From Canada to Colorado: Thoughts from Halfway Through the CDT

We have officially walked through two states so far on our journey on the Continental Divide Trail! Our southbound hike started at the Canadian border in Glacier National Park mid-June and has since taken us 1,200 miles through Montana and Wyoming to the Colorado state line.

We have another 1,500 miles to go before our weather window closes - we have to tag the Mexican border by mid-November at the latest, or else it will get really uncomfortable in the desert.

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is one of three major long-distance trails in the United States. Together with the Appalachian Trail on the east coast and the Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast, it makes up what is known as the "triple crown" of thru-hiking. Depending on the route you choose, it is anywhere from 2,700 to 3,100 miles long.

In terms of long-distance trails, the CDT is still relatively new. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, for example, which has been established for decades, the CDT was only about 70% complete in 2021. It's a combination of dedicated hiking trails, jeep tracks, dirt roads, and even short stretches along highways. The trail winds its way over high alpine passes and through remote wilderness, along the spine of the continental divide.

Embrace the Brutality

There's a saying that all thru-hikers know: "Embrace the suck." On the CDT, this phrase has warped to "embrace the brutality." It truly has been the hardest hiking I have ever done. From illness to injury to crazy weather to bushwhacking - we've already had it all on this trail. And we're only halfway done!

Most would consider mid-June to be early summer. Glacier National Park, as it turns out, did not receive this memo. On our very first day, starting out from the Canadian border at Chief Mountain, we got snowed on.

Glacier is an unforgiving starting point for a thru-hike, with its long food carries and steep climbs over snow-covered passes. It is, however, a breathtaking place to begin an adventure. No matter where you turn, it is beautiful. You are essentially hiking in a postcard.

I would learn pretty quickly that this particular postcard had some bite to it. The third night on trail, I did not get a wink of sleep. I was awake all night with violent chills because I'd managed to catch a fever. The next morning, I had to bail to the nearest road. It was only two miles, but it was the longest two miles of my life. It took a few days at the Looking Glass hostel for me to recover enough to head back onto trail. What a brutal start!

After Glacier National Park, the CDT heads into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. “The Bob” is the fifth largest wilderness in the contiguous US. There are no roads, only a handful of old ranger stations and stock bridges. It's also grizzly country, and we saw signs of bear activity everywhere - paw prints, scat, hollowed out logs.

The weather had no intention of taking it any easier on us, and we got rained on 6 out of 6 days in the Bob. The trail turned into a mudslide. Everything we owned was always at least slightly damp.

In moments like that, we are especially grateful for our gear keeping us warm. With a pair of cozy wool socks on, we could at least still feel most of our toes!

Playing Tourist

Because we decided to take the Big Sky Alternate, we got to spend a week hiking through Yellowstone National Park. The route we chose took us through the park's backcountry, with stops at world-famous tourist attractions. We got to see the Norris Basin, the Imperial Geyser and Grand Prismatic, the Bechler River and, of course, Old Faithful.

We had an absolute blast playing tourist. The other tourists, however, seemed to think we were part of the wildlife, judging by the stares and phones held up in our direction.

Forecast: Cloudy, with a Chance of Storms

After Yellowstone, which almost felt a little bit like a vacation, it was time to buckle up and head back into the mountains. The Wind River Range is famous for its challenging hiking, world-class climbing, and stunning scenery. For the first time on the CDT, we were hiking above 10,000 feet. It was gorgeous up there, with dozens of lakes surrounded by jagged mountain peaks.

Our time in the Winds was somewhat overshadowed by the constant looming threat of thunderstorms. There's nothing quite like being exposed above the treeline and seeing the dark clouds rolling in to remind you of your mortality.

You must always be aware of where you are and what your options are when the thunder starts rumbling. The only thing you can really do is get to lower elevation and find cover. The Winds renewed my respect for the forces of nature and reminded me once again that mother nature, while not malevolent, is definitely brutal.

Water Is Life

The Wind River Range gives way to the Wyoming Basin. The Basin is a huge change from the rest of the trail thus far. It is relatively flat and consists of a seemingly endless sagebrush steppe. You can see for miles and miles into the distance; it is hot and windy. It's a great place to push big mile days - partly because the water sources here are few and far between.

It is fascinating to see the wildlife that thrives out here. From little horned toads to herds of pronghorns and wild horses, there is plenty of life to be found in this harsh landscape.

Halfway to Mexico

We have spent the last 2.5 months hiking through some of the most beautiful places this country has to offer. We have climbed mountains, crossed streams, sweated, shivered, laughed, and cried. The diversity of the CDT is incredible. Every section so far has had its own unique challenges that we have had to rise to - and we've conquered them all so far.

We also know there are plenty more things coming our way that will continue to test us. Colorado has already given us a taste of its climbs, and its weather. But, hey, you know what they say: Embrace the brutality.

Colorado, here we come!

About the Author

Maren “Wizard” Wahle is an aspiring triple crown thru-hiker. After moving from Germany to the U.S. she hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2021 - and has not been able to stop since. 2023 took her out west for the Pacific Crest Trail, and even though she swore up and down that she would never hike the Florida Trail, that is exactly what she did in 2023/2024. She is currently on the Continental Divide Trail with Cory Grove (@extremepedestrian), where she is fighting for her life every single day. You can follow her journey on instagram @_la.na._