CDT: “Best/Most” List

ByPurple Haze Posted on

I’m so thankful I finished the CDT when I did – Chief Mountain was completely closed the next day due to fire/smoke and an early storm brought freezing temperatures and snow to the high country in the following week.

After my CDT finish, Mrs. Haze and I toured the spectacular Canadian Rockies, taking many hikes around Lake Louise and Jasper areas. We enjoyed the early winter storm in front of the fireplace rather than my sleeping bag!

So a few quick stats on the hike:

  • Just under 2,800 miles
  • 130 hiking days
  • 29 zero days including 4 in Grants NM recovering from Giardia
  • Longest day was 37 miles near Rawlins
  • Lost the same 30 lbs over and over again

Now for some of the “best/most of” lists!

Best Hiking Day

  1. CO’s South San Juan Wilderness in the Connejos drainages (but also one of most terrifying).
  2. Wy’s Cirque of Towers, Wind River Range, drop dead gorgeous.
  3. Glacier NP, Morningstar Lake to Red Eagle Lake over Triple Divide Pass, doesn’t get much better than this.
  4. NM’s Gila Wilderness, deep canyon, numerous river crossings, hot springs and cliff dwellings.
  5. MT’s Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, 3 high mountain passes, beautiful lakes in one magical day.
  6. An honorable mention to Wy’s unique Great Divide Basin for it’s wide-open spaces, desolation, wild horses and history (Oregon Trail).

Best Hiking Week

  1. Hands down, the dramatic scenery, mountains, snowfields, alpine lakes and hug elk herds of the South San Juan and Weminuche Wilderness Areas.

Most Physical and Mental Challenges

  1. Recovery from giardia in Grants NM.
  2. Deep snow in the San Juans.
  3. The exhausting “rollercoaster” along the MT/ID border.
  4. Remoteness, solitude, smoke, active fires, and steaming bear scat in the Scapegoat, the Bob and Glacier.

Most Adrenaline Rush Moment

1. Human encounter – up a dry wash on the side of the Little Hatchet Mountains, what later turned out to be a Border Patrol agent shining his light into my eyes at 3am shouting loud, urgent questions in Spanish.

2. Wildlife encounter – on the Spotted Bear Trail in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a loud thump of something heavy hitting the ground near me and then hearing the loud, bone-chilling growl of a mountain lion that made my hair stand on end.

3. Trail mishap – losing my footing on a near vertical snow/ice descent in the South San Juans, sliding down but catching myself on exposed rocks.

Best Trail Town

  1. Silverton for the 4th of July celebration, best-ever fireworks and beautiful mountain backdrop.
  2. Dubois for the eats, drinls, friendly people and new friends (locals and visitors).
  3. Silver City and Salida were also hard to beat for the same reasons plus good breweries.

Best Pigfests in Surprising Places

  1. Cuba NM’s El Bruno’s for a juicy ribeye, green chili enchiladas and a huge margarita.
  2. Anaconda MT’s Barclay’s Supper Club for hiker feast of breadsticks, relish tray, shrimp cocktail, salad, spaghetti, baked potato, perfectly cooked NY strip steak and a huge bowl of huckleberry ice cream.
  3. Silver City NM at the now closed Curious Kumquat, serving foraged and locally sourced dinners. The owner came out, sat down, talked trail and paired me up with some of his own homemade beer.

That’s probably enough for now. Maybe a comparison to the PCT on a future post. Am I glad I hiked the CDT? Most certainly. Some unique and unforgettable memories. Did I enjoy it? Almost all of it – but I did have to work through some low points. What’s next? Either the Grand Enchantment Trail or the Hayduke Trail.

Thanks’s for following along and the support along the way – Happy Trails!