Solving CDT Logistics (TRAILS Series, Part 5)

We are approaching the end of the TRAILS preparation series frame.

• training
• Rexterior planning
• TOAppropriate equipment
• Yotake me
• Logistics
• Yessecurity

Having covered Training, Route Planning, Equipment and Admission, the letter l: Logistics ius next. If training is building the engine that powers the trek, consumption is the fuel, then logistics is the unattractive tow truck that ensures the car actually gets to the starting line. For an international hiker attempting a northbound CDT (NOBO) hike, the logistical challenges begin long before taking the first step.

The transatlantic approach: reaching the southern terminal

For a hiker residing in Switzerland, one does not simply hike the Continental Divide Trail (or was it Mordor?). The journey to the exit is a logistical operation in itself.

My first step is a flight from Zurich to Memphis, where I will stay with my family for a while. Lihat juga ikmj. This stopover is crucial to finalize my preparations in the United States, such as final supply of food, some pieces of equipment, and preparing mailboxes. Once these necessary preparations are completed, I will fly from Memphis to Tucson, Arizona. From there, I’ll take the Amtrak train to Lordsburg, New Mexico, the gateway to the southern end of the CDT.

The last few miles require off-road travel, and so I booked a seat on the official shuttle of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC), which uses high-clearance 4×4 vehicles to navigate the rugged roads to the border. However, the official starting point is what was recently designated the “National Defense Area.” As a non-US citizen, I cannot access the monument that marks the beginning, fun times! Instead, the ferry will drop me off as close to the terminal as legally allowed (about 2km away), and my hike will begin there, walking north, away from a start I can’t actually start from.

The reality of locomotion on the road

Once deployed in the desert, locomotion becomes refreshingly simple: eat, sleep, walk. This will be my reality for 99% of the next five months.

However, the CDT is deeply remote. Unlike the AT or even the Via Alpina, where the trail frequently crosses major roads near fully serviced towns, the CDT’s resupply points are often far away. Very few are true “walk-in” cities. Resupplying usually requires leaving the road and traveling along desolate country roads to reach a post office or general store.

Therefore, hitchhiking is mandatory. This brings different challenges in the rural western United States. Traffic density in areas like central New Mexico or the Great Divide Basin is incredibly low and often limited to the occasional farmer. Getting a ride requires patience, a trusting mentality toward strangers, and an attempt to keep a relatively clean shirt available so as not to terrify potential rides.

The greatest contingency: the “flip-flop”

Snowpack in Colorado is the primary variable of a NOBO hike, as it defines if and how you can continue after finishing the New Mexico section (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOPzBY1CyNw). Like the weather, logistics is not static; They must be reactive to environmental realities.

My main plan is a continued advance north. However, my logistical contingency, if SNOTEL data indicates that San Juan over Cumbres Pass in southern Colorado is simply not fun to cross due to snow, that’s a change.

The plan is to get off trail at Cumbres Pass and hitchhike to a major hub like Santa Fe or Albuquerque. From there, I will fly to Glacier Park International Airport, near the Canadian border. I will tag the northern terminus and begin walking southbound (SOBO) back to Colorado. This gives the snowpack an extra month or two to melt. While this is a turn-off and some would consider unromantic, it offers a number of real advantages. The most important is to avoid drilling poles in dangerous conditions for a month.

The Extraction: Getting Home

Assuming a successful and continued northbound finish at the Canadian border in Glacier National Park, reaching Switzerland is the ultimate logistical puzzle.

Extraction involves hitchhiking out of the park to East Glacier Village and then getting a shuttle or train ride to Kalispell Airport (FCA). From there, I’ll fly back to my Memphis base camp to decompress for a few days before taking the final transatlantic flight back to Zurich.

Logistics are rarely the fun part of hiking, but rigorous planning in this area is the necessary foundation that allows for the freedom of the trail. Next time we conclude the series with the final letter: Yes for Security.

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