CDT 101 – The Walk

To my friends and family who have never heard of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT)

If you are reading this, it is very likely that you have asked me some version of:

“What is the name of that long path you are walking?
“PDCT, DTC, ahhh right the CDT!”

The Continental Divide Trail runs from the Mexican border to Canada. Approximately 5,000 kilometers. Walking. It crosses five states (New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana) and follows the Continental Divide, the invisible line where water decides whether it heads to the Pacific or the Atlantic.

It is usually mentioned along with the best-known US National Scenic Trails: the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

Before we continue, a small disclaimer: what I’m sharing here comes from my limited preparation. Some of it may turn out to be incorrect. I will only truly understand this path once I have walked it. I’m trying not to research too much; I want to leave room for surprise, because no video, photograph or story comes close to reality anyway.

Why is the CDT different?

The CDT is remote and wild. Towns are usually separated by at least 150 kilometers of trails, which usually means hitchhiking to resupply. Many sections are extremely dry, forcing hikers to rely almost entirely on artificial water sources, blinds, or livestock tanks.

It is also the most unfinished of the three long trails, with long road hikes in several places. The northbound hiking window is very narrow, meaning a solid level of pre-hike fitness is required to reach Canada before winter hits. The sustained elevation and heavy snowfall in Colorado often pushes hikers to choose lower alternative routes.

Because the CDT is less established, there is a strong “build your own route” mentality. No two hikers actually hike the exact same trail. Lastly, it is the only one of the big three to traverse grizzly bear country, requiring additional equipment and a whole new level of awareness.

Nemo hitchhiking from Etna Trailhead – PCT

The landscapes

New Mexico Deserts

Water reservoir generously maintained by a trail angel in the Mojave Desert – PCT

New Mexico is the hottest and driest stretch of the trail. The main challenge comes from the lack of reliable water sources. For the first few hundred miles, hikers rely on water reservoirs or livestock tanks. The lack of shade, combined with long stretches of dirt road, tests mental resilience from the start.

Colorado Snowy Steps

Colorado is where the CDT often decides whether you’ll finish or not. Heading north, timing is everything. If you start too early, you will reach snow-capped mountains averaging between 3,000 and 4,000 meters that can be almost impassable. If you start too late, you risk being exhausted by the New Mexico desert heat.

Final approach to Muir Pass – PCT Sierra

Colorado rewards those who do it at the right time. Every mountain pass offers something unexpected, pure alpine beauty and what feels like the purest expression of the mountains.

Wyoming Granite Plains and Peaks

Wyoming is the most diverse state in the CDT. In the south, hikers cross the Great Basin, arid grasslands where the trail follows dirt roads as far as the eye can see. Most people arrive at this section in the middle of summer, dealing with heat, water shortages and afternoon storms, while the trees are completely absent.

Then the landscape changes dramatically toward granite mountain ranges like the Wind River Range and Grand Teton National Park. Here, towering peaks, pristine lakes and grizzly bears define the experience – wildlife not taken lightly. Wyoming ends at Yellowstone National Park, a place that hardly needs an introduction, known for its unique thermal activity.

Reaching the top of Half Dome with Nemo and Papa Crypto – parallel trip to the PCT

Glacier-eroded peaks of Idaho and Montana

To be honest, I don’t know much about Idaho. From what I have heard and read, it is considered one of the most mentally challenging parts of the trail. The landscape may seem monotonous and, by now, hikers have already been on the trail for months, dragging deep fatigue along with their backpacks.

Nemo and I at dawn surrounded by the Haute-Maurienne glacier in the French Alps

Montana changes that. Upon entering Glacier National Park, the mountains rise again, placing hikers in the middle of vast valleys carved by glaciers. The terrain feels bigger, wilder and somehow refreshing, even at the end of the trip.

Who goes up to the CDT?

The CDT is by far the least traveled National Scenic Trail: between 400 and 500 people attempt it each year, about 300 of them heading north. Because the northbound starting window is so narrow, the hiker bubble tends to stay fairly compact. This helps maintain a solid social experience, something I find extremely important on a hike, especially one that lasts this long.

Given the overall toughness and difficulty of the CDT, it naturally attracts more experienced hikers. Many are on their second or third long run, which shapes a different type of social atmosphere. It’s less about proving something and more about personal motivation, introspection, and understanding why people continue to choose paths like this.

Do you want a little more?

He CDTC website is a great resource for finding practical hiking information on resupply, animals, water, maps, closures, etc.

my favorite CDT documentary video by Titouan Leroux, a must see!

Statistics, surveys and equipment in Halfway anywhere

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