This week, I have an exciting update to share. I am planning another thru-hike. This time, I’ll tackle the Continental Divide Trail. It will be my third and final of the three Triple Crown trails. I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014 and the Pacific Crest Trail just last year. I’m excited to hit the trail again so soon!

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is a 3,000-ish-mile backpacking route. The CDT crosses the United States, from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. It goes through 5 states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. The CDT roughly follows the continental divide – an imaginary line along the top of the Rocky Mountains. This line separates water that drains to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This adds an extra element of intrigue to this thru-hike for me, as someone with a background in water science.

I will start the trail at the Mexican border this spring. I plan to walk the entire trail northbound in one go. The trek will take several months. If all goes as planned, I will finish at the Canadian border in late summer.

Why another thru-hike?

As a teenager, I was reading a book and stumbled across something incredible: there is a 2,000+ mile-long continuous footpath through the eastern United States. Immediately, I set aside the book and took to the internet. Soon, I was learning everything there was to know about this footpath — the Appalachian Trail — and the thru-hikers who walk its entire length. I’d already fallen in love with backpacking during my summer backpacking trips through Girl Scouts. I was enthralled by the idea of spending months thru-hiking across multiple states.

For the next few years, I lived and breathed the Appalachian Trail. I spent my evenings and summers lifeguarding to save up money for a thru-hike. I dedicated many weekends to hiking in my local state park to train. I selected gear and prepared boxes of food to mail to myself. I even tested out the lower limits of my sleeping bag by camping in my backyard in mid-winter in Wisconsin.

After graduating from high school, I finally hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. A week after climbing Mount Katahdin, the trail’s northern terminus and the endpoint of my thru-hike, I started college at Colorado State University. I arrived on campus with calloused feet, some crazy stories, and a strong desire to thru-hike again, and soon. I set my sights on the Pacific Crest Trail.

But it was longer than expected until my PCT plans came to fruition. I spent a decade in Colorado, pursuing other goals and passions. At times, thru-hiking slipped from my mind almost entirely. But at the end of a long trail run or weekend backpacking trip, I felt that familiar yearning reignite. My short runs and hikes only touched the periphery of the experience I craved. I missed the time when I didn’t need to turn around, hike back to the trail head, and drive home.

Finally, in 2025, I bought a 1-way ticket to San Diego and set off on the Pacific Crest Trail. A little over 4 months later, I reached the Canadian Border in Washington, finishing my second major thru-hike.

Over 10 years went by between my AT and PCT thru-hikes. This time, the wait is short. I plan to start the CDT a mere 7 months after finishing the PCT. If my long hiatus from thru-hiking taught me anything, it’s that it will never be the perfect time to thru-hike. Instead of waiting for the stars to align, I must work to make it happen. That said, some seasons of life come with more flexibility. I want to capitalize on my current freedom to take this journey. Who knows – another 10 years may pass before the timing is this good again.

What makes the CDT different?

In some ways, the Continental Divide Trail is similar to the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. It will involve hiking thousands of miles over several months. I’ll camp outside most nights, resupply in small towns near the trail, and meet other thru-hikers. I’ll deal with similar challenges like chaffing, water carries, and insects. However, the CDT comes with its own set of unique features and challenges.

Navigation and route selection are a little more complicated on the CDT. There are many alternative route options. There are also more places where the trail is poorly defined or unmarked. The CDT will require more route-finding and navigation skills than the other AT and PCT.

Furthermore, the Continental Divide Trail is longer than the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. The Continental Divide Trail is about 3,000-ish miles long. However, because there are so many alternate routes, the length of a CDT thru-hike can vary significantly.

The length of the CDT poses a challenge because of the short weather window for thru-hiking the trail. Similar to the PCT, most northbound thru-hikers start walking through the desert in April or early May. Start earlier, and hikers risk reaching Colorado while the mountains are still socked in with snow. The end of the thru-hike is bound by the arrival of winter weather in northern Montana in September or October. All in all, the hiking season is only about 5, maybe 6, months long.

A final thing that makes the CDT different is the wildlife. Since the CDT goes through different areas than the AT and PCT, I’ll see different animals. However, one species that gets a lot of attention is the grizzly bear. A portion of the CDT in the north cuts through grizzly territory. The other two trails only have smaller black bears.

What I’m looking forward to most

The Continental Divide Trail will be my third and last of the three major long trails in the United States. This is called the “Triple Crown” of thru-hiking. I’m looking forward to completing this major personal goal.

I’m also excited to walk through my beautiful home state of Colorado. I’ve already hiked portions of the CDT in Colorado – mostly, the parts that overlap with the Colorado Trail. I especially look forward to revisiting the Collegiate and San Juan Ranges. I’ve also trail run on parts of the CDT in New Mexico near Ghost Ranch – a place I’m excited to explore more very soon.

A final aspect of the CDT that excites me is choosing my own route. The CDT has more alternative routes than the PCT and AT. From what I hear, it’s a “choose-your-own adventure” type of thru-hike. Each thru-hiker can make the CDT their own.

What’s next?

My anticipated start date for the CDT is approaching fast. Before then, I plan to post an update or two about my preparations. Once I’m on the trail, I’ll post regular trail journal entries in a similar style to my PCT trail journal.