CDT Itinerary

“If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.” Yogi Berra

They said it couldn't be done! After months of talking to other hikers, reading guidebooks, studying maps, searching online, and creating spreadsheets, I have successfully completed my Continental Divide Trail itinerary. I feel like this should be considered a noteworthy achievement...can someone say carrot cake? I have chosen a hiking route totaling 2,759 miles, planned 24 resupply stops, and have chosen four places for Eva to meet me during the hike. I divided up 492 pages of maps into 24 sets to be mailed to me along the trail. I estimate I'll walk an additional 50 miles finding the trail (lost in the woods), walking to and from towns to resupply (more Pop Tarts please) and getting up to go the bathroom at night (I am so funny)!

In choosing my route I tried to balance a few different concerns.

1. Previous CDT hikers definitely have an opinion on beautiful and/or challenging "must hike" sections of the trail. There are some in every state, and I have included all the popular sections in my itinerary. Three of the "must hike" sections are longer than the alternate routes and five are shorter.
2. I am starting 2-3 weeks later than most CDT thru-hikers and I am concerned that I won't make it to Canada before the first big snow storm in Montana forces me out of the mountains. To improve my chances of success, I eliminated a few miles in each state by selecting shorter routes in areas that lacked notable peaks, passes, and scenic vistas. 
3. Except when I am meeting Eva along the trail, I am minimizing the time I spend in towns. Although it is more popular to resupply by purchasing food and supplies in towns along the way, I find it more efficient to have Eva mail me packages. We have a great system and she can estimate down to the candy bar how much food I need until the next resupply box. With this system, I can be in and out of town in less than two hours and that includes time for a double bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake! 
4. I want to have some flexibility in my itinerary in case I meet a fellow thru-hiker and we want to hike together. I am committed to hiking solo, but I would love to find a compatible hiking partner (must love Pop Tarts). My route allows for some changes without messing up the entire plan. 
5. I love hiking. My motto is: "When in doubt, just keep hiking!" If I am hiking faster than originally planned or the long range weather forecast looks good, I may add a few miles to my itinerary to make the most of my little walk from Mexico to Canada.

I posted a summary of my itinerary on my website: www.wiredwild.net. For those of you who love details, you'll find your fix here: Loren's 2016 CDT Hike Itinerary as a pdf download. Along with my primary itinerary, there are two alternate plans: the "Flip" and the "Flip Flop." Both are designed to help me continue hiking if there is too much snow in Colorado. The "Flip" is a jump all the way to Canada where I would begin hiking south until I return to where I left the trail at the New Mexico/Colorado border. The "Flip Flop" jumps around Colorado to Wyoming continuing north until I reach Canada and then a flight back to Wyoming to hike Colorado.