On July 1, 2006, I was at the northern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) located in Glacier National Park. A long brown path lead before me... taking me wherever I chose. In this case, I chose the Mexican border at Antelope Wells. Four months and many footsteps later, I arrived.
My journey on the Continental Divide Trail was perhaps the most difficult of all the long trails I've hiked, and perhaps the most frustrating as well. It is a trail that is not completed, involves frequent route finding, and is still rough around the edges.
The CDT was also perhaps the most rewarding of the trails I've hiked:
- I saw a grizzly bear in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
- I heard the howl of wolves in the wild.
- I cherish a memory of being on top of Temple Pass in the Winds one glorious morning.
- I stood on a ridge in Montana and Idaho and saw NOTHING around but for the mountains.
- I looked over the snow-covered Colorado Rockies and again fell in love with my chosen home.
- I caught the most intense sunrise of my life in New Mexico, as I started my last full day on the trail.
The rawness, intensity, wildness, and the rough edges are indeed what made my time on the trail so rewarding.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- Why the Continental Divide Trail?
- The Gear Used
- NOTES
- Photo Essay
- Final Thoughts
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