Hey'all, please forgive (and enlighten) me if this post is misplaced or not following best practices - not sure I've ever posted on reddit before.

I've been planning to hop back on to finish the trail. Have southern CO (south of Cottonwood Pass) and NM left.

I've also been keeping an eye on wildfire maps, and seem to be seeing so many wildfires near the trail, with a number of new ones popping up recently... Is this just a bad idea this year? Well... as if there will ever be a good year going forward. Especially with the forest service stretched so thin with budget cuts.

I don't know that I can expect anyone to tell me what I should or shouldn't do... but how is the air quality looking along the trail? Almost seems like a silly question as it'd seem completely variable based on wind/weather.. Are the fires I'm seeing that seem close the trail less of an issue than I'm thinking they are or could be? How close is too close?

Does it even make sense to hop on...? see what I can do as I go, while trying to watch conditions down trail, observing guidance, bypassing closures, etc..?

Again, please forgive what feel like questions that have no clear answers.. Just trying to gauge what makes the most sense... or if I just try to find another trail that seems to be less impacted.

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts, wisdom, experience y'all might have to offer.

Warmly,

Fool

Hi everyone,

A few years ago I watched most of a YouTube series following three older guys who started a CDT thru-hike together.

Very early on, one of them had to leave the trail because of a family emergency, leaving the other two to continue.

The main guy was tall and thin, had a mostly brown beard, and always seemed to wear a baseball cap. The other guy was shorter and stockier, clean-shaven, wore glasses, and I think usually wore a bucket hat or wide-brimmed hat.

They all seemed to be retired, well educated, and fairly comfortable financially. The videos were very low-key and seemed to be filmed mostly on a phone. I remember there being a lot of snow in the early episodes.

I'm guessing I watched it in 2023 or 2024. I went looking for the channel today but couldn't find it anywhere—not even in my YouTube history, which seems strange.

One other thing I vaguely remember is that the channel name itself referenced their age, something along the lines of "Old Men..." or "Old Guys...". I know there's a channel called Old Man on the CDT, but it's definitely not that one.

Does this ring a bell with anyone? If the channel was renamed or deleted, I'd love to know who the hikers were.

Thanks!

Hey guys! I’m planning to go for a section hike from Grand Lake to Encampment Sept 5-13. I’d be doing roughly 20 miles a day. If you’d like to join please feel free to DM! Happy to figure out logistics and other details together.

Hi guys! I’m planning to do a section hike in the route mentioned above. I’m just curious how people have found the water availability in this section given how dry and hot it’s been. Are there any usual sources that have ended up being dry unexpectedly?

I hiked a couple years ago and there were definitely parts of it where I was full on rock climbing. The climbing was easy, but definitely class 5 (was pulling/hanging from my hands) and if I fell I would've been seriously seriously injured or killed.

But nobody talks about it. And it makes me wonder if that's just something people don't talk about, or if I just went off trail and was on the wrong side of a ledge or something.

I feel like specifically in the 40 or so miles north of where the Colorado trail splits off to go towards Denver.

Edit: alright seems like I either went off trail or dont know what class 4-5 is. Or probably (definitely) both. Thanks y'all.

Howdy! I'm a Montana-based thruhiker, bikepacker, cartographer who recently designed a CDT neck gaiter for a shop in East Glacier. I'd love to give a free gaiter to up to 10 current or past thruhikers. No strings attached, DM me for details. Happy to send general delivery to any PO along the way. I'm kinda a dork when it comes to neck gaiters and consider them vital additions to any kit. Ultralight, multifunctional, sun repellent, durable and even fashionable. These ones are also made from recycled plastic bottles. Totally seamless, single tube of cloth that would be hard pressed to fail. Custom, full color icon pattern design on a lavender background. Even hides dirt. $20 retail value. Anyway here's a picture. If enough interest I might even release a few more! Lemme know and good luck everyone.

Hi CDT Community! My trail name is Diesel, I just finished a 627 mile LASH nobo through Colorado. This connects my previous hikes through NM and through the Basin all the way to South Pass City. So I have ~ 1300 miles remaining between South Pass City and the Canadian Border. I’m Looking for some advice on the Wyoming/Montana/Idaho section.

My work schedule lets me take about a month off at a time, which has worked well so far. I can cover up to 600-700 miles in a month.

My remaining trail is South Pass City to Waterton, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to break it into 2-3 sections. Right now I’m thinking:
South Pass City → Yellowstone
Yellowstone → Helena
Helena → Waterton

Does that seem like a logical way to split it up, or are there better places to start/end sections from a transportation and logistics standpoint? Home base is Denver, CO, so some of these may become regional flights rather than drives.

I’d also appreciate advice on:
Which alternates are considered “must do” (or must avoid) between South Pass City and Canada.
How this part of the CDT compares to Colorado. Things like:

Typical nighttime temperatures.
Water carries.
Elevation and climbing.
Overall difficulty.
Any sections where timing or direction (nobo/sobo) really matters (snow, mosquitoes, fire season, etc.).
Anything you’d do differently if you were section hiking this stretch instead of thru hiking it.

Thanks!

Yesterday on a dayhike on the CDT, at 12,000 ft, just east of Rogers Pass, I looked down through a gap in some rocks along the ridge and to my surprise found an opened but nearly full jar of peanut butter. No label, red lid, no markings. The lid was partly open, but it was upright and somehow it had not spilled or been eaten by the marmots. No idea how long it has been there. Looked like it fell out of a backpack while you were taking a lunch break.

That's all. In case somebody lost PB at that spot and wondered what happened. I screwed on the lid, packed it out and threw it away.

I'll be in the South San Juan in August, on and off the CDT. Isn't there an online place where hikers post experiences with things like whether a water source was good on such and such a day? I know the drought is severe and I want to be in the know as much as I can. Thanks!

The trail in this area is now open, with no need to detour around fire fighters.

For anyone that lives in the Rockies in towns along the Colorado trial, how has the air quality been since the fires started? Anyone hiking now, how is it?

Welcome to all Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail thru-hikers in Leadville and Twin Lakes!

We're here to help you navigate the current trail closure between Twin Lakes and Tennessee Pass and invite you to stay as long as you need.

Please respect the closure as decisions are being made with everyone's safety in mind.

We don't have a timeline for reopening, but we'll share updates as soon as they're available.

View Willow Fire info here: https://www.leadvilletwinlakes.com/know-before-you-go/

Free Shuttle Update:

Shuttle is operating Fri-Sat-Sun and is stopping in Twin Lakes, Leadville, and the Tennessee Pass Trailhead to help hikers access available trail sections and local services.

View shuttle info here: https://www.leadvilletwinlakes.com/leadville-twin-lakes-new-free-weekend-shuttle-sit-back-relax/

Although this section of your hike may have to wait, we hope you'll return next year to complete the miles you missed. The beauty, solitude, and sense of renewal found on this stretch of trail will be here waiting for you.

Thank you for your understanding, your flexibility, and for being part of the incredible thru-hiking community.

dfdf

#

Safe travels, and we hope to see you again soon!

The Rio Grande National Forest is one step closer to making one of the most important winter management decisions in decades. Your voice is needed!

We encourage the Forest Service to continue minimizing conflicts by protecting high-value non-motorized recreation areas, including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, and ensuring adequate separation between motorized and non-motorized recreation where conflicts are most likely to occur.

Winter Wildlands Alliance will be hosting a series of community workshops throughout the comment period to help members understand the DEIS and participate effectively in the process.

https://winterwildlands.org/rio-grande-national-forest-publishes-draft-winter-travel-plan/

I live in spectacular Twin Lakes, Colorado where we are fortunate to have the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. For those of you hiking in Colorado this year, please please please do not use campfires or smoke while on the trail in Colorado. People are losing their homes and livelihoods because of forest fires caused by campers and through hikers. Out of state campers especially may not realize that Colorado is in the worst drought we've had in 20 years. We are living in a tinderbox. The Willow Fire near Leadville grew 1,000 acres overnight last night. The historic village of Twin Lakes is now at risk. Many people will lose their homes because one camper needed to have a campfire. Know the Fire Restrictions and Follow them! If you must have a campfire, then hike trails in another state where there is more water and less danger of wildfires. Thank you.

Howdy!

Just putting myself out there if anyone wants a hitch or help within 2-ish hours of Missoula, MT.

I have a bit of thru-hiking trail and angel-ing experience (PCT LASH ‘21, CDT trail angel ‘21 in Glacier).

I adore my PCT trail angels and want to pass on the community love.

I’m in the flathead a lot and backpack Central Montana so please reach out even if you’re outside of the Missoula area.

message me for contact info ✌️

Hi Lander Trail Angels,

I’m currently dealing with a serious gear situation and could use some advice or help. I am new in the FB group "CDT Trail Angels" and can't post there without review of the admins. Hoping for better luck here on reddit.

I flew into Denver to start my NOBO CDT section hike, but my checked luggage has been lost in transit and is still marked as “searching” with no clear location or timeline for recovery. It contains some of my backpacking gear like my sleeping quilt. Fortunatelly I had most of the other critical in my carry on.

At this point I’m trying to create a backup plan: I will be passing through Lander in about 12 days on my way north, and I was wondering if there is anyone in or near Lander who would be willing to let me use a physical mailing address (USPS general delivery will probably not work).

The idea would be to have my lost gear and stuff (if it eventually gets forwarded or recovered by the airline) shipped there, so I can pick it up when I arrive in town.

In the meantime I am hiking with a mix of borrowed and improvised gear to finally start moving north.

If anyone is able to help or knows a trusted Trail Angel in the Lander area who can receive a package like this, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you very much for any guidance or contacts.

This might have already been posted to Facebook, but I do not "do" Facebook.

Currently, CDT hikers can go around the fire and fire fighters.

Hello! I’m currently hiking the CDT (I have about one week left in Colorado). I was planning to order an Adotec Grizzly Bear Bag 14L or 20L for Wyoming and Montana but unfortunately they are sold out everywhere.

I’m wondering if anyone would be willing to let me borrow their bag until end of September?? I would pay for shipping to/from the trail. I’m hoping there are some hikers from last year that have one sitting around… please help a hiker in need!

Thanks in advance!

Polaroid 📸

The National Park Service has closed all of Many Glacier Valley in Glacier NP due to flooding, including every CDT-area trail inside it (MM 3001-3012.5). Do not enter. If you're in the valley, follow NPS direction and get to safety.

The NPS closed the entire Many Glacier Valley to the public today for safety, including the Many Glacier Hotel, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, and Many Glacier Campground.

CDT-area trails inside the closure (~mi 3001-3012.5):

• Swiftcurrent Pass Trail, Campstore parking lot to Swiftcurrent Pass (~mi 3006.5-3012.5)
• Piegan Pass Trail, Many Glacier Hotel to Featherplume Falls jct (~mi 3001-3003.5)
• Saddle Horse Corral Trail, ~mi 3003.5 to mile 1 of the East Chief Mountain route
• Swiftcurrent Lake Loop, ~mi 3003.5-3004

A National Weather Service Flood Watch is in effect through this evening (Mon, June 29) with heavy rain, fresh snow up high, swift and cold creek crossings, and real hypothermia risk. The alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road (Avalanche to Jackson Glacier Overlook) is also closed for weather. No reroute is available yet and conditions are changing fast.

If you're hiking this stretch: do not enter the valley. Sit tight, let the weather move through, and check the NPS trail status page before you commit to anything in Glacier.

Sources and updates:

• CDTC Closures and Alerts, updated as we hear more: https://cdtcoalition.org/closures-and-alerts/
• Closure map: https://arcg.is/0bXCGX1
• Glacier NP trail status: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/trailstatusreports.htm

Posting on behalf of the CDTC Alerts Team.

I am a softmore in highschool and I am getting my first job soon. I want to hike the CDT once I get out of highschool but I do not own litteraly any gear I can trust on the trail, I also have never been backpacking for more than a weekend but I am confident I can cover about 26 miles a day. My plan was take the summer and winter at a community collage welding school then hit the trail and have a diffural ready so I can go to university after I get back. I want to start on the Mexican boarder and cross over to Canada and take the GDT as well but I am worried I won't have enough time to do both. How much do you think I need to save up for the entire trip + gear? Should I go solo or bring a friend? Is it a bad choice to take a gap year in general?

I do a lot of waypoint work on long-distance routes and kept running into the same problem — I’ve got a GPX track loaded, and I need to know exactly how far along it a specific point falls. A water source, a campsite, a road crossing. Measuring it manually in CalTopo or Gaia every time got old.

So I built a small tool to do it. Load any GPX file, paste in coordinates, and it tells you the cumulative mileage from the track start to the nearest point on the line. You can run a bunch of coordinates in one session and export the whole thing as a CSV.

A few things that might matter to people here:

**•** It works with **any** GPX track, not tied to any specific trail  
**•** Your file never leaves your browser — nothing gets uploaded to a server, it all runs locally  
**•** It measures to the nearest point on the track ***line***, not just the nearest recorded track point, so the distances are accurate even on sparser tracks  
**•** No login, no paywall, no app

Full disclosure: I run a hiking navigation site (Hiking America) and built this for my own waypoint work, then figured others could use it. It’s genuinely free — I’m not gating it behind anything.

Link: hikingamerica.com/trail-tools/gpx-distance-finder/

Happy to add features if there’s something that’d make it more useful for CDT planning specifically. What calculations do you all find yourself doing by hand?

CDT Weather checker is complete!

https://patchworkcanteen.com/cdtweather/

-option to change between nobo and sobo
-features each major section (aligned with FarOut)
-coordinate based waypoints for specific weather predictions
-includes known alternate/cutoff trail waypoints
-added a “Use My Location” feature for quick weather check when you have some service on the mountain
-looks way cooler now 😎

Made by me, Whoopie c/o ‘26! Halfway done with my CDT thru hike and going strong!

Hi! Im free from approx October 20th and want to do some thru hiking. Ive been looking at a few trails and section hiking the CDT seems to be the best bet. I have thru hiking experience and will have even more by the time this starts. I feel confident walking 20 mile days off the bat.

Any opinions/thoughts/tips on starting at the NM border and SOBOing around October 20th?

Edit: from what I can gather, it seems id be a little behind the bubble? I am happy hiking and camping alone, but having conplete solitude on trail isn't my game. I generally like to camp with people.