDT Advice in the coming weeks. If you would like to be notified of new surveys, click here.

Data Labels

• Thru-Hikers
• Northbound Thru-Hikers
• Southbound Thru-Hikers
• The number (1) is appended when using data from hikers who completed the trail.
• The number (0) is appended when using data from hikers who did not complete the trail.

If no color/label has been appended to a data point, I used all collected data (i.e., it includes section hiker data and data from hikers who did not complete the trail).

Unless otherwise noted, I use the following colors to differentiate each section of the Continental Divide Trail. These colors are typically used in the graphs below.

• New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho/Southern Montana, Northern Montana

Demographics

First, we look at information from the Continental Divide Trail Class of 2023 that isn’t going to help anyone plan a thru-hike, but that’s interesting nonetheless. We’ll look at CDT hiker gender, age, race, education, sexual orientation, marital status, children, and employment (including how hikers could take time off to hike the CDT).

CDT Hiker Gender

• 67.1% – Male
• 30.1% – Female
• 0.6% – Genderqueer
• 0.6% – Nonbinary
• 0.6% – Transgender Female
• 1.2% – Decline to answer

CDT Hiker Age

• 0.0% – < 20
• 5.2% – 20-24
• 18.5% – 25-29
• 23.1% – 30-34
• 12.1% – 35-39
• 15.6% – 40-49
• 12.1% – 50-59
• 11.0% – 60-70
• 2.3% – 70+

Average age: 40
Median age: 36
σ: 14

CDT Hiker Race

• 96.5% – White
• 2.3% – Two or More Races
• 1.2% – Hispanic or Latino
• 0.6% – Black or African American

CDT Hiker Education

• 44.9% – Bachelor’s degree
• 24.0% – Master’s Degree
• 9.0% – PhD
• 7.2% – Some college
• 4.2% – High school or equivalent
• 3.6% – MD
• 3.0% – Associate degree
• 2.4% – JD
• 2.4% – MBA
• 1.2% – DVM
• 1.2% – Trade school

CDT Hiker Sexual Orientation

• 86.2% – Heterosexual
• 5.4% – Bisexual
• 3.6% – Asexual
• 2.4% – Gay
• 2.4% – Lesbian
• 1.2% – Pansexual
• 1.2% – Queer
• 1.2% – Prefer not to answer

CDT Hiker Marital Status

• 46.0% – Single
• 31.1% – Married/domestic partnership
• 21.1% – Committed relationship
• 7.5% – Divorced
• 1.2% – Open relationship
• 0.6% – Widowed

CDT Hiker Children

• 78.6% – No children
• 2.3% – One child
• 12.1% – Two children
• 2.3% – Three children
• 2.3% – Four children
• 0.6% – Five children
• 1.7% – Over five children

Where Hikers Are From

With thru-hiking’s growing popularity, the Continental Divide Trail attracts people from across the United States and the world. Here’s where hikers on the trail this year hailed from.

• Countries: Australia, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States (20 total)
• States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin (36 total)

Worldwide CDT hiker distribution

CDT hiker distribution across the United States

Hiker Jobs & Working Conditions

How can you take so much time off to hike for five months across the United States? Probably a question most would-be Continental Divide Trail hikers have been asked. I ask hikers what they do for work (when they’re not incredible hiking machines) and how they can take time off to hike the CDT.

CDT Hiker Jobs

This year, hikers reported 72 different professions. The most common of which were:

• 5.8% – Teacher/Educator
• 5.3% – Scientist
• 4.7% – Seasonal Work
• 4.1% – Doctor
• 4.1% – Sales
• 3.5% – Construction
• 2.9% – Bartender
• 2.3% – Civil Engineer
• 2.3% – Electrical Engineer
• 2.3% – IT
• 2.3% – Mechanical Engineer

17% (larger than any profession) reported being retired, and 1.8% were students. More on this in the next section.

CDT Hiker Working Conditions

How were this year’s thru-hikers able to take the time to hike the CDT?

• 33.6% – Quit job
• 11.2% – Unpaid time off
• 11.9% – Flexible work conditions
• 7.7% – Between jobs
• 7.0% – Sabbatical
• 6.3% – Seasonal worker
• 4.9% – Self-employed
• 4.9% – Unemployed
• 3.5% – Gap year
• 3.5% – Paid time off
• 2.8% – Retirement
• 1.4% – Negotiated into employment
• 1.4% – Student

Hiker Experience

Here’s a look at what the 2023 class looked like during their “Planning a CDT Hike” phase. This section examines time spent planning, first-time hikers, hiker experience level, and other trails hiked.

Time Spent Planning

I ask thru-hikers how much time they spend planning for their thru-hikers on a scale of 0 (no time at all) to 10 (every waking moment). I will drill down in a future post on whether this impacted hikes.

• 0 – 3.5%
• 1 – 7.6%
• 2 – 13.2%
• 3 – 16.0%
• 4 – 11.1%
• 5 – 18.8%
• 6 – 10.4%
• 7 – 9.0%
• 8 – 7.6%
• 9 – 1.4%
• 10 – 1.4%

Average: 4.3
Median: 4
σ: 2.3

CDT Hiker Experience Level

Instead of asking thru-hikers whether this would be/was their first long-distance hike, I ask the distance of thru-hikers longest hike to date (pre-CDT) – more on the specifics of this below.

I use 100 mi / 160 km as the cutoff for a long-distance hike (sorry, Wonderland Trail hikers).

First Time Thru-Hikers

• 6.9% – First long-distance hike
• 93.1% – Not first long-distance hike

Average longest trail hiked: 1,975 mi / 3,178 km
Median: 2,400 mi / 3,862 km

CDT Hiker Experience

In addition to asking about the longest trail completed by thru-hikers pre-CDT, I ask thru-hikers to evaluate their backpacking experience on a scale of 1 to 10.

• Average experience: 8.9
• Median experience: 10
• σ: 2

Thru-Hikers (1): 9.0 | σ = 1.9 | M = 10
Thru-Hikers (0): 8.1 | σ = 2.1 | M = 8

Previous Trails Hiked

The trails most commonly hiked by those with experience were:

• 53% – Pacific Crest Trail
• 32% – Appalachian Trail
• 16% – Arizona Trail
• 13% – Colorado Trail
• 12% – PCT Section Hike
• 11% – John Muir Trail
• 8% – Te Araroa
• 8% – AT Section Hike
• 8% – CDT Section Hike
• 8% – Long Trail
• 5% – GR20
• 5% – Superior Hiking Trail
• 5% – Sierra High Route
• 4% – Camino de Santiago
• 24% – Other

Note: these percentages are for the hikers who have already completed a long-distance hike, not the entire class.

Pre-Hike Training

Next, we’ll examine whether thru-hikers trained in preparation for their thru-hikes, what they did (if anything) to train, and how thru-hikers rated their fitness (pre-CDT).

CDT Hiker Training

• 68.3% – Trained
• 31.7% – Didn’t Train

How Hikers Trained

• 70.7% – Day hikes
• 63.6% – Walking
• 47.5% – Running
• 32.3% – Multi-day hikes
• 25.3% – Weight training
• 24.2% – Stretching
• 19.2% – Bicycling
• 19.2% – Yoga
• 16.2% – Mobility exercises
• 13.1% – Stair running/walking
• 13.1% – Treadmill (incline walking)
• 11.1% – Physical therapy
• 10.1% – HIIT
• 9.1% – Step machine
• 7.1% – Skiing (XC)
• 6.1% – Backcountry Touring
• 6.1% – Climbing
• 5.1% – Snowshoeing
• 2.0% – Rowing
• 1.0% – CrossFit
• 1.0% – Swimming

Pre-Trail Fitness Level

I asked thru-hikers to rate their fitness level (on a scale of 0 to 10) before beginning the trail.

• 0% – 0
• 0.7% – 1
• 1.4% – 2
• 4.8% – 3
• 4.8% – 4
• 22.6% – 5
• 20.5% – 6
• 23.3% – 7
• 17.1% – 8
• 2.7% – 9
• 2.1% – 10

Average fitness: 6.2
Median fitness: 6
σ: 1.2

Thru-Hikers (1): 6.3 | σ = 1.7
Thru-Hikers (0): 5.6 | σ = 1.4

Money Spent on Hike

How much does it cost to hike the Continental Divide Trail? This a question on the minds of many thru-hikers before starting their hikes. The safe answer? More than you think. Hopefully, the aggregate data from this year’s class will paint a more accurate picture.

I asked Continental Divide Trail hikers if they encountered unexpected expenses while hiking the CDT.

Even if you purchase and test all your gear beforehand and pre-package all your resupplies (I strongly recommend against this resupply strategy), you can’t predict what will happen during a CDT thru-hike.

As part of this breakdown, I also ask thru-hikers how much they spend on gear during their thru-hikes – this could be either repairing, replacing, or supplementing gear.

Surprise Expenses Encountered

• 52.3% Yes
• 47.7% No

Unexpected expenses fell into three categories: gear replacement, hotel stays, and travel along the trail. However, a few hikers did report some towns being unexpectedly pricey and medical expenses in addition to these three larger reasons.

Hiking Partners, Camping, & Alone Time

Beginning a thru-hike on your own can sound scary and intimidating, but every year, most thru-hikers (and hikers in general) begin their hikes alone.

Here, we’ll look at who hikers began with, how much time they spent hiking and camping alone (and cowboy camping), whether they stayed with their hiking partner(s), hiking group sizes, and hiker relationships.

CDT Hiker Starting Company

• 59.0% – Started alone
• 19.4% – Started with friend(s)
• 14.6% – Started with partner
• 4.9% – Started with strangers
• 2.1% – Started with family

Of this year’s first-time thru-hikers, 80% began their hikes alone (the data above/in the graph is for all hikers).

Hiking Partner(s)

Beginning a hike with someone is one thing, but remaining together and finishing it with someone is arguably as impressive as the trail itself. Here’s how things worked out for those who began their hikes with another person.

Remaining with Partner(s)

• 51.5% – Stayed with partner
• 14.7% – Partner got off
• 11.8% – Wasn’t for best
• 11.8% – Wasn’t the plan
• 7.4% – Mostly stayed together
• 2.9% – No longer friends

Size of Hiking Groups

Despite most hikers beginning their Continental Divide Trail hikes alone, most hikers will link up and hike with at least one other person for a considerable amount of their time on the CDT. Some hikers refer to this as a trail family or “tramily“. Here are the largest groups hikers found themselves hiking with regularly.

Average group size: 3.3
Median size: 3
σ: 2.2

Relationship Status

I ask thru-hikers, “At the start of the CDT, were you in a relationship?”

• 48.3% – Yes, and I am still with the same person
• 44.1% – No, and I am still single
• 2.8% – No, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met on the CDT
• 2.8% – Yes, but I am now single
• 1.4% – Yes, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met on the CDT
• 0.7% – No, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met before the CDT

Starting Dates & Locations

Unlike the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail does not have a permit hikers are issued for the entirety of the trail (not yet, at least). Instead, hikers can begin the CDT at either the southern or northern terminus whenever they choose.

However, a permit is required to camp in Glacier National Park (i.e., from the northern terminus south), Yellowstone National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Northbound vs. Southbound CDT Hikers

Which direction to hike the Continental Divide Trail seems to be a bit more divisive than the Pacific Crest Trail. Because the San Juan Mountains in Southern Colorado can hold a lot of snow until late in the year, many hikers opt to hike southbound. That said, hikes must then (potentially) contend with higher snow levels in Northern Montana or Wyoming’s Wind River Range.

Regardless of the direction, CDT thru-hikes decide to hike; there’s a good chance they’ll be contending with snow at some point – unless they flip-flop.

According to the data, here’s what the northbound/southbound hiker divide looked like.

• 65.3% – Northbound
• 34.7% – Southbound

Northbound CDT Hikers

Since getting to what’s generally considered to be the official southern terminus at Crazy Cook isn’t easy, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) operates a (paid) shuttle service. A few private individuals have also started independent (for-profit) shuttle operations in recent years. This section will cover where northbound CDT hikers began, when they began, and how they got to the southern terminus.

Northbound Start Location

• 99.0% Crazy Cook
• 1.0% Lordsburg

Alternate locations for beginning a CDT thru-hike (typically Columbus or Antelope Wells) aren’t as popular as they once were.

This may be the final year I include this question. Feedback is welcome.

How Hikers Reached Crazy Cook

• 51.0% CDTC Shuttle
• 42.7% Crazy Cook Shuttle
• 5.2% Private Transport
• 1.0% Trail Angel

Southbound CDT Hikers

Just as there are options for starting points for northbound CDT hikers, there are also options for southbound CDT hikers. This section covers where southbound CDT hikers began, when they began, and how they got back from the southern terminus (those that completed the trail).

Southbound Start Location

• 75.5% – Chief Mountain
• 16.3% – Waterton
• 6.1% – East Glacier
• 2.0% – Two Medicine

How Hikers Returned from Crazy Cook

Crazy Cook, the southern terminus of the CDT, is not easy to get to. Here’s how southbound (1) hikers returned to Lordsburg, New Mexico (or beyond) after reaching the terminus.

• 35.0% – Crazy Cook Shuttle
• 37.5% – Trail Angel
• 22.5% – Private Transportation
• 5.0% – Hiked

Hiking Stats & Dates

The Continental Divide Trail has five sections: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho/Southern Montana, and Northern Montana. Because the CDT can get a bit crazy regarding alternates (especially the Anaconda Route or Big Sky/Super Butte Cutoff), I’ve divided the following data by section.

In this section, we look at how long thru-hikers took for each section of the trail, a breakdown of hike lengths and averages, and how many days hikers took off (zero/nearo days).

Length of Thru-hikes

Zero and Nearo Days (i.e. Days Off)

Finishing Location

As some of you may have already deduced, since there are multiple locations at the Mexican and Canadian borders where Continental Divide Trail hikers begin their hikes, there are an equal number of locations where CDT hikers can finish.

This section looks at where northbound hikers finished, where southbound hikers finished, and what percentage of hikers completed their hikes (in either direction).

Northbound Finish Location

• 61.7% – Waterton Lake
• 12.3% – Chief Mountain
• 13.6% – New Mexico Flip
• 8.6% – Colorado Flip
• 3.7% – Wyoming Flip

All southbound thru-hikers reported finishing their hikes at Crazy Cook Monument at the New Mexico-Mexico Border south of Lordsburg except one hiker who flipped to Colorado.

CDT Completion Rates

Most people begin a Continental Divide Trail thru-hike intending to complete the trail. Unfortunately, not everyone who sets out on this most epic adventure of border-to-border glory completes the trail. Every year, many people hoping to hike the CDT will fail to complete the trail.

We will look at completion rates, but we are doing so with a caveat. I distribute this survey myself; it is not required of CDT hikers. Therefore, survey respondents are a self-selecting group who skew toward having completed the trail.

A hopeful thru-hiker who quit during their first week of hiking in April is likely paying little attention and caring far less about the Continental Divide Trail survey when it’s released in the fall. So, if you’re reading this and planning to hike the CDT next year, sign up for the survey to ensure you receive it!

Flip-Flopping & Footpaths

Flip-flopping is when a hiker skips a section of the trail (the flip), intending to return to hike it later (the flop). This can happen because a hiker wants to avoid snow, skip a fire closure, or because of some other logistical issue. The flip-flop usually takes one of two forms.

One is a hiker skipping ahead, continuing to hike in the same direction, and then returning to the point they originally departed the trail to hike the skipped section later (e.g. a northbound hiker skips from the NM/CO border to the CO/WY border, then hikes north to Canada before returning to the NM/CO border to hike north to the CO/WY border).

It can also be when a hiker skips ahead and then hikes the skipped section in the opposite direction of their original hike before jumping back up to the point where they originally skipped to and continuing their hike in the original direction (e.g. northbound hiker jumps from NM/CO border to CO/WY border and then hikes south to NM/CO border before returning to CO/WY border to continue hiking north).

Some hikers get wild with their flip-flopping; I recommend avoiding it altogether, if possible.

Here is what flip-flopping on the CDT looked like in 2023.

Did Hikers Flip-Flop

Thru-Hikers 28% Yes
Thru-Hikers 72% No

Northbound 42% Yes
Northbound 58% No

Southbound 2% Yes
Southbound 98% No

Why Hikers Flip-Flopped

• 90.2% – Snow
• 4.9% – Personal/Logistical
• 2.4% – Injury
• 2.4% – Fires

Where Hikers Flipped From/To

I’ve struggled in the past to display this information in a way I think will be helpful and accurately represent the CDT flip-flopping picture, but I think this is an improvement upon previous years. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Continuous Footpaths

It may sound straightforward enough, “Did you complete the CDT? Yes or no?” – but what constitutes a completed thru-hike isn’t necessarily the same for everyone.

Some people insist you need to have unbroken steps between Mexico and Canada along the official Continental Divide Trail to constitute a thru-hike while others may forgive skipping a road walk, hitchhiking around a fire closure, or taking alternates (or shortcuts).

To better understand how much of the trail this year’s finishers hiked, I asked about their footsteps between the terminuses.

Alternate Routes

The Continental Divide Trail is more well-defined than many suspect, but there are loads of alternate trails (sometimes known as “shortcuts”) that hikers can take instead of or in addition to the official CDT. I ask about these alternates to understand what the most common CDT thru-hikes looked like. Alternates are listed in geographical order from south to north.

The following colors indicate the popularity of each alternate (the percentage of hikers who took each): over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, and under 25%.

Hiker Challenges

I asked hikers which sections of the CDT they found the most difficult and which they found the easiest. Next year, I plan on expanding this question to get a more specific idea of where hikers find the trail to be most and least challenging.

I’ve also asked hikers how well, on a scale of 1 to 10, they coped with challenges on the trail, such as storms, fires, mosquitoes, and stream crossings.

Easiest CDT Section

• 72.9% – New Mexico
• 2.8% – Colorado
• 18.8% – Wyoming
• 2.1% – Idaho/Southern Montana
• 3.5% – Northern Montana

Most Difficult CDT Section

• 4.9% – New Mexico
• 78.5% – Colorado
• 0.7% – Wyoming
• 10.4% – Idaho/Southern Montana
• 5.6% – Northern Montana

On-Trail Issues

On a scale of 1 to 10, I asked hikers how much of an issue each of the following was during their hikes. Here are the averages from thru-hikers (1).

• 5.50 – Snow
• 4.60 – Rain/Hail
• 4.50 – Mosquitoes
• 4.30 – Storms
• 3.60 – Cold
• 3.20 – Wind
• 3.10 – Heat
• 2.90 – Elevation
• 2.30 – Streams
• 1.30 – Smoke/Fire
• 1.00 – Rodents

Why Hikers Didn’t Finish

If you were left wondering what happened to the hikers who didn’t complete the CDT this year when we covered the completion rates above, fear not. Here, we look at the specifics as to why hikers didn’t complete the Continental Divide Trail this year.

Why Thru-Hikers Quit

• 36.8% – Injury
• 15.8% – Physical Exhaustion
• 15.8% – Illness
• 10.5% – Family
• 5.3% – Financial
• 5.3% – Medical
• 5.3% – Personal
• 5.3% – Snow

Hike-Ending Injury Breakdown

Injury is a big killer of thru-hikes and is typically something hikers can exercise some control over (as opposed to fires that can flare up seemingly without warning). Here, we break down what kinds of injuries ended hikes and where these hike-ending injuries occurred.

Hike-Ending Injuries

• 42.9% – Overuse injury (leg)
• 28.6% – Back injury
• 14.3% – Broken bone (foot)
• 14.3% – Stress fracture (foot)

Where Injuries Occurred

• 28.6% – New Mexico
• 14.3% – Colorado
• 28.6% – Wyoming
• 0% – Idaho/Southern Montana
• 28.6% – Northern Montana

Miles Completed by Hikers

• 5.3% – < 100 mi
• 0.0% – 100 – 250 mi
• 5.3% – 250 – 500 mi
• 5.3% – 500 – 750 mi
• 15.8% – 750 – 1000 mi
• 21.1% – 1000 – 1250 mi
• 10.5% – 1250 – 1500 mi
• 15.8% – 1500 – 1750 mi
• 10.5% – 1750 – 2000 mi
• 0.0% – 2000 – 2250 mi
• 5.3% – 2250 – 2500 mi
• 5.3% – 2500 – 2750 mi
• 0.0% – > 2750 mi

Average: 1,332 mi / 2,144 km
Median: 1,200 mi / 1,931 km
σ = 654 mi / 1,053 km

Resupply

The word resupply can be anxiety-inducing if you’re new to the idea of long-distance thru-hiking. What is resupply? Where does it come from? How much of it is there? How do you get it? Will it hurt?

Resupply is getting yourself more food to power more hiking. It need not be scary or intimidating. Continental Divide Trail resupply has become simpler over the years, but when and where hikers resupply is still a question that many find overwhelming.

Here we have this year’s resupply stats, resupply strategy/boxes, resupply box suggestions, hitchhiking difficulties, where hikers resupplied, favorite and least favorite resupply stops, favorite meals and snacks, and resupply advice.

CDT Resupply Stats

Resupply Strategy

• 6.2% – Mailed all resupply
• 7.5% – Mailed most resupply (> 50%)
• 41.8% – Mailed some resupplies (10-50%)
• 41.8% – Mailed a few resupply (1-10%)
• 2.7% – Mailed no resupply

Many prospective CDT thru-hikers are incredibly concerned about resupply – but take a breath. Remember, you can mail yourself boxes from on the trail. You do not have to prepare all your resupply boxes (or resupply locations) beforehand. Many towns have supermarkets (and post offices).

That said, it can be helpful (and time-saving) to mail yourself resupply boxes. Hikers may choose this option because of a resupply stop’s limited food selection, dietary restrictions, high prices, or even the owners of the local resupply establishment being awful people (that said, most are lovely).

Another thing to consider when considering resupply is that many towns along the CDT are only accessible via car (or ludicrously long, dangerous, and ill-advised road walks). How do you get to these towns? Many hikers elect to hitchhike.

Here are the places CDT hikers recommend sending a resupply box and where they had difficulty hitchhiking to/from.

Suggest Mailing Resupply

1. Pie Town (New Mexico) 85.7%
2. Ghost Ranch (New Mexico) 41.2%
3. Lima (Idaho/Southern Montana) 37.0%
4. Doc Campbell’s (New Mexico) 31.9%
5. Leadore via Bannock Pass (Idaho/Southern Montana) 29.4%
6. East Glacier Village (Northern Montana) 23.5%
7. Encampment via Battle Pass (Wyoming) 21.0%
8. Benchmark Wilderness Ranch (Northern Montana) 16.0%
9. South Pass City (Wyoming) 14.3%
10. Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone (Wyoming) 13.4%

Difficult Hitches

1. Encampment via Battle Pass (Wyoming) 21.7%
2. Darby via Lost Trail Pass (Idaho/Southern Montana) 15.1%
3. Dubois via Togwotee Pass (Wyoming) 14.2%
4. Leadore via Bannock Pass (Idaho/Southern Montana) 14.2%
5. Augusta (Northern Montana) 13.2%
6. Lander (Wyoming) 13.2%
7. Lake City via Spring Creek Pass (Colorado) 12.3%
8. Chama via Cumbres Pass (New Mexico/Colorado) 11.3%
9. Lima (Idaho/Southern Montana)
10. Pagosa Springs via Wolf Creek Pass (Colorado) 9.4%

Where Hikers Resupplied

I ask hikers to report where they resupplied – not where they stopped/passed through, but where they purchased, picked up, were given, or otherwise came into a new food stock. For example, the trail passes through the middle of Silver City; theoretically, all thru-hikers who complete the trail will go there, but not all thru-hikers resupply there. Make sense? I hope so. You’ll have issues on the trail if you’re struggling with this.

Locations are listed in geographical order from Mexico to Canada (south to north), and, again, I use the following colors to indicate each resupply stop’s popularity: over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, under 25%.

✉️ Stops where this year’s class suggests sending resupply boxes to
⛺ Stops that can be reached without hitchhiking (either on the trail or a relatively short detour)

Favorite & Least Favorite Resupply Stops

Now we know the most popular stops for resupplying and for sending resupply boxes, but what about hikers’ favorite and least favorite resupply stops? When asking this question, I specify, “‘Favorite/Least Favorite’ means where you most/least enjoyed, not where had the best/worst resupply options (although these could be the same).”

Hiker Diets

For the final piece of the resupply puzzle, we look at hiker dietary restrictions, how easily they found resupplying with them, and which backpacking meals and snacks hikers enjoyed most on the CDT. More on this is to come in the CDT Resupply Guide.

Dietary Restrictions

• 38.7% – Has dietary restriction
• 61.3% – No dietary restriction

Specific Dietary Restrictions

• 49.0% – Vegetarian
• 19.6% – Vegan
• 15.7% – Dairy-free
• 9.8% – Gluten-free
• 9.8% – Lactose Intolerant
• 9.8% – Pescatarian
• 3.9% – Peanut Allergy
• 3.9% – Tree Nut Allergy
• 2.0% – Diabetic
• 2.0% – Keto
• 3.9% – Other

Favorite Backpacking Meals

1. Ramen 42.9%
2. Idohoan Mashed Potatoes 35.7%
3. Knorr Rice Sides 35.7%
4. Couscous 28.6%
5. Backpacker’s Pantry 21.4%
6. Peak Refuel 21.4%
7. Annie’s Mac & Cheese 14.3%
8. Mountain House 14.3%
9. Farm to Summit 9.5%
10. Good To-Go 8.7%

Favorite Backpacking Snacks

1. Potato Chips 22.5%
2. M&M’s 20.8%
3. Snickers Bars 20.2%
4. Bobo’s Oat Bars 16.8%
5. Peanut Butter 16.2%
6. Clif Bars 13.9%
7. Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookies 12.7%
8. Luna Bars 12.2%
9. Beef Jerky 11%
10. Trail Mix 11%

Resupply Changes

Hindsight is 20/20 (unless you’re looking back through the darkness for that mountain lion you think might be following you – but that’s likely a deer). Here is what hikers said they would change about their resupply strategies if they could do it again.

These don’t change much yearly, so I highly encourage you to heed this advice when considering your resupply options.

I’ll follow up with a detailed breakdown of this year’s CDT resupply. If you would like to be notified of new posts, click here.

Find all CDT Resupply posts here.

Thru-Hiking Gear

Potentially, what Continental Divide Trail hikers spend the most time obsessing over before (and on…and after) the trail is their thru-hiking gear. Gear choices play an essential role in a thru-hike, but no magical gear combination guarantees a successful thru-hike (if you know otherwise, please let me know).

I do a deep dive into gear used by CDT hikers in my CDT Gear Guide, but here’s a taste of what to expect. Let’s look at what this year’s CDT Class had with them on the trail.

More detailed and interesting breakdowns of this information are in this year’s CDT Gear Guide. Let’s peek at some of the gear thru-hikers were using on the trail this year. Here are the most common “Big 4” items: packs, shelters, sleeping bags/quilts, and sleeping pads (I know it’s the “Big 3”, but I include sleeping pads; get over it) along with the most common insulated jackets and shells.

Again, there will be extensive breakdowns in the CDT Gear Guide.

Most Common CDT Backpacks

1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
2. ULA Circuit
3. Osprey Exos
4. Gossamer Gear Mariposa
5. Zpacks Arc Haul
6. Gossamer Gear Gorilla
7. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider
8. ULA Catalyst
9. Atom Packs Atom+
10. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction

Most Common CDT Shelters

1. Zpacks Duplex
2. Durston Gear X-Mid 2P
3. Durston Gear X-Mid 1P
4. Gossamer Gear The One
5. Zpacks Plex Solo
6. NEMO Hornet OSMO 1P
7. Zpacks Altaplex
8. Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 2
9. Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo
10. Zpacks 7 x 9 Flat Tarp

Most Common CDT Sleeping Bags/Quilts

1. Enlightened Equipment Enigma
2. Enlightened Equipment Revelation
3. Western Mountaineering Versalite
4. Katabatic Flex
5. REI Co-op Magma
6. Katabatic Alsek
7. Underground Quilts Bandit
8. Zpacks Quilt
9. Katabatic Sawatch
10. Mountain Hardwear Phantom

Most Common CDT Sleeping Pads

1. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
2. NEMO Equipment Switchback
3. NEMO Equipment Tensor
4. Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
5. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, Short
6. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite – Women’s (discontinued)
7. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
8. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite
9. Big Agnes Rapide SL
10. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT MAX

Most Common CDT Insulated Jackets

1. Enlightened Equipment Torrid (Men’s/Women’s)
2. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
3. Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
4. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 (Men’s/Women’s)
5. Montbell Plasma 1000 Down Parka (Men’s/Women’s)
6. Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody (Men’s/Women’s)
7. Arc’teryx Cerium Jacket (Men’s/Women’s)
8. Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded (Men’s/Women’s)
9. Feathered Friends Eos (Men’s/Women’s)
10. REI Co-op Magma 850 Hoodie (Men’s/Women’s)

Most Common CDT Shells

1. Montbell Versalite (Men’s/Women’s)
2. Outdoor Research Helium (Men’s/Women’s)
3. Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite Rain Suit (Men’s/Women’s)
4. Arc’teryx Beta (Men’s/Women’s)
5. Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket
6. Marmot PreCip Eco (Men’s/Women’s)
7. Zpacks Vertice (Men’s/Women’s)
8. Enlightened Equipment Visp (Men’s/Women’s)
9. Frogg Toggs Xtreme Lite (Men’s/Women’s)
10. Anti-Gravity Gear Ultralight Rain Jacket

This is just the tip of the proverbial thru-hiking gear iceberg. As mentioned above, I will publish a detailed breakdown of this year’s CDT gear. This will include (in addition to everything above) water treatment, stoves, fleeces, snow gear, satellite messengers/PLBs, additional gear, luxury items, what hikers didn’t like about their gear, what gear decisions (might have) helped hikers to a successful thru-hike, how hikers would change/adapt their gear for a future hike, and more.

Technology on Trail

Gone are the days of the Continental Divide Trail of old when it was a trail sought out by only uber-experienced backcountry orienteers; thanks to the magic of technology, any dodo can grab a phone and have a reasonably good chance of not killing themselves on the trail.

Phones are everywhere on the trail. If the sight of a cellular device in the wilderness distresses you, prepare yourself. Phones are hikers’ cameras, GPS devices, televisions, music players, town-researching devices, and (sometimes) SOS devices (that said, I suggest a Garmin inReach Mini 2 if you’re looking for an SOS device).

There are several apps commonly used by Continental Divide Trail hikers – and even one designed specifically for the CDT (that you should most certainly invest in). Here are the phones and apps hikers were using out on the trail this year.

CDT Hiker Phones

• 40.7% Android
• 59.3% iOS (iPhone)

CDT Hiker Apps

• 98.3% – FarOut Guides
• 74.0% – Gaia GPS
• 42.8% – Avenza Maps
• 38.7% – Google Maps
• 20.2% – Garmin Explore
• 11.0% – CalTopo
• 10.4% – Peak Finder
• 6.9% – AllTrails
• 6.4% – Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX)
• 5.8% – Strava
• 4.6% – Seek by iNaturalist
• 2.9% – Hiking Project
• 2.9% – MAPS.ME
• 1.2% – Locus Maps
• 1.2% – onX Backcountry
• 0.6% – Hiiker

Hiker Health & Water Sources

Water treatment and personal hygiene are (or should be) big considerations for hikers. Typically, thru-hikers worry less about these as the trail goes on; experience isn’t always your friend.

Some hikers religiously filter all water that passes through their face hole – it doesn’t matter if it comes out of a hotel sink or a puddle with a cow pooping in it. Other hikers will “not filter above 10,000 ft / 3,048 m” or “not filter running water” (this last one is not a good idea – running water can 100% get you sick).

Everyone wants to look cool in front of their friends by not filtering water (note: not filtering your water does not make you cool), but there are risks to the badass thru-hiker lifestyle (and drinking dirty, giardia-infested water).

To find out how good a job everyone is doing filtering their water and sanitizing their hands after pooping (another way to get yourself sick), I ask hikers if they got sick (defined as 3+ days of digestive issues or diagnosed giardia), how often they treated water sources, and how these two things compare to one another.

CDT Hiker Illness

• 90.8% – Didn’t get sick
• 9.2% – Got sick

Water Treatment Frequency

• 69.9% – Always
• 20.2% – Usually
• 7.5% – Sometimes
• 2.3% – Never

Looking at this another way, we can see the following.

• 70.5% of hikers always treated their water, and 5.8% of these hikers got sick
• 20.2% of hikers usually treated their water, and 20% of these hikers got sick
• 7.5% of hikers sometimes treated their water, and 7.7% of these hikers got sick
• 2.3% of hikers never treated their water, and 25% of these hikers got sick

In total, a reported 9.2% of hikers came down with something akin to giardia, and 2.3% never filtered.

Favorite/Least Favorite Sections

This may come as a shock, but the Continental Divide Trail is a long hike with a lot to see (mostly bears). Here is a look at the favorite and least favorite sections of the trail.

Favorite CDT Section

1. Wyoming
2. Colorado
3. Northern Montana
4. New Mexico
5. Idaho/Southern Montana

Least Favorite CDT Section

1. Idaho/Southern Montana
2. New Mexico
3. Colorado
4. Wyoming
5. Northern Montana

Best & Worst Moments

I will share more of these in future posts, but here are some examples that stood out when I asked hikers about their best, worst, and most terrifying moments from their thru-hikes.

Best CDT Moments

Last year I added a question asking hikers about their best moments from the trail and I’ve decided to keep it in this year. Below are a few responses; I will detail more in an upcoming article.

• All of New Mexico. I was expecting flat, desert hiking with a lot of monotony. Instead, I was treated to a constantly changing landscape, plant life, and animals. The Gila alt might have been my favorite place on the trail – no crowds, hot springs, fishing, stunning cliffs, and good company.

• It was a joy to make it to and then through the San Juans later in the season.  It had been my anxiety that after having flipped from Ghost Ranch to Waterton, I wouldn’t make it before the weather got scary, and I would have to take the Creede Cutoff.  The weather turned out to be pretty perfect, albeit cold.  The San Juans were gorgeous, and it felt like succeeding at the last real challenge to finishing my thru-hike.

• The whole trail was one long moment where I experienced constant validation and acceptance from everyone I met on the trail. The experience made me more comfortable with myself and continue living authentically off the trail.

Worst CDT Moments

• After doing Yellowstone to Riverside without any significant breaks, I got stomach issues in Riverside. No rooms were available, so I returned to the trail and curled up in my tent after only 1.8 miles (2.9 km), riding out a fever. I couldn’t eat the next day, and the whole morning was stormy.

• I got really sick before the Teton Crest Trail and lost control of my legs and bowels. I stayed in my tent and pooped in a Ziploc bag.

• In Colorado, we took an unmarked alternate through the Southern San Juans that would avoid a dangerous traverse and lead us to Platoro. We had to navigate a very steep, densely forested section that was exhausting and slow. The next morning, we had to cross a waist-deep river, traveling fast, and we both fell in and were swept away.

Scariest CDT Moments

• I got caught in an unexpected thunderstorm in the morning on a ridge above treeline; lightning strikes hit 50 meters in front and behind us as we were running downhill. 

• On the road walk into Pie Town, an RV was in the wrong lane. It came up behind me and missed me by a foot before swerving back into the correct lane.

• There were several days in Colorado where I felt more vulnerable than I’ve ever felt before when hiking. I knew I’d have to camp on exposed ridgelines, and I could only hope that conditions would be favorable.

Social Issues

The Continental Divide Trail is, for the most part, an amazing place filled with incredible people.

However, just as the trail itself can be not so amazing at times – thunderstorms, fires, horrific weather events – the people, too, can occasionally be awful on the CDT.

There will be an additional article covering social issues on the trail in more detail.

Ageism

Overall, 9.2% of hikers experienced ageism on the Continental Divide Trail. 7.2% experienced ageism from other hikers, 3.3% from people in town, and 1.3% from fellow hikers and people in town.

As hikers of various ages reported ageism, these percentages are for all hikers.

Homophobia/Transphobia

Overall, 25.9% of LGBTQIA+ hikers experienced homophobia or transphobia on the CDT. 22.2% experienced homophobia or transphobia from other hikers, 18.5% from people in town, and 14.8% from fellow hikers and people in town.

Racism

Overall, 49.7% of BIPOC hikers experienced racism on the CDT. 33% experienced racism from other hikers, 49.7% experienced racism from people in town, and 33% from fellow hikers and people in town.

Sexism

Overall, 51% of female hikers experienced sexism or sexual harassment on the CDT. 27.6% experienced sexism from other hikers, 42.5% from people in town, and 19.1% from both their fellow hikers and people in town.

Trail Magic

Trail angels can be a tricky bunch. Sadly, there are trail angels who are likely responsible for some of the behavior in the above section. However, many (I would hope most) trail angels are well-meaning folks out to help hikers.

I asked hikers about the frequency with which they encountered or received trail magic. This could mean a friendly person on the trail sharing some fresh fruit with them or a trail angel hanging out at a trailhead giving cold drinks and rides to hikers.

Hikers reported, for each section, how often they encountered trail magic on a scale of 1 (never) to 10 (every day).

• 2.3 – New Mexico
• 1.8 – Colorado
• 1.3 – Wyoming
• 1.2 – Idaho/Southern Montana
• 1.2 – Northern Montana

Advice for the Future

Now for Continental Divide Trail thru-hiker wisdom. I ask hikers what they would have done differently before their hikes if they were to do it all over again.

In addition to asking hikers what they would have done differently before their thru-hikes, I asked them what they wished they had done differently during their hikes. Here are the top responses (regrets).