Hike the Continental Divide Trail Through Photos

The Continental Divide trail spans 3,100 miles — far too long to fully articulate how it feels to walk that distance from Mexico to Canada. Through the course of the journey, the CDT crosses the Chihuahuan Desert before climbing up to the Colorado Plateau in New Mexico. After crossing the state line, hikers brave the snowy San Juan Mountains, cross the dry Cochetopa Valley, and traverse the Collegiate Peaks before heading north into the Mount Zirkel Wilderness.

Once in Wyoming, the trail crosses the vast Great Divide Basin before spending a few days in the Wind River Range and Yellowstone National Park. In Idaho, hikers spend some time following Lewis and Clark’s footsteps to the start of the Missouri River, over Chief Joseph Pass, and into Montana, where the trail winds through Glacier National Park before reaching its northern terminus at the Canadian border.

In this article, I will take you along the trail with me through my photos and do my best to capture the spirit and challenge the Continental Divide Trail encapsulates. 

New Mexico

The southern terminus of the CDT sits a few steps north of the border between the US and Mexico. The shuttle drops you off around 10am, and the desert is already swelteringly hot.

The first 20 or so miles of the trail are well-signed and sandy, often dipping into unmarked washes before climbing back out suddenly.

Every single sunrise and sunset in Southern New Mexico is pure magic. Hikers often wake early before the sun rises and hike into the sunset to try to get in some miles while beating the heat.

You meet many people at the rare water sources, which are so few and far between that almost no one will skip one.

The first paved road walk of the trail takes you into the town of Silver City. It’s best to get an early start, as the heat is still quite oppressive and the asphalt does you no favors with the heat.

The first reliable, flowing, wonderful water of the trail is found in the Gila Alternate, where you cross the Gila River over 100 times in two days.

ROVA takes advantage of one of the few shade trees before embarking on the long, paved road walk into Grants, New Mexico.

La Ventana Natural Arch is New Mexico’s second-largest natural arch and can be found as an alternate along the Cebolla Alternate. The 4-mile detour off the highway takes you up on a mesa before you scramble back down to the road.

The Mount Taylor Alternate, just outside of Grants, New Mexico, is the first dip into elevation and climbing of the trail. It’s also likely the first place you will encounter sustained snowpack.

Busdriver rests at American Basin, one of the few water sources between Mount Taylor and the town of Cuba, New Mexico.

Big Catt climbs out of the canyon, into which we have descended a mile off trail to find a reliable water source.

Judd serenades us with his banjo on one of our final nights in New Mexico. The further north we hike, the more trees and grass we fid. Evenings are starting to become drastically colder.

ROVA looks ahead at our first sighting of the mountains of Colorado. New Mexico comes to an end.

Colorado

I cross the New Mexican border with Big Catt, Hamilton, ROVA, Crumbs, Achilles, Raptor, Purple, Busdriver, and Skeeter. The day before the border crossing brought miles of frustrating blowdowns and hard-to-navigate snowpack. We are ready to leave the state behind.

Sustained snow appears almost instantly after crossing the border into Colorado. Intense sun and warming temperatures produce sun cups, and our pace slows dramatically.

Skeeter wakes up in the Southern San Juans to completely frozen socks and shoes. The only way to defrost them is with the heat from your feet; we all suffer through the first few miles of the morning with frozen shoes.

Big Catt and ROVA choose where to go next. Strong winds and the early season have wiped away the footsteps of the few people before us. The trail is whatever you choose to make it.

Red Panda navigates a traverse while learning how to use his microspikes and ice axe for the first time.

ROVA follows my postholed footprints up to Montezuma Peak at sunrise. The colder, harder snow is easier to navigate, so we start hiking hours before dawn each day to increase our efficiency. Even still, our mileage drops to between 12 and 15 miles — despite hiking consistently for over 12 hours each day.

Achilles and Raptor continue north in the San Juans, just past the option to take the Creede Cutoff. The snowpack here is noticeably less than the previous section.

The trail takes you past The Window in the San Juan Mountains.

Beaver and Potato enjoy lunch after a steep climb with stunning views of Storm King Peak.

Potato navigates the willows and snowmelt, which leave us with bloody legs and soaking feet every evening.

Potato and Beaver choose their own path across the snow.

The Continental Divide Trail and Colorado Trail eventually collide. For the next 300 or so miles, we can look forward to consistent signage and a well-maintained and easily graded trail. To say we are stoked would be an understatement.

Potato and Beaver hike across the top of Snow Mesa.

The trail approaches San Luis Peak, which will mark the end of the San Juan Mountains.

Lake Ann Pass clings to late-season snow, leaving behind a frustrating cornice. This will be the last pass we need our winter gear for, and we look forward to mailing home our spikes and ice axes in Twin Lakes.

Just south of Grand Lake, Colorado, the trail crosses the heavily trafficked Berthoud Pass before climbing up to Mount Flora, the first in a string of famous 13,000-foot peaks.

Monarch Lake, just a few miles south of Grand Lake, is crowded with visitors and fishermen. The remaining walk into town is easily graded, but can be hot and exposed.

We descend Parkview Mountain in Northern Colorado. This is the steepest mile of the official Continental Divide Trail, and the trail loses over 1,400 feet of elevation in a mere 1.1 miles.

Wyoming

I reach the Wyoming state line, where I mentally prepare to say goodbye to the mountains and brave the dry, flat, hot, dusty Great Divide Basin.

A beautiful rainbow after a sudden storm in the Great Divide Basin.

The Cirque of the Towers Alternate in the Wind River Range takes you off the redline and into some truly beautiful, jagged peaks straight out of Lord of the Rings. It also is the location where NOBO thru-hikers will have officially traversed the distance from the Shire to Mordor (1,718.5 miles).

Preparing to say goodbye to The Winds.

On her birthday, Crumbs crests Gunsight Pass at sunset, which designates the start of grizzly bear territory. We see our first one the following morning.

Crumbs filters water while surrounded by fireweed and burned trees.

South Two Ocean Plateau at sunset. Just north of this plateau, the trail descends and crosses the boundary into Yellowstone National Park.

Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Despite being just 6 short miles north of Old Faithful, we saw not a single tourist through this stretch.

Old Faithful, located just steps from restaurants and a store for a small resupply. It is also the location of the Oil Faithful Challenge.

Idaho

Just outside of Yellowstone National Park, the Continental Divide Trail leaves Wyoming and enters Idaho.

Bug and Crumbs pitch their tents just north of West Yellowstone.

I encounter this mama goat and her kid just south of Targhee Pass. She is very nice and we become great friends.

Crumbs looks ahead to the Idaho/Montana border.

Crumbs and Hamilton lay out their sleeping pads under a golden Idaho sunset. The following morning, I will be charged by a territorial bull moose, but tonight I live in blissful ignorance at one of our prettiest campsites of the trail.

Livvy runs from a thunderstorm a few miles outside the town of Lima.

We cross Big Hole Pass a few miles south of the final Idaho/Montana border crossing. It is also where I learn that I don’t know how to wink.

Sunset in a burn zone. I’m up most of the night listening to the trees creak in the wind and stressing about being hit by one falling. The next morning, during the short hike to the Montana border, I watch a dead tree fall across the trail.

Montana

The first few miles on the Anaconda Cutoff take you past some truly stunning rock formations and across this beautiful trail cut into the side of the cliff face.

Bug winds her way through the golden grass-covered hills of Montana.

We get our first view of the Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall Wilderness north of the town of Lincoln, Montana.

The trail follows this massive escarpment for several miles and is a popular day-hiking location for locals. We encounter more people on trail in this section than we have in over a month.

Just before cresting over the aptly named Scenic Point, we cross the boundary into Glacier National Park.

Every single day in Glacier brings staggeringly beautiful mountains, turquoise lakes, and easily-graded trails. Life is good.

Hailey crosses over one of the final passes of the trail, and we spend an hour here taking photos and spending time together with the stunning backdrop.

The trail brings you up near treeline one final time before dropping down into a forest for the final few miles to Canada.

The trail doesn’t end at the Canadian Border — you still have four or so miles before reaching the town of Waterton Lakes. We spend several hours at the monument drinking Prosecco, reminiscing about the trail, jumping into Waterton Lake, and trying our hardest not to cry.

Featured image: Photos via Katie Jackson. Graphic design by Zack Goldmann.

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Comments 3

  • Swisscake : Jan 15th

    Brilliant! The only thing missing is the missionary marmot at Kokomo Pass!

    Reply
  • Stephen Verchinski : Jan 17th

    Thanks for this. Enjoyed it since I live in New Mexico and been trail backpacking for decades. Did a few volunteer trips on the Chain of Craters alternate route to get that trail established. Took a friends 16 year old on his first backpack from San Luis Pass to Snow Mesa. Sent him this photo travelog to him. Who knows maybe someday he’ll do a major thru hike

    Reply
  • tasmaine : Jan 17th

    Fantastic summary with the right amount of text and photos. Makes an old fogey want to head west!

    Reply

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