Everything Thru-Hikers Need to Know About the CDT: Continental Divide Trail Q&A
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Today I wanted to answer as many questions about the Continental Divide Trail as possible. After thru-hiking in 2022, I remember all too well the feeling of overwhelm that can come before taking on this extremely exciting but daunting trail. It certainly is a beast with more unknowns and logistical concerns than the other triple crown trails, so in hopes of helping prospective thru-hikers I wanted to share a little bit of what I know about the Continental Divide Trail.
This video goes over a lot of common CDT questions, including: Should you hike the CDT nobo or sobo? When’s the best time to start the CDT? What is resupply like on the CDT? Where should you send boxes on the CDT? What gear do you wish you’d brought on the CDT? What are the water sources like on the CDT? What alternates should you take on the CDT? How do you find alternates on the CDT? What are the trail towns like on the CDT? What are the BEST trail towns on the CDT? How do you prepare for the CDT? How do you stay motivated on the CDT? How do you deal with bears on the CDT? AND SO MUCH MORE.
If you have any MORE questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.
Getting the Jonathan Ley maps:
Download the Avenza Maps App from the App store. Search for “Jonathan Ley” and download the map sets you’ll need for each section. The maps are available for free, but I encourage you to donate to Jonathan to thank him for all of his meticulous work. You can do so by sending money via PayPal to his email: jonathan@phlumf.com.
Getting the Farout CDT Alts:
Download the FarOut app: bit.ly/3Km90wY from the app store and purchase either the CDT maps or a FarOut subscription. Alts will be obvious once you are looking at each section.
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My CDT Series following my 2022 thru-hike: • Continental Divide Tra...
My favorite CDT alternates: • Beyond the CDT: Must-S...
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Specific gear mentioned in this video:
Ursack: app.rockporch....
Sun Umbrella: bit.ly/4afF3J8
Remember to always follow LNT!
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Thanks Sauce. Really enjoyed the motivation portion and breaking things down into small mental chunks like I can do anything for a half a mile. I have certainly struggled on bad days over the years, so always love hearing how people deal with the harder mental days. Peace and happy trails to you and Kid
It's interesting how we all handle those differently! Happy trails! :)
As far as stubbornness and thoughts on quitting. I always think to myself all the events ahead and people I will never meet ahead on the trail if I were to quit a thruhike. Also I consider the time, money and effort that I have put in and quitting would be a waste of all that progress. I'm stubborn as they come and have successful thruhiked the Colorado, Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in the last 4 years. The CDT is next! I WILL be a Triple Crowner!!! 💪
Heck yes you well!! Stubbornness serves us thru-hikers very well haha. I like that perspective of thinking of all the experiences and people you wouldn't meet if you quit. Great tip.
I always enjoy your videos, you do an excellent job with really good content information.
thank you so much!
PERFECT!! - many thx! come & see us when u come thru Lordsburg - anyone reading this! ENJOY! x
A native Lordsburgian! That's so kind of you!
Good coverage. Great input. This is a great year going, NOBO. Over 400 on the trail to date.
Love to see it!! thanks for watching!
love the video, Sauce! the fastest 50min watch of my life. sooo incredibly informative. I really like the trail towns and PCT comparison sections, as well as your logical approach to handling on-trail challenges #CDT2026!! -Donks
thanks so much!! WOOHOOOO! hope prep is going well!
I really liked having my umbrella for doing the Colorado Trail. Both for sun and rain. I was really skeptical when I decided to get one, but was really happy that I did.
Thanks for the video. While I have done the Colorado Trail I have resisted the idea of doing the CDT or PCT. The PCT just seems like a hassle, and the CDT very long. But I'm rethinking this and perhaps I'll do the CDT next year.
Umbrellas are one of those controversial pieces of gear that people either hate or love. I'm definitely in the love camp! Why does the PCT seem like a hassle? And the CDT definitely is long, but I would say for most people it's more like 2,700 miles instead of the 3,100 you often hear.
@@eliseott It seems to me that permits are required and the trail seems to vary depending on closures for fires. It also seems a lot more crowded than the Colorado Trail. I did the Colorado Trail from South to North. I found this interesting as not many people go that way. I would say probably roughly only 5-10 percent. Of course for CDT people the opposite may hold true.
Good luck with your channel!
This is great I feel like I see so much about the pct and AT but not this detail for the CDT! Thank you for posting!
yay!! you're welcome! I've noticed that too, just tyring to help out my fellow backpackers! thanks for watching :)
Thank you for doing this! I'm starting NOBO in late April and this is very helpful/validating. Thank you.
YAY!! have so much fun!! it's an awesome trail. Glad it was helpful!
Great Job! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this. It’s exactly what I needed.❤
Thank you for this. I’m downloading for future reference. Totally enjoyable and informative presentation.
awesome! thanks for watching!
Great overview. Thanks for answering all those questions.
Very informative 👏🏻 thank you
thank YOU for watching!
Great tips for CDT hikes. 🌿
P.S. My longest food carry is 28 days in the Sierra. Started off with a 72 lbs pack. Brutal. 🌿
thank you! and OMG!!! Honestly being out for that long sounds fantastic but I bet that first week was brutal.
@@eliseott When we came down off and finished at Mineral Springs, you could have busted a 2x4 over my body, I was so solid. At age 62 now, I continue to reap the benefits of an always active lifestyle. As a female, a lifetime of physical exertion has made many of the foibles of getting older far less dramatic.🌿
@@Swimdeep that’s amazing! I love that feeling of being so in shape you feel invincible. I hope to stay as active as you throughout my life! I know that load bearing exercise is good for the bones.
@@eliseott It totally is. Keep doing you forever Elise. 🌿
Unpopular but brutally honest opinion after 5500 trail miles in the last 4 years, when in grizzly country, use an Ursack. Any other time on a thruhike, SLEEP WITH YOUR FOOD! Black bears wouldn't mess with your tent when they smell you inside. They are looking for easy unguarded food.
I totally agree. I wish I'd had an ursack on the CDT. I take it almost everywhere now.
starting cdt 7th april, thanks for all the tips.
yay!! congrats and have a blast!! it's a fantastic trail!
This is amazing, thank you!!
thanks for watching!
Good sound advice
thank you!
Sauce, thank you so much for the validation! I am heading to Crazy Cook on April 7th. I'm also hiking the CDT to show myself that I can and to show that women belong on the trail. I hiked the CT in 2022, and it was such a rewarding experience. You've been such an inspiration for me, and I'm very excited (and nervous) to get out there!
SO SOON! YAY!! I'm tearing up at this comment. You are going to ROCK it. The nerver are normal, I was a total wreck before the CDT, but Colorado is honestly one of the hardest parts and you already have that experience! Have so much fun!
Why shouldn't women be on the trail?
@@canesrock82 they should be! Backpacking can be a more male dominated activity but I think that’s changing.
@eliseott to be fair, I think she was trying to say something more.
I live in the PNW. I've been hiking since the 90s. There are definitely more women on the trails now.
The issues start when other women attack other women for hiking solo. I'm active on several blogs, and it's other women discouraging solo hiking instead of support and just encouraging them to be prepared.
I've followed several women that thru hiked or section hiked the CDT. I wish they were acknowledged more.
Had the same experience leaving Grants. Only 2 liters but I continued to follow the road and a few cars stopped and gave me water and some gatorade.
I feel like walking out of town lulls you into a false sense of security that you'll be able to get water, but then all of a sudden you can't. That's great some cars stopped though!
Late June to early July is perfect for CDT SOBO. Pinedale, between Dubois and Lander is an incredibly easy hitch, since it ends at a trailhead.
yes if weather cooperates! You have to hike an extra 18(?) or so miles to get to that trailhead though. So just depends what you prefer - more town stops or more trail time.
@ an “extra” 18 miles on a 2000+ mile hike 😂! Yes! So I can enjoy the multiple routes in one of the greatest regions on earth (pinnacles, glaciers, wildlife). You’ve lost the point.
@ it’s not a race
@ somebody is assuming quite a bit here! Never said it was a race! I got to spend 9 days straight in beautiful wilderness with no interruptions. Maybe you've lost the point if all you care about is getting to towns 😉. I do love Pinedale though!
Do you have a video like this for the PCT? Starting in 3 weeks 😬
I don't currenlty, I'm a little worried some of my info would be too outdated (since it's been since 2019) but I'll try to do one and answer what I can! If you have any burning questions in the meantime feel free to ask or message me on IG (I get to DMs there pretty often).
How much money did you make monetizing your hike on social media?
How did you get the trail name 'Sauce?'
It was originally 'SOS' which stood for Soup On Sand, after I spilled my dinner of soup on a sandy creek bed. It was my last dinner so I still ate most of it, buried the rest. Then it just started being pronounced phonetically and after a few situations where I realized "SOS" wasn't the best thing for people to shout to me in the woods, I started just going by Sauce.
CDT 2025 looking forward to the the struggles and good memories
YAY!! so excited for you!!
I follow a lot of PCT hikers every year. A few good ones do almost daily vlogs.
I don't see that with CDT. My impression of the CDT is 3000 miles of Desolation.
I'm guessing town stops may be once/twice a month.
Probably zero trail magic, and random hitches or even car pass by is rare.
So, is it more scenic than PCT?
I also get a sense of claustrophobia like the trail is a continuous trench with east and west on either side.
It doesn't seem enjoyable unless you hike 16 hrs a day and eat cold soaked oatmeal every day.
Tell me I'm wrong.
@@trexinvert wrong in some ways right in others! I think daily vlog editing is really hard to do on any trail because of the time commitment and I’m picky about how I edit things together - much prefer doing it on a computer rather than a phone. I think there are just a lot less hikers on the CDT and that’s why you don’t see as many vlogs (also not as many people know about it so the algorithm doesn’t push it out as much maybe). CDT is definitely a lot less populated and way more “out there” than the PCT. Towns are farther apart but you can definitely still stop at least once a week (much more if you want in certain sections like central Colorado). You are correct about there being very little trail magic. Hitches were mostly fine except a few spots! Some sections (like lots of New Mexico) are not as scenic as the PCT. The rest is awesome and very scenic. I’d say the trail is more of a continuous ridge (riding the spine of the divide) than a trench). It’s certainly much more difficult hiking than the PCT and requires some long days. I have a video series of my hike If you are interested in seeing more of what the day to day is like!
Everybody loves sauce!
Idk if that's true but I'm blushing!
I’m offended that the best steak of your life was in Lima.
hehe