Advice
Why Most CDT Hikers Leave the Official Trail to Hike This Unique Alternate
The Continental Divide Trail is a 3,038.2-mile trail from Mexico to Canada, spanning five states and largely adhering to the geographic Continental Divide of the country. Technically. In practice,
What 800 Miles of Fart-Flavored CDT Cow Troughs Taught Me About Water Filtration
Most of my thru-hikes have been through areas with natural water I can only describe as delicious. My first trail was the Colorado Trail, where early-summer snow runoff gave me...
Andrew Skurka on Mastering Ultralight Tents & Shelters
The below is a transcription. Minor edits have been made for clarity and readability, while preserving the original message and intent. This video is part of a new series on The...
My 10 Dumbest Mistakes in 4000+ Backpacking Miles
We all make backpacking mistakes, and contrary to popular opinion, I have also made mistakes. As a first-time thru-hiker, some of those mistakes can be rather large, but some of...
Hiking the Colorado Trail with Zero Experience? Here’s What You Need To Know
In the autumn of 2021, I made the decision to thru-hike the 486-mile Colorado Trail. Prior to this decision, I'd backpacked exactly zero miles. I'm fairly sure my family thought...
How I Thru-Hiked the CDT for Under $5,000
Thru-hiking is a privilege. No one could deny this. However, some people seem to think all thru-hikers are trust-fund nepo babies with no job, a bank account perpetually filled by...
The Most Dangerous Animals on the CDT
When a trail stretches 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada along some of North America's wildest and most rugged landscapes, hikers shouldn't be surprised to find some potentially dangerous animals
Elevation Anxiety
I used to love climbs. I never felt stronger, more beautiful or determined than when I was struggling up a mountain with a fierce determination that I belonged up there,...
Quitting a Thruhike: Are we Missing the Point?
I'm writing this from a cafe in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Potentially the most expensive mountain town I've ever been to in the USA, I'd planned to avoid it. But the...
The CDT: Thru Hiking and Permits in Glacier National Park
Part 0: Prologue Strategies for Glacier National Park "People love Glacier. They love it to death." -Marcy, Park Ranger. I usually don't write guides, but after dealing with the supreme
