This Week’s Top Instagram Posts from the #ContinentalDivideTrail

It’s that time again!

Welcome to our weekly roundup where we carefully select and showcase the most impressive, hilarious, and all-around epic photos taken on the Continental Divide Trail. Use the hashtag #CDT,#ContinentalDivideTrail, or #trektheCDT for the chance to be featured!

Here are a few of the best posts for your viewing pleasure from the week beginning on 8/12/18 .

Continental Divide Trail Days 113-115 91 miles Leadore, Idaho – Jackson, Montana Where there’s smoke there’s fire. We head back out to the trailhead late afternoon. A short 6 miles takes us to a nice spring and camp. The next day is a 28 mile day walk to Lemhi Pass where we’ll do an alternate on forest service roads, adding about 15 miles to the 124 mile section. As we approach the pass we see a woman walking to her car. Trail magic?! Nope. She’s with the Forest Service and has an update. The ‘small’ fire of 400 acres ballooned to 3000 acres overnight. They knew hikers were up there and decided to come, wait and offer shuttles to the town where we could reconnect with the trail. I assume there’s no other option but WindWalker, having hikes this and many other trails already, asks to see some maps. Next thing I know we’re doing a long-ass 63 mile, 2-day walk on dirt and paved roads to the town the shuttle was offered. We eat lots of chips. Saw 2 badgers up close. Eagle soared above. Received 4 offers for drives. Trail magic from some wonderful cyclists on a sagged trip. Sore feet and much much more. Most important for us, and this doesn’t really mean much except to us, we have continued to connect our steps of the routes we’ve chosen to hike on this trail. Which makes me happy ? #movementismedicine #medicinewalk #movingmeditation #healingwalk #cdt #cdt18 #cdt2018 #continentaldividetrail #mexicotocanada #thruhike #idaho #montana #nobo

A post shared by Clara Hughes (@claraannehughes) on

It’s not too often that I get to share trail with anyone but complete strangers so I was especially stoked to have my good buddy Jamie and his trail loving doggo Baebae (the small pupper out in front of Jamie) join me for some of my last route through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. Thanks again @jamie.buchanan11 , it was a blast! #getoutmoreyall . . . . #colorado #rockymountains #coloradorockymountains #collegiatepeaks #backpacking #backpackingcolorado #backpackinglife #backpackingaddicts #backpackingculture #ilovebackpacking #takemebackpacking #coloradotrail #continentaldivide #continentaldividetrail #hiking #hikinglife #lifeoutdoors #natureisawesome #hikingwithfriends #hikingwithdogs #route #traillife #gooutside #domore #seemore #hikingbuddy

A post shared by James M. Griffing (@j_hikesalot) on

#bowenlake #neversummerwilderness #continentaldividetrail

A post shared by Todd Tarbox (@ttarbox81) on

When I purchased my gear with Zpacks they guaranteed me one full thru hiking, but I didn’t listen?. My tent Hexamid Twin hiked the Te Araroa/NZ ‘13, Continental Divide ‘16, Pacific Crest ‘18 and 500 miles in Washington ‘17 (officially retired now). My backpack Arc Haul 62 L also hiked the CDT ‘16 and PCT ‘18. Thank you @zpacks for all your high quality gear, the passion for the outdoors, the outstanding customer service and all the support and love for helping me to accomplish my Double Triple Crown of Long Distance Hiking becoming the third female to hike 16000 miles and the first Brazilian crossing this country 6 times by foot. Life is fun! Thank you! #zpacks #pct #pct2018 #cdt #teararoatrail #longdistancehiking #hiking #outdoors #mexicotocanada #canadatomexico #triplecrown #brazilianhiker

A post shared by Elaine Bissonho”Brazilnut” (@elainebrazilnut) on

Wow! “Oops, I think i did it again…I played with your heart, got lost in the game, oh baby baby…” – Britney Spears ♢#humansofthepct♢ • • So on July 24th, 2018 we came upon the brand new & recently installed northern Terminus of the PCT. • • 2 years ago, roughly, we were surprised by the Terminus & how quickly it came upon us as we descended the last switchbacks on the #PCT. • • We could say the same thing happened again. Except this time we knew this was just a part of a bigger journey. • • Yet at the same time, seeing the new monument, I had to admire it & be humbled by the fact I was sitting there again. • • To be able to hike the PCT is a life long dream for many people. It was for me the first time. To do it again, well, it’s special. • • From the deserts in Southern California, to the High Sierra passes, into the rolling hills & mountains in Northern California we hiked. • • From the first views of Mt. Shasta to the 300th view of Mt Shasta, we hiked. • • On through the forests of Southern Oregon, into clouds of mosquitoes & into the volcanic fields of Northern Oregon we hiked. • • Crossing the Bridge of Gods, into more clouds of mosquitoes, we hiked. • • As the Northern Cascades began, flowing seasonal streams became creeks & Glacier Peak showed itself, we hiked. • • The last few miles of trail became another moment in time where we thought about all the miles before & all the steps that brought us there. • • Then there it was, the new & shining monument. Everyone who will end up there will have various emotions, feelings & reactions. • • All I could really do was to smile… & then of course give the monument a kiss ??? • • It has been an honor to be able to hike this trail all the way through again. It’s a trail that has my ❤ & even though we are headed to the #CDT, I’ll always be a part of #PCTclassof2018 • • Thank you #PCTA, thank you family, thank you friends, thank you trail angels, thank you hikers & thank you #pct2018 • #HappyTrails • • – The Prodigy • #thrupack #wander #wanderlust #explore #8000milesto8000smiles #adventure #travel #nomad #vagabond #trailrunning #ultralight #diversity #nature #pnw #washington #ad

A post shared by Hiking_lover_Lee (@hiking_lover_lee) on

T-Rex captures the glorious roadwalk into Anaconda. × Day: 104 & 105 CDT Day: 25 & 26 Miles: 17 & 0 Injuries: Achilles & Hole in tooth (TG) Weather: Hot. Cruised into town for my morning dentist appointment, got fixed up, but found the Achilles in bad shape. Later in the day found after the dental work I still had the broken cavity. After calling the office in the morning, they got me right in and found out they fixed the wrong dental problem a couple teeth over (it’s rough having such poor teeth:)) . After cleaning up the original issue, I left their office patched up but with a broken wing, the Achilles had swollen significantly. We decided to take a day to heal while Prodigy and Pathfinder forged ahead. The journey will continue. #mmiw #mymountainiswaiting #cdt2018 #sobo #ctc2018 #thruhike #backpacking #takelessdomore #palantepacks #stabilgear #zpacks #altra #montana #CDT

A post shared by Michael Tilton (@mymountainiswaiting) on

Since when did hiking 60 miles in three days become a failure? . . I guess I’m not really sure how to answer that. The truth is, that that’s all I could think about when deciding, once again, to get off trail earlier than planned. Last year, also on day three, I pushed myself too hard, didn’t drink enough water, and didn’t realize fully what I had gotten into without already having my hiker legs. It was the first time I ever really wanted to quit a long trail. This year, day three strikes again. But this time, it was different. While I still didn’t start out with my trail legs, I thought I at least had my trail mindset. The plan was to complete the 75 mile section through the collegiate west alternate (#CDT) that we skipped last year into order to experience the San Juans. Everything started out great, a solid 20 mile day right off the bat, tired, but ready to tackle our challenge in four days instead of five. Day two reminds me that the trail always provides a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions, which is all part of the journey. After initially getting heady from passerby comments, a much needed climb full of switchbacks gave me time to reflect and gain perspective. After lunch, however, I realized that all that sun beating down on my sunscreen-less arms was starting to get to me. Sun exposure at a consistent 12,000ft is a totally different beast. By dinner time, the momentum of constant hiking wasn’t enough to stop whatever was going on with my body. A solid half hour of attempting to gather water from a trickle proved defeating, and I finally succumbed to the nausea I had been feeling all afternoon. ? This photo is me after crushing eight miles the next morning after throwing up literally all the food and water (i.e. energy) I had eaten that day. I managed to keep down a measly dinner of two rice krispie treats before getting a restless night’s sleep and thinking I’d have to figure out how to get off trail. I woke up the next day feeling more determined than ever, and proceeded to hike nonstop all morning. My body had other plans. Half of me wanted to crush out the rest of the section, half of me was run-down and fatigued. Cont ⬇️

A post shared by Rachel “The ANIMAL!” (@theanimaladventures) on

Spotted Bear Pass trail CDT⛰2018

A post shared by Hikinghooligan (@hikinghooligan) on

CDT Day 49. Sunday, July 29. Titcomb Lakes to Green River. Daily Miles: 27. Total Miles: 997.6. Camped on the north end of the Titcomb Lakes and decided against hiking up Knapsack Col since the snow would still be icy hard that early. I needed the advice of two hiker friends who warned me that the pass was dangerous. Besides, the Titcomb Basin was beautiful enough to hike again. The Winds are my favorite section of the CDT so far. I chatted up a trail maintenance worker who told me to stay on the high routes. I disagree. I like being high and low to get both perspectives of a mountain range. Looking up is just as beautiful as looking down. Plus it’s nice to be up close to the flora. The trail then led from the high country down to the Green River, which was a milky-emerald green unlike any river I’ve ever seen. I camped right next to the river and was bombarded by a zombie apocalypse amount of mosquitos. It’s oddly satisfying to get in my bug net and see the skeeters just inches away but unable to get me. Another picture-perfect day in the Winds.

A post shared by AJ (@a.c.t.i.o.n.j.a.c.k.s.o.n) on

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